The Bible teaches us about Jesus’ parables, miracles, and of course, His life; a perfect example for us. Through the Bible, we can come to know and love Jesus.
The four Gospels
The life of Jesus Christ is recorded in the first four books of the New Testament, which are known as the four Gospels. Each Gospel is attributed to a different author: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew and John were Apostles of Jesus who lived through and witnessed these events. Each author gives a beginning-to-end account of Jesus’ ministry in ancient Judea. This means that we have four different perspectives on the life of Jesus Christ, each with his own unique insight and point of view. Together, they provide us with an unforgettable testimony to Jesus’ teachings, His example, and His sacrifice.
The teachings of Jesus
During His life, Jesus Christ’s teachings took many different forms. Some were answers to questions asked of Him, and others were sermons He gave to His followers, such as the Sermon on the Mount. He often taught with parables or simple stories to teach the principles of His gospel in a way that was understandable to those seeking the truth.
Despite the different ways He chose to deliver His message, common themes emerged. Jesus taught the importance of making sure we are righteous not only in our actions, but also in our thoughts, feelings, and motivations. He expressed the need to care for the most vulnerable among us and disapproved of hypocrisy and pride. He continually glorified His Heavenly Father and encouraged His followers to strengthen their relationship with God through prayer.
The example of Jesus
Jesus showed us the way to live not only through His words, but through His actions. When you read the four Gospels, you will see examples of Jesus using His time to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and comfort the grieving. He expressed love to others and was willing to stand up for what He knew was right. Unlike Jesus, we cannot live a sinless life, but we can do our best to follow the example He has given us.
The sacrifice of Jesus
No matter how hard we try to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ and follow His example, we will all make mistakes. That is when the true power of Jesus Christ, taught in the four Gospels, comes into play. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” All four Gospels teach us that during the final week of His life, Jesus Christ suffered and died to pay the price for our sins. This sacrifice is called the Atonement. Because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can repent and be forgiven of our sins and one day return to God’s presence.
After Jesus died, He rose again. Because Jesus Christ conquered death, we can all have hope for life beyond the grave. Of all we can learn about Jesus in the Bible, the reality of His sacrifice is the most powerful principle we can come to understand.
The Epistles of the New Testament
After Jesus Christ’s resurrection, He organized His disciples to ensure that the work of His gospel continued. The Book of Acts, which immediately follows the four Gospels in the New Testament, contains a record of the disciples’ travels and experiences. The rest of the New Testament consists primarily of a series of writings by the early apostles. These are often called epistles, but it may help us to think of them as letters. In these epistles we can find many wonderful teachings from the early apostles about Jesus Christ as they wrote to strengthen the faith of early converts to Christianity.
The Book of Revelation
In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John details his vision of the second coming of Jesus Christ, when He returns to earth in glory and establishes His kingdom on earth. This is the time when the whole world will know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Revelation 5:13 says, “And every living creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever! ’”
The Old Testament
Although the Old Testament does not refer to the Savior as “Jesus Christ,” we see that it does use many of His other names and titles. Messiah, Jehovah, Emmanuel, Redeemer, Holy One of Israel, Counselor, and Prince of Peace are some of the many names that identify Him. Old Testament prophets prophesied about His birth, His ministry, and His sacrifice to save all of humanity. For example, the Book of Isaiah speaks about the Messiah who will come to redeem God’s people. His birth is detailed in Isaiah 7:14, which says:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Immanuel.”
The ministry of Jesus Christ is foretold in Isaiah 61:1, which says:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those bound.”
We receive a moving testimony of Jesus’ coming sacrifice in Isaiah 53:4–5, which says:
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
These verses are just a few of the ways the Old Testament points us to Jesus Christ. In fact, during His mortal ministry, as detailed in the New Testament, Jesus often pointed to the very Old Testament prophecies He was fulfilling. His words provided a bridge between the two parts of the Holy Bible, bringing them together in a unified voice declaring that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of Israel, and the Savior of all mankind.