Q: Does the Church of God believe in Jesus?
A: Yes, the Church of God believes in Jesus.
But should the question be, “Why does the Church of God believe in Jesus?”
While it is easy nowadays to say we believe in Jesus as the Christ, it was not so easy 2,000 years ago. Many people rejected Jesus as the Christ because they only saw and considered His outer appearance (Jn 6:42). However, the disciples and apostles recognized Jesus as the Savior; we should understand how.
“Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.’”
Philip, one of the twelve disciples, believed Jesus to be the Messiah because of what Moses and the prophets wrote—the Old Testament. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. And the prophets refer to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, all the way to Malachi. So, it is only through the Bible that we can come to believe and have faith in Jesus as the Savior.
“‘You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!’”
Jesus confirmed that the Scriptures (meaning Old Testament) point to Him. But His name is not recorded in any of the 39 books of the Old Testament. Instead, the Scriptures contain prophecies—accounts written in the past that were to take place in the future. And since Jesus fulfilled them, we can believe He is the Christ.
The Bible Prophesied About Jesus' Coming
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
The prophet Micah wrote down God’s message about a future ruler of Israel who would come from Bethlehem, a city in Judah. And not just any ruler, this ruler was to be God. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem in alignment with this prophecy.
“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.”
In addition to His place of birth, the conditions of His birth were also prophesied.
“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).”
In addition to being born in Bethlehem, God is to be born of a virgin.
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”
We do not believe Jesus is the Christ because it is a miracle for a baby to be born of a virgin; we believe Jesus is the Christ because the circumstances of His birth were detailed in the Old Testament (even without His name). And He fulfilled those words.
Besides those two examples, there are many prophecies concerning First Coming Christ that Jesus fulfilled. That is why Jesus said the Scriptures point to Him.
Following the Teachings of Jesus
Nowadays, both the Old Testament and the New Testament exist to prophesy about Second Coming Christ. Only by studying the Bible and its prophecies can we recognize and receive Him—like the disciples who recognized and received Jesus 2,000 years ago. The Church of God faithfully believes in Jesus according to the prophecies of the Bible and puts His teachings into practice. Jesus came to Earth to give us the light of truth and hope for Heaven. Without His sacrifice, there would be no forgiveness of sins for humankind.
Not only did Jesus die on the cross for our sins, but He left His instructions that lead us to salvation. To commemorate His sacrifice and love, members of the Church of God keep the teachings that Jesus Himself taught, such as the Sabbath, the Passover, and all the Feasts of God. In addition, they diligently teach others the way of salvation to fulfill His last request (Mt 28:18-20).
