Jesus as God Incarnate, Salvation and the Resurrection
Jesus as Messiah and Word of God
Christians believe that Jesus is far more than a great teacher or prophet — he is the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God to rescue humanity from sin. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus directly asked his disciples what people were saying about him. When Peter replied that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Jesus affirmed that this insight had come from God the Father (Matthew 16:13–17). This moment is known as Peter’s Confession and stands as a cornerstone of Christian belief.
Christians also speak of Jesus as the Word of God (or Logos in Greek). John’s Gospel opens with the statement that the Word was with God and was God from the beginning, and that all things were made through him (John 1:1–3). John then describes how this eternal Word “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14), meaning that the divine Son of God took on full human nature. This is the doctrine Christians call the Incarnation.
The Incarnation means God the Son taking on human form. John 1:14 is the key passage: the eternal Word became flesh and lived among humanity. This shows Christians that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human.
The Birth of Jesus
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record the birth of Jesus. Matthew’s account (Matthew 1:18–2:12) describes an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream, announcing that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit and instructing Joseph to name the child Jesus, meaning “God saves.” The account includes the visit of the Magi (wise men) who followed a star to Bethlehem and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Luke’s account (Luke 1:26–35 and 2:1–21) adds the story of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, the journey to Bethlehem because of a Roman census, and the birth in a manger surrounded by shepherds.
Both accounts emphasise the virgin birth — that Jesus was conceived not by a human father but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians see this as confirmation that Jesus was uniquely both divine and human from the very start of his life.
Salvation and Atonement
A central Christian belief is that all human beings are separated from God because of sin. Salvation refers to being rescued from this condition — brought back into a right relationship with God. The means by which this happens is called atonement.
John’s Gospel captures this in one of the most cited verses in the New Testament: God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). This verse teaches that salvation is a gift of divine love, received through faith in Jesus. Jesus himself declared that he is “the way and the truth and the life,” and that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). For many Christians this is a definitive statement that Jesus is the unique path to God.
John 3:16 and John 14:6 are the two most important salvation texts. John 3:16 states that God gave his Son so that believers can have eternal life. John 14:6 records Jesus describing himself as the only way to the Father.
The Death of Jesus
Mark’s Gospel gives a detailed account of the crucifixion (Mark 15:1–39). After a series of trials before the Jewish authorities and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, Jesus was condemned and led out to be crucified at a place called Golgotha. He was nailed to a cross between two criminals. At the moment of his death, Mark records that the curtain of the Temple — the veil separating the holiest part from the people — was torn in two. Many Christians interpret this as symbolising that Jesus’ death opened a direct way to God for all people.
Christians understand the crucifixion in different ways. Some emphasise that Jesus took the punishment for human sin upon himself (substitutionary atonement). Others focus on Jesus’ death as the ultimate act of sacrificial love that draws humanity back to God. Both interpretations agree that the cross is the central event through which God achieves human salvation.
John’s Gospel records that on the first day of the week after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty (John 20:1–21). She met the risen Jesus in the garden, initially mistaking him for the gardener. Later that day, Jesus appeared to the gathered disciples, showing them the wounds in his hands and side as proof of his identity. He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The Resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith. Without it, Paul argued, faith would be pointless (1 Corinthians 15:14). Christians believe the resurrection proved that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, that death had been conquered, and that eternal life is genuinely possible. Easter is the most important celebration in the Christian calendar for this reason.
Acts 1:9–11 records that after appearing to his disciples over a period of forty days following the Resurrection, Jesus was taken up into heaven in a cloud while his disciples watched. Two figures in white (angels) then told the disciples not to keep looking into the sky but to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. The Ascension marks the end of Jesus’ physical presence on earth and the beginning of his reign in heaven at God’s right hand.
Christians see the Ascension as completing the work of salvation — Jesus returns to the Father, making it possible for the Holy Spirit to be sent to guide believers. It also confirms that the fully human Jesus now participates in divine glory, giving Christians confidence that their own resurrection and eternal life will follow.
Why These Events Matter for Christians Today
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus are not simply historical events for Christians — they are the basis for every aspect of Christian life. The Incarnation shows that God understands human suffering from the inside. The crucifixion demonstrates the extent of divine love. The Resurrection gives Christians hope that death is not the end. The Ascension points towards the heavenly home that Jesus promised to prepare for his followers (John 14:1–4). Together these events form what Christians call the “Gospel” (good news).