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South Puget Sound Chaplaincy
Dedicated to serving the Emergency
first responders of
  Thurston and Mason Counties of Washington

 

  

 

 

WHO IS JESUS?

The person at the heart of Christianity is Jesus. His name is known around the world, and virtually everyone in the western world has heard of him. Yet, few actually know who he is. The knowledge we have of Jesus comes from the scriptures; also known as "The Bible". Below, we present the basic facts about Jesus. If you would like more information, please feel free to e-mail me. I would love to hear from you!

Jesus is known by many names. Some of the most common are:

  • "Jesus", which is English for the Hebrew "Yeshua" meaning "God is Savior"
  • "Christ", from the Greek "Christos" meaning the "anointed" or "chosen one".
  • "Word", a translation of the Greek word "Logos" meaning the ultimate in meaning.
  • "Son of Man", a favorite of Jesus referring to his humanity as well as his status as representative of humanity.
  • "Son of God", referring to his being begotten by God and the fact that he is God.

JESUS IS A MAN

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Gospel of Matthew 1:18, 24-25)

Jesus lived a real human life as evidenced by these human characteristics:

  • hunger -- "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." (Gospel of Matthew 4:2)
  • thirsty -- "...Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'" (Gospel of John 19:28)
  • tired -- "Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well." (Gospel of John 4:6)
  • love and compassion -- "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them..." (Matthew 9:36)
  • sorrow and grief -- "Jesus wept." (Gospel of John 11:35)
  • temptation -- "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit in to the desert to be tempted by the devil." (Gospel of Matthew 4:1)

JESUS IS GOD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" (Gospel of John 1:1, 14-15) Jesus is God, as evidenced by these Divine, or Godly, characteristics:

  • all powerful -- "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord god, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (The Revelation of John 1:8)
  • omnipresent -- "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Gospel of Matthew 28:20)
  • all authority -- "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Gospel of Matthew 28:18)
  • worshipped by men and angels -- "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth..." (Paul's letter to the Church at Phillipi [Philippians] 2:10)

Further evidence of Jesus' God nature is shown by the kind of works He did. Some of His divine works are:

  • forgiveness of sin -- "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." (Gospel of Mark 2:1-12)
  • authority to judge -- "And he has given him the authority to judge because he is the Son of Man..." (Gospel of John 5:7)
  • creation -- "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." (Gospel of John 1:3)

And finally, Jesus and others said that He is God:

  • his own -- "I and the Father are one." (Gospel of John 10:30)
  • Paul's -- "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form..." (Paul's letter to the Church at Colossae [Colossians] 2:9)

JESUS BECAME A MAN TO SAVE HUMANITY

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (The Gospel of Luke, 19:10)
 

JESUS IS ALIVE

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 Peter and then to the Twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (Paul's first letter to the Church in Corinth [1 Corinthians] 15:3-8)
 

JESUS IS OUR SOURCE OF FORGIVENESS

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus [Ephesians] 1:7-8)
 

WHAT NEXT?

It is truly my desire to make sure you have all the information about Jesus Christ that we can present you with.  We hope to hear from you soon!