A World Changer
Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago in an obscure village to working-class Jewish parents. A carpenter by trade, Jesus began his public ministry at the age of 30 and was crucified a mere three years later.
That’s 36 months to spread His message. Only 1,095 days to transform His generation and every generation to come.
With only three years of ministry, no access to technology, social media, or even the printing press,—Jesus changed the world.
Fully God & Fully Human
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is more than a prophet, a good teacher, or the founder of Christianity.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
Jesus pointedly 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 Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16).
Importantly, Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer.
The Bible says:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.” (which means ‘God with us’) (Matthew 1:23)
"In Christ all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form." (Colossians 2:9)
Jesus was more than a man; more than the founder of Christianity, more than a prophet, more than a teacher, more than a moral example. Jesus is fully God and fully human.
Jesus is God with skin on, the only one who can bridge the gap between sinful people and our holy God.
The Savior
Before Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph with these words:
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
A Savior requires at least two parties: one (or more) people who need to be saved and one person who saves. But what, exactly, do people need to be saved from? And how did Jesus save us?
Scripture teaches that all people fall short of God’s holy perfection. Romans 3:23 puts it this way: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There’s a reason the phrase “nobody’s perfect” has been repeated for decades; everyone knows it’s true! This also explains why the church is filled with hypocrites. Every person falls short of God’s holy perfection—even religious people.
Our sin created a debt we owe to God, and our sin created a gap that separates us from God.
Jesus died in our place for our sins, cancelling the debt every one of us owes to God. But his death did something else, too—it saved us from separation from God in this life, and also in the life to come.
Put simply: we needed saving from our sin, and because Jesus paid for our sin through His death and resurrection, He is the Savior.
The Prophesied Messiah
The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (“Christ” means Messiah) fulfilled over 300 prophecies written about the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. Here are just five of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled:
1. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
2. The Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
3. The Messiah would be resurrected (Psalm 16:8-11)
4. The Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5)
5. The Messiah would be the descendant of Abraham through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3)
The Resurrected Lord
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time...” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
On numerous occasions Jesus predicted his death and his resurrection. Each of the four gospels includes extensive details about the resurrection. All of the sermons in the book of Acts focus on the resurrection. The essential message of the gospel is Christ’s death and resurrection.
There is just one question that should determine if someone should be a Christian:
Is Christianity true?
“For if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
But if Jesus was raised, the only logical response is to humbly acknowledge Him as Lord.
Make a Decision for Jesus
The most important relationship for every one of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Choosing to believe that he is who he claimed to be—the Son of God and the only way to salvation—and receiving him by faith as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision anyone will ever make. We want life. He is Life. We need cleansing. He is the Living Water.
Here is a simple prayer if you have not yet given your life to Jesus and invited him into yours:
Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross to rescue me from sin and death and to restore me to the Father. I choose now to turn from my sins, my self-centeredness, and every part of my life that does not please you. I choose you. I give myself to you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving—a person like you. Restore me, Jesus. Live in me. Love through me. Thank you, God. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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