IN THE OBSCURE TOWN of Bethlehem in the desolate province of Judea in the great empire of Rome, a baby was born in about 4 BC to a young woman named Mary and her fiancé, Joseph. Although the infant's lineage is traced to Abraham and David in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, there would have been little to suggest to the casual observer that this child was the promised Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Yet his life, death, and resurrection are the central events of Christian history.

JESUS' CHILDHOOD
We are told very little about the child's mother, other than that she was a young virgin who had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. We know even less about Jesus' "adoptive" father, Joseph, except that he was a carpenter and a man of great integrity. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant prior to their marriage, he decided quietly to break the engagement. In a dream he was told by an angel that the child was from God and that he should proceed with the marriage.

When Jesus was about two, an angel again appeared to Joseph to warn him of Herod's extermination of all male infants in Bethlehem. Joseph and his family escaped to Egypt. Following Herod's death, the angel instructed Joseph that it was safe to return, and the family settled in the Galilean town of Nazareth. The Gospels provide very little information about Jesus' childhood and young adulthood. Luke's Gospel tells us that a righteous man named Simeon and a prophetess named Anna recognized him as the Messiah. We also read in the same chapter that Jesus was "filled with wisdom beyond his years" (Luke 2:40) and that when he was 12 years old the religious teachers in Jerusalem "were amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2:47) when Jesus met with them during a Passover festival.

JESUS' BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION
The Gospel narratives concerning Jesus' life and ministry begin in earnest when he is about 30 years of age. His initiation onto the world stage begins with his baptism by John the Baptist. John was the child of Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, and was a renowned prophet who baptized repentant sinners in the muddy waters of the River Jordan. John's ministry had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah: "I hear the voice of someone shouting, 'Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness' " (Isaiah 40:3). John also preached an apocalyptic message concerning the judgment and wrath of God and the coming Messiah, who, he proclaimed, was already among them.

When Jesus stepped onto the banks of the Jordan and asked to be baptized, John recognized him as the promised Savior and initially refused, stating, "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you. … so why are you coming to me?" (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted that it was the right thing to do. When Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and settled on him. A voice from heaven could be heard saying, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him" (Matthew 3:17).

After his baptism, and prior to his public ministry, Jesus went into the desert and was tempted by Satan. This confrontation between good and evil, occurring after the physically weakened Jesus has fasted for 40 days and nights, represented the struggle that has existed since Creation between the kingdoms of light and darkness. The first temptation Jesus faced from Satan was to use his divine powers to satisfy his earthly hunger. Jesus responded that only the Word of God can truly meet human needs. The second temptation concerned physical safety. Satan told Jesus to throw himself off the Temple roof and allow the angels to protect him, thereby proving that he was the Son of God. Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy, "Do not test the Lord your God" (6:16). Finally, Satan showed Jesus the nations of the world and said, "I will give it all to you. … if you will only kneel down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9). Jesus refused to compromise with evil and ordered the tempter to leave immediately. Jesus' response to temptation and his rejection of Satan's deceit reaffirmed God's plan for his life and ministry.

DISCIPLES OF JESUS
For the next three years, from about AD 27-30, Jesus preached and ministered throughout Palestine. He gathered around him a core group of followers, or disciples. Except for Matthew, who was a tax collector, and those whose occupations were not recorded, these men were not learned scholars but ordinary fishermen. Their coarse attitudes and inability to grasp the message Jesus repeated to them sometimes frustrated him. They often quarreled needlessly and at times created dissent around them. Yet Jesus knew of the trials and tribulations that lay ahead, and he needed individuals who could withstand persecution and who would be willing, after he was gone, to embark on treacherous missionary journeys. Except for Judas, who betrayed him, Jesus' disciples matured and eventually laid the foundation for the church around the world. Although Jesus spoke with great authority and knowledge—even those who opposed him referred to him as "Rabbi"—he used simple homilies to teach, correct, and edify his followers. The essence of his message was, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17).

Jesus did not hold the attention of either his disciples or broader audiences by employing technical theological discourse. Instead, he told stories, or parables, that were entertaining as well as instructive. Each parable explains a specific concept such as obedience, prayer, humility, wealth, God's love, thankfulness, and the return of Christ to gather up the faithful. In his parables and other teachings, Jesus frequently attacked the false piety of the religious leaders. Pharisees and teachers of the religious law had often complained that he was associating with such despicable people as tax collectors and other notorious sinners—even eating with them. Another theme of Jesus' teaching is the kingdom of God, or of heaven, a kingdom like no other where God is the ruler; here, the humble and meek are exalted and the mighty are brought down, and he who would be first must be the servant of all. One modern writer even referred to it as "The Upside Down Kingdom," because it reverses all the realities of human empires and kingdoms.

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
Jesus also performed numerous miracles, healing the sick and lame and giving people hope and assurance that the man they had come to hear was more than just another teacher. His miracles fall into two basic categories: to meet the immediate physical and emotional needs of those around him, and to prove his divinity. Interestingly, his first recorded miracle was at a wedding feast in Cana, where, at his mother's request, he changed water into wine. With this gesture, Jesus was able to overcome a potentially embarrassing situation for the host. Later miracles—from feeding the 5,000 to healing the blind and lame—further demonstrated his great compassion for humanity. Such miracles as raising his friend Lazarus from the dead and calming a stormy sea also confirmed his divinity and his power over all creation.

Jesus' words and actions, and the crowds who followed him, increasingly incensed the scribes and Pharisees. They saw him as a threat to their authority, and his rebukes were an affront to them. What outraged them most was Jesus' message that he was the promised Messiah—God incarnate who fulfilled the Torah and the Prophets. Together they plotted against Jesus and devised a plan for his destruction. Popular support for Jesus also began to wane when it became apparent that he was not a political messiah who would break the shackles of Rome. He repeatedly insisted that his kingdom was not of this earth, that indeed he was subject to the laws and taxes of those in authority. John notes that "at this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him" (John 6:66).

Yet Jesus' core group of followers, the twelve men he had initially selected, remained with him. They had witnessed his miraculous signs and had been present during the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus described the blessings that await those who earnestly follow him. The Twelve were joined by other believers, including Mary Magdalene and the sisters Mary and Martha, in preaching and striving to gain new converts throughout the Galilean region.

The most infamous of those who turned against Jesus was Judas Iscariot. His betrayal was revealed by Jesus at the final meal Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. The meal was held to honor the Jewish Passover. Appropriately, Jesus chose this solemn occasion to offer bread and wine, representing his body and blood, to the disciples. This Eucharist, or "thanksgiving," is still offered today in churches around the world to commemorate Jesus' death on the cross and the new Covenant he offers believers.

ARREST AND TRIAL OF JESUS
After the meal Jesus went with the remaining disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Judas, who had been bribed with 30 pieces of silver, led a group of soldiers to Jesus who arrested him as the disciples fled into the night. Even Peter, who had pledged his support to Jesus only hours earlier, later denied that he had ever known him. In the end, Jesus was completely alone.

After his arrest Jesus was taken first to Caiaphas, the high priest. Accused of blasphemy when he refused to deny his divinity, Jesus was then led before the Sanhedrin. Although they condemned him, they were unable to carry out his execution without the approval of the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate, who is portrayed in the Gospels as a man struggling with his convictions, saw no justifiable reason for Jesus to be condemned. Yet the religious leaders had stirred the crowds into such a frenzy against Jesus that Pilate was afraid of their reaction if he released him. After discovering that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate decided to pass the problem on to Herod Antipas, the tetarch of Galilee. Herod refused to handle the matter, however, and returned the prisoner to Pilate. Reluctantly Pilate condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion, but only after he had symbolically washed his hands of any guilt in the matter.

Prior to his execution, Jesus was cruelly tortured and belittled by the Roman soldiers. After scourging and beating him, they placed a crown of thorns on his head, gave him a reed scepter, and mockingly hailed him as "king of the Jews." He was then taken to Golgotha, or the "skull," a place of execution a short distance outside Jerusalem. There he was nailed to a cross and placed between two criminals. The Gospels give us a vivid portrayal of Jesus' final hours. Most in the crowd jeered at him. At his feet were his family and a few followers who stood and wept. Below him the Roman soldiers gambled for possession of his garments.

JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
The Gospels give us Jesus' final statements or, as they are commonly known, his "seven final words." He asked God to forgive his tormentors (Luke 23:34); he consoled the penitent thief who hung beside him (Luke 23:43); he asked John to look after his mother (John 19:26-27); he cried out to God (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34); he expressed his physical suffering (John 19:28); and, finally, he committed himself to God (Luke 23:46).

Upon his death a great darkness fell over the land, and an earthquake tore apart the Temple curtain separating the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (the outer chamber and the inner sanctuary). Many of those who had previously doubted and scorned Jesus began to say that he must have been the Son of God. However, the religious leaders hoped to end the story of Jesus by placing guards outside his tomb to ensure that no one would steal the body and claim that he had risen. Yet on the third day, his disciples reported that Jesus was no longer in his grave.

"AFTER THREE DAYS I WILL COME BACK TO LIFE AGAIN"
Witnesses to the Resurrection numbered in the hundreds. After three days in the tomb Jesus appeared to, among others, Mary Magdalene, Peter, two of his followers walking to Emmaus, 500 people on a mountain in Galilee, the 11 surviving apostles (Judas had hung himself after betraying Jesus), and other people at various times prior to his ascension into heaven.

The question of whether these reports were true has long been debated by scholars from all parts of the theological spectrum. What cannot be denied is that all of these people believed that what they witnessed was not a spirit or someone who had revived in the tomb but was the actual risen Lord. In fact, at first even the disciples were skeptical. Yet, if they had not truly believed, trusting what their eyes beheld, their ears heard, and their hands touched, then they would not have risked their lives to spread the gospel message, especially among hostile contemporaries who could dispute their claims.

The mandate for evangelism, called the Great Commission, was given by Jesus to his disciples immediately prior to his ascension: "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18b-20). Armed with this exhortation, together this hardy band set forth to become a witness to all they had seen and heard.

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Copyright © 2001. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.