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Jesus was born over 2000 years ago and lived in the country we know today
as Israel. He was Jewish and a carpenter by trade. At age thirty, he began
a ministry of healing and teaching. His ministry lasted only 3 years
before he was executed by the authorities but his life has been the most
influential in world history.
He told parables, simple stories set in every day life, to illustrate his
teachings. One of the best known is the story of the Lost Son (Luke
15:11-32). In this story Jesus likens God's forgiveness for each one of
us to that of a Father who throws a party to celebrate the return of his
missing son who had wasted his inheritance on wild living.
Jesus spoke of a new quality of love for friend and enemy alike. In the
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus taught,
'You
have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.'
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'
(Matt 5:43&44).
He showed great compassion for the poor and suffering. His ministry was
notable for many miraculous healings. He encouraged the rich to give to
the poor,
'Sell
everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven'
(Luke 18:22). Jesus' followers recognised him to be the Christ, the Jewish Messiah who had been prophesied in earlier centuries. Peter acknowledged "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matthew 16:16)
Jesus spoke of the way
to the Father
"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me"
(John 14:11). But the authorities accused him of blasphemy and were also jealous of his popularity.
He
was arrested, found guilty of blasphemy and crucified. However that was not the end. Jesus rose from the grave and appeared to many of his followers over a period of 40 days after his death. He commissioned them to 'go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you.' (Matthew 28:19). They travelled the world proclaiming the good news of Jesus, even at the cost of their own lives. Their accounts of Jesus are recorded in the Bible. Today millions of people around the world worship Jesus as their living Lord and Saviour.
The writer C S Lewis
says of Jesus, ' A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things
Jesus said would not be great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic
- on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be
the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is,
the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.' |
