Christians believe that there is one God and that God became fully present to the world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. A Jew by birth, Jesus, lived his life in and around Israel, and taught that as God’s creation, humanity is called to love God, love one another, and love themselves.
Jesus extended this good news of God’s message to incorporate all people. Christians believe that Jesus was fully human and fully divine, and gave himself up to death as a sacrifice to reconcile all humanity with God. They believe that reconciliation was achieved by the fact that Jesus died, and then rose again from the dead, and through his death, resurrection, and Ascension (going back to God) he sent God’s spirit (the Holy Spirit) to guide, support and inspire God’s people in the world today.
This understanding of God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is known as the Trinity and is a distinctive feature of Christianity.
