Jesus Christ was one of the world's greatest religious leaders.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Jesus Christ was one of the world's greatest religious leaders. The Christian religion was founded on His life and teachings. Most Christians believe that He is the Son of God who was sent to earth to save humanity.

Even many people who are not Christians believe that Jesus was a great and wise teacher. Muslims believe that Jesus was one of a succession of prophets who were sent by God to guide mankind.

The personal name of Jesus Christ was Jesus. The term Christ comes from the Greek word christos. The Greek word is a translation of the Hebrew word messiah, meaning the anointed one.

Records of the life of Jesus. Four short books of the New Testament tell nearly all we know of the life of Jesus. These books are the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word gospel means good news. Christian tradition attributes the gospels to men who followed Jesus during His life, or after His death. Today, many scholars doubt that any of the writers of the gospels knew Jesus during His lifetime. They also doubt that we know the actual names of the writers.

Other New Testament writings include the Epistles (letters) of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles. They tell us about the early followers of Jesus after His death and include information about Jesus. Non-Christian records of Jesus and the times in which He lived are found in the writings of Josephus, who wrote about A.D. 90; Pliny the Younger, who wrote about 112; Tacitus, who wrote about 115; and Suetonius, who wrote about 120.

Muslim beliefs about Jesus. Muslims confirm some of the Christian beliefs about Jesus, but deny others. For example, they believe in the virgin birth, and that Jesus healed the sick, cured the blind, and raised the dead to life. However, they deny the crucifixion, most believing that Jesus was miraculously taken up to God without having to suffer a natural death. They also deny that Jesus is the Son of God, and stress that he is purely human. Many Muslims believe that he will return to earth towards the end of time, in the events leading up to the end of the world and the Day of Judgment.

Early life

Birth. Jesus was born during the lifetime of Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine. Herod died in 4 or 1 B.C., so Jesus must have been born no later than the year of Herod's death. No one knows what time of year Jesus was born. The day of His birth was first celebrated on December 25 in the early 300's.

The gospels of Matthew and Luke record that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town in Judea. His mother was the Virgin Mary. Mary's husband was Joseph. He was brought up in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. In other details, the two accounts differ greatly.

According to Matthew, Mary was betrothed (engaged to be married) to Joseph. When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, an angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him that the child was of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus was born, wise men travelled from the East to see the newborn Messiah. They first asked for Him at Herod's court in Jerusalem. Then they followed the light of a star to Bethlehem. They found Jesus and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Herod had told them to return after they knew where the infant was. But they had been warned not to go to Herod, and so they took a different route home. Herod became angry. He feared this new "King of the Jews." He ordered the deaths of all boys in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger. An angel had appeared to Joseph in another dream and warned him about this decree. Joseph fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. After Herod died, they returned and settled in the town of Nazareth in Galilee.

According to Luke, Mary and Joseph originally lived in Nazareth. The angel Gabriel visited Mary and announced that her child would be the Son of God and the Messiah that was promised in the Hebrew Bible. This visit is known as the annunciation. Sometime before Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to record their names in a census (count of the people). They found shelter in a stable. Jesus was born there and Mary made a cradle for Him in a manger. Shepherds near Bethlehem saw angels in the sky. The angels sang, "Glory to God ...

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Childhood. There is only one story in the Gospels about Jesus' childhood. Luke says that when Jesus was 12 years old, He went with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. He sat among the scholars in the Temple and amazed them with His knowledge of religion. The only other remark in Luke about Jesus' childhood is that "the Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40). Jesus probably grew up in Nazareth and helped Joseph in his carpentry work.

Public life

Jesus' public life began after He was baptized by John the Baptist in Judea with water from the River Jordan. According to Luke, Jesus was baptized when He was about 30 years old. John the Baptist preached repentance and baptized those who accepted his message.

Ministry. The mission of Jesus was to announce that the Kingdom of God was coming, and that it had begun to arrive even as He announced it. He did this both in words and in actions, by His miracles and His teaching. By the "Kingdom of God," Jesus meant a new state of affairs on earth, which God would bring about. In it all people would live as God's children.

After Jesus' baptism, He went to Galilee to begin to spread His message. According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the first part of Jesus' ministry was in Galilee and the area around it. He chose Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee (Lake Gennesaret), as His headquarters. At the end of His ministry in Galilee, Jesus travelled to Jerusalem, where He died. According to John, however, Jesus travelled between Galilee and Judea several times.

Jesus attracted many disciples (close followers). He chose 12 disciples who assisted Him. They became known as the apostles.

The miracles. The Gospels tell of many miracles that Jesus performed. He did not work any miracles for His own benefit. His miracles showed that what He said about the Kingdom of God was true. In each miracle, the Kingdom of God broke into human life in a small way. The miracles brought relief from all kinds of sickness and suffering. This relief showed the meaning of the Kingdom of God.

According to the Gospel of John, Jesus' first miracle took place at a wedding feast at Cana. When His host ran short of wine, Jesus changed water into wine. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus performed another early miracle at the Sea of Galilee. There, the apostle Peter caught so many fish that the weight of the fishing net almost sank the boat. Another time, Jesus divided five loaves of bread and two fishes among 5,000 people so that everyone would have food. He also once amazed His disciples by walking on water.

Jesus performed other miracles that healed sick people or relieved them from other kinds of suffering. He enabled lame people to walk and restored sight to the blind. The Gospel of John tells of Jesus' miracle that brought His friend Lazarus back to life after Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Jesus used His power to perform miracles in order to show the love and mercy of God.

His teaching. In addition to proclaiming the Kingdom of God by His miracles, Jesus also proclaimed it by His teaching. Jesus often used parables to explain the Kingdom of God. Parables are brief stories that teach lessons. One of Jesus' well-known parables, The Prodigal Son, is found in Luke 15:11-32. The parable describes a father's great joy at the return of his wayward son. Jesus used this story to teach God's love and forgiveness for sinners who repent.

Jesus also told His followers what kind of life they would have to live in the Kingdom of God. He taught people to love God and their neighbours. Jesus stressed that each person should treat others as he or she wished to be treated. He also instructed His listeners not to fight back if they were attacked. He commanded, "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39).

The Passion

Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God was good news for many people. But some, especially the leaders of the people, were unhappy with Him. They believed that Jesus changed accepted religious practices, such as the Sabbath laws. But most of all, the leaders feared that His popularity would encourage a rebellion against the Roman Empire. Then the Romans would destroy the Jewish nation.

Jesus probably knew that it was dangerous to carry out His ministry. But He considered His ministry to be His duty. He was determined to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus felt that He had come to save other people by giving His own life. The Passion is a term used to indicate Jesus' suffering during the final days of His life. Christians remember these final days during Holy Week.

The Last Supper. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for Passover week. He made a triumphal entry into the city. People cheered Him and covered His path with clothing and the branches of palm trees. They were grateful for His teaching and healing. Many of them believed that He would bring a better life to the Jewish nation. Jesus went into the Temple and drove out the men who were changing money and selling doves. He taught that the house of God must be for prayer, and not for making money.

During the next few days, Jesus spent part of His time teaching in Jerusalem. The rest of the time He spent in the nearby town of Bethany. He had a final meal with His disciples in Jerusalem. This meal is often called the Last Supper. During the meal, Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him. According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this supper was the Passover meal. As Jesus gave His disciples bread, He said, "This is my Body." As He gave them wine, He said, "This is my Blood" (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, and Luke 22:19-20). The Christian ceremony of Communion is based on the Last Supper.

The trial. After the meal, Jesus and His disciples went to Gethsemane, a garden on the slope of the Mount of Olives, opposite the Temple. According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus prayed there in agony, knowing the things that were to happen to Him, but He submitted Himself to God's will. A band of armed men came to the garden to arrest Jesus. Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, pointed Him out to them. Thus, Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew says that Judas later hanged himself.

The men took Jesus to the high priest's house. There the leaders of the people questioned Jesus. According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they asked Him if He was the Messiah. When He did not deny it, they said that He had blasphemed (insulted God's name).

The Jewish leaders took Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. They said that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews and charged Him with treason against Rome. According to the Gospel of Luke, Pilate found out that Jesus was a Galilean and sent Him to Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee. Herod mocked Jesus, dressed Him in a kingly robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

It was the custom for the Roman governor to release one Jewish prisoner at the Passover season. Pilate took Jesus and a condemned criminal named Barabbas onto the steps of his palace and told the crowd to choose which one should go free. The crowd turned against Jesus and chose Barabbas. Pilate then sentenced Jesus to die on a cross. Crucifixion was a common Roman form of execution.

The Crucifixion. According to Matthew, Mark, and John, the Roman soldiers mocked Jesus for claiming to be King of the Jews. They dressed Him in a red robe, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and put a reed in His hand. Some of the men struck Him.

The Gospel of John says that Jesus carried His own cross to the place of the Crucifixion. According to the other Gospels, the soldiers made a man named Simon of Cyrene carry the cross. They nailed Jesus to the cross outside the city, on a hill called Golgotha (Calvary). On the cross they wrote the charge against Jesus, "The King of the Jews." The soldiers set up His cross between the crosses of two thieves.

According to Luke, Jesus said as He hung on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). According to both Matthew and Mark, He cried out, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). After Jesus died, a disciple named Joseph of Arimathea took His body to a new tomb and sealed the tomb with a stone.

The Resurrection. Christians refer to Jesus' return to life as His Resurrection, and celebrate it on Easter Sunday. The Gospels tell how Mary Magdalene went to Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning. She found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. The Gospels also record various appearances of Jesus after the discovery of the empty tomb. He appeared to Mary Magdalene (Matthew, John), to Simon Peter and to two disciples who saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke), and to the 11 faithful disciples who met Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke, John) and in Galilee (Matthew, John). According to the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus stayed on earth during the next 40 days and taught His disciples. Then He rose into heaven. This rising into heaven is often called The Ascension.

The early Christians

The Resurrection of Jesus convinced His disciples that He was not only the one who announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, but also the Messiah, who would bring the Kingdom into being. They believed that through His death and Resurrection, Jesus began to free the human race from all suffering and evil. The disciples also believed that He would come again to complete the work He had begun.

The disciples quickly converted hundreds of people to the new faith. The missionary activity of the apostle Paul helped to spread Christianity throughout the eastern Mediterranean area within 30 years after the death of Jesus. The Christians suffered persecution by the Roman authorities, but the faith continued to spread. Finally, in 313, Emperor Constantine the Great gave the Christians freedom of worship.

During this time, the Christians tried to understand Jesus more fully. Eventually they came to see that He was not only the Messiah, but also the Son of God in a special sense not shared by anyone else. The Christians explained the relationship of Jesus to God by means of the doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine states that in one God there are three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the Son, Jesus is equal with the Father. The doctrine of the Trinity explained why Jesus had absolute authority for His teachings and absolute power to forgive sins and give eternal life.

Questions

Which books of the Bible tell about the life of Jesus?

In what town was Jesus born? Where did He die?

Who were (1) Pontius Pilate? (2) Judas Iscariot?

What does the name Jesus Christ mean?

What were two miracles that Jesus performed?

What did Jesus tell His apostles at the Last Supper?

Who baptized Jesus?

What were (1) the Nativity? (2) the Passion?

Where was Jesus arrested?

Why was Jesus' Resurrection important to His early followers?

Additional Resources

LEVEL I

Brown, Stephen. Christianity. Facts on File 1991. A detailed overview of the origins, organisation, and customs of Christian religions.

The Jesus Expedition: Making Discoveries About Jesus Through his Miracles. David C. Cook, Elgin, Illinois, U.S.A., 1996.

De Paola, Tomie. The Miracles of Jesus. Holiday 1987. The Parables of Jesus. 1987. For younger readers.

LEVEL II

Crossan, John Dominic. The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. Harper Collins 1992. A life of Jesus written from historical, literary, and anthropological perspectives.

Fredriksen, Paula. From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus. Yale 1988. Describes Jesus as a historical figure.

Jesus' Jewishness: Exploring the Place of Jesus Within Early Judaism. Ed. by James H. Charlesworth. Crossroad 1991. A collection of essays by Jewish and Christian authors.

Johnson, Sherman E. Jesus and His Towns. Glazier 1989. Describes the towns of Nazareth, Capernaum, and Chorazin, and the Gospel stories that took place in them.

Mitchell, Stephen. The Gospel According to Jesus: A New Translation and Guide to His Essential Teachings for Believers and Unbelievers. Harper Collins 1991. The teachings on forgiveness and unconditional love are presented as the core of the Gospel according to Jesus.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture. Yale 1985. Survey traces changing conceptions of Christ from biblical through modern times.

Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. Oxford 1989. Examines the history and theology presented by the writers of the four Gospels.

Watson, Alan. Jesus and the Jews: The Pharisaic Tradition in John. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, U.S.A., 1995.

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