The Nativity
Jesus of Nazareth was born during the reign of King Herod, in Bethlehem of Judea, to Mary and Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an angel announced to Mary that she would conceive the Son of God, and a census compelled the family to travel to Bethlehem.
He was laid in a manger, and shepherds nearby were the first to hear the news of His birth, followed by wise men from the East who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." — Luke 2:11
Childhood and Hidden Years
After the threat of Herod's decree, the family fled to Egypt and returned to Nazareth in Galilee after Herod's death. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, learning the trade of carpentry from Joseph.
The Gospels record only one episode of His youth: at age twelve, the boy Jesus stayed behind in the Temple in Jerusalem, conversing with the teachers and astonishing them with His understanding and answers. His parents, unaware He was not with the group, searched for three days before finding Him.
"Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" — Luke 2:49
Baptism and Temptation
At about thirty years of age, Jesus went to the Jordan River and was baptised by John the Baptist. As He rose from the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice declared, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
He then withdrew into the wilderness for forty days, fasting and being tempted by the devil at each turn, refusing to turn stones to bread, to throw Himself from the temple, or to worship the devil in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world.
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." — Matthew 4:4
Public Ministry
Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee, calling His first disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who were fishermen, and Matthew the tax collector. He gathered a group of twelve apostles who would walk and learn at His side.
The Sermon on the Mount
On a hillside in Galilee, Jesus delivered what became known as the Sermon on the Mount, teaching on the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, the Golden Rule, and the call to be salt and light in the world.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." — Matthew 5:5
Teaching and Controversy
Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught in parables, synagogues, and open places. He challenged the Pharisees and scribes on matters of the law, healed on the Sabbath, and associated with tax collectors and sinners, drawing both crowds and opposition from religious leaders.
Selected Parables
Jesus taught extensively through parables — short, vivid stories drawn from everyday life to convey spiritual truths.
The Good Samaritan
A man beaten by robbers is ignored by a priest and a Levite but cared for by a despised Samaritan, teaching that love of neighbour transcends social and ethnic boundaries.
The Prodigal Son
A younger son squanders his inheritance and returns home in shame, only to be embraced by his father, illustrating God's boundless forgiveness and joy over the repentant.
The Sower
Seed falls on four types of soil, representing different responses to the word of God, and only the good soil bears fruit.
The Lost Sheep
A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to search for one that is lost, demonstrating that no single soul is beyond the reach of God's concern.
Signs and Miracles
The Gospels record numerous miracles performed by Jesus, understood by His followers as signs of His divine authority.
First Miracle: Water into Wine
At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, revealing His glory to His disciples.
Feeding the Multitudes
With five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand men, plus women and children, with twelve baskets of fragments remaining.
Walking on Water
During a storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked on the water toward His disciples in a boat, calming the wind and waves.
Raising the Dead
Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain, Lazarus of Bethany, and His own self, demonstrating power over death itself.
Healing
Throughout His ministry, He healed the blind, the leper, the paralytic, the deaf, and the demon-possessed, often with a single word or a touch.
The Passion Week
Triumphal Entry
Entering Jerusalem on a young donkey, Jesus was hailed by crowds spreading palm branches and crying "Hosanna!" — a scene now commemorated as Palm Sunday.
The Last Supper
On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus shared a Passover meal with His twelve disciples. He took bread and wine, saying, "This is my body... this cup is the new covenant in my blood," instituting what Christians call the Eucharist or Communion.
"Do this in remembrance of me." — Luke 22:19
Gethsemane and Betrayal
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in agony, asking the Father to let the cup pass from Him, yet submitting to the Father's will. Judas Iscariot identified Him with a kiss, and the soldiers came to arrest Him.
Trial and Crucifixion
Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin, then before Pontius Pilate, and finally before Herod Antipas. Pilate, finding no fault, yielded to the crowd's demand and sentenced Him to crucifixion. He was scourged, made to carry His cross to Golgotha (the Place of the Skull), and nailed to it between two criminals.
He died about six hours later. The veil of the temple tore, the earth shook, and the sky darkened from noon until three in the afternoon.
"It is finished." — John 19:30
The Resurrection
On the third day, the tomb was found empty. Women who had come to anoint the body encountered an angel who announced, "He is not here; He is risen, as He said."
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Peter, to the eleven gathered in a locked room (showing His hands and side), and to more than five hundred brothers at once, as the Apostle Paul later recorded.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he die." — John 11:25
Ascension and Great Commission
Before ascending, Jesus gave His final instructions to the disciples on the Mount of Olives: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
As the disciples watched, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white stood beside them, saying He would return in the same way they had seen Him ascend.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." — Acts 1:8