Who is Jesus?

As our motto states, GAC is all about “Knowing Jesus & Making Him Known”. So, why are we so focussed on him? Who exactly is Jesus?

 

To find an answer to that question, we need to turn to the four biographies of Jesus’ life (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), which paint a picture of man like no other before or since.

 

An Historic Figure

Firstly, it’s important to realise that Jesus is not some ‘fairytale’ character, like a first century super-hero. Jesus was a flesh and blood man, who walked the streets of Israel over 2000 years ago. If you’d been in the right place at the right time, you could have seen him, spoken with him and even eaten with him. Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate his rather extraordinary birth.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” – John 1:14

 

An Extraordinary Figure

Despite the fact that in many ways Jesus was an ordinary man, there was also something extraordinary about him. The things he said divided people – warming the hearts of many and raising the ire of others. The things he did defied explanation. Eyewitnesses bore testimony to the many times he broke social conventions (caring for the outcast) & even the ‘laws of nature’, in a way no mere human could. He made the claim, and showed himself to be God himself!

“If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” – Jesus, John 14:9

 

A Tragic Figure

You would think that such a man would command the love and affection of all he met, however, Jesus’ life was tragically cut short just three years into his public life and ministry. His death, however, was far from a tragic accident, indeed the New Testament’s consistent message is that it was a deliberate act of sacrifice to pay for the wrongdoings of all people… including us!

“Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their life for their friends” – John 15:13

 

A Triumphant figure

Each Easter we celebrate an amazing comeback – this Jesus, who was so brutally murdered, actually rose from the dead (a fact attested to by hundreds of people)! This is central to understanding who Jesus is and what he came to do. Because Jesus has risen, he has shown once and for all that he is who he says he is (ie God in the flesh), but he also shows that anyone who turns to him in faith can be assured of eternal life.

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“These things are written so you might believe that Jesus is… the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name.” – John 20:31

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If you would like to find out more about this Jesus, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You could also try one of these websites:

Christianity.net.au - God Makes Sense

Who is Jesus Christ? | GotQuestions.org

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