Jesus Christ
We believe in the identification of Jesus Christ as the impeccable (able not to sin and not able to sin) Son of God and God the Son (Matt. 16:13-16 [show]Matthew 16:13-16
[13]Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" [14]And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15]He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16]Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (ESV)
; John 10:36 [show]John 10:36
[36]do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? (ESV)); His incarnation (Heb. 10:5 [show]Hebrews 10:5
[5]Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;); that he was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Isa. 7:14 [show]Isaiah 7:14
[14]Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (ESV); Matt. 1:18-25 [show]Matthew 1:18-25
[18]Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19]And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20]But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21]She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22]All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
[23]"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel"
(which means, God with us). [24]When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, [25]but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (ESV)); his vicarious atonement for the sins of the world (Isa. 53:1-12 [show]Isaiah 53
[53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
[2]For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
[3]He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4]Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
[5]But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
[6]All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned--every one--to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
[7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
[8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
[9]And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
[10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
[12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.; John 3:16 [show]John 3:16
[16]"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV); Gal. 4:4-5 [show]Galatians 4:4-5
[4]But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5]to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (ESV)), the resurrection of his body from the tomb (Matt. 28:5-7 [show]Matthew 28:5-7
[5]But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. [6]He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. [7]Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." (ESV); Luke 24:46 [show]Luke 24:46
[46]and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (ESV); I Cor. 15:3-4 [show]1 Corinthians 15:3-4
[3]For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (ESV)); his ascension into heaven (Mark 16:19 [show]Mark 16:19
[19]So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. (ESV); Luke 24:51 [show]Luke 24:51
[51]While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (ESV)), as our High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16 [show]Hebrews 4:14-16
[14]Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [15]For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16]Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (ESV)) and Advocate (I John 2:1-2 [show]1 John 2:1-2
[2:1]My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2]He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (ESV)), before the throne of God (Heb. 1:3 [show]Hebrews 1:3
[3]He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (ESV); Rev. 3:21 [show]Revelation 3:21
[21]The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (ESV)); that he is both God (Isa. 9:6 [show]Isaiah 9:6
[6]For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.; Phil. 2:6 [show]Philippians 2:6
[6]who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (ESV)) and man (Matt. 20:28 [show]Matthew 20:28
[28]even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (ESV); Phil. 2:7-8 [show]Philippians 2:7-8
[7]but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8]And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)), the two natures being inseparably united in one glorious Person without sin; and that he is the only sufficient mediator between God and humanity (I Tim. 2:5-6 [show]1 Timothy 2:5-6
[5]For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6]who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (ESV)).