My friends, I want to speak to you about the most important truth you will ever hear. This is not religion. This is not tradition. This is not about becoming a better person. This is about life and death—eternal life or eternal separation from God.

You may have heard the name of Jesus your whole life. But the question is not whether you’ve heard of Him. The question is: do you know who He really is?

The Bible declares that the child born to Mary was not just a baby. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). He did not come into this world the same way we did. Every one of us is born through a human father, and through Adam, sin entered the world and spread to all men (Romans 5:12). Scripture shows that this fallen condition is passed down through the generations from Adam, so that all born of a human father inherit a sinful nature.

But Jesus was different.

He had no human father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Matthew 1:18).

Because of this, He did not inherit Adam’s fallen nature. He is called “that Holy One” (Luke 1:35). He entered this world as God in human flesh—fully God and fully man—yet without sin.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

That means the eternal Son of God took on a human body. God Himself stepped into time and space. The Creator became part of His creation. The One who made the world walked in it.

The Bible says of Jesus that “by Him all things were created… and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17).

Think about that. The One who held the stars in place was held in Mary’s arms. The One who gives breath to every living thing breathed the same air that you and I breathe.

This was no ordinary man

And this was not an afterthought. The coming of Jesus was foretold hundreds of years before He was born.

The prophet Isaiah declared, “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” — which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). This was fulfilled when Mary, a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus (Matthew 1:22–23). God did not just send a messenger—He came Himself.

The prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet described Him as One whose “goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). This was fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1), revealing that the One born there existed from eternity.

And the prophet Isaiah also spoke of the coming Son, saying, “His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This was fulfilled in Jesus, who demonstrated divine authority, power, and identity throughout His life (John 20:28).

These are not coincidences. These are clear declarations that the Messiah would be God Himself—and Jesus fulfilled them.

Some people say Jesus was just a good teacher. But good teachers don’t claim to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–7). Good teachers don’t say, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Good teachers don’t accept worship (Matthew 14:33).

Jesus didn’t leave that option open to us. He didn’t say, “I am one of many ways.” He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Joh n 14:6).

So He is not just a good teacher. He is not just a moral example. He is not just a figure from history.

He is God in the flesh.

Walking on the same ground. Breathing the same air. Eating the same food. And at the very same time, upholding the entire universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

This is the Incarnation—and it is not comfortable.

It is a collision between heaven and earth. It confronts every one of us with a decision. You cannot ignore this. You cannot sit on the fence.

Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30).

So the question is not, “Do I like Jesus?”
The question is: “Do I believe who He claimed to be?”

Because if He is God, then His purpose for coming matters more than anything else in your life.

Why did He come?

The Bible says that through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and death through sin (Romans 5:12). Every one of us is born into that condition. We are not only sinners by nature—we are born spiritually dead, separated from God (Ephesians 2:1).

That means from the moment we are born into this world, we are not spiritually alive to God. We are alive physically, but dead spiritually. We are cut off from the life of God because of sin.

Jesus made this absolutely clear when He said, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), and again, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

Why did He say that?

Because our first birth placed us into a fallen condition—into a world under sin, under death, and under the power of darkness. The Bible describes this as being in the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1:13), separated from God.

We don’t become sinners later—we are born into it. And because we are born spiritually dead, we must be born again into spiritual life.

That is what salvation is.
It is not just forgiveness—it is new birth. It is being made spiritually alive to God.

When a person believes in Jesus Christ, they are transferred “from the domain of darkness… to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). They are brought out of separation and into union with God. They receive new life—eternal life.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Now listen carefully—this is where we must understand something about God’s character.

God is love—but He is also perfectly righteous and just. He is a righteous Judge (Psalm 7:11). That means He cannot simply overlook sin or pretend it doesn’t matter. A good judge does not let the guilty go free without justice being satisfied. If God were to simply forgive sin without dealing with its penalty, He would no longer be just.

The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Sin carries a penalty, and that penalty must be paid.

If we were to pay that penalty ourselves, it would not end. Because we have sinned against an eternal God, the consequence is eternal. Scripture speaks of a final judgment and a place of eternal punishment—the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15). That is the just outcome for sin if we stand before God on our own.

That’s the bad news. But here is the good news.

God did not leave us in that condition.

John the Baptist saw Jesus and declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Jesus came as the perfect, spotless Lamb. The Bible says He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). He lived a perfect life. He fulfilled the law completely (Matthew 5:17). He never sinned—not once (1 Peter 2:22).

That made Him the only one qualified to take our place.
At the cross, something happened that we can never fully comprehend.
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24).

Because God is just, the penalty for sin had to be satisfied. And because God is love, He provided the payment Himself.

Jesus took the full wrath of God upon Himself in our place (Isaiah 53:5–6). The judgment that should have fallen on us fell on Him. Every sin—past, present, and future—was laid upon Him.

God treated Him as if He had lived your life… so that He could treat you as if you had lived His.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

At the cross, God’s justice was satisfied and His love was demonstrated at the same time. Jesus died. He was buried. And on the third day, He rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).

He conquered sin. He defeated death. And He proved that the payment was complete.

Now listen carefully—this is where so many people get it wrong.

You cannot earn this. You cannot work for it. You cannot be good enough.

The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith… not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Salvation is a gift.

The Apostles preached this message clearly: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Not “try harder.”
Not “clean up your life.”
Not “be religious.”
Believe.

Trust in what Jesus Christ has already done for you.

The moment you put your faith in Him—believing that He is God in the flesh who died for your sins and rose again—you are saved.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Your sins are forgiven.
You are declared righteous.
You are given eternal life.

Jesus said, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24). This is not temporary. This is not partial. This is forever.

But you must respond.

The Bible says, “Now is the accepted time… now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
You are not promised tomorrow.
So I ask you today:

Who is Jesus to you?

If He is God—and He is—then He deserves more than your acknowledgment. He demands your trust.

Turn from trusting in yourself.
Turn from your own efforts.
And place your faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Because the One who walked this earth…
is the One who will judge the world (Acts 17:31).

And He is also the One who is ready to save you—right now.

Now listen carefully as we close.

There is no special prayer that saves you. The Bible never teaches a formula or a ritual prayer for salvation. God is not waiting for you to say perfect words—He is looking at your heart.

But God does require a response.

What is that response?

To believe.

The Scripture says, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8). You don’t have to climb up to heaven or go down into the depths to find salvation—it has already been accomplished by Jesus Christ.

Here is the response God calls for

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

“For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:10).

“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed’” (Romans 10:11).

This is not about repeating words. This is about believing the truth of the gospel.

Right now, where you are, you can respond to God. Simply tell Him that you believe…

Believe that Jesus is Lord.
Believe that He died for your sins.
Believe that God raised Him from the dead.

And on the authority of God’s Word—you will be saved.

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In Christ’s love,
The Reach NZ Ministry Team
www.reachnz.org