Who Is Jesus?

Son of God, Prophet, Teacher, Messiah, Savior, Lord—people call Him a lot of different names, but who is He, really? The truth is that Jesus is God. He was there at the beginning of time and is the Creator of the world we live in. When man was created, God gave humanity free will, meaning the freedom to choose to follow Him or to not follow Him and His plan for their lives. The Bible tells us that the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose not to follow God (also known as sinning). Because of their choice to sin, they became separated from Him and severed the unique relationship they had with their Creator (Isaiah 59:2). Can you imagine what it would be like to have a relationship with the Creator of the World? And they blew it! But let’s face it, it’s not like we would do any different.

The whole world, us included, continues to suffer as a result of that choice, meaning that we, too, sin and disobey God (Romans 3:23). We, too, are unable to have that relationship with God. Included in that suffering is the reality of death (which was not original to God’s creation, but is a result of sin) (Romans 6:23). Fortunately for us, God didn’t want to leave it at that. He devised a plan to reconcile this broken relationship and put an end to sin and death. 

This plan called for something radical – for Jesus to come down to Earth, become a human being, live a sinless, human life, and die, sacrificing His life to pay the consequence for our sin. Just like us, Jesus had parents and siblings, ate lunch with friends, worked, slept, and was tempted to sin. He was completely human. Unlike us, He was completely human AND completely God, born of the union between a woman (Mary, a virgin) and the Holy Spirit (not Joseph). Though He was tempted, like you or I every day, He, having the in-born power to do so (which you and I don’t have) chose not to sin and lived a sinless life on Earth. Because He was sinless, God accepted Jesus’ perfect life and sacrificial death as a substitute for our imperfect, sin-filled lives and unavoidable death (2 Corinthians 5:21).

And that’s not all. Jesus not only died, but also came back from the dead and completely removed the barrier (sin, again) that prevented us from knowing our Creator, opening the door for us to be in relationship with God and live forever with Him. We need only admit to God that we are sinful, and each, individually, accept by faith Jesus’ gift to humanity for ourselves (I John 1:9). God wants to be in relationship with us; that’s how He created us to live. He loves us and in that love, through Jesus, created a way for us to experience that love again. Jesus loves you, too, and has an incredible plan for you in the new life He offers to you.