Jesus: Who Is He?
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Let's begin with some history. The primary historical records of Jesus' life are the first four books of the Christian scriptures (i.e. The New Testament): Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Jesus was born sometime between 6 B.C. and 1 A.D. in Bethlehem, a small town in the nation of Israel. Jesus' birth came about in a unique way:
- Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (he had no biological father)
- His monther Mary remained a virgin until after he was born.
The Bible records several miraculous events associated with Jesus' birth and early childhood, and then very little about him until the day when, at the age of about 30, he began his ministry. You can read the full story in the following Bible passages:
Jesus Launches His Ministry
Jesus began his ministry by presenting himself for baptism to a local prophet known as John The Baptist. John's consistent message to the public was:
"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
Everyone else who came to John did so as an act of public repentance - reversing the direction that their lives had taken up until that point and committing themselves to a life of obedience to God. Jesus also came to John to be baptized - not as an act of repentance, but rather to launch his minstry. Soon thereafter Jesus began to preach the same message as John:
"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
You can read the details in the following Bible passages:
Jesus Continues His Ministry
Over the next three years or so Jesus taught, preached, performed miracles, and trained dedicated followers known as disciples. His relationship with his disciples is especially worth examining. They initially saw Jesus as their rabbi or teacher. As they continued to spend time with him they gradually began to see him as more than a teacher.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20
Notice that Jesus fully endorsed Peter's declaration that he was the Christ (i.e. the Messiah or "Anointed One"). Jesus understood himself to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus not only endorsed such bold statements about himself, he also made several of his own that we'll examine in the next section. He even accurately predicted his own death, burial, and resurrection.
Something To Consider
Do you believe that God exists? If so, have you thought about what kind of God he is? Read on and you'll find out.
God's existence is an important issue, and if you're a follower of Jesus Christ you should be able to discuss it with others. Are you comfortable doing this? If not, we'd like to help you get better at it - read the How To Use This Material section below.
Next: What Did Jesus Say About Himself?
How To Use This Material
The main purpose of the material on this page is to give you an overview of how Jesus began his ministry. Read the first 3 chapters of Matthew and take some time to let it sink in. Jesus pursued a very deliberate path - he had an agenda! If you're reading this for help in introducing others to Jesus invite them to read the passages for themselves and discover the picture of Jesu s that emerges.