If you want to learn more about Jesus, the Bible is a great place to start. The following are some parts of the Bible that speak of Jesus. If you want to dig deeper, we encourage you to start reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the book of Romans.
Jesus as a good friend: John 3:16, John 15:3, John 15:15, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:7-21, Romans 3:21-26, John 2:1-12, John 14:4-6, 1 Corinthians 11:1, John 10:7-18, John 16:13,Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 4:16, Luke 22:31-32
Jesus as a truthful friend: Mark 14:61-64, John 8:58-59, John 10:30-33, Colossians 2:8-15, Hebrews 4:15, Philippians 2:1-11, John 10:17, Luke 24:44-49, Matthew 9:6, Luke 23:34, 1 John 1:9, John 14:6, Romans 1:16, Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Hebrews 5:9-10, Revelation 7:10,Revelation 21, Romans 8:18-25, Acts 4:11-12
Jesus as a powerful friend: Revelation 19:11-16, Matthew 26:64, Isaiah 6:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:3-11, Acts 1:1-11,Revelation 21:1-2, Ephesians 6:10, Colossians 1:17-20, 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, Romans 8:15, Matthew 16:18, Acts 1:23-25
HOW CAN I KNOW JESUS?
Realize that you are a sinner.
No matter how good a life we try to live, we still fall miserably short of being a good person. That is because we are all sinners. The Bible says, "No one is good—not even one." We cannot become who we are supposed to be without Jesus Christ.
Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.
The Bible tells us that "God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while were still sinners." This is the Good News, that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place when we least deserved it.
Repent of your sin.
The Bible tells us, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away." The word repent means to change our direction in life. Instead of running from God, we can run toward Him.
Receive Jesus Christ into your life.
Becoming a Christian is not merely believing some creed or going to church. It is having Christ Himself take residence in your life and heart. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in . . ." If you would like to have a relationship with Christ, simply pray this prayer and mean it in your heart.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."
What is the Bible?
The New Testament speaks of the Old Testament as “Scripture,” translated from the Greek word graphe meaning “writing,” while the word bible comes from the Greek word for book. Holy Bible means the “Holy Book.” It contains sixty-six separate books (thirty-nine Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament), written in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and a bit in Aramaic), over a period of more than a thousand years, by more than forty authors of varying ages and backgrounds who wrote on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe). The Scriptures exist for many reasons, and chief among them is the revelation of the person and work of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Authors of the Bible include kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, and scholars. The books of the Bible cover history, sermons, letters, songs, and love letters. There are geographical surveys, architectural specifications, travel diaries, population statistics, family trees, inventories, and numerous legal documents. It covers hundreds of controversial subjects with amazing unity. It’s also the best-selling book of all time and is now available in nearly three thousand languages.
The Old Testament was written on papyrus—a form of paper made out of reeds; the New Testament was written on parchment (prepared animal skins). Because both forms of documents easily degrade under hot and dry conditions, it is providential that we have so many copies of ancient manuscripts. Incidentally, the various chapter and verse divisions in the Bible were not part of the original books. A lecturer at the University of Paris created the chapter divisions in 1228. Its current chapter and verse divisions were not fully developed until 1551.
What do Christians believe about the Bible?
It’s no surprise that Christians and non-Christians have radically different views of Scripture. Christians claim the Bible is the word of God, while non-Christians disagree. Unless the Holy Spirit illuminates the understanding of a non-Christian, this differing view of Scripture will always be the case. As 1 Corinthians 2:14 puts it: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”The Bible is the best-selling book of all time and is now available in nearly three thousand languages.
At the heart of the Christian view of the Bible is the concept of verbal plenary inspiration. There’s a lot packed into those three words, so let us explain what it means and what it doesn’t mean.Verbal plenary inspiration is a way of saying that God the Holy Spirit inspired not only the thoughts of Scripture, such as the ideas, but the very words and details of Scripture. Jesus himself said: “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). The ESV Study Bible says this about the passage: “Jesus confirms the full authority of the OT [Old Testament] as Scripture for all time … even down to the smallest components of the written text: the iota is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet … and the dot likely refers to a tiny stroke or a part of a letter used to differentiate between Hebrew letters.”
God authored the entire Bible, down to every word. But God didn’t figuratively sit down at a desk, take out a pen, and start writing down the Bible. Instead, he inspired writers throughout history to write down Scripture. These human authors retained their own style, voice, perspective, and cultural distinctives, yet God uniquely inspired them to write down what he wanted recorded with complete accuracy. This is different from, say, the Qur’an or Book of Mormon, which adherents of Islam and Mormonism claim was the result of someone taking dictation.
What does the Bible say about itself?
The doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration is simply our way of trying to express what the Bible says about itself. Here are a few of the deeply meaningful insights that Scripture reveals about itself:
Given by the inspiration of God — 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19–21
The very words of God — 1 Thessalonians 2:13
All we need to know God — Luke 16:29, 31
A perfect guide for life — Proverbs 6:23
Pure — Psalm 12:6; 119:140
True — Psalm 119:160; John 17:17
Trustworthy — Proverbs 30:5–6
Perfect — Psalm 19:7
Effective — Isaiah 55:11
Powerful — Hebrews 4:12
Nothing should be taken from or added to it — Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32
For everyone — Romans 16:25–27
To be obeyed — James 1:22
And here are some poetic images from Scripture about Scripture:
Sweet like honey — Psalm 19:10
A lamp to guide our life — Psalm 119:105
Food for our soul — Jeremiah 15:16
A fire that purifies and a hammer that breaks us — Jeremiah 23:29
A sword — Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12
A seed for salvation planted in us — James 1:21
Milk that nourishes us — 1 Peter 2:2
By its own declaration, the importance and trustworthiness of Scripture can hardly be overstated. From God to you, the Bible remains a wonderful book that is also reliable and relevant.