Who is Jesus? To answer that question, we first have to understand who God is.

God is infinite: He isn't limited by space, time, or our imaginations. (After all, He created all of those things.) God is also perfect: He will always do what is right (Genesis 18:25), and He sets the universal standard for what is genuinely good (Luke 18:19). He is in charge of the universe.

God perfectly created the universe, from the largest stars to the tiniest atoms . . . and beyond (Genesis 1:1). But He made humans differently from the rest of creation: He created us in His image, to take care of His world, and to enjoy a special relationship with Him (Genesis 1:26).

Unfortunately, this relationship didn't last long. In spite of God's love and care for them, the very first man and woman chose to disobey God (Genesis 3:1-6). When they rebelled against God, the universe was no longer perfect. Suffering, disease, disasters, and death entered the world. The first couple's rebellious nature was passed on to their children, all the way down to you and me (Romans 5:12). Just like the first man and woman, we choose to disobey God and break His laws (Romans 3:23). For example, we've stolen things, even though God says in the Ten Commandments, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). We often live for our own pleasure, not God's, even though He tells us to "have no other gods before me," including ourselves (Exodus 20:3).

Because of our rebellious nature, we are God's enemies  (Romans 5:10). And like any good judge, God's justice does not allow him to overlook our rebellion. Instead, the punishment we deserve is described in very striking terms: God "will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom . . . all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:41-42).

But God's love provided a substitute to bear the punishment that our rebellion deserves. God knew that we would rebel before He ever created us, and He was prepared. Before He created the first human, He created a plan to save us from his anger and the punishment we deserve, while still being just. God the Son came to earth around 2000 years ago, and was named "Jesus." He came to "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus, in His incredible love, took our punishment for us by dying on a cross. God the Father then proved that He accepts that substitution by bringing Jesus back to life three days later.

Now you have a choice: God states that "the wages [or payment] of sin is death [eternity in Hell], but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). You can choose to keep rebelling against God by rejecting His offer of salvation through what Jesus accomplished. On the other hand, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [your master, the one whom you will seek to serve for the rest of your life] and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10.9). "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Rom. 10.10).

If you would like to find out more about Jesus and His work on your behalf, we encourage you to read what God Himself has written about Jesus in a book of the Bible named John. You can start reading it for free here, or you can ask us for a free printed copy of it by filling out a form here.