Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus was a real person, fully God and fully human. He lived a perfect life, then died on a cross, paying the penalty for our sins. On the third day Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death.
The Humanity of Christ
- Scripture clearly asserts that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother, Mary, by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit and without a human Father. (Matt 1:18-20, Luke 1:34-35)
- Jesus, while on earth, experienced humanity to the fullest with limitations and all. He was born as all babies are born, (Luke 2:7). He grew to adulthood as other do, (Luke 2:40). He experienced fatigue, (John 4:6), hunger, (Matt 4:2), thirst, (John 19:28) a full range of emotions, (John 12:27, Matt 8:10, John 11:35) and temptation, (Hebrews 4:15), as all humans do.
The Sinlessness of Christ
- Though the New Testament affirms that Jesus was fully human just as we are, it also affirms that Jesus was different in one important aspect: he was without sin and never committed sin during his lifetime. (2 Cor 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19, 22; 1 John 3:5)
The Deity of Christ
- To complete the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ, we must affirm that Jesus was not only fully human, but also that he was fully divine. Throughout church history, the church has used the word incarnation to refer to the fact that Jesus was God in human flesh. The incarnation was the act of God the Son whereby he took to himself a human nature. The scriptural evidence for the deity of Christ is very extensive in the New Testament.
- The word “God” (theos) used of Christ. Although theos is usually reserved for God the Father, there are several passages where it is also used to refer to Jesus Christ: John 1:1, 1:18; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2 Pet 1:1
- The word “Lord” (kyrios) is used to translate the name of “Yahweh” 6814 times in the Greek Old Testament, (Septuagint), and there are many times where the word is used of Christ in what can only be understood as Yahweh: Luke 2:11; Matt 3:3; Matt 22:44; 1Cor 8:6; 1 Cor 12:3
- Other claims to deity: John 8:58-59; Rev 22:13
- In the New Testament, Jesus exhibited many divine attributes:
- Omnipotence: Matt 8:26-27; Matt 14:19; John 2:1-11
- Eternal Existence: John 8:58; Rev 22:13
- Omniscience: Mark 2:8; John 6:64
- Worthy of Worship: John 20:28-29; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:6
The Atonement of Christ
- The atonement is the work Christ did in his death to earn our salvation.
- The Motive: Scripture clearly states that the love and justice of God were the underlying motives that led to Christ coming to earth and dying for our sins.
- Love of God: John 3:16
- Justice of God John 3:25-26
- The Nature of the Atonement: While it was not necessary for God to save any people at all, (2 Peter 2:4), the cross stands as the critical act in all of history making salvation available for every person. The cross was a pain filled event in three ways:
- Physical pain and death: Matt 26:38; Mark 15:24; John 19:31-33
- The pain of becoming sin: Isaiah 53:6, 12; 2 Cor 5:21; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24
- The pain of abandonment: Matt 26:56; Matt 27:46
The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ
- Resurrection: The Gospels contain plenty of evidence regarding the resurrection of Jesus. (Matt 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25) Jesus’ resurrection was not simply a coming back from the dead, but was a coming back from the dead in a new body that was perfect and no longer subject to weakness, aging or death. His resurrection body was a prototype, if you will, of what our resurrection bodies will be like. (1 Cor 15:20-23)
- Significance of the Resurrection:
- It insures our own regeneration: His resurrection life is infused into every born again believer in Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:5-6; Phil 3:10; Eph 1:19-20; Ro 6:4, 11; 1 Peter 1:3)
- It insures our justification: When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was God’s declaration of approval of Christ’s work of redemption. (Ro 4:25)
- It insures that we will receive perfect resurrected bodies as well: (1 Cor 6:14; 2 Cor 4:14; 1 Cor 15:12-58)
- Ascension: After Jesus’ resurrection, he stayed on earth for forty days, (Acts 1:3), and then was ascended into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11) Once ascended, Christ was seated at God’s right hand, showing completion of his work as well as authority over the universe. (Eph 1:20-21; Heb 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22)