Know Jesus

Who is Jesus, really?

A simple place to begin if you want to understand who Jesus is and why He still matters.

5 min readHopeForAll.Faith

More than a religious figure Jesus lived in a real place and time, but the New Testament presents Him as far more than a moral teacher. He spoke with authority, welcomed people others rejected, forgave sins, healed the hurting, and showed what God is like. His compassion was never weakness, and His truth was never cruel.

Reading the Gospels, you meet someone who does not fit neatly into our categories. Jesus is gentle with the broken and direct with the proud. He does not ask people to polish their image before approaching Him.

Read in the Bible

John 1:1–18 · WEB

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

²The same was in the beginning with God.

³All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.

⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

⁶There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

⁸He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

⁹The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

¹¹He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.

¹²But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

¹³who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’”

¹⁶From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.

¹⁷For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.

Colossians 1:15–20 · WEB

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

¹⁶For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

¹⁸He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him,

²⁰and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

God came near The heart of the Christian message is not that humanity found a path upward to God. It is that God came near to us in Jesus. He entered ordinary human life, experienced grief, rejection, exhaustion, friendship, and pain, yet lived without turning away from the Father.

Jesus said that to see Him is to see the Father. That means His way of treating people helps us understand God's character: holy, truthful, patient, and full of mercy.

Read in the Bible

John 14:6–9 · WEB

⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

⁷If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him and have seen him.”

⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Hebrews 4:14–16 · WEB

¹⁴Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession.

¹⁵For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

The question becomes personal Jesus died on a cross and His followers testified that He rose from the dead. Christianity stands or falls on that claim. If Jesus lives, He cannot remain only an inspiring idea. He invites a response.

You do not need to pretend certainty. Begin by reading one Gospel and asking a simple question: “Jesus, if You are who You say You are, help me know You.” Honest faith can begin with an honest search.

IN A FEW WORDS

Jesus is not merely a teacher from the past. Christians trust Him as the Son of God who came near, gave His life for us, rose again, and invites us to know God through Him.

A SIMPLE PRAYER

Jesus, I want to know You as You truly are. Help me see clearly, trust what is true, and take an honest next step toward You.

NEXT STEPS

You can begin today.

1
Read John 1 and notice what it says about Jesus.
2
Tell God honestly what you believe and what you still question.
3
Continue with the article about the cross.

View the main journey

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CARRY IT ALONE

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God came near The heart of the Christian message is not that humanity found a path upward to God. It is that God came near to us in Jesus. He entered ordinary human life, experienced grief, rejection, exhaustion, friendship, and pain, yet lived without turning away from the Father.

The question becomes personal Jesus died on a cross and His followers testified that He rose from the dead. Christianity stands or falls on that claim. If Jesus lives, He cannot remain only an inspiring idea. He invites a response.

Jesus is not merely a teacher from the past. Christians trust Him as the Son of God who came near, gave His life for us, rose again, and invites us to know God through Him.

You can begin today.

We can pray with you.

Why did Jesus die on the cross?

Can I come to Jesus if I still have doubts?