According to the Father’s good pleasure, the eternal Son, who is equal with the Father and is the exact representation of his nature, willingly left the glory of Heaven, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, and was born as the God-man, "Jesus of Nazareth," in the world he once created (Acts 2:23; Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:6-7; Luke 1:35; Colossians 1:16). As a man, he walked on this earth in perfect obedience to the law of God (Hebrews 4:15), remaining completely pure and innocent of sin. In the fullness of time, men rejected as their Lord and crucified him. On the cross, he bore man’s sin, suffered God’s full wrath, and died in man’s place (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; Isaiah 53:10). On the third day, God raised him from the dead. This resurrection is the divine declaration that the Father has accepted his Son’s death as a sacrifice for man's sin. Jesus paid the penalty for man’s disobedience, fully satisfied the demands of justice, and appeased the wrath of God (Luke 24:6; Romans 1:4, 4:25). Forty days after the resurrection, the Son of God ascended into the heavens, sat down at the right hand of the Father, and was given glory, honor, and dominion over all things (Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 28:18; Daniel 7:13-14). There, in the presence of God, he represents his people and makes requests to God on their behalf (Luke 24:51; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3, 7:25). Anyone who receives God's gift of faith, acknowledges their sinful, helpless state, and looks to Jesus Christ as their only hope for salvation, God will fully pardon, declare righteous, reconcile unto himself, fill with his Holy Spirit, and grant to live for all eternity in his presence (Ephesians 2:8; Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9; Philippians 3:3; Acts 2:17-18; Romans 8:11; Galatians 4:6; Matthew 25:46). This is the gospel—the good news—of God and of Jesus Christ, his Son.
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