What does it mean that Jesus is the Lamb of God?
When Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it is referring to Him as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin. In order to understand who Christ was and what He did, we must begin with the Old Testament, which contains prophecies concerning the coming of Christ as a…
How should Christians view statues of Jesus?
Large statues of Jesus, such as Cristo Redentor (“Christ the Redeemer”) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or the Christ of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, are famous worldwide. Questions about the appropriateness of such statues are related to questions about images and icons in general. Is it okay to have images of Jesus of…
What is the love of Christ?
The phrase “love of Christ,” as opposed to “love for Christ,” refers to the love that He has toward mankind. His love can be briefly stated as His willingness to act in our best interest, especially in meeting our greatest need, even though it cost Him everything and even though we were the least worthy…
Where does the saying “He is risen; He is risen, indeed” come from?
A traditional Easter greeting in the Western church is the exclamation “He is risen!” and the traditional response is “He is risen, indeed!” The words are sometimes accompanied by the exchange of three kisses on alternate cheeks, depending on the church. In the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the greeting is called the “Paschal greeting” and…
Is Jesus our brother?
The Bible clearly presents Jesus Christ as being one with the Father (John 10:30), a Member of the triune Godhead who set aside His rights as God and took on human flesh to dwell among us (Philippians 2:5–11; Galatians 4:4–5). Therefore, it is right to call Him Savior and Lord (Luke 2:11; 2 Peter 3:18;…
What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone?
Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects. A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible…
Was Jesus the biological son of Mary? If so, how did He not inherit a sin nature?
That Jesus was Mary’s biological son is a significant biblical assertion. It fulfills prophecy, confirms that Jesus’ birth was truly miraculous, and has strong spiritual implications. At the same time, Jesus was without sin, so many wonder how Jesus could be Mary’s biological son yet be without sin (Hebrew 4:15). Jesus’ birth is truly miraculous…
What does it mean that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king?
There are three main “offices” spoken of in the Old Testament—prophet, priest, and king. Jesus fulfills all three of these roles. Jesus as Prophet Prophets were tasked with speaking God’s Word to people. In the Old Testament, this included both proclaiming God’s truth to others and revealing God’s plans for the future. Some of the…
What does it mean that Jesus is the King of the Jews?
Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews two times in His earthly life: at His birth by the wise men (Matthew 2:2) and at His trial and subsequent crucifixion (Mark 15:2). All four gospels record the words “King of the Jews” as part of Pilate’s instructions to the angry mob (Matthew 27:37;…
What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David?
Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the “son of David.” But the question arises, how could Jesus be the son of David if David lived approximately 1,000 years before Jesus? The answer is that Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Jesus…