light shining through the rock

Who is Jesus?  

Who is Jesus?

Teacher, prophet, mad man, criminal, son of God?

Jesus has been thought of in many ways over thousands of years. But who we believe Him to be can radically change our lives. There is overwhelming evidence about the life of Jesus as a historical figure, a man that walked the earth. However, there are also billions and billions of people who have put their trust in Jesus, as the Son of God and their saviour, for the past 2,000 years. Why?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth’.
John 1:1-2, 14.

Here at TBN UK, our team members and guests have experienced this glory, and want to share this grace and truth with our viewers.  

What does it mean to be a Christian?

This question can bring different answers to mind! We may think about ‘being a good person’, ‘being Christened as a baby’ or ‘going to church’. In reality, being a Christian is about so much more. It’s understanding that God created us to be in a relationship with Him. It’s accepting that all of us have fallen short and made mistakes.

It’s acknowledging that our wrong-doing against God has caused a fracture in our relationship with Him. And it’s believing that Jesus paid the price for our past, present and future sin by taking our place and dying on the cross – that He was raised again to point towards the new life that we are able to have, as we trust in Him and turn away from that wrong-doing.

How do I become a Christian?

Becoming a Christian is simply making a conscious and personal decision to accept Jesus’ gift of grace, believing that His death and resurrection has paid for our wrongdoing against God, and has made us able to turn away from that wrongdoing and be in a relationship with our Heavenly Father. This relationship with God shapes our lives, and is able to bring tangible peace to us.

Jesus said: “I am the door, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved…”
John 10:9
The Bible says: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13

God hears our prayers and is longing for us to come to Him. Here is an example of what you may want to say to God – why not speak it out to Him, once you have read it through:

Jesus,

I believe you are able to transform my life.

I believe You are the Son of God, that You died as payment for my wrong actions and wrong thoughts, and that You were buried and rose again as written in the Bible.

I’m sorry for the things I’ve done that have opposed you. Forgive me for when I have turned away from you. Open my heart, take charge of my life, and reveal yourself to me. With Your ever present help, I want to live the way you intended me to live. Help me and show me how to live life to the full, and pursue your best for me.

I accept You now as my Lord and Saviour. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You, Jesus!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

If you prayed this prayer today, we would love to hear from you! Fill out the form below, and we will be happy to send you some literature that will help you grow in faith and strengthen your relationship with Christ.

Baptism is the symbolic ritual of being washed by water. Christians usually perform it by sprinkling or pouring water over a person, or submerging them in a pool of water. It is an act of recognition that a person is welcomed into the family of Christ and making a statement that they will be a follower of Christ. The decision to be baptised is seen as the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. [1 Peter 3: 21] However the water of baptism is more than just a sign of purification.

Why did Jesus get baptised?
“Jesus identifies with us. In His humanity, Jesus steps into my shoes. The big word is ‘solidarity’. Jesus shows solidarity with us, as a race of sinners. He, the sinless one, becomes sin for us on the cross so that we might know God. So His baptism is a marker that He says ‘I belong fully to the human race which I am going to redeem by the cross and resurrection’. But He starts where you and I do – He starts at that baptism.”
Peter Baker, senior pastor of Lansdowne church, Bournemouth

Before Jesus began His ministry of healing the sick and preaching, He visited his cousin, John the Baptist, who was preaching at the River Jordan and baptising people. Jesus went into the water with John to be baptised. The Bible describes what happened next: 


When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Luke 3: 21-22

Jesus gave us an example to follow. God is pleased when we, as Christians, choose to get baptised. Baptism is a clear reminder of what Christ did on the cross for all humanity. He died, was buried and was raised to life. It is a powerful picture of the resurrection. For us personally, as we go under the water, it is as if our old, selfish, sinful self has died. As we come up, out of the water, we are a new creation. It reminds us that we are born again in Jesus Christ. 

The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: 


We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:4

Many traditional churches christen (sprinkle water on) infants and babies as they welcome them into the church and families celebrate a new arrival. There are some Christians however, that have been christened by their parents as a child and later on chose to be fully submerged or confirmed as they have grown to fully accept Christianity for themselves. Some people question whether it is essential to get baptised, or they may wonder if they need to do it if they have been christened as a baby. Once we understand in our hearts that Jesus is our Lord, we should desire to follow His example and be baptised. Here are a few reasons to consider baptism for ourselves: 

1 – It is a way of declaring Jesus is our number one desire in our life.  

2 – It is a public declaration of our faith. 

3 – It is a great opportunity to share our testimony and the Gospel. 

4 – It can strengthen our belief in Jesus. 

The last words Jesus gave to His followers before He ascended into heaven were: 

  
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

As we tell the world about the good news – that Jesus came to save us from sin, we should also be encouraging believers to be baptised. 

Watch Baptism Stories on the TBN UK app or at watch.tbn.uk to see a baptism service in action and hear the testimonies from individual who have chosen to be baptised in public.

What’s next?

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