Jesus is a respected figure in many world religions and communities, and his teaching has shaped societies and cultures in every continent. Few, if any people dispute that Jesus existed - historians from the time make mention of him in various documents. Christians however, believe that he was more than just a great teacher or significant figure from history, but God Himself, born into the world, existing to all appearances as human, but nonetheless God. This understanding is the foundation of Christian teaching.
Most people would recognise the cross as the defining symbol of Christianity; its prominence stems from the fact that at 33 years of age, this was the means by which Jesus was executed. We might struggle to accept that someone could on the one hand be the all-powerful God, Creator of everything, yet at the same time an apparently helpless execution victim. It does take some getting your head around, but this profound reality lies at the heart of our faith.
In one of the books of the Bible, the Apostle Paul, a famous character in the Early Church, wrote of this paradox as something that was "foolishness" and a "stumbling block" to many of the academics and philosophers of his age. We also believe that three days later, he rose from the dead and appeared to many of his followers. The death and resurrection of Jesus, God in human form, are not simply core facts to be acknowledged and believed - these are what makes Christian faith relevant and life-impacting in today's world. Read on to find out why...