Who is Jesus Christ according to the Bible?
No one has influenced history as much as Jesus of Nazareth. The calendar used by much of the world is divided into before and after his birth. His name is spoken every day in thousands of languages. His life has inspired works of art, hymns, hospitals, schools and movements for justice. But beyond his influence, the decisive question is the one he himself asked his disciples: “But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
Opinions about Jesus are many: a moral teacher, a prophet, a revolutionary, a sage. The Bible, however, presents a deeper and more demanding answer. In this article we look at what Scripture teaches about the identity, life and work of Jesus Christ.
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Announced from the beginning
The story of Jesus does not begin in Bethlehem. From Genesis, the Bible announces the coming of a deliverer. After the fall, God promised that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). To Abraham he promised that in his seed all nations would be blessed. To David he assured an eternal king from his line.
The prophets added details: he would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), he would be called Emmanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14), he would be a suffering servant wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53) and he would enter Jerusalem lowly, riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). After his resurrection, Jesus himself explained to his disciples how the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms spoke of him (Luke 24:44).
The eternal Word
The Gospel of John opens with solemn words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him” (John 1:1-3). The Word is the eternal Son of God, who existed before creation and through whom everything was made.
This means Jesus did not begin to exist in Bethlehem. He is eternal. Paul describes him as “the image of the invisible God”, in whom all things were created and in whom all things consist (Colossians 1:15-17).
God made man
John continues: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory…)” (John 1:14). This is the mystery of the incarnation: the eternal Son of God truly became human, without ceasing to be God. He was born of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), laid in a manger and grew up in Nazareth as the son of a carpenter.
Jesus experienced human life in its fullness: he was hungry, thirsty and tired; he wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus; he felt anguish in Gethsemane; he was tempted in all points like us, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). That is why he can understand us. The Church, at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, expressed this truth by affirming that Christ is truly God and truly man, in one person.
The names and titles of Jesus
Jesus: his name means “the Lord saves”. The angel told Joseph: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Christ or Messiah: both words mean “Anointed”. Jesus is the king, prophet and priest promised to Israel.
Son of God: expresses his unique and eternal relationship with the Father. At his baptism the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Son of Man: the title Jesus used most often for himself, taken from Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7, where one like a son of man receives an everlasting kingdom.
Lord: the first Christians confessed “Jesus is Lord”, acknowledging his divine authority over all creation.
Lamb of God: points to his sacrifice to take away the sin of the world.
The “I am” sayings
In the Gospel of John, Jesus describes himself with seven powerful images: “I am the bread of life”, “I am the light of the world”, “I am the door”, “I am the good shepherd”, “I am the resurrection, and the life”, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and “I am the true vine”. He even said: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), using the expression with which God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush. His hearers understood that he was identifying himself with God.
His teaching
Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand and called people to repentance and faith. In the Sermon on the Mount he taught the beatitudes, love for enemies, the Lord’s Prayer and trust in God’s care. He summed up the law as loving God with all the heart and loving one’s neighbour as oneself. Through parables he revealed the merciful heart of the Father.
His teaching astonished people because he spoke with his own authority, not as the scribes. He did not merely interpret the law: he said “ye have heard that it was said… but I say unto you”.
His works
Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cleansed lepers, set the oppressed free, calmed storms, multiplied loaves and raised the dead. These miracles were not spectacles but signs that the kingdom of God had come and that he had divine authority. At the same time they showed his compassion: again and again the gospels say that Jesus was moved with compassion.
Jesus also forgave sins, something only God can do, and ate with tax collectors and sinners, showing that he had come “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
His death on the cross
Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders, betrayed by one of his disciples and handed over to the Roman authorities, who crucified him under Pontius Pilate. But the Bible teaches that he did not die as a helpless victim; he gave his life voluntarily: “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). On the cross he bore our sins to reconcile us with God. You can go deeper in our article on the crucifixion.
His resurrection
On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. The tomb was empty and he appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples, to Thomas, to Peter and to many others. The resurrection confirms that Jesus is who he said he was, that his sacrifice was accepted by the Father and that death has been defeated. Paul states that Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4).
His ascension and present work
Forty days after rising, Jesus ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. From there he intercedes for his own (Hebrews 7:25), is head of the Church and sent the Holy Spirit to accompany, guide and strengthen his followers. Jesus is not merely a figure of the past: he lives and reigns today.
His return
The Bible teaches that Jesus will return in glory. The angels told the disciples that this same Jesus would come in like manner as they had seen him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). His return will bring righteous judgment, the resurrection of the dead and the renewal of all things. That is why Christians pray: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
Why is Jesus unique?
Many religious leaders have taught ways to draw near to God. Jesus claimed something different: he himself is the way. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). This claim does not come from pride but from love: God has opened a door for everyone in his Son. Peter proclaimed that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Before Jesus it is not possible to remain neutral. Either he was a deceiver, or he was mistaken about himself, or he is truly the Lord. The gospels were 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 20:31).
Jesus, prophet, priest and king
Christian tradition sums up Christ’s work in three offices that in the Old Testament received anointing. As prophet, Jesus fully reveals the Father to us and communicates the Word of God. As priest, he offered himself as the perfect sacrifice and now intercedes for us before the Father. As king, he rules with justice and love over his Church and all creation, and one day his kingdom will be revealed in fullness. In him all the figures that announced God’s Anointed are fulfilled and surpassed.
How to respond to Jesus
Knowing Jesus is not just knowing facts about him, but receiving him. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). You can respond by acknowledging your need of forgiveness, trusting in his death and resurrection, giving him your life as Lord and beginning to follow him every day, in prayer, in his Word and in fellowship with other believers.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you are the Son of God, that you became man, died for my sins and rose again. I receive you as my Saviour and my Lord. Forgive me and give me a new life. I want to know you more and follow you every day. Thank you for your love. To you be the glory. Amen.