Jesus Christ is the centre of the Catholic religion. Members of the Church are called Christians, not only because they accept what he taught, but also because they believe that through him, God has come to us in human form and we are brought into fuller union with God.

While we can know something about God through human reasoning, that knowledge is very limited. God, we believe, sent his Son into the world to make known his love for us in living practical contact. The life and teachings of Jesus, the Son of God provide a perfect revelation of God's loving purpose for each of us. In him we find answers to the very personal questions that concern each of us.

Does God love me personally and is he concerned for me in a big, strange and often cruel world? Can I have confidence that he will hear me if I call out to him? Would his words be words of hope, fulfillment, happiness and peace?

You may ask how we can come to know someone who is more than 2000 years removed from us in history. In the first place, the person of Jesus becomes clearer to us as we become more familiar with the writings of the New Testament, and, as we observe the lives of those who are animated by the Spirit of Jesus; lives that are the living embodiment of those writings.

It may help in understanding this thumbnail sketch of Jesus if you can obtain and refer to the New Testament as you read these words.

The word 'Gospel' comes from an old English word which means "good news". The good news of what Jesus Christ said and did was proclaimed by his first followers wherever they went. Gradually this was put into writing, and we have four brief accounts of this good news by Matthew Mark, Luke and John. These four writers, the four Evangelists, make it clear that they are giving an account of Jesus and the meaning of his life for each of us.

While they each emphasise a different aspect of Jesus' life and teaching, relevant to the particular community they were writing for, the most important thing in all gospels is Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection, for love of us. And next, the love He showed to us through his ministry; his kind words and deeds.

They are not so much a biography since there is very little about his life as a whole. They aim, rather, to give us an insight into his person, and the way that we can share in his Spirit by seeking to become more like him, especially in love and forgiveness.

These four Gospels are treated with great reverence by the Catholic Church and are read aloud to the congregation every Sunday.

What do we know about Jesus?

We know that Jesus' mother was Mary, and that he was conceived by direct action of God. Mary's husband was Joseph.  We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and that the news of his birth was first made known to shepherds, who, in a sense represented the people of Israel.

It was soon also made known to some 'Wise Men' from the East, who, in a sense represent the Gentile world. We know that calamity and hardship followed immediately upon his birth, through human wickedness, represented by the jealousy of King Herod, who slaughtered children in the hope of destroying him, and forced the little family into flight as refugees into Egypt.

We know that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favour with God and people. He learned his lessons, grew up like any other boy, caused some distress to his parents but was obedient to them. He experienced hunger, thirst and tiredness, sorrow and joy.

At about thirty years of age he began his public life and picked twelve of his closest followers whom he singled out for special training.

Jesus remained a devout Jew all his life. He taught in the synagogues and in the Temple in Jerusalem, but also in houses and streets, on the hillsides and on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

We know that his teaching was noble and beautiful and that he spoke with power and authority. His words are regarded by many as the most noble and beautiful in the whole of human language, and have deeply influenced the thoughts and emotions of millions ever since. He taught with a direct simplicity using many examples familiar to his listeners from the world of agriculture, fishing and nature. In this way he presented great religious truths in a way that could be understood and remembered by everyone.

`What else can we learn about Jesus from Scripture?

You may benefit by checking the following references in your New Testament. Jesus spoke about God accepting our sorrow for sin, and forgiving us. (Luke 15, 4 - 7) He spoke about the necessity of doing good and beautiful deeds. (Luke 13, 6 - 9) He spoke about the meaning of humility and repentance. (Luke 18, 10 - 14) He outlined the style of God's love and mercy at great length. (Luke 15). He gave life, and forgave sins.

The Gospels do not show Jesus as a fanatic, but as a calm, noble and balanced person. Yet he was strong, fearless, full of energy and zeal, and because of his direct and truthful approach was often hated by the religious authorities. (Matthew 23, 27)

The four Gospels relate that Jesus was kind and loving. He had pity on ordinary people, particularly the sick, the hungry and the poor, and was eager to comfort and cure them.

Jesus was also a worker of wonderful deeds that we call miracles since they were above the ordinary course of nature. Yet the Gospels relate them as facts, witnessed by thousands of people. Sometimes they were carefully investigated by the religious authorities (John, Ch. 9). He frequently demonstrated power over nature (e.g. Luke 8, 22 -25). Of all his miracles however, the most significant were the raising of the dead, (Mark 5, 41) (Luke 7, 14) (John 11)

Only God is the life-giver. So, by giving life, and in particular, by rising from the dead himself, Jesus Christ clearly showed that he was God-made-man.

This appreciation of the divinity of Christ comes through strongly in each of the Gospels. Under oath before Pilate, at his judgment, he stated clearly that he was the Son of God. (Mark 14, 1 - 14)

We find the clearest and most beautiful testimonies to the divinity of Christ throughout the Gospel of St. John. John begins with the theme of Jesus as the eternal Word of the Father (John 1, 1-14), moves through the beautifully developed theme of Jesus as life-giver (e.g. John 6, 48 - 51) and frequently alludes to Jesus' various claims to be identified equally with God.

"Before Abraham was I Am" (John 8, 57 - 58) John tells us in his fourteenth chapter that on the night before Jesus died Philip said to him "Lord, show us the Father." And Jesus replied "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14, 9).