Who is Jesus?

The name Jesus means "God Saves." The term Christ is a title for "Anointed of God." For Muslims and some Jews, Jesus was a prophet. Buddhists say he was enlightened. Hindus call him an avatar (the incarnation of a deity in human form), and Christians believe that he was the ‘Messiah,' chosen by God to inaugurate a new kind of relationship between God and humankind. So who was he?

Jesus was an extraordinary healer. Nearly a quarter of the gospels describe his powers over sickness. To the downtrodden, he was a source of hope. His life was dedicated to helping the poor and working hard to bring about God's peace and justice. He delivered this message to the people: "The time has arrived for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. If you believe in this good news, then it will happen."

Jesus was executed at a young age as a common criminal. Christians, however, have always believed that in his life, teachings, death and resurrection, something uniquely significant about God was revealed. They further believe that in following Jesus it is possible to come into a living, loving relationship with God.

What do Christians do?

Jesus taught his followers that the most important principles are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. From these follow a particular way of life that emphasizes respect for others and that urges the active helping of those in any kind of need. From it also comes the awareness that there is a power beyond ourselves that is active in the cosmos, and of which we can come to know something through prayer and worship. Worship means acknowledging the reality of God and offering to God our thanks, adoration, and praise.

Christian worship often centers around Holy Communion in which bread and cup are shared amongst the gathered community. In this way, Christians remember the last supper which Jesus ate with his closest friends on the night before he died.

What about the Bible?

Christians recognize the Bible as of particular importance in helping them live their lives. The Bible is a collection of writings, written over a period of nearly a millennium, and comprises the Hebrew Bible - the writings which are common to Christians and Jews - and the New Testament, which contain stories about Jesus and reflections on Jesus' life and its meaning by some of his earliest followers. Christians vary in their approaches to the Bible, but all acknowledge its fundamental importance in their faith.