Who is Jesus?

The story begins over two thousand years ago-a miracle, an unbelievable, revolutionary moment.   God became man.   It was a humble beginning on earth, for the creator of the universe-divinity became flesh, holiness became human, majesty became mundane, and the Eternal One became subject to death.

This man, Jesus, forever changed the world.    He came for one reason-to die for the world.   His life challenged the world’s idea of a savior.   He was a carpenter, a teacher, not royalty.   He loved sinners; he ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. He healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave people’s sins, fed the poor and hungry, and loved the unlovable.  

Jesus’ radical beliefs and teachings threatened the religious system of his day and because of this he was convicted of a crime he did not commit.   Jesus was beaten, tortured, and sentenced to death.   Jesus died on a cross.  Three days later he was resurrected by the power of God. 

Jesus died so that all who have faith in him would not have to suffer eternal death.  He was the payment, the trade, the ransom, the retribution for our sinful lives.  Jesus is in fact God’s grace incarnate, God’s love given freely.

Jesus seeks your love and your worship.  Revelation 3:20 says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”  When we recognize God’s justice and provision in the death and resurrection of his son and embrace the transforming power of the Holy Spirit we open the door to Jesus.  By offering gifts of worship, service, and relationship we glorify Jesus as God in our lives.

As a local church we believe in Jesus as described in our Christian history in the Apostles Creed: “We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; he descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

We believe in the Trinity, the Three in One: God the creator, Jesus the redeemer and the Holy Spirit the sustainer, are all means by which God is revealed in the world.  Jesus’ life on earth was not a last minute desperation play to save humanity, but an eternally weaved plan meant to bring all who would believe into the presence of God.