No one in history has impacted the world more than Jesus Christ.

 

Everything that we believe rests on this one truth: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, who has risen from the dead.

 

So what does this mean?

 

We believe that Jesus is God made man. We call this the miracle of the incarnation, when Almighty God took on flesh, that is, the creator became one of his creation.

 

Jesus lived in Israel during the first century. He lived a perfect life, never once did he go against God's will. During his brief time of ministry, Jesus healed the sick, resotred sight to the blind, the lame and crippled walked. Jesus taught much about what the reign and kingdom of God is like.

 

Then, one week (we call it Holy Week now) Jesus entered the ancient city of Jerusalem as the promised Messiah, the savior Savior and King. But not as the people expected. In a paradoy of a trumphant return from war, Jesus rides in on a donkey, not on a battle horse. Jesus would be the king, just not the king the people wanted.

 

 Later that same week, the very people that hail Jesus as "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" are the very people who call for his execution. Jesus was tried by various courts and crucifed on a cross, dieing the death of a traitor, exectued between two other criminals.

 

On the cross, Jesus made atonement for sin. After dieing, Jesus was taken off the cross by some of his followers and placed in a nearby tomb. At that moment, it looked as if all hope was lost.

 

Three days later, he rose again from the dead. Jesus now stands victorious over sin and death, and Jesus will never die again.

 

Jesus' death and ressurection have forgiven our sins and  freed us from the powers of sin and death. 

 

As the Evangelist John says in Chapter 3, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to codemn the world, but that the world migh be saved through Him."

 

God's perfection that sin be punished. Instead of rightly condemning us all to eternal punishment, God condemend sin in his son Jesus Christ. Beacuse of this, those who have faith in Jesus Christ will be saved. 

 

This salvation is a bodily ressurection into a New Creation. The New Creation will be a place without sufferinf or sorrow, sadness or tears, or any knid of need. Until that day, when Jesus Christ returns, we proclaim his Gospel. We are sustained by his Word and Sacraments which keep us in the faith to life everlasting.