Proper noun

Singular Jesus

Plural -

Jesus

1. Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish man whom Christians name Jesus Christ in belief that he is the Messiah.
2. A male given name in Spanish culture; an anglicized spelling of Jesús.

Derived terms

• Jesus Christ
• Jesus freak
• Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth (c 4 BC/BCE – c 30 AD/CE), also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity, and within most denominations he is venerated as the Son of God and as God incarnate. Christians also view him as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament; Judaism rejects this claim. Islam considers Jesus a prophet, while several other religions revere him in some way.

The principal sources of information regarding Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical gospels, especially the Synoptic Gospels, though some scholars argue that other texts (such as the Gospel of Thomas) are as relevant as the canonical gospels to the historical Jesus. Most critical scholars in the fields of history and biblical studies believe that some parts of the New Testament are useful for reconstructing Jesus' life, agreeing that he was a Jew who was regarded as a teacher and healer. They also generally accept that he was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire. Aside from these few conclusions, academic studies remain inconclusive about the chronology, the central message of Jesus' preaching, his social class, cultural environment, and religious orientation. Scholars offer competing descriptions of Jesus as the awaited Messiah, as a self-described Messiah, as the leader of an apocalyptic movement, as an itinerant sage, as a charismatic healer, and as the founder of an independent religious movement.

Christian views of Jesus (see also Christology) center on the belief that Jesus is divine, is the Messiah whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament, and that he was resurrected after his crucifixion. Christians predominantly believe that Jesus is the "Son of God" (generally meaning that he is God the Son, the second person in the Trinity), who came to provide salvation and reconciliation with God by his death for their sins. Other Christian beliefs include Jesus' virgin birth, performance of miracles, ascension into Heaven, and a future Second Coming. While the doctrine of the Trinity is widely accepted by Christians, a minority instead hold nontrinitarian beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus.

In Islam, Jesus (Arabic: عيسى‎, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets, a bringer of scripture, and a worker of miracles. Jesus is also called "Messiah", but Islam does not teach that he was divine. Islam teaches that Jesus ascended bodily to heaven, rather than the traditional Christian belief of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

• Answers for Non-Christians (15)
• Art and Film (6)
• Christology and the Trinity@ (10)
• Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy (11)
• Jesus Seminar@ (11)
• Miracles (4)

• Near Death Experience Encounters With Jesus (8)
• Opposing Views@ (24)
• The Passion (13)
• The Resurrection@ (16)
• The Shroud of Turin (12)
• Source Material (10)

See also:

• Society: Religion and Spirituality: People: Spiritual Personalities: Jesus (33)

• Christ Jesus
  christjesus.us
  Examines the evidence for the Resurrection.
• Y-Jesus
  y-zine.com
  Explores the questions about Jesus identity, historical accuracy and conspiracies.
• Finding the Historical Jesus: An Interview With John P. Meier
  americancatholic.org
  Catholic University scholar John P. Meier discusses how the Jesus of faith is linked to the Jesus of history.