Jesus was an important person in Christianity.
Jesus ( [ ˈdʒiːzəs ] ; c. 4 BC -- c. AD 30/33 ) , also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ , was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity . Christians believe him to be the Son of God and the awaited Messiah ( Christ ) prophesied in the Old Testament . The Nicene Creed asserts that Jesus will judge the living and the dead either before or after their bodily resurrection , an event tied to the Second Coming of Jesus in Christian eschatology .