The Story of Jesus Christ

The story of Jesus, as documented by the reliable New Testament writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, can change your life.  Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, fathered in her by the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 1:19-20, Luke 1:26-35).  He was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Jesus was raised in the small rural town of Nazareth.  At the age of thirty (30), Jesus sought out John the Baptist.  At first John refused to baptize Jesus saying, that he was unworthy to remove the sandals of the Son of God (Matthew 3:13-15).  As Jesus was coming up from the waters of Jordan, a voice spoke from Heaven, "... This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17). 

Jesus went into the wilderness, and there Satan tempted Him just as Satan tempts us today.   For forty days and forty nights Jesus fasted and then beat down the foe, Satan, with his powerful knowledge of God's word and will (Matthew 4:1-11).

John wrote in his gospel "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31).   And John recorded that Jesus raised the dead to live again, made the blind to see, made the lame to walk, cast out demons, made food for five thousand from a few loaves of bread and a few fish, stilled the seas during a storm, and walked upon water.  In spite of this overwhelming evidence that He was the Son of God, the Jews, to whom God sent the Son as a Savior and King killed, Him.

Jesus met with his apostles, in the city of Jerusalem, to take the Passover meal with them (Matthew 26:17-29).  Here He told them that He must soon die and that it was God's will that He give His life for His friends.  He drank the fruit of the vine and broke bread with them, telling them to remember His death and His promise to come again to take His own to a place He was going to prepare for them each time they did this in the future.

In the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed and sought comfort from the company of His Father (Matthew 26:30-46).  The clamor of swords, and the shouts of angry men sent to arrest Him ended His prayer vigil (Matthew 26:47-56).  Jesus was arrested and taken to trial on trumped up charges (Matthew 26:57-66).

They beat, spit upon, slapped, and humiliated Him (Matthew 26:67-75).  That was not enough, they wanted Him to die.  Later they carried Jesus to the Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.  After hearing His case, Pilate could find no charge against Jesus, but the authorities of the Jews demanded the death of the man of Nazareth.  Pilate had Him scourged, stripped, and mocked, hoping that would appease the crowd.  Finally he sent Him to Herod, where again He was beaten, and shamed before returning Him to Pilate.  And Pilate gave in to the cry of the crowd, "... Crucify Him" (Matthew 26:47-27:31).

They placed Jesus on a cross.  It was not the nails that held Him to the cross, nor was it the fear of the Roman swords, but it was His love for you and me.  During hours of agony, He endured taunts, and jeers from the crowd. 

They took Him down from the cross and buried Him (Matthew 27:32-66).  Laying Him in the new tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, the Jews insisted on a guard of soldiers to keep anyone from stealing the body. 

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead.  This undisputable action of power came only from God the Father (Matthew 28:1-17).  He appeared to Mary, to Peter, the apostles, and later to five-hundred (500) at one gathering (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). 

At last He stood on a hill and His apostles watched as He began to ascend into Heaven (Acts 1:9-11).  But, before ascending, He said to his apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus had said that he would be in the earth three days and three nights (Matthew 12:38-41).  He was crucified and buried on the preparation day, the day before the Sabbath, Friday (Mark 15:42-45; Luke 23:54).  He was resurrected on the day after the Sabbath, Sunday (Mark 16:1-2, 9; Matthew 28:1-2; Luke 23:56-24:1).  This should be enough information to convince honest questioners of the three day duration of Jesus' burial.

Initially, the Hebrew day began at evening, sunset (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).  The Babylonian day began at sunrise.  But the Egyptian and Roman day began at midnight (John 20:1-19).  

They used the word "day" to include "night" and refer to a 24 hour period of time.  Also they used the word "day" to exclude night and refer to just a twelve hour period of time (John 11:9).  In the first case "day" began at 6:00 PM while in the second instance "day" began at 6:00 AM.

Jesus died at about 3:00 PM on the preparation day, the day before the Sabbath (Matthew 27:45-46; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:46).  Joseph of Arimathea buried the body of Jesus at about 4:00 PM on the day of the preparation, the day before the Sabbath (Matthew 27:57-62; Luke 23:50-54).  Jesus arose the day after the Sabbath (Matthew 28:1).

Matthew, Mark and Luke used Jewish time in referring to Jesus' trial, death and Resurrection, but John used Roman time since he wrote his book from Ephesus, the capital of the Roman Empire of Asia. Jewish time began at sunset.  From approximately 6 p.m. till 6 a.m. was their night.  From approximately 6 a.m. till 6 p.m. was their day.  The Romans began their time at midnight.

This reconciles John 19:14, where we are told that Jesus' trial happened on the day of preparation of Passover Week about the sixth hour. Again, the sixth hour, here, is Roman time, which would be the first hour Jewish time. According to John, Jesus' trial took place at the sixth hour, which coincides with the time cited in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In brief, there is plenty of time for Jesus to be led away and crucified by the ninth hour (Roman time) or the third hour, Jewish time.

Written Review Lesson One

Write within the blank the letter of the term that is related within the lesson and then transfer answers to the ANSWER SHEET.  Five points each.

1.                  ___reliable New Testament writers            A.  "Crucify Him"

2.                  ___the authorities of the Jews                 B.  Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

3.                  ___ the crowd                                      C.  Passover

4.                  ___ fruit of vine                                    D.  Sign

5.                  ___ raising the dead                              E.  Demanded the death of Jesus

Fill in the blanks.  Five points each.

1.                  Jesus was born of the __________ Mary.

2.                  At about the age of thirty, Jesus sought out John the Baptist to be ___________.

3.                  Jesus defeated Satan with his powerful ___________________ of God's word and will.

4.                  After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary, Peter and the _______________.

5.                  _______ watched Jesus as he ascended into Heaven.

True or False.  Five points each.

1.                  _____  Jesus decided not to be baptized.

2.                  _____  Satan tempted Jesus.

3.                  _____  There was no evidence for Jesus being the Son of God

4.                  _____  After Jesus died he never communicated with his disciples again.

5.                  _____  Pilate, without encouragement from anyone, made up his own mind to crucify Jesus.  

Circle the one answer that best answers the question or completes the statement and then transfer answers to ANSWER SHEET.  Each correct answer is worth five (5) points each.

1.  After Jesus was baptized

          A.  Satan never bothered Him anymore

          B.  God identified Him as His Son

          C.  God forgave Him of his sins

          D.  Both A & B

          E.  Both B & C

2.  Jesus overcame the temptations of Satan by

          A.  God's supernatural help

          B.  The help of the angels

          C.  Using His knowledge of the word of God

          D.  Both A & B

          E.  Both B & C

3.  God expects us to believe that Jesus is the Son of God

          A.  By observing the miraculous signs for ourselves

          B.  Because of our personal inward heartfelt feelings

          C.  The written record of the signs

          D.  All of the above

          E.  None of the above

4.  After much scrutiny of Jesus, Pilate discovered that

          A.  Jesus was guilty

          B.  Jesus was not guilty

          C.  The evidence was insufficient to draw a conclusion

          D.  A & B

          E.  B & C

5.  God raised Jesus from the dead on

          A.  The Sabbath

          B.  The first day of the week

          C.  Saturday

          D.  Both A & B

          E.  Both B & C