The Gospel Presentation Of Jesus Christ
The New Testament presents its understanding of
Jesus in titles, descriptions of His Person, and accounts of His Word and Work.
The Old Testament provided titles and images that the New Testament writers used
to convey the message of Jesus Christ for his disciples and for God’s saints even
in our time. He was portrayed, for example, as a 'Prophet' like Moses, 'the Davidic
king', 'the Promised Messiah', 'the Second Adam', a 'Priest like Melchizedek', an
apocalyptic figure like 'The Son of Man', 'the Suffering Servant Of God' and
'The Son Of God.'
He is the Pre-existent divine Being Who came to
earth, accomplished His work, and returned to Glory; In His days on earth, He
was The LORD above all Caesars; THE ETERNAL MEDIATOR OF all creation and THE
LORD OF Redemption; 'the cosmic Figure' who gathers all creation to Himself in
one harmonious Body.
The Gospels present the Ministry of Jesus as the
Presence of God in the world. His Words revealed GOD and GOD’S Way for His
people; His Actions demonstrated the healing Power of GOD bringing wholeness of
the human body, mind, and spirit; His sufferings and death testified to GOD’S
relentless Love; and His resurrection was GOD’S "sign of approval" of
Jesus’ life, death, and ministry.
Paul and others developed views of Jesus’ death as sacrifice
and atonement for sin and of Jesus’ resurrection as guarantee of the
resurrection of His saints.
Jesus’ suffering is the perfect model for Christians
in the hour of martyrdom.
The principal sources of information concerning
Jesus’ life are the Gospel, written in the latter half of the 1st century, the
Epistles of Paul, and the Acts of the Apostles. He stressed the infinite Love
of GOD for the humble and weak, and he promised pardon and eternal Life in
Heaven to the most hardened sinner.
The trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection
of Jesus At the council meeting, Caiaphas asked Jesus to declare whether he was
“The Christ, The Son Of God” (Matthew 26:63). Upon his affirmation (Mark
14:62), the council, of human will and government condemned Jesus to death for
blasphemy.
Only the Roman procurator, however, was empowered to
impose capital punishment, and so, on Friday morning, Jesus was taken before
the procurator, Pontius Pilate, for sentencing. Before pronouncing judgment,
Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews, and Jesus replied, “You have
said so” (Mark 15:2).
Thereafter, Pilate tried several expedients to save
Jesus before ultimately leaving the decision to the crowd that gathered. When
the crowd insisted on his death, Pilate ordered him executed (Matthew 27:24).
Jesus was taken to Golgotha and executed by
crucifixion, the Roman punishment for political offenders and criminals. Two
robbers were crucified also, one on each side of him. On the cross, above
Jesus' head, “they put the charge against him, which read ‘This is Jesus the
King of the Jews’” (Matthew 27:37).
Early on the following Sunday, “Mary Magdalene, and
Mary the mother of James” (Mark 16:1), going to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body
for burial, found the tomb empty. Matthew 28:2 reports that an angel appeared
after an earthquake and rolled back the stone. Inside the tomb, “a young man”
(Mark 16:5) clothed in white announced to them that Jesus had risen. This news
is announced by the angel in Matthew 28:5-6 and by two men “in dazzling
apparel” in Luke 24:4.
According to John 21:11-18, Mary Magdalene saw two
angels and then the risen Christ. Later on the same day, according to Luke,
John, and Mark, Jesus appeared to the women and to other of the disciples at
various locations in and around Jerusalem. Most of the disciples did not doubt
that they had again seen and heard
The Master they had known and followed during the
time of His Ministry in Galilee and Judea. A few disciples, however, doubted it
at first (Matthew 28:17).
Thomas, who had not been present at these first
appearances, doubted that Jesus had risen (John 20:24-29).
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead gave
humanity hope of a life after death. Christ Jesus rose from the dead, and is
crowned with Honor and Glory! He is Alive—and He is Divine!
He has been glorified—and in His glorified Spirit
condition His eyes are like flames of fire, and His face shines as bright as
the very sun—full strength! (Rev.1:14-16).
All the Gospels add that, for a brief time after His
resurrection, Jesus further instructed His disciples in matters pertaining to
the Kingdom of God.
He also commissioned them to “Go ... and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE
SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Matthew 28:19).
Finally, according to Luke 24:50-51, at Bethany
Jesus was seen to ascend into the heavens by his disciples. Acts 1:2-12 reports
that the ascension occurred 40 days after Jesus' resurrection.
The Doctrine that JESUS expounded concerning GOD and
His Eternal Kingdom; the Message of the Cross, and His Ministry subsequently
developed into the principal tenets of our preaching of the Gospel today.