The Gospel Way Catechismنموونە

QUESTION 18: Who Is Jesus of Nazareth?

ANSWER

Jesus of Nazareth is the sinless Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He is more than a teacher or moral guide. His words and works give us the true meaning of God’s Law and a preview of God’s promise to make all things new.

Who is Jesus? Everyone in the world should wrestle with this question. Who is this man who inspires such devotion worldwide 2,000 years after he walked the earth? Who is this person whose life is the foundation for our calendar, with BC and AD revolving around his birth? Who is this man who causes so much controversy, whose followers consistently clash with the empires of this world and willingly go to their deaths rather than renounce their allegiance? Who is this Jesus?

Some take a historical perspective. Jesus was a Jewish teacher who ran afoul of the Roman authorities and got himself killed. Others think of Jesus as just a good teacher or a moral guide. He lived 2,000 years ago, gained many followers, taught people how to love God and love each other, and was then killed for his message of love to all people.

The Gospels go further, presenting Jesus as the sinless Son of God. Sinless, in that he lived the perfect life we could not live, fulfilling God’s original intent for humanity and the human vocation that had been marred by sin. Son of God, seen in part through the strangeness of Jesus’s birth, which came about through supernatural circumstances. His mother was a young Jewish virgin girl named Mary (Matthew 1:23).

The Gospels certainly line up with contemporary portraits of Jesus as a good teacher and a moral guide, but the biblical accounts of his life go further, showing that Jesus made massive claims about his identity (John 14). What’s more, the Gospels give us more than just his words; they also show us his miraculous works. Jesus promised the release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and the freeing of the oppressed (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus claimed the Spirit of God himself was upon him, so that in both his words and works, he set people free (Acts 4:12).

As we’ve seen, for many people today, freedom is the absence of limitations or constraints. It means blasting through boundaries, not letting anyone tell you what to do, asserting yourself, and doing whatever you want the most. Jesus would call that vision of freedom just another form of slavery. The modern idea of freedom, that you can live as you please without any constraints, is slavery to yourself and the smallness of your desires. Jesus came to set people free for something, to live according to the purpose that God created for us.

In his teaching ministry, we see how Jesus upheld and fulfilled the Old Testament law (Isaiah 53:5). He dug beneath the layers of interpretation and debate over the specifics of law-keeping and went right to the heart of God in giving us the Law in the first place. He didn’t relax the standards but intensified them—holding up a pristine vision of perfect righteousness while simultaneously offering grace and mercy to all who wanted to leave behind their sin. In his healings and miracles, he showed what the world is like when God is King, giving us a preview of the future restoration. In the life and ministry of Jesus, we see the long-awaited kingdom of God arriving, the climax to Israel’s story.

Reflection Questions

What is the impact of Jesus’s sinless life on your understanding of salvation? Reflect on the implications of Jesus living a perfect life on behalf of humanity. How does this alter your perspective on self-sufficiency and personal righteousness?

What are some examples of Jesus giving us the true meaning of the Old Testament Law? Consider how Jesus angered the religious leaders of his day. In what ways did Jesus reveal the heart of God in giving his people the Law? What are some ways that extrabiblical law-keeping can obscure the heart of God?