We Believe in Jesus Christ
By Jeff Cranston
“I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.”
– From the Apostle’s Creed
Who is Jesus Christ? This is certainly not a new question. It’s as old as the coming of Christ to earth. Once when Jesus took his disciples on a retreat, they had the following conversation:
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” – Matthew 16:13-16
Even when Jesus walked on this earth, people were confused as to His true identity. Today, people are still confused. What answer will you give to Jesus’ question: “But you, who do you say that I am?” You can’t get away with quoting the opinions of others. You have to make up your own mind.
The Apostles’ Creed helps us to answer this question from a biblical viewpoint. First of all, when we recite the creed, we say:
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
Jesus: Jesus’ name means “God saves.” According to scholars, it was not an uncommon name among Jews in the first century. At least five Jewish high priests were given the name “Jesus.” The name is a translation of the Old Testament name “Joshua.” It alludes to God’s intervention in the human race as part of His divine rescue effort. Where did His name “Jesus” come from? Matthew tells us: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
When we say we believe in Jesus, we imply that He was both fully human and totally divine—a man like us but One who possesses all of God’s characteristics. He was fully God and fully man. And He came to save us from our sins.
Christ: Let’s get one thing straight right away: Jesus’ surname is not “Christ.” He didn’t come from the “Christ” family. The term “Christ” refers to one of Jesus’ divinely bestowed titles. It’s derived from a Greek word, which in turn is derived from a Hebrew word that means “anointed one.” “Messiah” is a common translation. To say that Jesus is the Christ means that He is the One sent from God to bring God to us and to bring us to God.
His only Son: This phrase speaks of Jesus’ relationship to God the Father. The little word “only” tells us something crucial about our Lord. Jesus Christ is the “one and only” or “absolutely unique” or “one of a kind, and there can never be another of the same kind.” “His ONLY Son” stresses the absolutely unique nature and personhood of Jesus Christ.
To call him “God’s only Son” means that he is “God the Son” and thus worthy of the same worship, adoration, praise, and reverence that we give to God the Father. Many people today battle against this truth, including some theologians and many liberal Christians. They seek a Christ who is divine in some way but not truly God. They want a Jesus who is a positive role model, but not as their God. However, if we take the Bible as the inerrant and infallible Word of God, this is not possible. In his classic book “Mere Christianity,” C. S. Lewis explains:
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him or kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”[1]
Our Lord: Jesus is referred to as “our Lord.” Kurios is the Greek word for lord that frequently appears in the New Testament and was widely used across the Roman Empire. It means “absolute ruler” in its most fundamental sense.
To refer to Jesus as “Lord” implies that He is the sovereign ruler of the entire cosmos, as well as of you and me. Romans 10:9 says, “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
The phrase “Jesus as Lord” is simple but powerful. To confess with your tongue means more than just pronouncing the words. It implies that you totally agree with what you’re expressing. When we call him “Lord,” we give him everything we have, and we voluntarily follow Him wherever He leads, no matter what it takes. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord!
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
“’Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” – Matthew 1:23-25
“In speaking with Mary, an angel told her she would conceive and bear a son, and they were to name Him Jesus. And then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” – Luke 1:34-35
When we declare that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” and “born of the virgin Mary,” what exactly do we mean?
Three prerequisites are necessary in order for Christ to be our Savior:
1. He must be a man, first and foremost. An angel could not die in our place because of our sins. He must actually understand and share our humanity.
2. He must be an infinite man. A single mortal would be unable to pay the incalculable cost of our misdeeds.
3. He has to be an innocent man. It was impossible for a sinner to die for the sins of others.
Our Lord’s Virgin Birth ensures that all three prerequisites are met. He is totally human because he was born of Mary. He is totally God because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He is innocent in thought, speech, and deed because he was born holy. As a result, he is perfectly qualified to be our Savior.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
I think the lyrics of Charles Wesley’s beautiful hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” sums up this part of the creed for us so well.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all. [2]
Those beautiful words, with their vivid imagery, reflect the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Through His suffering, Christians die to the world and find everlasting life in Christ.
The love of God displayed on the cross of Christ beckons us to lay down our lives for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. His crucifixion, death and burial, coupled with His resurrection, purchased for us our salvation and life everlasting.
Because Christ suffered, and because His crucifixion was not fictional, but an actual historical event that took place during the reign of a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate, we can be saved.
In all of that truth summed up in the Apostles’ Creed, God is telling you that He loves you and has a plan and purpose for your life.
The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16) and that Jesus gives us abundant life—complete and full of purpose (John 10:10).
But here’s the problem: We are sinful and therefore separated from God.
We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23). But, because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, there is good news!
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins!
Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God and be with Him forever. “Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).
And we end with the same question that we began with—the same question Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Your answer will say it all.
We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty.
Jeff Cranston is the lead pastor of LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, South Carolina.
References
[1] Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity, London: Collins, 1952, pp. 54–56.
[2} Watts, Isaac, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707.
