Who is Jesus?
Jesus lived on earth two thousand years ago, but He is more than just a "good" man or a prophet from the past. He was not a liar or crazy. If He were then no one would have believed in Him. He would be a contradiction. The real Jesus, whose historical story is accurately written in the Bible, was born naturally to the virgin Mary. So, He is fully human. This came about miraculously by the power of the Spirit of God lighting on Mary. This supernatural beginning made it possible for Him to live like no other human, because He was also fully God, free from sin and brokenness.
The Holy Scriptures tell us that He gave up His powers and became a human man. He grew, He made decisions, He ate, He worked, and He had parents and siblings. Jesus loved, and He grieved those He lost. When John the Baptizer brought Him up out of the water, God the Father baptized Him with the Holy Spirit. At that time, He was 30 years old. This experience began 3+ years of Jesus proclaiming why He had come to live among us, along with Him performing healings, miracles, and signs and wonders as evidence of the life with God He promised to us.
What is the Gospel or Good News?
“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
The Good News of God's Kingdom
What is called the Gospel or the Good News consists of 4 parts that Jesus, and then His disciples proclaim, demonstrate and embody about Him.
- His Story (The Man)—They told the story of Jesus… His eternal existence before His human birth and life, and sacrificial death. They shared about His preaching of the Good News, even to the Dead in Hell. Then about His bodily Resurrection from the dead on the third day, and finally how He ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. This story is one of kind about the God Man, killed for us broken and sinful people. But there is HOPE! He did conquer death by rising again; and we don’t have to stay broken and sinful. He made a way back to everlasting and abundant Life that He promised for each one of us who believe.
- His Message—He came to Preach reconciliation with Father God and redeemed by Him through the door of the forgiveness of all our sins, past, present and future. So He becomes to us:
- Savior (Deliverer and Redeemer) to free and heal us from that sin and brokenness; by His life, death, and resurrection.
- Sanctifier – Making people set apart from the way of the World to set us apart from that sin and make us pure, whole and full of life, flourishing personally and collectively;
- Healer (of every disease—spiritual, psychological, and physical);
- King (Soon Returning) of His Sovereign Kingdom, who reveals our designed purpose as He welcomes us into His everlasting Kingdom of Abundant Life–all by faith in Him.
- His Mission—to make from all the peoples of the Earth, Kingdom Disciples by rescuing and redeeming us broken people to everlasting life for all who believe in Him. And to destroy the works of the Devil—the deceiver and adversary of the one and only Good God. He is restoring all wanting and willing things in creation including people made in His image to Himself. The Kingdom is more than a place we call Heaven, it is on the Earth in the hearts and lives of people. It isn’t just a land to go to and isn’t easily observed, but it is present in the lives of the disciples of Jesus and will come to exist here on earth in fullness. This is why we say, All of Jesus for All the World! We join Him in His mission of reconciliation and redemption by living the life He lived, and doing the things He did and still does.
- Your Move—Now you know who Jesus is. He is the God who loves you and me so much He came and lived a whole, sinless and humble life so that He could die in your place and mine and we can experience Life, real ABUNDANT LIFE EVERLASTING! But you have to choose Him to experience that redemption. He has already chosen you. You must confess He alone is Savior and King, and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved! This decision is not for the faint of heart, but it is for the desperate, this who are humble and hungry enough to own that the life you have is missing the most valuable part. A life for His Life. A life found in him for those who return home (repent) and believe! Today can be your day! One step to a whole new life!
Jesus is still alive today, sitting at the right hand of God and dwelling in His disciples through the Holy Spirit. He will return one day to completely fulfill what He accomplished.
The Message of the Mission: Four-Fold Gospel
"Jesus is not only the pattern, but the source of our life, and it is the business of the Holy Spirit... moment by moment to transfer His qualities into our life." -- A.B. Simpson
Our Savior
The first great blessing of God the Father’s Grace to us is forgiveness of sins and life everlasting through faith in the Lord Jesus.
Acts 4:12
Our Sanctifier
Holiness (devotion, purity and wholeness) is the Lord Jesus Himself living in us by faith and enabling us through ongoing submission to the Holy Spirit to be like Him.
1 Corinthians 1:30
Our Healer
Through His death and resurrection, believing and blameless followers of Christ may claim health and strength until their lifework is done.
James 5:15
Our King
King Jesus is present in our lives through the indwelling & empowering Holy Spirit, and is one day coming again as literally and personally as He did when He ascended to Heaven to set up His Kingdom fully on Earth.
Acts 1:11