Jesus
What we believe and why Jesus changes everything
Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
Jesus never wrote a book, never went to college, never travelled far from his home town, never held a political office, and never made much money. Yet this middle-eastern Jewish carpenter has altered the course of human history, with literally billions of people devoting their lives to him spanning different countries, centuries, and cultures. What is it about this man that is so compelling and captivating?
The answer lies in Jesus’ identity and mission. That's why you'll see and read "Because of Jesus" front and center.
Jesus drives introspection and outward action. So, we do our best to orient ourselves around Him. Jesus is the central personality in the divine/human story. Jesus is the source material for how we live, think, believe, and function as a church--as humans.
If Jesus changes everything, you can expect that we will respond to Jesus as....the central hope for our brokenness...the one who propels us to justice, equity, beauty, ecological responsibility, civic participation, and servant leadership in our neighborhoods...the King of an upside-down kingdom that offers love, grace, hope, renewal, redemption, and life to humanity...the one who is making all things new.
His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection were a work of renewal that means the captives will be set free, the wounded will be healed, and our guilt and shame will be removed. By surrendering our lives and clinging to God’s grace through faith, we are made new. This message—referred to as “the gospel”—is the heart of Christianity.
The gospel is not good advice about what we should do for God, it’s good news about what God has done for us in Jesus.