I wrote this article when I was an Elder in a previous Church. The aim was to give a brief introduction to the Christian faith and to the person of Jesus Christ, particularly for those who were new to faith and the doctrines of grace. I hope it helps you.

Who is Jesus?

As Christians we believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We know Him as the One Who created us, Who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and Whose presence we experience every day in the Holy Spirit.

The Bible and Jesus

There are some who speak of Jesus Christ as a political revolutionary, a religious guru, a mystic, a faith healer, a hypnotist, an occultist, a magician. Indeed, even while He walked the earth, there were those who believed Him to be in league with Satan, or, worse, a fraudster and confidence trickster (to use modern terms).

The New Testament, however, teaches us that Jesus was no ordinary man, but was, in fact, God in human form. It teaches that, in His coming to earth to share in our humanity, God was at work bridging the gap between us and Him.

“…in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

– 2 Corinthians 5. 19; English Standard Version (Anglicised)

In the Bible, each of the four Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) point toward God interacting with us. Until the coming of Christ, the Jewish people believed that God was afar off, and could be satisfied only with sacrifices. With Jesus arrived a new understanding of God, and a new relationship with Him. No longer was God distant and terrifying, but close and personal. Through Jesus Christ came an intimacy and peace with God, through having our sins forgiven and receiving a transformed heart and soul. Since Jesus walked the earth, countless men and women have felt their hearts and souls transformed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, and have become agents of change and love in the world.

The death and resurrection of Jesus

The death and resurrection of Jesus, perhaps better known as ‘the Easter Story’, is the culmination of the Gospels. It is not without reason that Christians are called ‘Easter People’. At Easter, as we recall Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, His betrayal, His last meal with His friends, His unlawful trial and execution, and His resurrection from the grave, we come to terms with our own sin and failures, but (more importantly) God’s overwhelming love for us. We are encouraged to seek His forgiveness, to trust in Him, to receive His Holy Spirit, and to understand what it means to believe in and follow Him.

It is a very difficult thing to accept that we have sinned or failed. Indeed, for most of our lives we try and put such feelings to the back of our mind – we try and ‘see the best’ in ourselves and overlook those negative points in our lives. But, in calling us to repentance, God is not demanding that we sit in sackcloth and ashes, moping and whining about our flaws and blemishes; but instead inviting us to lay our burdens and sadnesses at His feet. At Easter we are reminded that Christ died for all of us – from the cradle Christian to the death-bed convert. Although seeking Christ’s forgiveness is a difficult decision to come to, it is also the most important decision we can ever take. Those who take this step of faith can sense the feeling of God working in their lives, and never feel the same again.

The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

From a hymn, ‘To God be the glory’, written by Fanny Crosby

One of the most dramatic and meaningful encounters in the New Testament comes at the end of St Luke’s Gospel. It tells us of two of Jesus’ disciples who, having just witnessed His death, were walking back to their homes in Emmaus.

As they walked home in the heat of the afternoon, a stranger comes alongside them. This stranger notices the sad expression on their faces and asks why they are unhappy. Amazed that He has not heard the news of Jesus’ death, they tell the stranger all they know. Eventually they come to Emmaus, and the two disciples invite the stranger into their house, still not knowing who He is. At the table, the stranger takes bread and blesses it, just as Jesus did at the Last Supper. Finally they recognise who He is, and sum up their experience by saying:

“Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”

– Luke 24. 32; ESVUK

How is this relevant today?

Today, nearly two thousand years after His death, several million people open the Bible every second to read about Jesus’ life and teachings. Around the world it is estimated that 2.4 billion people would describe themselves as Christian (nearly 1/3 of the world’s population), and day by day more people come to experience Jesus Christ’s teachings. While He was on earth, Jesus said:

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

– John 10. 10; ESVUK

The Gospels teach that a relationship with God is the most precious thing any of us could ever dream of, and leads to the most fulfilling life that can ever be experienced. It is important to note that Jesus never promised His followers an easy life; indeed, Jesus actually said:

“If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.”

– John 15. 20; ESVUK

However, St Paul, one of the early followers and preachers of Jesus Christ, who helped found churches all over the world, wrote (in his letter to the church in Philippi)

“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

– Philippians 3. 8; ESVUK

Even though it may sometimes make for uneasy conversations, funny looks while out and about, being teased by friends, or worse, Christians believe that knowing the purposeful hand of God in their lives, knowing His love and forgiveness, is well worth any minor sufferings we may experience. We believe that, through Jesus Christ, we find purpose and meaning in our lives, and can experience peace with God and fulfilment in Him by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. For these reasons, the story of Jesus Christ is still relevant today.

How can I find out more?

Both through reading the Bible and through joining your local church, you can discover that Jesus transforms the lives of all those who come to Him. For more information, contact a church near you, or reach out to contact me (email address below).

Written by Michael RJ Topple - April 2021.