The best place to learn about the identity of Jesus is the Bible. This course, written by Elton G. Hill and adapted by Louise Jeter Walker, gives a vivid look at the life of Jesus beginning with His birth and continuing to the prophecies about His second coming. At the end of this course there is an invitation for the reader to have a personal encounter with Jesus. Available in print.

May I ask you a question? Who do you think Jesus is? Some people say, "He was a great teacher." Others say He was a prophet, a philosopher, a Western god, or a good man whose example we should follow.

Jesus was a great teacher and prophet, but He was more than that. He was more than a philosopher or an example for us.

Promises are part of our lives. We have all had to wait for someone to keep a promise made to us. Sometimes we have had to wait a long time! And sometimes we have been disappointed.

God has also made promises. For many centuries before Jesus was born, God promised that a Messiah would come. He spoke through His prophets, describing this person and what He could do.

Some facts about God are easier to understand than others. For example, we can understand how God is like a father without too much difficulty. We have seen that good fathers provide for their children and love them.

Other facts about God are not as easy to understand. One of the facts about God that is hard to understand is the subject of this lesson—the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

In all the universe, Jesus is unique. There is no other person like Him, for He is both God and man. This is what the Bible teaches.

But why would Jesus want to become a man? What He did would be like a rich man leaving his beautiful mansion and everything he had to become miserably poor. It would be like a powerful king leaving everyone who respected and obeyed him to become hated and despised.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be unable to speak? To have no way of communicating with others? What terrible isolation and frustration!

Our ability to communicate comes from the God who made us. He wants us to know Him. Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end of everything God wants us to know.

Have you ever walked in the dark and wished for a light so you could see? You didn’t know what dangers might be on either side of you or in the path ahead. You can easily understand why the Bible often uses darkness as a symbol of evil, error, uncertainty, trouble, and death. These are the kinds of things that cause us to be fearful and confused.

You have studied many things about Jesus already! You have learned that He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Word of God, and the Light of the world. These titles tell us important truths about who He is. Looking at the things Jesus does is another way of understanding who He is. In this lesson, we will examine two of His works: Jesus heals our bodies and souls, and Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.

You have learned that Jesus heals and baptizes with the Holy Spirit. But there is something else He does that is the most important work of all: Jesus saves! The Bible says that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. This simple statement is the meaning of the Christian religion. Other religions attempt to offer high ideals for life. But they don’t give their followers any real power to overcome evil.

Death stands at the end of the pathway of every human life—firm, inevitable, and final. Rich and poor alike must face it someday. For most people, even the idea of death strikes fear and terror. But for those who believe in Jesus Christ, there is a sharp difference. They do not need to fear death. Why? Because they have put their trust in the One who is the Resurrection and the Life.

There are always some people in society who have authority over others. Society was no different at the time Jesus was born. Rome was not overthrown by the Christians. Jesus went back to heaven, and today the world is full of dictators, tyrants, and oppressors. How is He Lord? What kind of authority does He have? When will He rule over everything? These are the questions this lesson answers.