Who Is Jesus?

It’s a fair question. And it’s one many people still ask.

At the most basic level, the evidence is surprisingly clear. Both Christian and non-Christian sources agree that Jesus was a real person. He lived in the first century. He grew up in Nazareth, in ancient Judea. For much of his life, he worked as a carpenter.

Later on, something changed. Jesus began teaching publicly. People were drawn to him. They spoke of his wisdom, his compassion, and the extraordinary things he did. Many believed he performed miracles. His influence grew so strong that it unsettled the religious leaders of his day, and eventually he was put to death by crucifixion.



Historians broadly agree on these basic facts.

But Jesus and the gospel writers himself didn’t leave us thinking of him as only a good teacher or inspiring leader. He spoke about himself in ways that were more radical than that. He claimed a unique relationship with God—so close, in fact, that he spoke and acted as God would by his own authority.

That leaves us with a personal question. How should we respond to someone who spoke like this? We can either dismiss him as a liar and a lunatic (quoting CS Lewis). Or we can take him seriously and listen more closely to what he said about being the Son of God.

The wonderful thing is that Jesus didn’t ask people to trust him blindly. His words were accompanied by actions—acts of healing, compassion, and power in and of himself that pointed beyond himself to God.



Christians believe his life began in a miraculous way, as celebrated at Christmas, and that his death was followed by something even more surprising. After being buried, Jesus came back alive from being dead. Easter stands at the heart of the Christian faith because it claims that death did not have the final word. While every other human being remains dead, Jesus remains alive!

The Bible describes Jesus like this:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
(John 1:1)

At its heart, the Bible invites us to consider this idea: that Jesus is truly human and truly divine. That he stepped into our world to meet us where we are disconnected from God. And that through him, we get to explore and discover a God who is holy, yes—and also proactively loving, merciful, and forgiving us.

If nothing else, simply ask yourself—who do you say Jesus is?”