Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God — the second Person of the Holy Trinity — who became man to accomplish our salvation. He is true God and true man: not part God and part man, but fully both in one divine Person (CCC 464).

What the Name Means

Jesus means "God saves" in Hebrew. Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah — "the Anointed One." Jesus is the long-awaited Christ, anointed by God as priest, prophet, and king (CCC 430, 436).

True God and True Man

In Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God took on a complete human nature — body, soul, intellect, and will — while remaining fully divine. The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) defined this as two complete natures united in one divine Person, without confusion, change, division, or separation — the Hypostatic Union (CCC 467).

His Life, Death, and Resurrection

Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, and began his public ministry around age thirty. He preached the Kingdom of God, chose twelve Apostles, performed miracles, and gave his life on the cross as an atoning sacrifice. On the third day he rose bodily from the dead and forty days later ascended to the right hand of the Father (CCC 512–667).

The Unique Savior

"There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and humanity — his death and resurrection opened the way to forgiveness and eternal life for all who receive him (CCC 432).

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Jesus a real historical person? Yes. His existence is confirmed not only by the New Testament but by ancient non-Christian sources including the Roman historian Tacitus and the Jewish historian Josephus.

Why did God become man? The Catechism gives four reasons: to save us from sin, to reveal God's love, to offer us a model of holiness, and to make us sharers in the divine nature (CCC 456–460).