On multiple occasions, Jesus said or implied that all of Scripture points to Him.1 Therefore, who could exhaust everything we could learn about the Christ from Nazareth? Certainly, not I. However, there are sixteen facts about Jesus I have discovered that I would like to tell you. How many of them do you already know?
1. Jesus is eternal
Many people are aware of the birth of Jesus. But not everyone knows that Jesus has always existed. In John 17:5, Jesus claimed to have had glory with the Father since before the world existed. In Psalm 90:2, the psalmist says God is from everlasting to everlasting. And the word for everlasting is applied to Jesus in Micah 5:2.
Just like you and me, Jesus’ body did have a beginning on earth. However, what’s different about Jesus is that He already existed before “He came into the world” (Hebrews 10:5), and He Himself did not have an actual beginning. If you’re a stickler for grammar, or you miss this point about Jesus, you’ll be confused when you read this passage:
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 8:58–59
Jesus also claimed:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 1:8
One of the tenets of the gospel is that you and I, after our beginning, will have no real end. We have an everlasting soul. But we are not from everlasting to everlasting like Jesus is. Jesus has neither beginning nor end. He is eternal. Eternality is a quality of God, of Jesus Himself, which leads us to:
2. Jesus is God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
John 1:1–3
The first sentence in the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). And John 1 claims that the Creator God in Genesis 1 was Jesus. The Word was God; the Word was the Creator.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14, 17
The Word was God; the Word was the creator; the Word became the man we know as Jesus. When He came to the earth He created, He did not cease being God. Jesus Himself said, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10); yet He accepted worship on several occasions while ministering on this earth.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
In the beginning, He was God. While on earth, He was God. Today, He is God, and He is worthy of your worship.
3. Jesus was born of a virgin
When it was time for Jesus to come to the earth, an angel appeared to both Mary and Joseph. Here’s what the angel said to Joseph:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:18–23
Mary and Joseph were not fully married yet. They had not come together, and Joseph knew that. It was important that God’s messenger provided Joseph with this important information of how Mary got pregnant. Mary was to be the fulfillment of a 700-year-old prophecy. As a virgin, she was to give birth to Immanuel, “God with us.” And he (Joseph) was to name the child Jesus, which means Savior.
This answers another question that may have already been raised. If Jesus has always existed, why do we not see Jesus’ name all over the Old Testament Scriptures? It wasn’t until He was born that He was given the name Jesus. Prior to that, He was known by many other names and designations, like the Word and Yahweh (or Jehovah).
Luke records a conversation between Mary and the angel:
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:34–35
Joseph had nothing to do with Jesus’ conception. Instead, the Holy Spirit miraculously provided the baby in Mary’s womb. Given that fact, Jesus is known as the Son of God. What does that say about the deity of the Holy Spirit? That’s another study for another time. For now, let’s study:
4. Jesus is the Son of God
Jesus has many titles. We will study more by the end of this article. The one that is a foundational fact for Christianity is that Jesus is the Son of God.
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13–17
The most famous verse in the Bible claims that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). The word begotten is best understood as unique. In a sense, every human is a child of God (see Acts 17:28), and spiritually, all Christians have been adopted as His children (see Ephesians 1:5). Yet, Jesus has a unique position as God’s Son. It’s a reminder of Jesus’ deity and power.
In Acts 4:36, when the apostles called a man named Joseph “the son of encouragement,” they were identifying him as an encourager. In the same way, when the Father declared Jesus as the Son of God, He was ascribing deity to Him. In John 5:18, the people who were raised on the Old Testament Scriptures knew that by calling Himself the Son of God, Jesus was saying He was equal with God.
Contrasting Jesus’ power and position with that of the angels, the author of Hebrews quotes several Old Testament Scriptures.
For to which of the angels did He ever say:
Hebrews 1:5–8
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
And of the angels He says:
“Who makes His angels spirits
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.”
Volumes have been written on the sonship of Jesus, and this is just a brief explanation. For now, let’s move on.
5. Jesus lived a sinless life
This fact is an important one to establish before we get into our point about Jesus’ death. If Jesus committed any sin, His death would have been absolutely useless. Because He was sinless, His death is eternally valuable.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14–16
Temptation and sin are two different things. Since Jesus was tempted, He can sympathize with us. Because He never gave into temptation, He can be our Savior.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Jesus performed miracles
When John wrote his gospel account, Matthew, Mark, and Luke had already been written and had begun circulating among Christians. John was providing a new perspective on the same gospel. By doing so, John framed his account of the good news around Jesus’ deity and signs. By referring to Jesus’ miracles as signs, John wanted us to understand this fundamental fact about the miracles of Jesus: Although they helped people in the moment, the primary purpose of Jesus’ miracles was to point to and proclaim Jesus’ deity. If the miracles were performed simply to help people, then they would not have been recorded. After Jesus’ resurrection and appearances, John said:
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:30–31
In Mark 2, Jesus forgave a paralyzed man’s sins. Some of the people who saw it began grumbling and asking, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (v. 7). Good question. You and I can forgive each other’s offenses, but who can truly forgive a man’s offenses—sins—against God? Answer: only God Himself. Then this happened:
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Mark 2:8–11
Jesus’ miracles proved He was God, the only one who can forgive sins. Those who paid attention got it. It’s easier to verbally say, “Your sins are forgiven” than “Take up your bed and walk.” But which one is easier to prove? Which one has immediate, visible evidence? If this lame man could not get up and walk after his encounter with Jesus, then Jesus’ claim to deity and forgiveness would be evidently fraudulent. Because the paralyzed man stood up, picked up his bed, and went home, then there is sufficient evidence that Jesus can do only that which God can do: forgive sins.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
John 3:1–2
Jesus performed miracles. But that wasn’t the greatest act He performed. What was? It starts with this fact you must know:
7. Jesus died for sins
The central event in all of the Bible is the death of Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Bible says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (v. 3).
From the beginning, God has warned humans that sin results in death.2
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
When you and I sin, we deserve death. Yet, what do we see after the word death in this verse? A comma. Although we have sinned and deserve death, Jesus died in our place in order to offer us the gift of eternal life. You do realize that our eternity depends on God placing a comma where He had the right to place a period, don’t you? Praise God!
Imagine you’re driving down the road on a rainy day. You make a mistake, and you land your car in a muddy ditch. You spin your tires for several minutes. Instead of helping your situation, the harder you try to get yourself out of the mud, you actually make things worse. What do you need? Someone who:
- didn’t make the same mistake you made—someone who’s not stuck in a muddy ditch—and
- who has the power and desire to pull you out.
Jesus has never sinned. He has never deserved death. He’s not stuck in the ditch. And given that He’s the spotless lamb of God Almighty, He also has the power to help us in our time of need. That’s why Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sins.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Jesus, our sacrificial lamb, died for our sins. Next:
8. Jesus was buried
You may have never thought about this as an important part of the gospel, something you must know about Jesus. However, in 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul said these four facts are the most important part of the good news of Jesus:
- Christ died for our sins.
- He was buried.
- He was risen from the dead (can you guess what we will discuss next?).
- He was seen after His resurrection.
So, what’s so important about the burial of Jesus? There are three things.
- One, it fulfilled Scripture. As we will see in Fact Number 11, Jesus fulfilled all that the prophets wrote about Him, including:
And they made His grave with the wicked—
Isaiah 53:9 (compare with Matthew 27:57–61)
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
- Two,it proved that Jesus was dead, and thereby made the resurrection even more remarkable. Jesus had predicted His own resurrection. It seemed like the only ones who paid attention to that prediction at first were the enemies of Jesus. After He was buried, to prevent any funny business (like the disciples stealing the body of Jesus), the Jews had the tomb of Jesus sealed (see Matthew 27:62–66). Jesus’ tortured, mangled, and dead body was placed into a tomb. It was confirmed by the guards who watched that tomb for three days. If Jesus had come back to life just an hour after His death, then perhaps people who witnessed the resurrection would have accused the entire thing as being a charade. But His multi-day burial confirmed Jesus truly had died and, as we know, died for sins. There was no faking or swooning. It was the true work of God. He was dead and buried.
- Three, Jesus’ burial serves as an example. After Jesus rose from the grave:
He said to them [His apostles], “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Mark 16:15–16
The apostle Paul explained it like this:
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3–4
A couple of times in the New Testament, the apostles said that the ones who will receive God’s mercy are those who have obeyed the gospel.3 Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection serve as an example for us. When we die to sin, we must be buried in baptism, and then be raised to a new life. For more on that, check out this study. After Jesus was buried:
9. Jesus was resurrected
The redemption of sinners is not complete without the resurrection of Jesus. Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” Remember that, in the same text, the inspired apostle calls Jesus’ resurrection good news and “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3 nasb).
You need to know this fact: Jesus was resurrected, and the proof is available to anyone who is willing to follow the evidence (more on that in the next point). Those who follow the evidence will obey the gospel like Romans 6 indicates. If you die to sin and are buried in baptism, God promises:
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
Romans 6:5
Given His power over death, the faithful can say:
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
1 Corinthians 15:54–55
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
10. Jesus was seen after His resurrection
Jesus’ resurrection is one of the most attested historical events of antiquity. One of the proofs the Scriptures provide is a list of over 500 eye-witnesses to Jesus’ resurrected body. Although confirmed dead and buried, how do you make sense of the fact that the trained Roman soldiers had an empty grave, no dead body, and:
He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me [Paul].
1 Corinthians 15:5–8
Jesus and His followers didn’t want to base Christianity simply on what a religious figure said to be true. Anyone with an open and honest heart who follows the evidence will come to the conclusion that Jesus is the Son of God, risen from the dead. In addition to the eye-witness testimony of those who saw Him after His resurrection, the truth-seeker should consider these other two facts:
- Despite having nothing to gain from it—no wealth, no fame, no power—disciples of Jesus who witnessed His resurrection were willing to die for their faith in His miracles. They were threatened, beaten, and ultimately killed for believing their Savior had risen from the grave.
- Not only did His original disciples die for their belief in His resurrection, many enemies of Jesus were also convinced by the evidence, converted to Christ, and died as martyrs. By the way, the original meaning of the word martyr is simply witness. It’s interesting that usually what we mean by martyr today is someone who dies for their faith. Originally, this faith that killed these guys was not blind faith. It was based on empirical evidence.
The most famous and notable conversion of an enemy of Jesus is that of Saul of Tarsus. When he is introduced to us in Scripture, he was a terrorist, bent on destroying any rumor that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead. Then, the last thing we have of his writings says:
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6–8
The former enemy of Jesus was awaiting his execution for having preached the resurrection of Jesus for the past few decades.
11. Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets
Jesus said:
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Matthew 5:17–18
One of the reasons why Jesus came was to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. What Law and what Prophets? A few years later, Jesus was handed over to the Romans and executed in the cruelest of fashions. His last recorded words before His death in the gospel of John were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). After His resurrection, He told His disciples:
These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.
Luke 24:44
Depending on how you count things, Jesus fulfilled about 300 predictions from the Prophets and Psalms. Details about those prophecies concern His birth, home life, ministry, death, resurrection, kingdom, and church. Jesus fulfilled the Prophets to be sure.
Jesus identified the Law He came to fulfill as the Law of Moses. Going back to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus said that He came to fulfill, if we were to keep on reading, we would see how Jesus began correcting some false teachings about the Law. He corrected His audience’s thinking on what the Law said regarding hatred, lust, marriage, oaths, revenge, and love. So, part of His fulfillment had to do with teaching the Law perfectly.
Historically, no one had ever been able to live out the Law perfectly. And then Jesus came and made it even harder, essentially saying, “It’s not just about ‘do not murder;’ it’s about stopping it where it begins. It’s about destroying hatred in your heart.” But then, Jesus went on to show the world how to do it.
The apostle Paul said that the Law of Moses was given “because of transgressions, till the Seed should come” (Galatians 3:19). The Law of Moses had an expiration date. It was given until the Seed would come. Read it in context, and the Seed is identified as Jesus, who was the first—and only—person in history to perfectly live it (v. 16). Then, having fulfilled it, He was able to make a new covenant, a new law.
In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Hebrews 8:13
Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.
12. Jesus ascended to heaven
During Jesus’ ministry, He raised at least three people from the dead.4 Each time, this proved to those who witnessed His miracles who He was. But all three of those people died once more. Jesus, on the other hand, “is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). To show Christians what awaits them after their death, Paul explained that Jesus has “been raised from the dead, dies no more” (Romans 6:9).
Instead of dying again, after His resurrection, appearances, and a bit more teaching, Jesus ascended to heaven—but not before giving His apostles instructions on what to do after He left.
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:8–9
This is often called the Great Commission, and it’s also found at the end of each of the gospel accounts. Before leaving earth, Jesus told His disciples to make more disciples and teach all disciples to observe all things He had taught them. Then, He ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to equip the church with their disciple-making work. Part of that work was to declare, even in the midst of the Roman Empire that:
13. Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings
Soon after Jesus ascended, the apostles got busy fulfilling the Great Commission, which led them to be questioned, beaten, and in some cases, killed.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Acts 5:27–32
Both religious and political leaders threatened and beat messengers of the gospel throughout the first century. Yet, they kept on preaching anyway. Why? Because their Lord and King Jesus had told them to do so, and Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings. His authority is above all.
Many figures have assumed this title in the past and present. Leaders of world powers have regularly assumed themselves the highest authority in heaven and on earth. The Bible even speaks of this tension.
The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 17:12–14
When persecutions and temptations arise, disciples of Jesus must remember that He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And as such:
14. Jesus will judge you
As King, Jesus sits on the judgment seat.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
2 Corinthians 5:9–11
When I study the Bible with individuals, after reading this passage together, I often ask, “Who will judge us in the end?” The answer almost always comes, “God!” That is true! But an answer like that comes from general knowledge. What do the Scriptures say? Specifically, Jesus Himself will judge us. And here is His clearest, and perhaps scariest, warning:
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Matthew 7:21–23
Jesus says there will be many people on that day who will be sadly surprised. They think having Jesus as their Lord in name only, or a doing few good, religious works will save them. But Jesus says three things must be present in someone’s life if they want to enter the kingdom of heaven:
- Obedience to God’s will. That means we must be actively seeking God’s will through prayer and Bible study.
- Knowing Jesus Christ. There’s a difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him. Hopefully this study has helped you know facts about Him. But are you truly seeking Him as someone to know?
- Those who enter the kingdom of heaven are those who have turned from lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 informs us that “sin is lawlessness.” The person who wants to be pleasing to the Judge on that day must have forsaken sin and lawlessness through repentance. Of course, we will never be perfect in this attempt. If we could be, then we wouldn’t need Jesus. But have you turned away from your sin in order to seek Christ? Not only does He request this of you, but He also requires it.
15. Jesus is the only way to be saved
One of the most beautiful pictures in the New Testament is that not only will Jesus judge you in the end, but He is also able and willing to save you. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. Jesus is our judge. We are guilty. But Jesus is also our propitiation, which is a fancy way of saying He has paid our fines.5
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
If you have left behind your life in the flesh, and you are in Christ, although you are guilty, you are not condemned. The only way to safety is to be found “in Christ.” Scores and scores of times the Bible tells us of blessings found in Christ. Here’s a small sample:
- Eternal life (Romans 6:23)
- New life (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- Every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
- Redemption and the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13–14)
- Salvation and eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10)
Jesus is the only way to be saved, and He offers these blessings to only those who are living in Him.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:66
The Scriptures tell us exactly how and when He places someone into Christ. As sinners, we are in our sins (see John 8:21–24). But are you in Christ? When a faithful person repents of their sins and is buried with Christ in baptism, they are then placed into Christ based on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3–4
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:26–27
Don’t argue with God or His word. If you know these facts about Jesus, can you truly say you know Him? Turn from your ways and be buried with Him today. Finally, you must know:
16. Jesus loves you
In today’s culture, people are trying to highlight the love of God and bury His wrath. Did you know that when the Bible talks about the love of God, it’s eternally linked to His wrath?
Jesus loves you! Sure, it’s cliché. You see it on bumper stickers and t-shirts. You learn the song as a child. Jesus loves me—this I know—for the Bible tells me so. Although written for a child (look it up—the history of the song is fascinating), and is often used as a children’s song, it’s not just kids who need to know the love of Jesus. We all do. Did you also know that whenever the Bible says God loves you, in the same breath, it also talks about the wrath of God? Here’s what I mean.
The most popular verse in the Bible is John 3:16, which says:
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.
The fact that people will face the judgment one day, and that those who die in their sins will perish, is the reason why Jesus had to come. The wrath of God abides on the sinner (see John 3:16–17, 36). But He loves you so much that He sent you a pay out of your sin, and that is through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. God showed His love by shifting His wrath from you, and applying it to Jesus. He allowed His Son to die in your place. The love of God cannot be separated from the wrath of God and the cross of Christ.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
[Jesus] loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 3:16
The next time you think about the love of God, remember that it is eternally connected to the cross of Christ, which is a result of God’s wrath toward sin.
Jesus loves you—this I know—for the Bible tells me so.