Jesus
WHO IS JESUS?
The Bible details His pre-existence, birth, life, ministry, teachings, death, resurrection, and promise to return to earth. Jesus Christ existed as a historical figure while he was on this earth. His entire life was spent with modest people who, in many ways, were just like him.
History of Jesus
As a human being, Jesus was the Son of a peasant lady, born in a remote village. Before becoming an itinerant preacher for three years, he spent his early years working in a carpenter shop.
Language spoken by Jesus
Aramaic was a language that had long been spoken in many countries surrounding Judea, and it was the language that Christ and His disciples spoke. Additionally, Aramaic was frequently employed as a commercial and trade language. Aramaic progressively took the role of Hebrew among the Jews after the Babylonian captivity, and it was widely spoken by the time of Christ.
Miraculous birth of Jesus
King Herod’s reign in Judea saw the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1). In the peaceful town of Bethlehem, where David, the shepherd lad, had long since tended to his sheep, Jesus was born. The virgin Mary was informed by an angel before the birth of Jesus that the Son she would bear was the Son of God.
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES ABOUT HIS COMING
The Old Testament prophets also spoke of the coming of the Savior for humanity. Let us focus on just two of these predictions:
The prophet Micah had predicted the birth of Jesus in the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
The prophet Daniel foretold the first advent of the Messiah, or Christ, to the earth, and more specifically, the moment when He would begin His public mission (see Daniel 9:25).
Men had anticipated the arrival of Christ on earth since the beginning of recorded history. God said that He would create enmity between the serpent and the woman and between his and her Seed. He will crush the serpent’s head, and the serpent will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15).
Christ was the Seed of the woman prophesied to come upon the earth. On the cross, Satan, also known as the serpent, smote Him, but the tomb could not contain Him. When the devil is cast into the lake of fire, the crown of the serpent’s head will be trampled under Jesus’ feet.
WHAT KIND OF CHARACTER DID HE HAVE?
Who was Jesus as a person? How was Jesus like?
He was humble/meek (Matthew 11:29)
He was full of love for others (John 11:5)
He was sacrificial and selfless (Mark 10:45).
He was compassionate (Matthew 9:36, Mark 1:41)
He was submissive to God (Matthew 26:39)
He was full of mercy and forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
He was prayerful (Matthew 14:23)
He was assertive (Mark 1:27–28; Matthew 7:28–29)
He was fearless (Matthew 8:26)
He was a great teacher (Matthew 7:28-29)
WHY DID JESUS COME TO THE EARTH?
The main reason Jesus came to the earth was to die for our sins (Matthew 1:21). This was predicted in the Old Testament in Isaiah 53:8. There are a lot of Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Jesus.
The Book of Isaiah Isaiah 61:1 also explains why Jesus came to the earth. Jesus confirms this in the book of Luke.
In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus explained that the Lord’s Spirit was upon Him and anointed Him to preach the gospel to the poor, deliverance to the captives, heal the brokenhearted and recovery of sight to those who are blind, and set liberty of those who are bruised. As well as to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
WHERE DOES HE COME FROM?
Jesus comes from heaven. He said that He came from above and not from this world in John 8:23.
WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT HIMSELF?
He is the way, truth, & life (John 14:6).
He is the door of God’s sheep (John 10:9, John 10:7)
He is the Good Shepherd because He cares for the sheep (John 10:11).
He said before Abraham was I am (John 8:58)
He is also the light of the world (John 9:5)
Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:48)
He is the vine, and His followers are the branches (John 15:5)
He is also the resurrection & the life (John 11:25-26)
He is the living water, and people should come to Him if they thirst (John 7:237-39)
He gives everlasting life (John 6:40, John 6:47)
God will honor the person who serves Him (John 12:26)
God, the Father, dwells within Him (John 17:21)
He has power over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18)
He is the way to God, His Father (John 14:6)
HIS NAMES AND TITLES
The King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 19:16)
The Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 19:16)
Messiah (John 1:41)
Prince of Life (Acts 3:15)
The Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4)
Lord of Glory ((1 Corinthians 2:8)
Son of David (Matthew 1:1)
The Holy One (Acts 3:14)
King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2)
The I AM (John 8:58)
Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)
A prophet (Matthew 21:11)
Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10)
Suffering servant (Matthew 12:18, Isaiah 53:2-12)
Rabbi (John 3:2)
High Priest (Hebrews 4:14)
The Amen (Revelation 3:14)
Son of God (Matthew 14:33)
The Christ, which means the anointed One (Matthew 16:20)
Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22)
Lamb of God (John 1:29)
Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22)
Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3)
Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25)
Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
The Word (John 1:1)
The Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)
Advocate (1 John 2:1)
HOW MANY MIRACLES DID HE PERFORM?
The gospels record more than 35 miracles of Jesus. However, the apostle John said that the world would be too small if they had tried to record all Jesus Christ had said and done. So, only a small portion of the miracles that Jesus did have been written down. Refer to the shortlist below of some of His miracles:
Jesus healed the beloved servant of the centurion (Matthew 8:5-13)
Jesus stilled the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).
He cured two demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-34)
He cured the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8)
He resurrected the ruler’s daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26)
He opened the eyes of the two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31).
He loosened the tongue of the man who could not speak (Matthew 9:32-33)
He restored the withered hand of a man (Matthew 12:10-13)
He cured a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22)
He fed at least 5 000 people (Matthew 14:15-21)
He healed a woman from the land of Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28)
He fed at least four thousand people (Matthew 15:32-39)
He cured a boy who had a demon (Matthew 17:14-21)
He caused the tree made from figs to wither (Matthew 21:18-22)
He was able to remove an unclean spirit from a man (Mark 1:23-28).
Jesus healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45)
He cured the mother-in-law of one of the disciples of a fever (Mark 1:30-31).
He cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37)
He opened the eyes of a man who was blind (Mark 8:22-26)
The miracle of the great haul of fishes (Luke 5:1-11)
He raised the Son of a widow from the dead (Luke 7:11-18)
He cured a woman who suffered from an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48)
He cured a woman who had suffered for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17)
He cured a man who had dropsy (Luke 14:1-4)
He cleansed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19
He restored the ear of the high priest’s servant (Luke 22:50-51)
He rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-8).
He changed water into wine (John 2:1-11).
He Jesus cured the nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-47)
He healed an infirm man at a pool called Bethesda (John 5:1-9)
He opened the eyes of a man who was born blind (John 9:1-38)
He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46)
The second great haul of fishes (John 21:1-14)
WHY DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS?
Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the sins of humanity. He became the sin-bearer on the cross: “He bore humanity’s sins in his body on a tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
The penalty for humanity’s sin is eternal death, but God does not want us to die eternally. Therefore He became a man, took our sins, and died on the cross on our behalf. He took our sins and gave us His righteousness (1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
WHY DID HE RESURRECT FROM DEATH?
Jesus resurrected from the dead to show that he has power over death. Jesus has the keys to life and death. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead gives us confidence that God will also resurrect us from death. Jesus being resurrected from the dead is also a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The prophet David predicted that Jesus would resurrect from the dead in the Book of Psalms 22.
WHERE IS HE RIGHT NOW?
Jesus ascended into heaven after his resurrection. He is currently in heaven and is our high priest. He is interceding for us and presenting our prayers to God (Hebrews 8:1).
HOW SHOULD HIS FOLLOWERS BE LIKE?
The followers of Jesus have to be like him (1 Peter 2:21, 1 Corinthians 11:1)
They are full of love and imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2)
They live a righteous and holy life (Ephesians 4:22-24)
They behave gently and courteously towards others (Titus 3:1)
They love their enemies (Luke 6:27)
They pray for the enemies and their persecutors (Matthew 5:44)
They never curse others, but bless others (Matthew 5:44)
They obey all of God’s Commandments (John 14:15)
They take up their cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23)
They are not fearful or anxious (Philippians 4:6)
They should love God more than their spouses, parents, children, siblings, and even their life (Luke 14:26)
They go over the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15)
They should heal the sick, cast out a demon, and raise the dead (Matthew 10:8)
They should often pray (Luke 18:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
They should fast (Matthew 6:16-18)
They have the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
They do not think like the ungodly worldly people (Romans 12:2)
They have the same mindset as Jesus (Philippians 2:5)
They give their money to the poor (James 1:27, 1 John 3:17, James 2:15-17)
They are filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16, Ephesians 5:18, Luke 11:13)
They should are baptized (Galatians 3:27)
They should be like sheep and follow him (John 10:27)
They should be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
They should do everything that Jesus did (1 John 2:6)
IS JESUS THE MESSIAH?
Messiah means the “anointed one” or “chosen one.” John the Baptist confirmed that Jesus is the Messiah (John 1:1-41). Jesus confirmed that He was the Messiah in John 4:25-26.
HOW IS HE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER FOUNDERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS?
Jesus is the only founder who has never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus is the only founder who died and was resurrected from the dead, and He’s in heaven. The other founders of other religions are dead (Matthew 28:6, Romans 6:9)
Jesus is the only founder who could perform miracles (John 20:30-31)
Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6).
Jesus came from heaven (John 8:23).
Jesus has the most followers globally and got followers without using violence or force. There are over 2 billion Christians worldwide, and Christianity has the most followers.
IS JESUS GOD?
Who is Jesus as a divine being?
Jesus has the nature of God (John 14:9)
Jesus is the creator (John 1:3, John 1:10)
Jesus is the king and has dominion over even angels (Matthew 28:18)
Jesus had power over nature, such as the wind and the sea (Mark 4:41)
Jesus is also the image of God (Colossians 1:15)
Jesus can give life and resurrect anyone (Revelation 1:18)
Proof from both New and Old Testament that Jesus is God – View Document