The centre of the Christian faith

Jesus Christ

Jesus of Nazareth lived in the land of Israel about 2,000 years ago. Christians believe he is the Son of God who became man, died for the sins of the world and rose again.

His lifeHis teachingParablesDeath & ResurrectionHis namesHistory outside the Bible

His life at a glance

The Annunciation — The angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary in Nazareth that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and name him Jesus (Luke 1:26–38).
Birth, c. 6–4 BC — Born in a stable in Bethlehem, the town of King David, because Joseph and Mary travelled there for a Roman census. Shepherds and Wise Men (Magi) come to worship him (Luke 2; Matthew 2).
Flight into Egypt — The family flees King Herod's massacre of the children, then settles in Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 2:13–23).
Age 12 — Found teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41–52). He grows up working as a carpenter (Mark 6:3).
About age 30 — Baptised by his cousin John the Baptist in the Jordan River; the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. He fasts 40 days in the desert and resists Satan's temptations (Matthew 3–4; Luke 3:23).
Public ministry, about 3 years — Calls 12 Apostles, preaches the Kingdom of God, heals the sick, forgives sinners, and performs his first miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2).
Palm Sunday — Enters Jerusalem on a donkey to cheering crowds (Matthew 21).
The Last Supper — Shares the Passover meal with the Apostles and gives them the bread and wine as his Body and Blood (Luke 22:19–20).
Good Friday, c. AD 30 or 33 — Betrayed by Judas, condemned by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, and crucified on Golgotha (Calvary).
Easter Sunday — Rises from the dead; the empty tomb is found by Mary Magdalene and the women (John 20).
40 days later — Ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives; 10 days later — Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles (Acts 1–2).

Why the dates are approximate

Our calendar (“AD”, Anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord”) was worked out by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525, but he slightly miscalculated. Since King Herod the Great died around 4 BC and Jesus was born before that, most historians date the birth to 6–4 BC. The crucifixion took place when Pilate governed Judea (AD 26–36), most often dated to Friday 7 April AD 30 or 3 April AD 33.

Jesus' family

His mother was Mary, of Nazareth. His legal father was St Joseph, a carpenter of the house of David. Christians believe Jesus had no human father: he was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit (the Virgin Birth). The Gospels mention “brothers” of Jesus such as James; Catholics and Orthodox understand these as cousins or relatives (the word was used broadly in Hebrew and Aramaic), while many Protestants see them as later children of Mary and Joseph. His cousin was John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Where he lived and worked

Jesus spent most of his ministry around the Sea of Galilee, especially in Capernaum, the home of Peter. He also travelled to Judea, Samaria, the region of Tyre and Sidon, and Jerusalem for the great feasts. He spoke Aramaic and almost certainly read Hebrew.

What Jesus taught

The Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3–10)

Blessed are the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; and those persecuted for righteousness' sake.

The “I AM” sayings in John's Gospel

I am the Bread of Life (6:35) · the Light of the World (8:12) · the Gate (10:9) · the Good Shepherd (10:11) · the Resurrection and the Life (11:25) · the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6) · the True Vine (15:1).

Famous parables (stories with a lesson)

The Prodigal Son

A father welcomes home his son who wasted everything — God always welcomes the repentant. Luke 15:11–32

The Good Samaritan

A despised foreigner helps a wounded man — our neighbour is anyone in need. Luke 10:25–37

The Lost Sheep

The shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find the one that is lost. Luke 15:3–7

The Sower

God's word grows only in hearts that receive it well. Matthew 13:1–23

The Mustard Seed

The Kingdom starts tiny and becomes huge. Matthew 13:31–32

The Talents

Use the gifts God gives you. Matthew 25:14–30

The Ten Virgins

Be ready for Christ's return. Matthew 25:1–13

The Rich Fool

Riches cannot save your soul. Luke 12:16–21

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

God hears the humble. Luke 18:9–14

The Unforgiving Servant

Forgive as you have been forgiven. Matthew 18:21–35

The Workers in the Vineyard

God's generosity is not earned. Matthew 20:1–16

The Sheep and the Goats

“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” Matthew 25:31–46

See every miracle of Jesus on the Miracles page.

His death and resurrection

Jesus' death on the cross and his rising from the dead are the heart of Christianity. Christians believe he freely gave his life as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world, and that his resurrection proves he is Lord and opens the way to eternal life for all who believe. St Paul wrote: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

Holy Week, day by day

The “Seven Last Words” from the cross

  1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)
  2. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
  3. “Woman, behold your son… behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27)
  4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
  5. “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
  6. “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
  7. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Holy places today: The traditional sites of the crucifixion and the tomb are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem marks the place of his birth.

Names and titles of Jesus

Jesus

From Hebrew Yeshua, “God saves”.

Christ / Messiah

“The Anointed One” — the promised King from David's line.

Emmanuel

“God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

Son of God, Son of Man, Lord

His divine nature, his humanity and his authority.

Lamb of God

Called so by John the Baptist (John 1:29) — the perfect sacrifice.

Son of David

Used by the blind and the crowds who recognised him as the promised king (Matthew 21:9).

Good Shepherd, Light of the World, Prince of Peace, King of Kings

Images from John's Gospel, Isaiah 9:6 and Revelation 19:16.

Is Jesus a historical person?

Almost all historians, Christian or not, agree that Jesus of Nazareth really lived, was baptised by John and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. Besides the New Testament, he is mentioned by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (Antiquities, c. AD 93) and the Roman historian Tacitus (Annals 15.44, c. AD 116), who wrote that “Christus” was executed by Pilate under Emperor Tiberius.

Other early non-Christian references include Pliny the Younger's letter to Emperor Trajan (c. AD 112) describing Christians singing hymns “to Christ as to a god”, and Suetonius (c. AD 121). Whether Jesus is divine and rose from the dead is a matter of faith; Christians point to the empty tomb, the many witnesses and the courage of the Apostles, most of whom died rather than deny what they had seen.

Sources & further reading