Christianity

The Birth of Jesus
Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." (TNIV)

An Angel Visits Mary One day about 2,000 years ago an angel named Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman named Mary. Gabriel told Mary she would have a son, Jesus, who would be the Son of God! Mary was confused and worried about this sudden news, but she had faith in God and said, "I am the Lord's servant; let it be as you say."

Journey to Bethlehem

Mary and her husband-to-be, Joseph, lived in a town called Nazareth. But they had to travel to the city of Bethlehem to register for a census ordered by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus. Both Nazareth and Bethlehem are in the country now called Israel. It is about 65 miles (105 km) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and the trip probably took them several days.
When Joseph and Mary got to Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay because the inn was already full. They ended up spending the night in a stable, a place where animals were kept. There was probably fresh hay on the floor that they used for beds.
That night, Jesus was born. There was no crib, so they laid baby Jesus in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. The manger probably had fresh hay in it and made a nice bed for the baby.

Shepherds Visit Jesus

Jesus was born in a stable and laid to sleep in a manger. The shepherds came to see firsthand the things the angel had told them.

That night, some shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem, keeping watch over their flocks of sheep. An angel appeared to them and gave them the good news that a Savior, the Messiah, had been born. The angel told the shepherds they could find Jesus lying in a manger. Suddenly a whole group of angels appeared saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" The shepherds hurried into Bethlehem and found Jesus in the manger, just as the angel had told them. After they had seen Jesus, they spread the news, and everyone who heard was in awe.

Wise Men Visit Jesus

Wise men from the East came to worship Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Some time later, wise men, or magi, from eastern countries saw a star in the sky that signaled the birth of a new king. They came to Judea, the region around Jerusalem and Bethlehem, to worship Jesus, the new king. A man named Herod was the king of Judea. He called the wise men to a meeting and told them to find the new king so he could go and worship him, too.
The wise men continued on to Bethlehem and followed the star until it was directly above the house where Jesus was. They found Mary and Jesus in the house and knelt down to worship Him. They brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, some of the finest things in the ancient world. Frankincense was burned to make a sweet smell, and myrrh was an expensive perfume.
After visiting Jesus, the wise men had a dream that warned them not to go back to King Herod, so they took a different route home.

Journey to Egypt

King Herod lied when he told the wise men he wanted to worship Jesus. He was afraid this new "king" would replace him as king of Judea. He did not understand that Jesus would grow up to be king of God's spiritual kingdom, not king of Judea.
What Herod really wanted was to find Jesus and kill Him! Herod was furious when he realized the wise men had not come back to tell him where to find Jesus. He sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the children under two years old, thinking Jesus would certainly be one of the ones killed.
But God had told Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt. Joseph took Mary and Jesus to live in Egypt where they would be safe from Herod. Joseph, Mary and Jesus stayed in Egypt until Herod had died, and then they returned to Nazareth.

John the Baptist
Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 1, 3, John 1

An Angel Announces the Birth of John

A man named Zechariah was a priest of the Jewish temple. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were very holy people. They had prayed for children but had never been able to have a child, and by now they were too old.
One day, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Zechariah was terrified, but the angel said to him,

"Don't be afraid, Zechariah! For I have come to tell you that God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John. You will both have great joy and gladness at his birth, and many will rejoice with you. For he will be one of the Lord's great men. He must never touch wine or hard liquor - and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from before his birth! And he will persuade many a Jew to turn to the Lord his God. He will be a man of rugged spirit and power like Elijah, the prophet of old; and he will precede the coming of the Messiah, preparing the people for his arrival." (TLB, Luke 1:13-17)

Zechariah should have had faith in the angel and given thanks to God for the good news he received, but Zechariah was not convinced. He told the angel that he and Elizabeth were too old to ever have a child. For his irreverent lack of faith, the angel told Zechariah he would be unable to speak until the time John was born!
Everything the angel said came true. Zechariah was unable to speak, and Elizabeth did become pregnant. It was not until after John was born that Zechariah was able to speak again.

A Fiery Preacher

John the Baptist lived in the wilderness. He wore clothing of camel's hair and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

When John grew up, God called him to be a preacher and reformer. But John was no well-dressed "feel good" preacher. He lived in the wilderness and ate grasshoppers and wild honey. He wore primitive clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt. John bluntly told people they would suffer the wrath of God if they did not change their ways. Yet, when John preached, people felt that God was working among them, and huge crowds of people went into the wilderness to listen to him. John announced that the kingdom of God was coming near. He warned the people that being God's chosen people was not enough to save them from God's wrath. They must repent - change their sinful ways. He warned the well-to-do that they must share their food and clothing with the less fortunate. He exposed the greed of tax collectors and warned them not to cheat people. He warned soldiers to be satisfied with their wages and not take advantage of people. John criticized King Herod for unlawfully marrying his brother's wife. This confrontation eventually led to John being beheaded on the king's order.
John baptized people with water. It was a symbol of washing away the old sins and making a new beginning toward living a holy life.
Many people thought John was the the Savior, the Messiah, that they had been waiting so many years for. But John told them,

I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. (NRSV, Matthew 3:11-12)

John Baptizes Jesus

John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, and the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove.

That one more powerful than John was Jesus. John, with his baptism and announcement of the coming kingdom of God, had prepared the way for Jesus. There was a spirit of revival and a new religious fervor among the people. It was time for Jesus to begin His ministry. Jesus was about 30 years old by this time. So far, He had lived His life quietly as a carpenter. But one day Jesus came to the wilderness, where John was preaching, and asked to be baptized. John knew Jesus was the Messiah and told Him, "No, I am the one who needs to be baptized by You. Why are You coming to me?" But Jesus said it was the proper thing to do, so John baptized Jesus in the River Jordan.
After Jesus was baptized, as He was coming out of the water, the Spirit of God came down on Jesus like a dove from heaven. A voice from heaven was heard to say, "This is my beloved Son, and I am very pleased with Him."

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5-7

Jesus went up a mountainside and spoke to His disciples and the crowds of people.

Jesus traveled from town to town in the region of Galilee. He preached in the Jewish synagogues and healed the sick. He became very popular with the people, and great crowds followed Him wherever He went. One day Jesus went up a mountainside and spoke to His disciples and the crowds of people. This "Sermon on the Mount" outlines the right ways for us to approach God and to deal with other people.

The Beatitudes (5:3-12)

Jesus said the truly fortunate people are those who are rich in the things that matter to God, not those who have money, power, popularity or fame. The things that are important in God's kingdom are often the opposite of the worldly things we find so attractive. He gave this list of traits of people who find God's blessings:

The poor in spirit may lack money, fine clothes, luxury cars or even the necessities of life, but they put their trust in God instead of in worldly things.
Those who mourn feel sorry for any bad things they have done.
The meek are gentle, patient and ready to forgive other people.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a deep longing to obey God perfectly.
The merciful are generous, forgiving and compassionate. They try to relieve the suffering of other people.
The pure in heart are morally upright and sincere. Their thoughts and motives are pure as well as their outward actions.
The peacemakers work for reconciliation and understanding to prevent bitterness, family disputes, lawsuits, hostilities and war.
Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake may suffer teasing, ridicule, discrimination or even physical harm because of their faith. We are not to seek persecution but to accept it cheerfully as the price of God's blessings.

Anger and Revenge (5:21-26, 38-48)

One of the Ten Commandments says, "You shall not murder," but Jesus said don't even stay angry or hold a grudge against another person! If we even think about revenge, we are already guilty of a sin. We should try to be on good terms with everyone.
The Old Testament law was "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." In other words, if someone was injured, the person who caused the injury should be injured in the same way. But Jesus said we should not try to get even at all! Holding a grudge can consume us with hatred, blocking out all enjoyment of life. A grudge clouds our judgment and may lead us to an act of revenge that can never be undone.
Jesus said we should even love our enemies! Just as God loves all His children, both the good and the bad, we must show kindness and respect even to those people who want to do us harm.
Putting aside fears, prejudices, resentments and hatreds and showing Christian love and compassion for all people is the mark of true children of God. Anger, hatred, harsh words, retaliation and revenge only result in more of the same. Only love can conquer evil (Romans 12:17-21).

"Love is patient, love is kind."

Marriage (5:27-32) Every young man and woman who fall in love and get married believe their love will last forever. But as soon as the honeymoon is over, the strain of adapting to the other person's preferences, ways of doing things, idiosyncrasies and moods begins to chip away at that love. Before long, many couples find their marriage drifting toward divorce.
But Jesus said marriage is meant to last for a lifetime. Not only must be we faithful to our spouse, we must not even think about being unfaithful! And we must do everything possible to avoid divorce.
The thrill of romantic love fades away in time. That is when Christian love must take over. Instead of looking for a new partner, we must learn to truly love the partner we have. We must put aside our anger, forgive our spouse a million times over, always be faithful, subdue our pride and ego, and always let true love guide our actions. As the apostle Paul said,

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

The Lord's Prayer(6:9-13)

The Lord's Prayer is Jesus' model of a perfect prayer. Many of us pray this prayer in church every Sunday but seldom stop an think about what it really means.
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. We know that God is the master of all the universe. He is holy and all-powerful. But, like a father, He also loves and protects us. We wish for all people to honor God and His holy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. God's spiritual kingdom is within the hearts and minds of those people who put their faith and trust in God and obey His commands (Matthew 3:2, Luke 17:20-21) We pray for more and more people to trust and obey God and become part of His kingdom (Mark 4:30-32).
Give us this day our daily bread. We know that everything we have is a gift from God. We ask God to give us the food and other things we need for daily life.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. In a way, our sins are like "debts" owed to God. We ask God to forgive us for doing things that are wrong and for failing to to the good things we should. We know that we must also forgive other people who have done wrong to us. We cannot expect God to forgive our sins while we are holding a grudge or seeking revenge against another person (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:23-35).
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Every day we are tempted to commit sins such as greed, immorality, hatred, revenge, theft and gossip (Matthew 15:19-20, Luke 12:15, Galatians 5:19-21). We pray for the strength to resist these temptations of daily life (James 1:12-16). We ask God to protect us from Satan's power to fool us into thinking wrong is actually right (Genesis 3:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 11:13-15).
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. This doxology, or brief hymn of praise, was not part of Jesus' original prayer. It comes from 1 Chronicles 29:11 and was probably added for use in public worship.
Amen. This word from Hebrew means "truly." It is often added at the end of prayers to mean, "Let it be so!"

Money (6:1-4, 6:19-21, 6:24)

"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

In Old Testament times, people thought being rich and having nice clothes and big houses was a sign of God's favor. But Jesus said just the opposite: being rich can actually distract us from our duties to God and other people (Matthew 19:23-24, Luke 12:15). Rather than putting our trust in the uncertainty of money, we must put our trust in God:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NRSV, Matthew 6:19-21)

Being obsessed with collecting wealth is a sin similar to the idol worship prohibited by the First Commandment (Exodus 20:2-6, Colossians 3:5):

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (NIV, Matthew 6:24)
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (NRSV, 1 Timothy 6:10)

Those of us who are blessed with wealth beyond our needs have a responsibility to share with the less fortunate (Proverbs 14:21, Isaiah 58:10-11, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 John 3:17). A sincere concern for other people is much more important than whether we are able to give a small or large amount to charity (Matthew 6:1-4, Luke 21:1-4). There is nothing wrong with enjoying life and having the things we reasonably need. But we must remember that service to God and other people is more important than collecting wealth.

The Golden Rule (7:1-5, 7:12)

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you... (NAS, Matthew 7:12)

This "Golden Rule" is often stated as, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This simple rule is a good summary of all Jesus said about how to treat other people. We should do acts of kindness for other people in the same way we would like to have acts of kindness done for us. Also, we should not do or say anything to another person that we would not want someone to do or say to us.
Jesus said we should not criticize or find fault with other people. We do not have any right to condemn another person as a "sinner" because we are all sinners in one way or another (Proverbs 20:9, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10).
Jesus often stated the Golden Rule in another way, "Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself" (Matthew 22:39-40, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:25-28).

Don't Worry - Trust in God (6:25-34, 7:7-11)

Jesus said we should not worry too much about worldly things like food and clothes. Of course, we must have food and clothing, and we must work to pay for the things we need. But our spiritual life is much more important than these day-to-day cares and worries. If we pray to God, He will make sure we have the things we need (but not everything we may want).

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV, Matthew 6:31-34)

The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37

Jesus loved to tell a good story to make a point, and The Good Samaritan is one of His most famous stories of all.
Whenever someone asked Jesus which of the Old Testament commandments was the most important, Jesus said these two are the most important of all: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself."
"Love" can mean many different things, but the "Christian love" that Jesus talked about means treating others with kindness and respect and helping them when they need it. It is the kind of love we do instead of the kind of love we feel.
"Love your neighbor as yourself" was part of the Old Testament Law (Leviticus 19:18) that was sacred to Jesus' kinfolk, the Jews. But, many people thought a "neighbor" meant only their fellow Jews. One day a lawyer asked Jesus, "And just who is my neighbor?" Jesus told the story of The Good Samaritan to answer his question in a way we can never forget:
A Jewish man was taking a trip alone and was attacked by robbers. They beat him, robbed him of everything he had, and left him nearly dead beside the road. After while, a Jewish priest came along and saw the poor man lying beside the road. As a religious man, you would expect him to stop and do what he could to help. But, instead, he kept going and pretended he did not see. Later, a Levite came along. Levites were assistants to the priests, so you would expect him to stop and help, too. But, he did just like the priest and kept on going.

The Good Samaritan bandaged the man's wounds, put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn.

Finally, a Samaritan man came by. Even though they both lived in the land of Palestine and shared a similar religion, the Jews and the Samaritans definitely did not think of each other as "neighbors." In fact, they hated each other. The Samaritans came from a different race of people than the Jews. They had considered each other enemies for hundreds of years and refused to even talk to each other! You would expect the Samaritan man to be the one who just passed by without helping. Instead, this Samaritan man took pity on the injured Jewish man. He bandaged his wounds. He put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he could be safe and recover. Since the injured man had been robbed of everything he had, the Samaritan man even paid his bill at the inn and paid the innkeeper to take good care of him!
After telling this story, Jesus turned to the lawyer who had asked, "And who is my neighbor?" and said to him, "Now which of the three men that passed by was a neighbor to the injured man?" The lawyer was forced to admit that it was the Samaritan who treated the injured man as a neighbor, not his fellow Jews who did nothing to help. Jesus then said, "Yes, now go and do the same!"
If a Samaritan could be a neighbor to a Jew, and Jesus told us to "go and do the same," then all of God's people must be our neighbors and we must love them just as the Samaritan man did! Yet, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, the poor, the homeless, the unattractive, gays, lesbians, the handicapped, the mentally ill, and countless other groups are still sometimes the victims of ridicule, hatred and discrimination. Jesus must be looking down with sadness that, after 2000 years, we have still not learned to love our neighbors!

Palm Sunday - Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Matthew 21-22, Mark 11-12, Luke 19-20, John 12

Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people spread their coats in front of Him and greeted Him with palm branches.

It was a springtime Sunday in about the year 30 A.D. The holy city of Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who had come for the annual Passover celebration. Jesus had spent many months traveling through the towns and villages of Palestine. He preached about the kingdom of God and healed the sick wherever He went. Now the time had come for Him to claim His title as the Messiah - the Savior that God had promised to the Jewish people.
Jesus knew His mission was almost finished. As they traveled to Jerusalem, Jesus warned His disciples that He would soon be put to death, and after three days He would rise again.
As they came near Jerusalem, Jesus told two of His disciples to go into a nearby village and bring a donkey that would be waiting there. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. Crowds of people spread their coats on the ground in front of Him. Some waved branches of palm trees, a sign of victory. The people shouted,

Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord —
the King of Israel!

Only a king would be greeted this way (2 Kings 9:13), and the people wanted Jesus to be their king.
Most of the people did not understand what kind of king Jesus would be. They expected their Messiah to be a great political and military leader who would free them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. But the kingdom of God is not of this world. It is a spiritual kingdom that is now growing in the hearts of people who put their faith and trust in God.

Cleansing the temple

Jesus drove the merchants and money changers out of the temple.

Jesus went to the temple once He got into Jerusalem, and He didn't like what He saw. This most holy of places had been turned into a marketplace. Merchants were selling animals for temple sacrifices. Money changers were exchanging the pilgrims' money for special coins used in the temple. Many of these people were cheating the pilgrims who came to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus turned over the seats of the merchants and the tables of the money changers, scattering their coins. He told them all to leave. He made a whip of some cords and used it to drive out the animals. He said,

It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations', But you have made it a den of robbers!

Jesus went to the temple every day. Blind people, crippled people and sick people came to Him, and He healed all of them. He told stories and parables to help people understand the kingdom of God and God's love for all people. The crowds of people who came to hear Him were spellbound.
A expert on the Jewish Law asked Jesus which of God's commandments was most important. Jesus replied,

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is just as important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and the teachings of the prophets are based on these two.

Trust in God and Christian love (kindness and respect) for all people are the basis for everything Jesus taught us. These are the things that are really important in life.

Conflict with the Chief Priests and Elders

The chief priests and elders of the temple challenged Jesus' authority.

Not everyone was happy that Jesus was preaching at the temple every day. The chief priests and elders of the temple were angry and upset. The chief priests had given permission for merchants and money changers to use the outer courtyard of the temple, but Jesus had driven them out. They were afraid of a crackdown by Roman authorities because of the large crowds who followed Jesus. Worst of all, the people were putting their hopes and trust in Jesus. The temple officials felt their authority slipping away. These temple officials came up with a plan to trap Jesus with His own words. They came to Jesus and demanded to know by what authority he was doing all these things. If Jesus said His authority was from God, they would accuse Him of blasphemy. If He did not claim authority from God, they could say He was just a crazy man.
But Jesus knew it was a trap. Instead of answering the question, He asked them another question: "Did the baptism of John come from heaven?" The temple officials realized this was also a trap. If they said "Yes", Jesus would say, "Then why didn't you believe him?" If they said "No" it would make the people angry because they believed John the Baptist was a prophet. So, they refused to answer.
As usual, Jesus had defeated his opponents at their own game! But the temple officials were even more angry and began to plot to have Jesus killed.

The Lord's Supper - The Final Week in Jerusalem
Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13, 18

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Jesus was very popular with the crowds of people in Jerusalem. The chief priests of the temple felt their authority slipping away and became very jealous. They were looking for a way to kill Jesus, but they didn't know how they could arrest Him without starting a riot.
But one of Jesus' disciples, Judas, became a traitor. As a disciple, Judas knew all the places that Jesus usually went. He could lead the chief priests to Jesus late at night when He was away from all the crowds of people. That way, they could arrest Jesus without causing a riot.
Judas went to the chief priests and told them his plan. They liked it and paid Judas a large sum of money - about four months' wages - to betray Jesus.

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

Jesus washes the feet of His disciples.

The day had come for the Passover meal. The Jews celebrated Passover, as they had for centuries - with roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and four cups of wine. Jesus made plans to celebrate with the twelve disciples that He had named as apostles. Jesus sent them into Jerusalem to prepare a traditional Passover meal, and He joined them that evening.
Then Jesus did something that surprised everyone. He got a towel and a wash basin and began to wash the feet of each of His apostles.
When it was Peter's turn, he didn't think it was right for Jesus to be washing feet. People walked around in sandals on the dusty roads, and it was the job of a servant to wash the feet of a guest when he came into a house. But Jesus was not a servant; He was the master!
Peter said, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You don't know why I am doing this, but you will understand later." Peter was not convinced and said, "You will never wash my feet!" But Jesus said, "Unless I wash you, you will have no part of me." So Peter said, "Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord!"

The Last Supper

Jesus shares bread and wine with His disciples at the Last Supper.

Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, and He would be crucified the next day. It was not only Passover; it was Jesus' last meal with His disciples, so it was a very special occasion. As Jesus and His disciples were eating, Jesus again surprised and upset all the disciples. He said, "Truly I tell you, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me!" All the disciples looked around and said, "Surely, it is not I, Lord." Peter asked Jesus, "Who is it, Lord?" Jesus replied, "It is the one I give this piece of bread to." Then he handed the bread to His disciple Judas and said, "Do quickly what you are going to do." Judas left immediately, but most of the disciples did not know why.
Then Jesus took a loaf of bread, blessed it and broke it into pieces. He gave a piece to each of the eleven remaining disciples and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me."
Then he took a cup of wine, gave thanks, and passed it around the table, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I will never again drink wine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

Jesus is Arrested

Judas gives Jesus a kiss as a signal to the chief priests' armed mob.

After the Passover meal, Jesus led His disciples out to a deserted garden called Gethsemane to pray. He prayed to His Father in heaven that He could somehow be spared the agony of crucifixion that He knew He was about to face. But, above all, He was determined to complete His earthly mission. He closed His prayer by saying, "My Father, if this suffering cannot be avoided, Your will be done." Jesus often went to Gethsemane with the disciples, and Judas knew this was the perfect place to arrest Jesus without attracting attention. The chief priests and elders of the temple sent an armed mob along with Judas. Judas told the mob he would identify Jesus by giving Him a kiss, a common form of greeting at that time.
Now Judas arrived with the mob sent by the chief priests. He went up to Jesus, kissed Him, and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" This was the signal for the mob to take Jesus captive.
Peter, wanting to defend Jesus, drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. But Jesus said, "Put away your sword; all who take to the sword will die by the sword. Don't you know that I could ask My Father, and he would send legions of angels to protect Me. But the scriptures say it must happen this way."
The mob grabbed Jesus and took Him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. But all of Jesus' disciples ran away in fear that they would also be arrested.

Good Friday - The Crucifixion of Jesus
Matthew 26-27, Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 11-19

Jesus is Tried by the Sanhedrin

The high priest accuses Jesus of blasphemy.

After Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the mob took Jesus to the house of Caiaphas [KY uh fuhs], the high priest. Peter had vowed he would never desert Jesus. But Jesus said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." All of Jesus' disciples ran away in fear when Jesus was arrested. But Peter followed at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest. Three different people recognized him as one of Jesus' disciples, but Peter strongly denied it each time. Then a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said. He felt very ashamed and began to cry. The high priest, all the chief priests, the elders and the scribes were waiting at the high priest's house. This was an informal late-night meeting of the Sanhedrin [SAN hee drun], the Jewish ruling council. They had come together to put Jesus on trial, but it was not to be a fair trial. The religious leaders were looking for evidence that would justify putting Jesus to death, but they could not find any. They called many witnesses against Jesus, but the witnesses did not agree with each other.
Finally, the high priest demanded of Jesus, "Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus replied, "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand and coming back on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest said, "You have just heard His blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? What is your verdict?" They all shouted, "He deserves death!" Then they spat in Jesus' face and started beating Him.

Jesus is Tried by Pilate

The religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate and accuse Him falsely.

In their mock trial, the religious leaders had agreed that Jesus should be put to death. But they did not have authority to put anyone to death under Roman law. So, as soon as morning came, they took Jesus to the the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate [PON chus PIE lat]. They falsely accused Jesus of treason against the Roman Empire for claiming to be the king of the Jews and for urging people not to pay their taxes. Pilate saw that Jesus was not really guilty of anything and wanted to let Him go. But Pilate did not want trouble with the religious leaders. He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my followers would have fought to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is from another place."
It was the governor's custom to release one prisoner at the Passover Feast - anyone the people wanted released. The Jewish leaders knew this and had persuaded the crowd of people gathered around Pilate's house to call for the release of a criminal named Barabbas [buh RAB bas] and to demand that Jesus be crucified.
Pilate asked the crowd of people, "Which do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus?" The crowd yelled for Barabbas to be released. Pilate asked, "Then what should I do with Jesus?", and the crowd yelled "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!" So Pilate ordered the Roman soldiers to crucify Jesus.

Jesus is Crucified

Jesus is crucified.

Crucifixion was a cruel form of death reserved for criminals and slaves. First, Jesus was beaten by Roman soldiers. Then he was made to carry His cross to the place of execution. Jesus must have been too weak from the beating to carry His cross all the way; the soldiers forced a man named Simon of Cyrene to carry it the rest of the way. The cross was placed between two other men who were being crucified that day. The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and left Him to die. They put a sign on the cross to mock Jesus that said, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
About noon, strange things begin to happen. Darkness came over the land for three hours. Then Jesus cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," and then He died. The curtain of the temple was mysteriously torn in two, and there was a great earthquake.
It was Friday afternoon, and the Sabbath would start at sundown. It was also a very special Sabbath because it was Passover. The Jewish leaders wanted all the bodies buried before the Sabbath started because they were not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath.
One of Jesus' followers, a man from the town of Arimathea named Joseph, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. He took Jesus' body and hastily put it in a new tomb that had been carved in rock. He rolled a large stone in front of the tomb to seal it.

Easter - The Resurrection of Jesus
Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21, Acts 1

The Tomb is Empty!

Angels announce that Jesus has risen from the dead.

Jesus' body was hastily placed in a tomb on Friday afternoon. There was no time to properly prepare the body for burial with spices and ointments according to Jewish customs. No work could be done on the Sabbath, so that task had to wait until Sunday. Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and several other women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. When they arrived, they found the tomb had been opened already. When they went in, they did not find Jesus' body, and they wondered what had happened.
Suddenly, two angels in dazzling white clothes were there. The women were terrified, but the angels said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you that He would be turned over to sinful men, be crucified, and rise again on the third day!"
The women ran back to tell Jesus' apostles what they had seen. Peter and one other apostle went to the tomb to see for themselves. They looked in and saw the linen cloths that Jesus' body had been wrapped in but nothing else. Then they went home, amazed and confused.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene.

When Peter and the other apostle went home, Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb crying. Suddenly she saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize Him at first. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary thought He must be the gardener and said, "Sir, if you have taken Him away, tell me where, and I will take Him!" Jesus said, "Mary!" Then she recognized Him and exclaimed, "Master!" Jesus said, "Don't hold on to me, because I have not yet returned to the Father. But go to my disciples and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Then Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!", and she told them everything that had happened.

Jesus Talks with Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus

Later that same Sunday, two of Jesus' disciples, Cleopas [KLEE uh pas] and another man, were walking along the road to a village called Emmaus [em MAY us], which was about seven miles (11 km) from Jerusalem. All day they had been talking and wondering about all the things that had happened.

Jesus talks with two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Suddenly, Jesus was there with them, but they did not recognize Him. "What are you talking about as you walk along?" He asked. The two disciples looked sad. Cleopas asked, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have happened there in the last few days?" "What things?" Jesus asked. "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a great prophet before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed Him over to be crucified. We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides, it is now the third day since all of this happened. And now, some women of our group amazed us. They went to His tomb early this morning, but they did not find His body there. They came back and told us that they had seen angels there who said He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus." Then Jesus said to them, "Oh you are so foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn't it necessary for Christ to suffer those things and enter into His glory?"

As they came near the village of Emmaus, the two disciples said to Jesus, "Stay with us, because it is late and the day is now nearly over." So Jesus went in to stay with them. As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them. Suddenly they recognized Him as Jesus, and He vanished from their sight. The two disciples quickly returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven apostles and some of Jesus' other followers gathered together. The apostles told them, "It's true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Peter." Then the two disciples told everything that had happened on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus Appears to the Apostles

"Doubting Thomas" becomes a believer.

That same Sunday evening most of the apostles were together. They had locked themselves in a room in fear that the religious leaders would want them crucified next. Suddenly, Jesus was there among them. He said, "Peace be with you." Jesus showed them the wounds from crucifixion in his side and hands. The apostles were overjoyed to see Jesus alive again. Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." The apostle Thomas was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So the others told him, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger in the nail holes and my hand in the wound in His side, I will not believe it."
A week later the apostles were again locked in the same room, and Thomas was with them. Jesus again came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand in my side. Don't doubt it any more. Believe!" All Thomas could say was, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen? Blessed are those who have not seen but have come to believe."

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

Jesus remained on earth for 40 days after He was resurrected from the dead on that Sunday morning (Acts 1:3). He appeared again to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and on a mountainside in Galilee. He also appeared to more than 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Jesus' parting words to His disciples were,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (NRSV, Matthew 28:18-20)

When it was time for Jesus to return to heaven, He led His disciples out to a place near Bethany, a village on the slopes of the Mount of Olives about 2 miles (3 km) from Jerusalem. Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed them. Then He ascended to heaven, and the disciples lost sight of Him in a cloud.

All of this has been copied from: http://twopaths.com/biblestories.htm
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Christianity

Sunday 8 May 2011

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