Who is Jesus Christ? (Summary and Biography)

The main commentary: four Bible gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; New Testament letters and books; the Scriptures testify of Him (Jn 5:39). Read these. Below is an incomplete list.
The same yesterday, today and for ever. (Hebrew 13:8)
A Jewish Man, resurrected from the dead, sitting at the right hand of God, His Heavenly Father, waiting to return on the clouds to the Middle East and Jerusalem in Israel, to execute judgement, and bring justice and deliverance to the oppressed (Mt 24:30), (Rev 19:11-16)
A Man approved by God by miracles and signs which God did by Him, who was crucified and killed for the sins (wrongdoings) of the world; then raised from the dead by God, 3 days later, about 30 AD.(Acts 2:22-33)
Highly exalted, and given a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father (Phil 2:9-11)
In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col 2:9); the image of God (2Cor 4:4)
Loves His Heavenly Father and spent time talking (praying) with Him; shown by His obedience to His Father’s mission. (Lk 5:16)
Loves people of all types: men, women, children, societies’ outcasts, Jews, non-Jews, the healthy, the sick, the disabled, the demon-possessed, the rich, the poor, the oppressed, the right-doers, the wrong-doers, the religious, the non-religious, those against Him and those that killed Him (Lk 5:29,30; 7:29,34,37; 15:1-32; 18:9; 19:7; 23:39-43)
Demonstrated His love for folk by preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God had come and doing miracles and signs to help those in need, to prove it (Mt 9:35)
With composure, experienced suffering, hardship, homelessness, rejection by family and friends, betrayal, torture, abuse, a death threat and attempts to kill Him; opposition and surveillance from religious leaders and satanic powers (1Pet 2:21-24)
His ultimate act of love was to suffer and die as a substitute for our sins (wrongdoings); He died at about 33 years old as the Lamb of God. (One year old, unblemished lambs were sacrificed for sins in the Jewish religious ceremonial system ordained by God through Moses) (Jn 19:1-42)
Speaks the truth graciously with authority, answered genuine and trick questions; defended those verbally bullied; spoke out against hypocrites and warned wrongdoers of their fate if they did not repent (change their mind and behaviour) (Mt 7:28), (Mt 24:1- 25:46), (Mt 22:15-22, 23-33, 34-40), (Jn 12:3-8), (Mt 23:13-38)
Has emotions of tenderness and compassion; was hungry, thirsty, tired; had grief for folk’s hardness of heart; anger, indignant, sighed, wept, thankful and rejoiced in spirit. (Lk 7:13), (Mk 11:12), (Jn 19:28), (Jn 4:6), (Mk 3:5), (Mk 10:14), (Mk 7:34, 8:12), (Jn 11:35), (Lk 10:1-24)
Went against social and religious traditions by healing on the Sabbath (rest day), talking to women in public, healing Samaritans (mixed race), not ceremonially washing before meals and eating, and mixing with the outcasts of society. (Lk 6:6-11; 14:1-6), (Jn 4:4-42), (Lk 17:11-19), (Lk 11:37-54), (Lk 5:29-30)
Had many disciples/followers; trained a chosen group of 12 disciples to be with Him and help with His mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God (Lk 6:13-16)
A very able, caring, encouraging manager knowing what to do in each circumstance (Jn 6:6)
Sent from God, the Son of God (Jn 13:3), (Jn 10:36)
The Messiah (God’s anointed One, Son of Man, the King of the Jews), Bread of Life, Light of the world, the Good Shepherd, the Door, the Resurrection and the Life; the Way, the Truth and the Life: ‘no man comes to the Father but by Me’. Saviour of the world (Jn 5:27), (Jn 6:35), (Jn 8:12), (Jn 10:11,14), (Jn 10:7,9), (Jn 11:25), (Jn 14:6), (Jn 12:47)
The True Vine and His Father, the husbandman (gardener) (Jn 15:1)
Gives Peace (not like the world gives it) (Jn 14:27)
Our Hope (1Tim 1:1)
Head of the Church and Saviour of the body (the church) (Eph 5:23)
Judge of the living and the dead (2Tim 4:1)
Faithful and True, The Word of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:11,13,16)
Bridegroom to the Bride (the great city, the holy Jerusalem) (Rev 21:10)

A Biography of Jesus Christ

His Background

Names: Jesus (Greek), Yeshua (Hebrew: Yehovah is Salvation), Christ (Greek: anointed one) equivalent to Jewish ‘Messiah’-anointed one

Date of Birth: Year not given by biblical authors, but during the reign of Herod the king (in Judea), Caesar Augustus (Roman Emperor in Rome, Italy) and Cyrenius (governor of Syria) around 6BCE (Before Common Era) to 1BCE, during the time of the Roman empire. Mt 2:1; Lk 2:1-2. The 20^th March approximately, maybe, corresponding to the first day of Nisan (first Jewish month) around the time the sacrificial lambs were being born near Bethlehem in Judea. (‘Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world’ Jn 2:29)

Country of Origin: Israel (eastern border of the Mediterranean Sea). Brought up in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, northern Israel.

Religion: Jewish (believed the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible as Scripture, Old Testament). Believed in one God (Yehovah) and obeyed the written Torah (first 5 books of Hebrew Bible) including sabbath (rest) day observance and the Feasts of the Lord: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Blowing of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles.

Mother: Mary, whose ancestral relatives included King David, Abraham and Adam (the first man)

Father: Yehovah (God), who by His spirit overshadowed Mary before Mary and Joseph (according to law, was married to Mary) had sex. Joseph’s ancestral relatives included the kings of the tribe of Judah to King David, and Abraham and Adam (the first man)

Step brothers and step sisters: James, Simon, Judas (not Iscariot) and at least 3 sisters. Mt 13:55

His Person: What is known about Jesus is written predominantly in the 4 gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and the Scriptures, the only adequate description of Him.

His Life

His life was remarkable and exceptional. His birth was pre-announced to His mother by an angel called Gabriel; announced by angels to shepherds who visited Him.

He was born a Jewish boy into an obedient, Tanakh-believing family. Magi from a country, east of Israel, visited Him in Nazareth, believing He was the King of the Jews. Being warned by an angel, the family fled to Egypt to avoid an assassination attempt on His life by King Herod.

At the age of 12, Jesus, after the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem, remained in the Temple discussing and asking questions of the teachers of the Law. After being found by His parents, He explained He was doing His Heavenly Father’s business.

Growing up, all Jewish boys learned about the Tanakh, memorising portions of it and taught a trade (builder/carpenter in Jesus’ case).

About 30 years of age, Jesus was baptised by full immersion in the river Jordan by John the Baptist and immediately the Holy Spirit alighted upon Him ‘like a dove’ and a voice was heard out of heaven ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’ Mt3:17.

The Spirit of God then led Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted 40 days and was tempted by the devil to act independently of His Heavenly Father instead of with obedience and faith. Quoting appropriate Scriptures, Jesus overcame each temptation.

Jesus then started publicly preaching and teaching the Kingdom of Heaven, demonstrating He was the Messiah by forgiving sins, healing the sick, raising the dead, delivering folk from evil spirits, doing miracles and showing signs.

He, as a rabbi, chose a team of twelve disciples which He taught, along with many followers, both men and women. These eye-witnesses saw and heard what He said and did:

He had compassion on the people around Him and helped them, a friend to the outcasts, oppressed, the poor and women; He defended those who were oppressed by the religious people;
He was obedient and trusted His Father, even to death;
He said ‘When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father’ and ‘I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Bread of Life, the Vine and the Resurrection’.
He referred to Himself as the Son of man which had a two fold meaning. One was literal; the other, He was the Messiah, the King of the Jews, who was to come as written in the Old Testament.

With the help of Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, the religious Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested at night, tried for blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah, and King of the Jews. He was condemned and brought before Pontius Pilate, the local Roman governor. Pilate repeatedly found nothing wrong with Jesus but through the insistent persistence of the Jews, relented, and allowed Jesus to be crucified on a wooden stake (cross) on the day of preparation when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed for the Passover Feast. His dead body was placed in a guarded, sealed tomb with a large mill stone rolled across the entrance.

Three days later, God the Father resurrected Jesus bodily from the dead. For the next forty days He appeared, disappeared, ate, made breakfast on the beach and talked with His followers proving it was really Him and about the coming Kingdom of God.

After forty days His followers watched Him ascend up to Heaven in a cloud. The two angels that stood by assured them Jesus would return in the same manner.

Later, Saul of Tarsus, later named Paul, saw and talked with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a follower instead of a persecutor.