Q. Why is the Son of God called "Jesus," meaning "saviour"?

A. Because he saves us from our sins.^1 Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere.^2

^1Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25 ^2Isa. 43:11; John 15:5; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:5

Q. Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only saviour Jesus?

A. No. Although they boast of being his, by their deeds they deny the only saviour and deliverer, Jesus.^1 Either Jesus is not a perfect saviour, or those who in true faith accept this saviour have in him all they need for their salvation.^2

^1 1 Cor. 1:12-13; Gal. 5:4

^2 Col. 1:19-20; 2:10; 1 John 1:7

Q. Why is he called "Christ," meaning "anointed"?

A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit^1 to be our chief prophet and teacher^2 who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;^3 our only high priest^4 who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,^5 and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;^6 and our eternal king^7 who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us.^8

^1 Luke 3:21-22; 4:14-19 (Isa. 61:1); Heb. 1:9 (Ps. 45:7)

^2 Acts 3:22 (Deut. 18:15)

^3 John 1:18; 15:15

^4 Heb. 7:17 (Ps. 110:4)

^5 Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14

^6 Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24

^7 Matt. 21:5 (Zech. 9:9)

^8 Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:28; Rev. 12:10-11

Q. But why are you called a Christian?

A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ^1 and so I share in his anointing.^2 I am anointed to confess his name,^3 to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks,^4 to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life,^5 and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity.^6

^1 1 Cor. 12:12-27

^2 Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28); 1 John 2:27

^3 Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 13:15

^4 Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9

^5 Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:18-19

^6 Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 2:12

Q. Why is he called God's "only Son" when we also are God's children?

A. Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.^1 We, however, are adopted children of God-- adopted by grace through Christ.^2

^1 John 1:1-3, 14, 18; Heb. 1

^2 John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:5-6

Q. Why do you call him "our Lord"?

A. Because-- not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood--^1 he has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil,^2 and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own.^3

^1 1 Pet. 1:18-19

^2 Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 2:14-15

^3 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Tim. 2:5-6

Q. What does it mean that he "was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary"?

A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God,^1 took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit,^2 from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,^3 a truly human nature so that he might become David's true descendant,^4 like his brothers in every way^5 except for sin.^6

^1 John 1:1; 10:30-36; Acts 13:33 (Ps. 2:7); Col. 1:15-17; 1 John 5:20

^2 Luke 1:35

^3 Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14

^4 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 132:11; Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3

^5 Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:17

^6 Heb. 4:15; 7:26-27

Q. How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you?

A. He is our mediator,^1 and with his innocence and perfect holiness he removes from God's sight my sin--mine since I was conceived.^2

^1 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 9:13-15

^2 Rom. 8:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19

Q. What do you understand by the word "suffered"?

A. That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race.^1 This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice,^2 he might set us free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation,^3 and gain for us God's grace, righteousness, and eternal life.^4

^1 Isa. 53; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18

^2 Rom. 3:25; Heb. 10:14; 1 John 2:2; 4:10

^3 Rom. 8:1-4; Gal. 3:13

^4 John 3:16; Rom. 3:24-26

Q. Why did he suffer "under Pontius Pilate" as judge?

A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by a civil judge,^1 and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us.^2

^1 Luke 23:13-24; John 19:4, 12-16

^2 Isa. 53:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13

Q. Is it significant that he was "crucified" instead of dying some other way?

A. Yes. This death convinces me that he shouldered the curse which lay on me, since death by crucifixion was accursed by God.^1

^1 Gal. 3:10-13 (Deut. 21:23)

Q. Why did Christ have to go all the way to death?

A. Because God's justice and truth demand it:^1 only the death of God's Son could pay for our sin.^2

^1 Gen. 2:17

^2 Rom. 8:3-4; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 2:9

Q. Why was he "buried"?

A. His burial testifies that he really died.^1

^1 Isa. 53:9; John 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor. 15:3-4

Q. Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?

A. Our death does not pay the debt of our sins.^1 Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life.^2

^1 Ps. 49:7 ^2John 5:24; Phil. 1:21-23; 1 Thess. 5:9-10

Q. What further advantage do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?

A. Through Christ's death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him,^1 so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us,^2 but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him.^3

^1 Rom. 6:5-11; Col. 2:11-12

^2 Rom. 6:12-14 ^3Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:1-2

Q. Why does the creed add, "He descended to hell"?

A. To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.^1

^1 Isa. 53; Matt. 26:36-46; 27:45-46; Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7-10

Q. How does Christ's resurrection benefit us?

A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he won for us by his death.^1 Second, by his power we too are already now resurrected to a new life.^2 Third, Christ's resurrection is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection.^3

^1 Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:16-20; 1 Pet. 1:3-5

^2 Rom. 6:5-11; Eph. 2:4-6; Col. 3:1-4

^3 Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:12-23; Phil. 3:20-21

Q. What do you mean by saying, "He ascended to heaven"?

A. That Christ, while his disciples watched, was lifted up from the earth to heaven^1 and will be there for our good^2 until he comes again to judge the living and the dead.^3

^1 Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11

^2 Rom. 8:34; Eph. 4:8-10; Heb. 7:23-25; 9:24

^3 Acts 1:11

Q. But isn't Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised us?^1

A. Christ is truly human and truly God. In his human nature Christ is not now on earth;^2 but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is not absent from us for a moment.^3

^1 Matt. 28:20

^2 Acts 1:9-11; 3:19-21

^3 Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:16-19

Q. If his humanity is not present wherever his divinity is, then aren't the two natures of Christ separated from each other?

A. Certainly not. Since divinity is not limited and is present everywhere,^1 it is evident that Christ's divinity is surely beyond the bounds of the humanity he has taken on, but at the same time his divinity is in and remains personally united to his humanity.^2

^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 7:48-49 (Isa. 66:1)

^2 John 1:14; 3:13; Col. 2:9

Q. How does Christ's ascension to heaven benefit us?

A. First, he pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father.^1 Second, we have our own flesh in heaven-- a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven.^2 Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee.^3 By the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand.^4

^1 Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1

^2 John 14:2; 17:24; Eph. 2:4-6

^3 John 14:16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5

^4 Col. 3:1-4

Q. Why the next words: "and is seated at the right hand of God"?

A. Christ ascended to heaven, there to show that he is head of his church,^1 and that the Father rules all things through him.^2

^1 Eph. 1:20-23; Col. 1:18

^2 Matt. 28:18; John 5:22-23

Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us?

A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members.^1 Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies.^2

^1 Acts 2:33; Eph. 4:7-12

^2 Ps. 110:1-2; John 10:27-30; Rev. 19:11-16

Q. How does Christ's return "to judge the living and the dead" comfort you?

A. In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me.^1 All his enemies and mine he will condemn to everlasting punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along with him into the joy and the glory of heaven.^2

^1 Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:22-25; Phil. 3:20-21; Tit. 2:13-14

^2 Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 1:6-10