There are so many opinions about who Jesus was and is. Some say that He was simply a gifted Jewish teacher ("Rabbi"), while others say He was a holy prophet - a messenger of God - but still only a man. But where can you go to decide for yourself?

Almost everything known about Jesus comes from some very old writings. They are so old because they were either written by Jewish eyewitnesses who spent years actually traveling and living with Jesus, or they were written by men who were alive during Jesus' time and spoke with many eyewitnesses seeking to verify their stories. By the grace of God, reliable copies have been carefully made and passed down through the centuries. 

Today, those eyewitness accounts are now in print as part of what is known as "The New Testament" and make up a portion of the Bible. Those accounts focus on Jesus' origins, identity, teachings, actions, and so much more.

So, who was Jesus?

During Jesus' criminal trial, the chief authorities asked Him point blank, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” And He said:

“I am.” (Mark 14:60-62)

“Yes, it is as you say.” (Matthew 26: 63-65)

“You are right in saying I am.” (Luke 22:67-70)

John heard Jesus make similar claims during His ministry:

"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) 

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him." (John 14:6-7)

Plenty of people have claimed to know God or speak for God, but Jesus said that He was God. And this upset the religious authorities of His day so much that they killed Him because of His claims. But that was 2,000 years ago. Why should it matter to you now? If that was the end of the story, then it shouldn't matter at all. But Jesus' story did not stop at death. 

Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18)

Other women (Matthew 28:8-10)

Simon Peter (Luke 24:34)

Cleopas and another (Luke 24:13-31)

The Disciples without Thomas (John 20:19-25)

The Disciples with Thomas (John 20:26-29)

Seven by Lake Tiberius (John 21:1-23)

500 plus the Disciples (1 Corinthians 15:6)

Stephen - the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:55)

Paul - a persecutor and murderer of early Christians (Acts 9)

John while in exile (Revelation 1)

Jesus was and still is God. He put on  human flesh in order to offer Himself up as a pure, perfect, and final sacrifice that would completely atone for the sins of everyone who believes through faith and save those believers from God's coming wrath against sin. The fact that He rose from the dead is what proves He was who He claimed to be and everything that He said was (and still is) true. This is why you will hear Christians talk about "The Gospel" being "Good News".

Truth is unaffected by our beliefs or feelings. Whether or not we believe in something is not what makes it true or untrue. Yet, your belief about who Jesus is matters more than you could possibly imagine. Take the time to read the accounts for yourself and answer two questions: Who did Jesus say He was and what happened after He died? As was written by a believer in Jesus thousands of years ago:

"And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."

(1Corinthians 15:4)

God is good, but people are broken and sinful. We can see it every day in ourselves and in the news. Humanity cannot fix itself because the root of its problems is a prideful separation from God. But God, the Creator of the universe, has done everything necessary to deal with our sinful state, which will be judged at the end of the age of man (Revelation 20:11-15). Will you try to defend yourself before God on that day, or are you willing to humbly surrender your life to Jesus in faith and receive His righteousness on your behalf? We are praying that you will believe and be saved!

But don't just take our word for it. Read. Ask questions. Discover and decide for yourself. If you have any questions, we are here to help. If you haven't already, check out our section on "The Gospel" which lays out the core, over-arching message of the Gospel and why Jesus is at the center of that message.