What We Believe about Christ

No other single individual has impacted the history of the world in general and western civilization in particular more than Jesus of Nazareth.

This humble son of a carpenter lived most of His life in obscurity, spending little more than three years in the public limelight as a popular teacher of religious truth. He was eventually executed to appease the religious leaders of His day who could not refute Him and would not endorse Him. yet His death marked the beginning of a new dimension of His influence rather than the end of His movement.

In spite of incredible opposition directed at His movement throughout history, vast multitudes of people continue to follow Him today.

Here is what the Jewish historian Josephus write in the first century AD about Jesus,

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works; a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. Source: The Works of Flavius Josephus, translated by William Whiston, M.A. Boston: Dewolfe, Fiske and Company, 1883. Page 474

Obviously, Jesus of Nazareth was more than the son of a carpenter. The Bible teaches us that Jesus was in fact God incarnate in human form. He is the second person in the Trinity who came to live among us, die for us, and resurrect so that someday we might be able to live with him forever.

In many respects, what we believe about Jesus impacts the very heart of our Christian life.

The life of Jesus Christ is the focus of all God has revealed about Jesus. In the Old Testament, the prophets described Christ in types and prophecies, anticipating His coming. In the New Testament, the epistles describe the implications of His life in the context of the Christian life. During His life and ministry on earth, Jesus promised He would return a second time at the end of the age. The fulfillment of prophecy associated with the first coming of Christ gives us reason for the hope in His return.

Six significant aspects in Jesus Christ’s life and ministry illustrate His uniqueness. These aspects include…

His Incarnation,
His Atonement,
His Resurrection,
His Ascension,
His present ministry, and
His involvement in Christian life.

These six themes summarize what we believe about Jesus.

For more, read the full chapter on “What We Believe about Christ” from which this article was excerpted, in Foundational Doctrines of the Faith: Knowing What We Believe and Why by Elmer Towns.

Dr. Elmer Towns is Vice President of Liberty University, which he co-founded in 1971 with Dr. Jerry Falwell. Dr. Towns has been a popular Sunday school teacher and college and seminary professor for decades.

This article is excerpted and condensed from Dr. Towns’ 60-page eBook Foundational Doctrines of the Faith. Read it NOW, eBook instant PDF Download, $11 value only $4.99, More…

Here is a summary article of the 8 Foundational Doctrines of the Christian Faith

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Want to Follow Jesus?

To grow as a Christian, you need to…

Pray, worship God and read The Bible each day,
Join a small group with other Christians to encourage each other’s Christian growth,
Each week, join in worship at a good Church that preaches The Bible as God’s Word,
And minister to others in the name of God.

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