The Apostles’ Creed: Article 2
I Believe in Jesus Christ
47. Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the eternal Word and Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. He took on human nature to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world, the only Mediator between God and fallen humanity.
(Psalm 2; Malachi 3:1; John 1:1–18; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Timothy 2:5–6)
48. What does “Jesus” mean?
“Jesus” means “God saves” and is taken from the Hebrew name Yeshua or Joshua. In Jesus, God has come to save us from the power of sin and death.
(Joshua 1:1–9; Psalm 20; Matthew 1:18–25; Romans 8:1–2)
49. What does “Christ” mean?
Christos is the Greek term for the Hebrew title Messiah, meaning “Anointed One.” Old Testament kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil. Jesus the Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit to perfectly fulfill these roles, and he rules now as Prophet, Priest, and King over his Church and all creation.
(Exodus 40:1216; 1 Samuel 16:11–13; 1 Kings 19:15–16; Psalm 89:19–29; Luke 3:21–22; 4:14–21; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 4:14–5:10)
His Only Son, Our Lord
50. Why is Jesus called the Father’s “only Son”?
Jesus alone is God the Son, coequal and coeternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He alone is the image of the invisible Father, the one who makes the Father known. He is now and forever will be incarnate as a human, bearing his God-given human Name. The Father created and now rules all things in heaven and earth through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Psalm 2:7–12; John 1:14–18; Colossians 1:13–15; Hebrews 1:1–5; see also Athanasian Creed)
51. What do you mean when you call Jesus Christ “Lord”?
I acknowledge Jesus’ divine authority over the Church and all creation, over all societies and their leaders, and over every aspect of my life, both public and private. I surrender my entire life to him and seek to live in a way that pleases him.
(Daniel 7:13–14; Matthew 7:21–23; Luke 9:23–26; Ephesians 1:15–23; Colossians 1:16–18)
He was Conceived by Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary
52. What does it mean that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit?
Jesus was conceived not through a human father but by the Holy Spirit coming upon the Virgin Mary in power.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18–20; Luke 1:26–38)
53. What happened at Jesus’ conception in Mary’s womb?
The eternal Son, whom God named Jesus, assumed a fully human nature from his mother, the Virgin Mary, at the moment of conception in her womb.
(John 1:1–3, 14; 8:56–58; Philippians 2:6–8; Colossians 2:9)
54. Why is it important to say that Jesus was born?
It is important to affirm that he is one of us: truly human, born to a human mother, and raised in a human family.
(Luke 2:41–52; Hebrews 2:17–18)
55. Was Mary the only biological parent of Jesus?
Yes. While still a virgin, Mary submitted to the will of God and bore the Son of God. Therefore, she is held in high honor. However, in obedience to God, Joseph took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his son.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18–25; 13:55)
56. What is the relationship between Jesus’ divine and human natures?
At the moment of Jesus’ conception, the divine nature of the one eternal Person of the Son was united to our human nature. Therefore, Jesus Christ is fully and truly both divine and human, but without sin. His two natures are united without division, separation, mixture, or change.
(Luke 1:26–38; John 1:14; Philippians 2:6–8; Hebrews 2:10–16; 1 John 4:2–3; Definition of Chalcedon)
57. What does the union of Jesus’ two natures teach you about his ministry?
All Jesus does as a human being he also does as God. His human words and deeds are saving because they are the words and deeds of God the Son.
(John 5:19–29; Romans 8:1–4; Colossians 1:19–23; Hebrews 4:14–16)
He Suffered under Pontius Pilate
58. Why did Jesus suffer?
Jesus suffered as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have peace with God, as prophesied in the Old Testament: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
(Isaiah 52:13–53:12, see 53:5; John 1:29; Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
59. In what ways did Jesus suffer?
On earth, the incarnate Son shared physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the temptations and sufferings common to all people, yet without sin. In his agony and desolation on the Cross, he uniquely suffered in my place for my sins and, in so doing, revealed God’s love and compassion for fallen and suffering humanity.
(Psalm 22:1–24; Matthew 4:1–10; 27:26–50; Hebrews 4:14–16)
60. How do Jesus’ sufferings help you?
Jesus has experienced our sufferings, understands our sorrows, and is able to sympathize with our weakness. Therefore, I should bear my sufferings with perseverance and hope, for my Savior is with me in them, and through them I will come to know him more fully.
(Job 9:32–35; Psalm 22:22–26; Isaiah 53:4–7; Luke 4:1–13; Hebrews 4:14–5:10)
61. Why does the Creed say that Jesus suffered under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate?
The Creed thus makes clear that Jesus’ life and death were real events that occurred at a particular time and place in Judea in the first century AD.
(Psalm 2:1–6; Luke 3:1–2; 23; Acts 4:24–28)
Was Crucified, Died, and was Buried. He Descended to the Dead.
62. What happened at Jesus’ crucifixion?
Jesus was executed as a common criminal. He was scourged, mocked, and nailed to a Cross outside the walls of Jerusalem. Though humanly a miscarriage of justice, his execution fulfilled God’s plan of salvation.
(Psalm 22:1–21; Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 27:22–26)
63. What did Jesus accomplish on the Cross?
Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures by dying on the Cross as a sacrifice for sin in obedience to his Father. He thereby showed the depth of the love of God for his fallen creation, satisfying the justice of God on our behalf and breaking the power of sin, Satan, and death.
(Leviticus 23:18–21; Psalm 34:15–22; Colossians 2:13–15; Hebrews 10:11–14)
64. What does Jesus’ death mean for you?
Jesus bore my sins and died the death that I deserve, so that I could be saved from sin and eternal condemnation and be reconciled to God.
(Psalm 32:1–2; Isaiah 53:10–12; Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:8–10; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21)
65. Why does the Creed make a point of saying that Jesus died?
The Creed makes the point to emphasize that Jesus died a real, bodily death such as all people face because of our sins.
(Psalm 22:14–15; Isaiah 53:8–9; Matthew 27:45–50; John 19:30–35)
66. Why does the Creed emphasize Jesus’ death in this way?
The Creed emphasizes Jesus’ death to counter suspicions that Jesus did not truly die on the Cross, to celebrate the fact that he died there to secure our salvation, and to prepare our minds to grasp the glory of his bodily resurrection.
(John 19:31–34; 1 John 5:6–8)
67. What does the Creed mean by saying that Jesus descended into hell?
That Jesus descended to the dead means that he truly died and entered the place of the departed.
(Psalm 16:9–10; Acts 2:25–32; Ephesians 4:9–10; 1 Peter 3:18–19)
On the Third Day He Rose Again
68. What does the Creed mean when it affirms that Jesus rose again from the dead?
It means that Jesus was not simply resuscitated; God restored him physically from death to life in his resurrected body, never to die again. His tomb was empty; Jesus had risen bodily from the dead. The risen Jesus was seen by his apostles and hundreds of other witnesses.
(Psalm 30:1–5; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8)
69. What kind of earthly life did Jesus have after he rose from the dead?
Following his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days visiting and teaching his followers. He appeared to his disciples, spoke to them, invited them to touch him and see his scars, and ate with them.
(Luke 24:13–49; John 20:19–29; Acts 1:1–8)
He Ascended into Heaven
70. How should you understand Jesus’ ascension into heaven?
Jesus was taken up out of human sight and returned in his humanity to the glory he had shared with the Father before his incarnation. There he intercedes for, and receives into heavenly life, all who come to him in faith. Though absent in body, Jesus is always with me by his Spirit and hears me when I pray.
(John 17:5; Acts 1:9–11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:23–25)
71. What resulted from the ascension?
Jesus ascended into heaven so that, through him, his Father might send us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, Christians together are united to Christ, the living Head of his Body, the Church.
(John 14:15–17, 25–26; 16:7–15; Acts 2:33–36; Ephesians 4:7–16)
And is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father
72. What does it mean for Jesus to sit at God the Father’s right hand?
The throne on the king’s right hand was traditionally the seat of one appointed to exercise the king’s own authority. Ruling with his Father in heaven, Jesus is Lord over the Church and all creation, with authority to equip his Church, advance his kingdom, bring sinners into saving fellowship with God the Father, and finally establish justice and peace upon the earth.
(Psalm 2; Isaiah 9:6–7; Acts 2:33–36; Ephesians 1:20–23; Hebrews 1:3–14)
73. What does Jesus do for you as he sits at the Father’s right hand?
Because Jesus intercedes for us as our great high priest, I may now boldly approach the Father and offer my confessions, praises, thanksgivings, and requests to him.
(Exodus 33:7–17; Psalm 80; Hebrews 4:14–16; 7:24–8:2)
74. What does Jesus’ heavenly ministry mean for your life today?
I can rely on Jesus always to be present with me by the Holy Spirit as he promised, and I should always look to him for help as I seek to serve him.
(Joshua 1:9; Psalm 3; Matthew 28:20; John 14:15–20)
He will come to Judge the Living and the Dead
75. What does the Creed mean when it says, “He will come again”?
Jesus promised that he would return. His coming in victory with great glory and power will be seen by all people and will bring this age to an end. The present world order will pass away, and God will usher in a fully renewed creation to stand forever. All the saints will be together with God at that time. (Luke 21:27–28; Proverbs 30:4; Daniel 7:13–14; Luke 21:27–28; Acts 1:10–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 2 Peter 3:3–13; Revelation 21:1–4)
76. Can we know when Jesus will return?
No. We cannot know when Jesus will return. Jesus patiently waits for many to repent and trust in him for new life; then he will return unexpectedly, which could be at any moment.
(Matthew 24:36–44; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3)
77. How should you live in anticipation of Jesus’ return?
I should anticipate with joy the return of Jesus my Savior and be ready to stand before him. His promise to return encourages me to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to live a holy life, and to share the hope of new life in Christ with others.
(Deuteronomy 30:1–10; Matthew 25:13–30; 1 Thessalonians 5:4–11; Titus 2:11–14)
78. How should you understand Jesus’ future judgment?
All people, whether living or dead, will be judged by Jesus Christ. Those apart from Christ will receive eternal rejection and punishment in hell, while those who are in Christ will receive eternal blessing and welcome into the fullness of life with God.
(Psalm 50:1–6; Matthew 25:31–46; Romans 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
79. Should you be afraid of God’s judgment?
The unrepentant should fear God’s judgment, for “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness”. But if I am in Christ, I need not fear God’s judgment, for my Judge is my Savior, Jesus Christ, who loves me, died for my sins, and intercedes for me.
(Romans 1:18; Psalm 130; Proverbs 28:13–14; John 5:24–30; Romans 8:1, 31–34)
80. What does Scripture mean when it tells you to fear God?
It means that I should live mindful of his presence, walking in humility as his creature, resisting sin, obeying his commandments, and reverencing him for his holiness, majesty, and power.
(Exodus 20:18–20; Psalm 25:12–14; Proverbs 9:10; Acts 5:1–11; 1 Peter 1:13–21; Revelation 14:6–7)
81. How do you rightly live in the fear of God?
With the help of the Holy Spirit, I examine my conscience according to the Word of God. Particularly useful are the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the godly counsel of fellow Christians and the moral teaching of the Church.
(Exodus 20:1–17; Psalm 139:23–24; Matthew 5–7; 1 Corinthians 4:1–5)
82. How does the Church exercise its authority to judge?
The authority Christ gave to his Church to judge is most often exercised by declaring the forgiveness of God available in Christ. The leadership of the local church may also, in biblical response to scandalous and unrepentant sin, suspend a person from receiving Communion or expel them from fellowship in order to draw them to repentance and restoration.
(Psalm 32; Matthew 16:19; 18:15–17; John 20:21–23; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13)