Who Is Jesus? A Bible Study

The identity of Jesus Christ has been debated for centuries. Was he just a man or something more? This comprehensive bible study will examine who Jesus claimed to be and what the biblical evidence reveals about his nature and purpose.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: According to the Bible, Jesus is the Son of God who came to Earth, lived a sinless life, died for the sins of humanity, and rose again – accomplishing salvation for those who believe in him.

In this approximately 3000 word article, we will walk through Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. We will look at his own words about himself as well as Old Testament prophecies that foretold his coming. Key topics will include:

Jesus’ Divine Nature

Jesus’ claims to be God

Jesus made several direct and indirect claims to be God throughout his ministry according to the Gospel accounts. For example, Jesus stated “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He also told his disciples that “anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Many of Jesus’ assertions outraged Jewish leaders who accused him of blasphemy for claiming equality with God.

Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah

Several Old Testament passages prophesy about a coming Messiah with divine attributes. For instance, Isaiah 9:6 refers to a child who will be called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father.” Other prophecies point to the Messiah reigning from heaven and receiving worship due only to God (Psalm 45:6, Daniel 7:13-14).

New Testament authors frequently cited these and other passages to argue Jesus uniquely fulfilled them as the divine Son of God.

Jesus possesses divine attributes

The Gospels portray Jesus demonstrating many of God’s exclusive attributes during his time on earth. For example, Jesus displayed his authority over nature by calming storms, walked on water, multiplied food, and raised the dead.

He also exhibited foreknowledge of future events in predictive prophecies that came to pass. Further, Jesus accepted worship on several occasions. Finally, after his resurrection, Jesus declared “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).

To learn more, check out these additional resources:

Jesus’ Earthly Life and Ministry

Virgin Birth

Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem (Luke 1:26-38). This fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s birth (Isaiah 7:14). As the eternal Son of God, Jesus lived a sinless human life (Hebrews 4:15).

He is the only person ever to have been completely sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Ministry and Miracles

At about 30 years old, Jesus began his public ministry after being baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:23). For 3.5 years, Jesus traveled throughout Israel teaching and performing miracles to demonstrate he was the Messiah.

Some of Jesus’ most famous miracles included healing the blind (John 9:1-41), walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33), feeding over 5,000 people from a small amount of food (Matthew 14:13-21), and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44).

Jesus’ miracles displayed his divine nature and authority over creation. They also showed compassion for people in need. The miracles fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s works (Isaiah 35:5-6).

Teachings and Parables

Jesus was a master teacher who often taught in parables, which are simple stories designed to teach spiritual truths. Some of Jesus’ most famous parables included the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23).

Jesus’ parables revealed important spiritual truths about God’s love, forgiveness, and kingdom.

Jesus also gave lengthy discourses, like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which contained key teachings on salvation, prayer, money, worry, judging others, and the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”).

His teachings emphasized loving God and loving your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

Death and Resurrection

Triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, with crowds spreading cloaks and palm branches on the road shouting “Hosanna!” This occurred just days before his arrest and crucifixion (Matthew 21:1-11).

The crowds welcomed Jesus as the coming Messianic king foretold in Zechariah 9:9, but his entry was in humility rather than proud conquest.

Betrayal, arrest and trial

After celebrating Passover with his disciples, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. There Judas Iscariot betrayed him with a kiss to identify Jesus for the soldiers, who arrested him (Matthew 26:47-56). Jesus underwent trials first before the Sanhedrin and then before Pontius Pilate.

The Sanhedrin quickly convicted Jesus of blasphemy that night and sent him for Roman approval of execution.

Crucifixion

Pilate did not find Jesus guilty but bowed to the pressure of the crowd’s cries for crucifixion. Jesus was brutally beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers, then led out of the city to be crucified on a hill called Golgotha (Matthew 27:32-54).

Jesus spoke words of forgiveness and salvation even from the cross. After about 6 hours on the cross, Jesus gave a loud cry and died.

Burial and resurrection appearances

Jesus was hastily buried before sundown in a tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, with a large stone sealed across the entrance (Matthew 27:57-61). On the third day, Mary Magdalene and other women found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.

Jesus began appearing to his disciples, once to over 500 people, proving he had risen from the dead as foretold in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). After 40 days with his disciples, Jesus ascended to heaven.

Salvation Through Jesus Christ

Sin and the need for salvation

According to the Bible, humanity is in a fallen state as a result of original sin stemming from the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). This has separated people from the holiness of God and made everyone a sinner (Romans 3:23).

Sin leads to spiritual death and condemnation, keeping people from having fellowship with a holy God (Romans 6:23). So there is a great need for salvation and redemption.

Some key Bible verses that describe the human need for salvation include:

Isaiah 59:2 – “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

Ephesians 2:1-3 – “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. “

So the Bible presents a bleak picture of humanity without Christ – dead in sin, separated from God, without hope.

Jesus as substitute sacrifice for sins

The good news is that Jesus Christ came specifically to save sinners and restore fellowship between God and man. As the sinless Son of God, Jesus’ death on the cross provided the atoning sacrifice needed to pay the penalty for human transgression once and for all (1 Peter 3:18).

He took our place and bore the punishment we deserved.

Scripture	Description
John 3:16	“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8	“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
2 Corinthians 5:21	“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

What an incredible act of love and redemption! Jesus died in our place to pay the penalty we owed. This underscores the uniqueness of Christ and Christianity. No other faith presents God Himself solving humanity’s deepest problem by coming to earth as one of us and making the ultimate sacrifice.

Salvation by grace through faith in Christ

The wonderful news of the gospel is that Jesus’ sacrificial death atones for the sins of all who put their trust in Him as Lord and Savior. We cannot earn salvation by being good enough; it is purely by God’s grace and mercy that we are redeemed (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Our part is simply to repent and believe.

The blessings of salvation for those who are in Christ include:

Forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43)
Eternal life instead of condemnation (John 3:16)
Restoration of relationship and peace with God (Romans 5:1)

The free gift of the Holy Spirit to empower believers to live godly lives (Acts 2:38)
Victory over sin’s control and slavery (Romans 6:14)

Some recommended sites with further details on salvation through Christ include Cru, GotQuestions.org, and The Gospel Coalition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the biblical evidence overwhelmingly points to Jesus Christ being the divine Son of God, the promised Messiah, who gave his life to provide salvation for humanity. His incarnation, sinless life, atoning death and miraculous resurrection accomplish what we could not do ourselves – reconciliation with a holy God.

Putting faith in Jesus is the only way for sinful mankind to be made right with the Creator. This bible study leaves no doubt about who Jesus claimed to be and what the scriptures reveal about his true identity and purpose.