Incarnation around 6-4 BC · cross and resurrection around AD 30-33
Jesus Christ in the Bible
The Son of God, Savior and Lord. Name meaning: “The LORD saves” (the same name as Joshua); “Christ” means “Anointed,” like the Hebrew “Messiah”
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14), born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem. True God and true man, he proclaimed the kingdom of God, performed miracles, died on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). Taken up to heaven, he intercedes for his own and will return in glory: he is the heart of the whole Bible.
Key moments
- Born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger Luke 2:7
- Baptism: “This is my beloved Son” Matthew 3:16–17
- The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:1–3
- Transfiguration before Peter, James, and John Matthew 17:1–2
- Institution of the Lord’s Supper Matthew 26:26–28
- Death on the cross: “It is finished” John 19:30
- Resurrection on the third day Matthew 28:5–6
- Ascension and promise of his return Acts 1:9–11
Strengths
- Perfect holiness
- Love and compassion
- Obedience to the Father
- A servant’s humility
- Divine authority
Weaknesses
Jesus had no moral weakness: he “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). A true man, he nonetheless experienced our human limits (hunger, Matt 4:2; weariness, John 4:6; sleep, Mark 4:38; thirst, John 19:28; tears, John 11:35; and the anguish of Gethsemane, Luke 22:44), which is why he can sympathize with our weaknesses.
Lessons for today
- Everything hinges on his question: “But whom say ye that I am?” He is the only way to the Father (Matt 16:15; John 14:6).
- Faced with temptation, Jesus answered “It is written”: knowing and memorizing the Word is a weapon for resisting the devil (Matt 4:4).
- He came “to minister, and to give his life”: the disciple follows his example of humility and service (Mark 10:45; John 13:14-15).
- He will return: let us live each day in holiness, mission, and the hope of his coming (Acts 1:11; Rev 22:20).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
People around Jesus Christ
- Mary — His mother according to the flesh
- Joseph — Husband of Mary, father in the eyes of men (Luke 3:23)
- John the Baptist — The forerunner who baptized him
- Peter — The apostle who confessed him as the Christ
- John — Apostle, “the disciple whom he loved”
- James — His brother, who became a believer after the resurrection
Stories with Jesus Christ
Quiz: how well do you know Jesus Christ?
In which town was Jesus born?
Joseph went up from Nazareth “unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,” and there Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. Luke 2:4–7
According to John, in which town did Jesus perform the first of his miracles?
After the water was turned into wine, John notes: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.” John 2:11
How many days did Jesus fast in the wilderness before being tempted by the devil?
Led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus fasted “forty days and forty nights,” and afterward he was hungry. Matthew 4:1–2
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.