Jesus [d] ( c. 4 BC – AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ [e] or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles ), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader . [10] He is the central figure of Christianity , the world's largest religion . Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah (the Christ ) prophesied in the Hebrew Bible .
Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically . [f] Accounts of Jesus' life are contained in the Gospels , especially the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament . Academic research has yielded uncertainty on the historical reliability of the Gospels and how closely they reflect the historical Jesus . [18] [g] Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was circumcised , was baptized by John the Baptist , began his own ministry , [10] and was often referred to as " rabbi ". [21] Jesu
Christian theology includes the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit , was born of a virgin named Mary , performed miracles , founded the Christian Church, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement for sin , rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven , from where he will return . [27] Commonly, Christians believe Jesus enables people to be reconciled to God. The Nicene Creed asserts that Jesus will judge the living and the dead , [28] either before or after their bodily resurr