Who Is Jesus Christ?

Introduction: The Central Question of History

More than any other figure in human history, the person of Jesus of Nazareth has shaped cultures, inspired movements, and transformed countless individual lives. For two millennia, billions have worshipped him as God, while others have revered him as a great moral teacher, a prophet, or a revolutionary. But who is he, really? This is not a trivial question; it is the single most important question a person can ever answer. The apostle Peter called him "the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Roman centurion at the cross declared, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Even Napoleon Bonaparte is reported to have said, "I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and whoever else in the world, there is no possible term of comparison."

To understand Christianity, one must first grapple with the identity of its founder. The entire faith stands or falls on the person and work of Jesus Christ. If he was just a good man, then his claims to be God were delusional, and his followers are to be pitied. If he was a liar, he is not a great moral teacher. But if he was who he claimed to be—God in human flesh—then his words carry ultimate authority, his actions have eternal significance, and his offer of salvation is the only hope for humanity. This article will explore the biblical answer to this pivotal question, examining the overwhelming evidence for his dual nature as both fully God and fully man, and unpacking his unique role as the Messiah and Savior of the world.

The Deity of Christ: "I and the Father are one."

The most radical and foundational claim of Christianity is that Jesus Christ is God. This was not a title given to him by later followers; it was a truth he claimed for himself and for which he was ultimately crucified. The Jewish leaders of his day understood his claims perfectly. When Jesus said, "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58), they picked up stones to kill him for blasphemy, because he was using the divine name God revealed to Moses ("I AM WHO I AM") and claiming pre-existence. When he claimed, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), they again accused him of blasphemy, "because you, a mere man, claim to be God." The Bible builds an irrefutable case for Jesus' divinity through his own words, his actions, and the testimony of those who knew him best.

The deity of Christ is not an optional doctrine for Christians; it is the very heart of the faith. Because Jesus is God, his sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to pay the infinite debt of humanity's sin. A mere man, no matter how perfect, could only die for himself. But because Jesus is the infinite God-man, his death has infinite value, capable of covering the sins of all who would ever believe in him. His divinity guarantees that he is not just another prophet with a message, but the Message itself—God's ultimate and final revelation to humanity.

The Humanity of Christ: The Word Became Flesh

Just as crucial as Jesus' divinity is his full humanity. The doctrine of the Incarnation—that God the Son took on human flesh—is a profound mystery and a glorious truth. The Bible is clear that Jesus was not a phantom who only appeared to be human, nor was he half-God and half-man. He was, and is, 100% God and 100% man, two distinct natures united in one person forever. He was born of a woman, grew from an infant to an adult, and experienced the full range of human existence.

Jesus' Genuine Human Experience

The gospels paint a vivid picture of Jesus' humanity. He experienced physical limitations: he grew tired (John 4:6), he was thirsty (John 19:28), and he felt hunger (Matthew 4:2). He also experienced the full spectrum of human emotions: he felt joy (Luke 10:21), he expressed anger at injustice (Mark 3:5), he showed compassion for the crowds (Matthew 9:36), and he wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the cross, he was in such anguish that his sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Ultimately, he experienced death, the most universal of all human experiences.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." - Hebrews 4:15

Why His Humanity Matters

• He is our Representative: To save humanity, Jesus had to be one of us. As a man, he lived the perfect, sinless life that we have all failed to live. He perfectly obeyed God's law on our behalf. His righteousness is then credited to those who put their faith in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He acted as the "second Adam," succeeding where the first Adam failed and undoing the curse of sin.
• He is our Sympathetic High Priest: Because Jesus lived as a human and faced temptation, suffering, and sorrow, he is not a distant deity who is unaware of our struggles. He understands our pain and weakness intimately. The book of Hebrews emphasizes that he can "empathize with our weaknesses," making him the perfect intermediary and advocate who prays for us before the Father.
• He is our Perfect Sacrifice: The Old Testament law required a spotless lamb to be sacrificed for sin. Jesus, as the perfect, sinless man, became the ultimate "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). His humanity made it possible for him to shed his blood and die a physical death, the required penalty for sin.

The humanity of Jesus is a source of incredible encouragement. It means God is not far off; he came near. He walked our dusty roads, felt our pain, and understands our struggles from the inside out. He sanctified human experience by living it, showing us what it means to be truly human, living in perfect communion with the Father.

The Mission of Christ: Messiah and Savior

From the moment sin entered the world in Genesis 3, God promised to send a Rescuer, a Messiah (Hebrew for "Anointed One"), who would crush the head of the serpent and redeem His people. The entire Old Testament points forward to this coming King. It predicted his lineage (from Abraham, Judah, and David), his birthplace (Bethlehem), and the details of his life, suffering, and death with astonishing accuracy. Jesus' mission was to be the fulfillment of all these promises.

Jesus as the Messiah King

In Jesus' day, the Jewish people were expecting a political Messiah who would overthrow the Roman occupation and restore Israel to its former glory. While Jesus is indeed a King, his kingdom is "not of this world" (John 18:36). His primary mission was not political liberation but spiritual liberation. He came to fulfill the three great "anointed" offices of the Old Testament:

• Prophet: As a prophet, Jesus spoke the very words of God. He taught with an authority that stunned the religious leaders, revealing the true heart of God's law and calling people to repentance. He is God's final and ultimate Word to humanity (Hebrews 1:1-2).
• Priest: As a priest, Jesus is our great High Priest. Unlike the priests of the Old Testament who had to offer repeated sacrifices for themselves and the people, Jesus offered himself as the one, perfect, final sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:25-28). He is now at the right hand of the Father, continually interceding for us.
• King: As a King, Jesus rules and reigns over all creation. Though his kingdom is spiritual now, established in the hearts of believers, the Bible promises that he will one day return physically to earth to establish his final, visible kingdom of perfect justice and peace. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

Jesus as Savior

The name "Jesus" itself means "The Lord Saves." This was his core purpose. His mission is summarized in Luke 19:10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." We were lost, separated from God by our sin, and under the just penalty of death. We were utterly helpless to save ourselves. But God, in his infinite love, sent His Son to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Jesus' work as Savior was accomplished through his perfect life and his substitutionary death. On the cross, he willingly took upon himself the sin of the world and absorbed the full wrath of God that we deserved. This is the great exchange: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). His resurrection from the dead three days later was the ultimate proof that his sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, that sin and death had been defeated, and that his promise of new life was true.

Conclusion: What Will You Do With Jesus?

The question of Jesus' identity is not one we can remain neutral on. He forces a choice. As C.S. Lewis famously argued in his "trilemma," Jesus could not have been merely a great moral teacher. A man who claimed the things Jesus claimed would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse."

The biblical evidence is overwhelming. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came in the flesh. He is the long-awaited Messiah who perfectly fulfilled God's plan of redemption. He is the Savior of the world who offers forgiveness, new life, and eternal hope to all who will turn from their sin and trust in him. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To know him is to know God. To follow him is to find the purpose for which you were created. The question that has echoed through the ages now comes to you: Who do you say that he is? Your answer to that question will change everything.