Who Is Jesus?

The 40 Miracles of Jesus

September 22, 2024

Why Did Jesus Die for Us?

November 10, 2024

Published by Belinda Smith on November 10, 2024

Quick Answer

Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world, and Lord. He is fully divine and truly human. He came into the world, lived without sin, taught about the kingdom of God, performed miracles, died for our sins, rose again, and offers salvation and eternal life to those who trust in Him.

Jesus is not simply a good teacher.

He is not merely an example of kindness.

He is not only a prophet.

The New Testament presents Him as much more.

To understand Christianity, we need to understand who Jesus really is.

Jesus Is the Son of God

One of the central truths of the New Testament is that Jesus is the Son of God.

Matthew 16:15–16 — “Thou Art the Christ”

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus asked His disciples directly who they believed He was.

Peter answered with two enormously important titles: the Christ and the Son of the living God.

“Christ” is not Jesus’ surname. It is a title meaning the Anointed One, referring to the promised Messiah.

Jesus is the One the Old Testament anticipated and the One through whom God would accomplish His saving purposes.

Jesus Is God

The Bible does not merely teach that Jesus is God’s special messenger.

It teaches that Jesus is divine.

One of the clearest statements appears at the beginning of John’s Gospel.

John 1:1 — The Word Was God

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John identifies Jesus as the eternal Word.

He was with God, and He was God.

This is one of the foundational truths of Christian belief about Jesus.

Jesus did not begin existing when Mary gave birth to Him.

His human birth was the beginning of His earthly life, but the Son existed eternally.

Jesus Became Human

The Bible also teaches something equally important: Jesus truly became human.

Christianity does not teach that Jesus only appeared to be human.

He was born, He became tired, hungry.

Jesus experienced grief, He suffered and He died.

Yet He remained the eternal Son of God.

John 1:14 — The Word Became Flesh

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

This is the mystery of the incarnation.

The eternal Word became flesh and lived among humanity.

Jesus was not pretending to be human.

He truly entered our world.

That means He understands human weakness and suffering in a way that is deeply personal.

Jesus Is the Messiah

The Old Testament contains promises concerning the coming Messiah, and the New Testament identifies Jesus as their fulfilment.

Luke 4:18–19 — Jesus Proclaims His Mission

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus understood His mission in terms of God’s promised salvation.

He came to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom and to accomplish the work He had been sent to do.

Jesus Is Our Saviour

The name Jesus itself is connected with His saving mission.

Matthew 1:21 — He Shall Save His People

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Jesus came to save people from sin.

This is at the centre of His identity and mission.

Humanity’s greatest problem is not simply lack of knowledge, lack of success, or difficult circumstances.

We have a sin problem.

We are separated from God and cannot save ourselves through our own goodness.

Jesus came to do what we could never accomplish on our own.

Jesus Died for Our Sins

The cross is essential to understanding who Jesus is.

Jesus did not simply die because His ministry became unpopular.

His death was part of God’s plan of salvation.

Romans 5:8 — Christ Died for Us

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus willingly gave Himself for sinners.

His death demonstrates both the seriousness of sin and the extraordinary love of God.

The cross shows us that God did not ignore our sin.

He provided a way for forgiveness.

Jesus Was Without Sin

Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned.

Hebrews 4:15 — Without Sin

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

This matters because Jesus came as the sinless Saviour.

He did not need to die for His own sins.

He gave Himself for ours.

Because He understands temptation and human weakness while remaining without sin, believers can approach Him with confidence.

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

Jesus used many images to explain His relationship with His people.

One of the most beautiful is the picture of a shepherd.

John 10:11 — The Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

A shepherd protects, leads, and cares for his sheep.

Jesus does not present Himself as a distant ruler who has no concern for His people.

He calls Himself the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.

That connects His compassion directly to the cross.

Jesus cares for His people, but His care is not merely sentimental.

He willingly sacrificed Himself for them.

Jesus Is the Way to the Father

Jesus made an extraordinary statement about Himself when speaking with His disciples.

John 14:6 — “I Am the Way”

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Jesus did not say merely that He teaches the way.

He said He is the way.

Jesus did not simply point people toward truth, He said He is the truth.

He did not merely explain how to find life, He said He is the life.

This is why Jesus cannot be reduced to simply being a wise teacher.

His claims about Himself are central to Christianity.

Jesus Reveals the Father

Jesus also taught that knowing Him is connected with knowing the Father.

John 14:9 — “He That Hath Seen Me Hath Seen the Father”

“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

Jesus uniquely reveals God to humanity.

This does not mean that Jesus is the same Person as the Father. Christian teaching understands the Father and the Son as distinct Persons within the one God.

Rather, Jesus reveals the Father because He shares the divine nature and makes God known to us.

Jesus Is the Creator

John’s Gospel takes the identity of Jesus even further.

John 1:2–3 — All Things Were Made by Him

“The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Jesus is not part of creation in the way we are.

John presents Him as the One through whom creation came into being.

This is another reason the New Testament’s teaching about Jesus is so profound.

The One who entered the world as a human being is also the One through whom all things were made.

Jesus Is Lord

The New Testament repeatedly uses the title Lord for Jesus.

This is more than a polite title.

It communicates His authority and His divine identity.

Philippians 2:9–11 — Every Knee Shall Bow

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus is not simply someone we admire.

He is Lord.

Christian faith therefore involves surrendering our lives to Him, not simply adding His teachings to our existing beliefs.

Jesus Is the Light of the World

Jesus also described Himself as light.

John 8:12 — The Light of the World

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Light reveals what darkness hides.

Jesus came to reveal God, expose sin, and lead people into life.

Following Him does not mean that we will never experience difficult circumstances.

It means that we do not have to walk through life without the light of Christ.

Jesus Is the Bread of Life

Jesus used another powerful image when speaking about spiritual hunger.

John 6:35 — The Bread of Life

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Jesus was pointing beyond physical food to the deeper spiritual need within humanity.

People can have success, money, relationships, possessions, and entertainment and still feel spiritually empty.

Jesus offers something the world cannot provide: life in relationship with God.

Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life

One of Jesus’ most powerful statements came while speaking to Martha after the death of her brother Lazarus.

John 11:25–26 — “I Am the Resurrection”

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Jesus did not merely say that He could teach Martha about resurrection.

He said He is the resurrection and the life.

This points directly toward the Christian hope of resurrection and eternal life.

Jesus Is Compassionate

The greatness of Jesus does not make Him distant from people who are hurting.

The Gospels repeatedly show His compassion.

Matthew 11:28–30 — Come Unto Me

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus invites weary people to come to Him.

This does not mean that following Christ guarantees a life without problems.

It means that we do not have to carry our burdens alone.

Christ offers rest for the soul and calls us to learn from Him.

Jesus Wept

One of the shortest verses in the Bible gives us a remarkable glimpse of Jesus’ compassion.

John 11:35 — Jesus Wept

“Jesus wept.”

Jesus knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Yet He still wept in the presence of human grief.

His tears show us that He was not indifferent to suffering.

Jesus entered into human sorrow.

Jesus Forgave Sins

One of the things that made Jesus’ ministry so controversial was His authority to forgive sins.

Mark 2:5–7 — Authority to Forgive Sins

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”

The scribes understood the significance of what Jesus was saying.

Jesus was claiming an authority that belongs to God.

His authority to forgive sins points again to His divine identity.

Jesus Performed Miracles

The Gospels record many miracles performed by Jesus.

He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, calmed storms, fed multitudes and He raised the dead.

These miracles were not merely impressive displays of power.

They revealed who Jesus is and pointed people toward faith.

John 20:30–31 — Why the Signs Were Written

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

John tells us why he recorded these signs.

They were written so that people would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus Welcomed People Others Rejected

Throughout His ministry, Jesus spent time with people whom others looked down upon.

He ate with sinners, He spoke with people who were socially marginalised, He welcomed children and He showed compassion to the poor and hurting.

This does not mean Jesus approved of every person’s behaviour.

He called people to repentance.

But He did not require people to become perfect before they could approach Him.

Luke 19:10 — He Came to Seek and Save

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

That is the heart of Jesus’ mission.

He came for the lost.

Jesus Calls Us to Repent and Follow Him

Jesus’ invitation is not simply, “Admire me.”

He calls people to follow Him.

Luke 9:23 — Take Up Your Cross

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Following Jesus involves surrender.

It means allowing Him to become Lord rather than simply asking Him to make our existing lives more comfortable.

It means turning away from sin and learning to live according to His teachings.

Jesus Is Our Friend

Jesus used the language of friendship with His disciples.

John 15:14–15 — “I Have Called You Friends”

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus offers a relationship marked by love and closeness.

But notice that this friendship does not remove obedience.

Jesus connects friendship with following His commands.

Biblical relationship with Jesus is not casual familiarity. It involves love, trust, obedience, and following Him.

Jesus Died and Rose Again

The death and resurrection of Jesus are central to His identity and mission.

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 — The Gospel

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Jesus died for our sins.

He was buried.

And He rose again.

The resurrection is not an optional part of Christianity.

Without the resurrection, the Christian gospel would not be the gospel proclaimed by the apostles.

Jesus Gives Eternal Life

Jesus promises eternal life to those who believe in Him.

John 10:27–28 — Eternal Life

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Eternal life is not simply living forever.

It is life in relationship with God.

Jesus is the source of that life.

Jesus Will Return

The story of Jesus did not end with His resurrection and ascension.

The New Testament also teaches that Jesus will return.

Acts 1:10–11 — Jesus Will Come Again

“And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

The Christian hope is not simply about remembering what Jesus did in the past.

It includes looking forward to what He will do.

So, Who Is Jesus?

When we put all of these passages together, we begin to see the incredible picture Scripture gives us.

Jesus is:

The Son of God.

The eternal Word.

God who became flesh.

The promised Messiah.

The Saviour.

The Good Shepherd.

The Light of the World.

The Bread of Life.

The Resurrection and the Life.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Lord.

The One who died for our sins, who rose again and the One who gives eternal life.

And He is the One who will return.

Why Does Who Jesus Is Matter?

Knowing who Jesus is matters because your understanding of Him affects how you respond to Him.

If Jesus were merely a good teacher, you could simply decide which of His teachings you liked.

But if Jesus is Lord, then His words carry authority.

If Jesus is the Saviour, then you need Him, and He deserves worship.

If Jesus died for your sins, then the cross is personally significant.

If Jesus rose from the dead, then death does not have to be the end of the story.

And if Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then following Him is not simply one lifestyle option among many.

How Should We Respond to Jesus?

The Bible calls us to believe in Him, repent, follow Him, and place our trust in Him.

Acts 16:31 — Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Faith in Jesus is not merely believing that He existed.

It means trusting Him, recognising who He is, turning toward Him and it means allowing His teachings to shape your life.

And it means relying on His work rather than trying to save yourself.