Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God become man — the central figure of Scripture and the foundation of the Christian faith. "Jesus" (the Greek form of Joshua, YHWH saves) names his saving mission; "Christ" (Greek for the Hebrew Messiah, the Anointed One) names his office as the promised King, Priest, and Prophet. Historic Christianity confesses him as one person in two natures — truly God and truly man — not a demigod or merely an inspired teacher, but God the Son who took our humanity to redeem it.

Before his birth he eternally existed as the Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… all things were made through him" (John 1:1–3); he is "the image of the invisible God" who holds all creation together (Colossians 1:15–17; Hebrews 1:3). In the incarnation "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14), born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem as Immanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:18–23; Luke 2:11). He was tempted in every way yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

His ministry proclaimed the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15): he called the Twelve, taught with unique authority, worked miracles, welcomed sinners, and declared that all the Scriptures point to him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39). He came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Crucified under Pontius Pilate as the atoning sacrifice for sin foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8), he rose bodily on the third day, "declared to be the Son of God in power… by his resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4) — prompting Thomas’s confession, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).

Risen, he ascended and was made "both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36), poured out the Holy Spirit, and now reigns until he returns to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11; Philippians 2:9–11). He is the one mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), and "there is salvation in no one else" (Acts 4:12); he himself is "the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). His full deity and full humanity in one person were confessed at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451).