Module 04: Jesus Christ

The resurrection means that Jesus was raised from the dead. The ascension means that Jesus was exalted by God and given authority. The return of Christ means that Christians believe Jesus will one day be revealed again and that God’s kingdom will be fully established.

According to the Gospels, Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. His body was placed in a tomb. A large stone covered the entrance. From a human perspective, this looked like defeat. If Jesus was the Messiah, why had He been rejected, humiliated, and executed?

According to the Gospels, Jesus was betrayed by one of His disciples and arrested in Jerusalem after conflict with certain religious leaders had grown more serious. He was questioned by Jewish authorities and then brought before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

The Incarnation is the Christian belief that God became human in Jesus Christ. The word “incarnation” comes from a Latin word meaning “in flesh.” In Christian theology, the Incarnation means that Jesus is not only a teacher, prophet, or Messiah, but that He is God’s Word made flesh.

When Jesus was born, Israel was living under Roman rule. Their nation was not fully independent. Their land had deep religious meaning, but political power was controlled by foreign rulers. Many Jews hoped God would restore Israel. They hoped for freedom from foreign oppression, justice for God’s people, a purified nation, and the return of a righteous king.

One of the central themes of Jesus’ teaching is the kingdom of God. When Jesus began His public ministry, He announced that the kingdom of God was near. This message was not merely about a future place, a political revolution, or life after death. Jesus was calling people to live under God’s rule now.

The northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC. The southern kingdom of Judah later fell to Babylon in 586 BC, and many Jews were taken into exile. After Babylon, the Persian Empire allowed many Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. Then the Greeks took control after Alexander the Great. Later, the Jewish people were ruled by Greek successor kingdoms.

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the one through whom God reveals Himself most fully. Before studying those beliefs, it is important to begin with a basic historical fact: Jesus was a first-century Jewish man.

Module 4 presents Jesus Christ as the central figure of Christianity by moving from His historical setting to the major Christian beliefs about His identity and mission. It begins by explaining that Jesus was a first-century Jewish man living under Roman rule, deeply rooted in the world of Israel, Jewish Scripture, temple life, and messianic hope. The module then shows how Jesus preached the kingdom of God, called people to repentance, challenged hypocrisy, and became both a hope-filled and controversial figure because He redefined what many expected the Messiah to be.