About Jesus Christ

Who was—or is—Jesus?

No other name in all of history carries so many connotations. His name has inspired some of themost beautiful acts in human history, and has been used to excuse some truly terrible ones. Can we strip away the centuries of baggage that surround this name, and find the real Jesus?

Our knowledge of Jesus and his life comes from the Bible. Historically speaking, Jesus was a Jewish man who lived and preached 2000 years ago in the region of Palestine—the modern-day country of Israel. The Bible paints a stirring picture of this man and his work: it describes his miraculous birth, his years spent preaching and teaching and performing miracles, his clash with the religious leaders of the day, and finally his brutal death. The Bible also describes Jesus rising from the grave three days after his death!

What makes Jesus different from history’s many other religious revolutionaries? The difference lies in the claims Jesus made. Jesus never angled for political power or tried to set up his own religion with rules and regulations to follow. Instead, he made a startling claim: that he was the son of God, and that he had come to solve the “problem of sin”.

Jesus’ message is called the Gospel, or “good news,” because it’s wonderful news to every imperfect person (that’s all of us!) who wants to know a perfect God. Jesus taught that by simple belief in his death and resurrection—not by adherence to religious rules or rigid lifestyle regulations!—our sins and mistakes are erased so that we can commune with God. (Read more about Jesus’ “good news” Throughout the centuries, people have debated almost everything about the life and message of Jesus. But no matter what anyone else says, Jesus’ significance boils down to just one question: How will you respond this man Jesus and Claims?

The famous writer CS Lewis once wrote that Jesus’ life and message were so unique that he simply demands a response from us today. If Jesus was just another huckster religious leader, then he was a liar and can be ignored. But if Jesus really was who he said... then no matter how messed up our lives are, we can find real meaning and hope. It means there’s a way to break out of the pain and frustration of everyday life and have a purpose. The Christian faith is based on the belief that Jesus was exactly who he said he was.

Read more about the problem of sin, and the solution that Jesus offers. And if you’ve read about those and are ready to answer Jesus’ challenge, it’s time to make a decision about what you’ve learned.

The BIBLE is there such a thing as a single book that holes all the answers to life’s Questions?

Thousands of books vie for that title. Nearly every religious movement in history has claimed that its texts are the one true guide to life. Most of those books have faded from memory along with the groups that wrote them—but one religious book is different. When it comes to the Bible, people have loved it and hated it, but one thing they have never done is ignore it.

For thousands of years, probably no religious book has been the source of more controversy and devotion than the Bible. It’s been banned, translated into countless languages, burned, smuggled, mocked, defended, and consulted for answers to everything from prophecy to politics to morality. People have committed horrible acts while citing the Bible as their justification... and they’ve done beautiful acts of goodness while claiming the Bible as their inspiration. What is this volatile book, and why is it still on bookshelves around the world thousands of years after it was written? If you’ve ever picked up the Bible and read parts of it at random, you may have felt more confused than enlightened. What’s in the Bible that causes so many extreme reactions, and that makes it so important to people today?

The question of what the Bible says is relatively easy to answer. The Bible, in a nutshell, is a collection of several dozen short texts (called “books of the Bible”) written by various authors who lived in the Middle East over a period of time stretching from the Bronze Age to the Roman era. Together, the books of the Bible tell an epic story about God’s interactions with the ancient nation of Israel and with mankind in general. The final section of the Bible describes the life and death of a man named Jesus, and depicts the actions of his followers—men and women who called themselves “Christians.” (The full text of the Bible is available online if you want to search or peruse it yourself.)

But obviously, if the Bible were just a book containing some interesting historical tidbits, it wouldn’t be so important to people today. The fact is, the Bible makes some pretty serious claims about itself and about the events it describes. Today, Christians consider the Bible to be a foundation of their faith.

 Here’s what Christians believe about the Bible:

1.    The Bible was written not just by humans, but by God himself. God inspired the various Biblical authors to write what they did.

2.    Since the Bible was written by God, it’s perfect—the teachings and ideas it contains are God’s own, and are completely trustworthy.

            The Bible’s purpose is to show us how we, personally, can find God. The entire Bible—from the “boring” history parts to the amazing eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life—tells the story of God’s love for us, and how we can come to know God personally through Jesus.

The Bible is made up of hundreds and hundreds of pages and countless different tales, but all those stories fit together to tell a single story: God loves us and wants to know us personally. That core story is sometimes called “the Gospel,” and Christians consider it the most important story ever told.

If you’re new to the Bible and want to learn more about this core story, you can read more about the Gospel. Or if you want to find out more about the Bible and what it says, there are plenty of Bible studies to help you delve into the text.

What does the word sin mean to you?

The word has strong negative connotations. Maybe you associate sin with especially heinous crimes like rape. Maybe it calls to mind memories of a televangelist ranting about damnation. Or maybe you think the whole idea of sin is irrelevant.

Which perspective is true?

Whatever your take, our modern understanding of sin comes from the Bible.The Bible describes sin as any thought or activity that goes against God’s will. That covers obvious, awful crimes like murder—but it also covers the little ways that we hurt others in our everyday lives. Even the holiest person you can think of messes up from time to time.

But there’s more to sin than good old-fashioned bad behavior. The Bible teaches us that sin is so ingrained in the human experience that it marks even our most beautiful accomplishments.

And that’s bad news, because sin keeps us from connecting with God. He’s so perfect that sin simply can’t come near him. That means that people who have sinned—people like us—can’t get close to him either. It doesn’t matter if your sin was big or little—just like even a little pinch of the wrong ingredient spoils the entire recipe, even just a tiny little sin makes you too sinful to meet with God. Fortunately, that’s not where the story ends.

God loves you, despite your mistakes. He wants to be in a relationship with you. But for that to happen, the sin has to go away. You can’ t make that happen on your own. You can’ t scrub away your past sins by yourself. And no matter how hard you try, you just can’t live a life that’s free of sin’s taint.

This is what has been called “the problem of sin,” and spiritually speaking, it’s the greatest hurdle any of us will ever face. It’s also the central question around which all of Christianity is concentrated. Is there a solution to the problem of sin?

Well, there’s a reason that the message of Jesus Christ is called the “good news.” Christians say that a Jewish man who lived in 1st-century Palestine holds the answer to our sin problem. Read more about Jesus and his incredible claims.

Decide

Which will you choose?

So you’ve read about God, Jesus, and the Bible. You’ve read about the Gospel, Jesus’ plan for connecting you to God and giving you something more to live for. (If you haven’t read about these things, take a few minutes to do so you might be surprised at what you read!)

But what do you do with all this?

Simply reading about Jesus and God isn’t enough. You have a choice to make. You have to decide what to do with the radical and far-reaching claims that the Bible makes about you, Jesus, and your relationship with God.

Let’s review the heart of those claims:

First, the Bible says that you (like every other human who’s ever lived) are unable to know true peace because your sin has separated you from God.

But secondly (and this is the good news!) God still loves you, and wants you to know him and live a life that’s in phase with his will. God sent his only son, Jesus, to become a human himself and pay the price for your sins. Death is where sin inevitably leads  but Jesus died voluntarily in your place. When you believe that Jesus died for your sin, you’re home free. The slate’s wiped clean, and God chalks up your sin as “paid in full” by Jesus. The barrier that stood between you and God is gone.

We call this story “the Gospel,” or Good News... because what could be better news than learning that God is inviting you into his family?

So what is this choice that you have to make? It’s simple: you have to choose whether or not to believe in Jesus’ sacrifice. That means admitting that your sin keeps you from God, and that Jesus offers the way back home. That’s all you have to do: accept this free gift from Jesus, no strings attached. 

There are three ways you can respond to this choice:

    You can decide not to believe in Jesus. Choosing this option sends you back to Square One, looking on your own for answers to your heart’s questions. There are lots of people out there claiming to have answers, but be warned: the Bible says that there’s only one way to God, and that’s through Jesus. There’s no prize for second place.  

    You can put off the decision until later. Maybe you want to take some time to think about this or read more about it. There’s lot more here at Gospel.com about Jesus and his Gospel message, so have a look around. But be careful Jesus’ offer is open to all, but if you never get around to making a choice, that’s not any different than rejecting him.  

    You can accept Jesus’ offer of freedom by acknowledging your sin and asking Jesus to take it away. Jesus promises you freedom from guilt and sin, and a chance to start things fresh. You’ll live a new life a life with a purpose, knowing that God loves you and will help you through whatever life throws your way.

Which will you choose? 

                  However you choose to respond to Jesus’ claims, we’d love to hear from you. Write to us at tgcm.India@gmail.comand tell us what you think. We’d be happy to answer your questions, or help point you to resources that can help you make a decision. And if you’ve decided to believe in Jesus, we want to be the first to welcome you to your new life  and help you get started! The choice is yours!