Who is Jesus?

You may have heard the name Jesus. But what if what you’ve heard is incomplete? What if Jesus is more honest, more compassionate and more compelling than you thought? Maybe in the past, church has left a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe you’ve seen too much hypocrisy to know what’s real. Maybe you’re not against Jesus, you’re just not sure what to do with Him. You’re not alone and we understand.

We hope that this page serves as a place for you to learn about who Jesus is and answer some of the questions you may have.

The Gospel of John is one of four biographical accounts of Jesus in the Bible. While the others focus mostly on what Jesus did, John focuses on who Jesus is: God Himself, present from the beginning, who stepped into human history to be known by us.

The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” John wrote his account so that people would believe Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that believing in Him leads to life (John 20:31). It’s not a list of rules or a religion to join. It’s an invitation to know a person, one who offers forgiveness, purpose and a relationship with God that doesn’t depend on having it all figured out first. If you’re curious about Jesus, the Gospel of John is a great place to start.

So, WHO IS JESUS?

Jesus is God’s Son. He lived a perfect life, then died on the cross to pay for our sins. This is something we could never do ourselves. God sent Jesus to become human, be our representative, die on the cross and rise again, defeating sin and death for good. He was even there at creation because He is God. He made us, He saved us and He’s our only real hope, now and forever.

WHAT IF YOU’VE HEARD OF HIM WRONG?

Maybe your picture of Jesus was shaped more by a bad experience than by Jesus Himself. A church that hurt you. A Christian who judged instead of loved. Rules that felt like a cage, not freedom. If that’s you, we’re sorry. That’s not who He is, and it’s not what He came to do.

Jesus spent His time with the people the “religious” looked down on. He was patient with doubters, gentle with the broken and reserved His strongest words for people using God to control or shame others. He never once turned away someone who came to Him honestly.

Whatever you’ve experienced, you’re allowed to ask questions. We invite you to meet Jesus for yourself, not the version handed to you by someone else’s mistakes, but who He revealed Himself to be in His Word.

Who is Jesus?

Common Questions

It’s okay to have questions. We all do. Here are a few questions we hear often, answered as clearly as we can.
  • What is the Gospel (and why does it matter)?
    The Gospel means “Good news!” But why do we need good news? Because we are sinners, and the punishment for sin is eternal separation from God. We were created to be in relationship with God, but we chose to sin.
    Here’s the good news: God sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die on the cross and rise from the grave. In doing this, Jesus paid the price for our sin, something we could never do ourselves. When He rose from the dead, he proved that He is the Son of God and He conquered sin and death. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12–13
    If you let Him, Jesus will save you from eternal death and give you new life. This new life is both now, as His child shining His light in the world, and in eternity, living with Him in heaven forever.
  • WHO IS GOD?

    He is the self-existing Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the one living and true God, eternally existing in perfect unity as three equally and fully divine persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. He is not bound by time or space. He existed before all things and He will forever reign over all things. He has many names such as YAHWEH, Jehovah, The Almighty One, The Lord and The Holy One, which all reveal aspects of who He is and how we should approach Him. He is to be feared and reverenced, yet pursued and worshiped. He is set apart from all created things in many ways but especially by His perfect holiness. This is the God who pursued us first.

  • WHAT IS SALVATION?

    Salvation is a gift from God that means we have been saved and freed from the penalty of our sin. When we confess our sin and surrender to Jesus as Lord, many things begin to happen in us. In a moment, we move from death to life, receive forgiveness from our sin, become adopted into the family of God and so much more. Salvation begins the transformation within us. Sanctification continues it as we grow in faith and become more like Christ. Glorification completes it when we leave this world and enter God’s presence forever.

  • How do I know that I am saved?

    The Bible tells us that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). It also tells us that we can know for sure that we possess eternal life (1 John 5:13). Our confidence in this relationship does not come from our ability to change or to do better. Because salvation is a gift, that means it is not something we deserve or earn. There will be many times that we don’t “feel saved”, but salvation is not based on a feeling. It is based on a promise from God. As with any relationship, there may be seasons where we stray or lose our closeness to God based on choices we make. However, this does not mean that we have lost our salvation. It just means that we need to draw nearer to Him and continue to pursue Him by faith.

  • What is the Bible?

    Simply stated – the Bible is the Word of God. It is the written revelation of the character and nature of God. It records His work to create the world, fellowship with mankind, judge sin and restore mankind to Himself. It contains 66 books written by approximately 40 authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, over the course of about 1,500 years. It is broken into two parts – the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is to be held as the highest authority in the life of a believer and treasured as God’s message of love and redemption to all who believe.

  • How should we use the Bible?

    We should read the Bible to know God and His story of redemption. We should meditate on it and memorize it. We should study it. We should apply it to our lives. We should teach it to our children and preach it in our churches. We should proclaim it to the world.

  • What is the Church?

    The Greek word used in the New Testament for church is “ecclesia”. It does not describe a building, place or event. Rather, it is a movement of God’s people called out for a purpose. The “church” can be understood in two different aspects. There is the universal Church and the local church. The universal Church is made up of all believers spanning all of human history and made up of every race, nation, tribe and language. It is not bound by time or space. The local church is a specific group of people who assemble together within the same location at the same time period. The universal Church is made up of many local churches that have existed since the Church began at Pentecost in Acts 2.

  • Why be a part of the church?

    The Bible describes the Church as the family of God, the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. In all of these, accountability, community and unity are key. When a newborn child comes into a family, there is a celebration. Similarly, new life in Christ strengthens the family of God. No child of God is meant to be an orphan; there is a place for everyone. As the body of Christ, every member has a unique gift and role. The Church isn’t a social club, but rather, it is a group of people living on mission for God’s purpose. Each member needs to be in their place for the body to function fully. As the bride of Christ, the Church should be loved and treasured. It won’t be perfect, because it’s made up of imperfect people, but God’s faithful promise to present His Church blameless before the Father reveals just how deeply Jesus values the Church.

  • WHAT IS PRAYER?

    In simple terms, prayer is talking to God. Although we should approach Him with reverence and awe, He also invites us to come to Him boldly and unashamedly. Prayer may seem intimidating, especially when praying out loud or in front of others, but God’s desire is that we are never afraid or hesitant to come to Him. There is no issue too big or too small to approach God with. He simply desires that we come to Him and pray as an opportunity to spend time with Him.

  • how do i pray?

    In Luke 11 and Matthew 6, Jesus gives us an example of how to pray and how not to pray. We are free to talk to God just as we would talk to a parent or a friend. However, Jesus warns us not to pray in such a way to gain attention or praise from others who may see or hear us. What we say during prayer is sometimes not as important as the attitude we have when we approach God in prayer. As we look through Scripture, we see prayer used for confession, worship, fellowship and a plea for help. All of these are great reasons to pray and it is a good discipline and rhythm to include them when we pray.

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