Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Church, the true Rock and the reason we gather together and do life together.
Our mission as His church is to preach the amazing news of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom made known in His creation!
John 1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Who Is Jesus
Scripture tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh, called the Messiah (saviour), who stepped down from Heaven to be born of a virgin and live His sinless life among the people He created (John 1:14). He came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to us, to reconcile us (make us right) with God forever, through his death on a cross.
His life, death and resurrection are recorded in history through the eyewitness accounts given through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and the Bible gives us the blueprint for living life the way God intended from the beginning.
1. Jesus is God
John wrote about Him: In the beginning was the Word [poetic description of Jesus], and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1 ESV). He created the world and all that is in it (John 1:3). The religious leaders of his time understood that Jesus claimed to be God (John 5:17-18). Paul wrote that when Jesus died, the Father revealed to the entire world that He was God (Philippians 2:5-11).
2. Jesus is the Son of God
According to the Bible, “Son of God” means: (1) He is fully God. (2) He is one of three persons who together make up the One God. This concept is called the “Trinity.”
The religious leaders of Jesus’ time understood this concept: This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18 ESV)
3. Jesus became human through the virgin birth
The eternal Son of God already existed in heaven (John 17:5). Through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), He was born as a human being, who was then named Jesus (Matthew 1:25). To demonstrate that Jesus was not a mere man (Colossians 2:9), God chose a virgin to give birth to Him (Luke 1:34-35).
4. Jesus Christ is the saviour of the world
Anytime we disobey God is called sin. The penalty for sin is death, but God in his love wants us to live. Therefore, he sent the promised Messiah (also called Christ) to save the world (John 1:41). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die in our place. Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross. He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later. Only through Jesus can our sins can be forgiven and we can come to God (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the Saviour of everyone in the world (John 3:16).
5. Jesus performs miracles
All through his time on earth, Jesus performed miracles. He healed the sick (Matthew 8:16 among many other instances), controlled the weather (Mark 4:39), multiplied food (Matthew 14:14-21), and provided money when needed (Matthew 17:24-27). Even after leaving the earth, He still does miracles in people’s lives (Acts 3:12-16).
6. Jesus changes lives
People who followed Jesus turned away from their sins. He cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2) and she became a devoted follower who told others that Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:16). Zaccheus, a tax collector, repaid people whom he cheated when collecting taxes and gave half of everything else to the poor (Luke 19:1-10). When followers were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to declare the message of Jesus, perform miracles, and live free from sin (Luke 10:1-20).
For nearly 2,000 years, Jesus Christ has been changing the lives of people all over the world. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV).
7. Jesus lives in Heaven at the Fathers Right Hand
After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where he was before becoming human. From there he is able to hear our prayers (Romans 8:34).
8. Jesus will return to judge all humanity
While he was still on this earth, Jesus said, Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man [a title Jesus used for Himself], and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30 ESV). When Jesus returns, He will separate those who will live with Him forever in heaven from those who will be punished (Matthew 25:31-33).
9. Jesus will receive you if you come to Him
Jesus said, Whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37 ESV). This was why He came to earth—to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10 ESV). It does not matter what you have done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him. He said, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32 ESV).
(Adapted from whojesusis.com)
Lord Jesus,
I believe that you are God in the flesh, who came down from Heaven to show us how to live and be made right with God. I know I’ve failed to live up to the standard set by God, and through your death on the cross I can receive forgiveness for all my sins. Clean me and make me new. Lead me into a right relationship with you, according to your great compassion and unfailing love.
In Jesus’ name, amen.