The Orthodox Jews of Jerusalem were irreconcilable in their hostility to the teachings of Christ. Does this mean that Jesus was not a Jew? Is it ethical to question the virgin birth of the Virgin Mary?
Jesus Christ often called himself the Son of Man. The nationality of the parents, according to theologians, will shed light on the Savior’s belonging to one or another ethnic group.
According to the Bible, all humanity came from Adam. Later, people themselves divided themselves into races and nationalities. And Christ, during his lifetime, taking into account the Gospels of the Apostles, did not comment on his nationality in any way.
The country of Judea, where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born, in those ancient times was a province of Rome. Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the population. He wanted to find out how many inhabitants there were in each of the cities of Judea.
Mary and Joseph, the parents of Christ, lived in the city of Nazareth. But they had to return to their ancestral homeland, Bethlehem, to add their names to the lists. Once in Bethlehem, the couple could not find shelter - so many people came to the census. They decided to stop outside the city, in a cave that served as a refuge for shepherds during bad weather.
That night Mary gave birth to a son. Having wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes, she put him to sleep where they put feed for livestock - in the manger.
The shepherds were the first to know about the birth of the Messiah. They were tending flocks in the vicinity of Bethlehem when an angel appeared to them. He broadcast that the savior of humanity had been born. This is a joy for all people, and the sign for identifying the baby will be that he lies in a manger.
The shepherds immediately went to Bethlehem and came across a cave, in which they saw the future Savior. They told Mary and Joseph about the angel's words. On the 8th day, the couple gave the child a name - Jesus, which translated means “savior” or “God saves.”
Was Jesus Christ a Jew? Was nationality determined by father or mother at that time?
Star of Bethlehem
On the very night when Christ was born, a bright, unusual star appeared in the sky. The Magi, who studied the movements of celestial bodies, went after her. They knew that the appearance of such a star spoke of the birth of the Messiah.
The Magi began their journey from an eastern country (Babylonia or Persia). The star, moving across the sky, showed the sages the way.
Meanwhile, the numerous people who came to Bethlehem for the census dispersed. And Jesus' parents returned to the city. The star stopped over the place where the baby was, and the wise men went into the house to present gifts to the future Messiah.
They offered gold as tribute to the future king. They gave incense as a gift to God (incense was still used in worship back then). And myrrh (fragrant oil with which they rubbed the dead), as for a mortal person.
King Herod
The local king Herod the Great, subordinate to Rome, knew about the great prophecy - a bright star in the sky marks the birth of a new king of the Jews. He called to him the magicians, priests, and soothsayers. Herod wanted to know where the baby Messiah was.
With deceitful speeches and deceit, he tried to find out the whereabouts of Christ. Having not received an answer, King Herod decided to exterminate all the babies in the area. 14 thousand children under the age of 2 were killed in and around Bethlehem.
However, ancient historians, including Josephus, make no mention of this bloody event. This may be due to the fact that the number of children killed was much smaller.
It is believed that after such an atrocity, the wrath of God punished the king. He died a painful death, eaten alive by worms in his luxurious palace. After his terrible death, power passed to the three sons of Herod. The lands were also divided. The regions of Perea and Galilee went to Herod the Younger. Christ spent his life in these lands for about 30 years.
Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, beheaded John the Baptist to please his wife Herodias. The sons of Herod the Great did not receive the royal title. Judea was ruled by a Roman procurator. Herod Antipas and other local rulers obeyed him.
Mother of the Savior
The Virgin Mary's parents were childless for a long time. At that time it was considered a sin; such a union was a sign of God's wrath.
Joachim and Anna lived in the city of Nazareth. They prayed and believed that they would definitely have a child. Decades later, an angel appeared to them and announced that the couple would soon become parents.
According to legend, the Virgin Mary was born on September 21. The happy parents swore that this child would belong to God. Until the age of 14, Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was raised in the temple. From a young age she saw angels. According to legend, the Archangel Gabriel looked after and protected the future Mother of God.
Mary's parents died by the time the Virgin had to leave the temple. The priests could not keep her. But they also felt sorry for letting the orphan go. Then the priests betrothed her to the carpenter Joseph. He was more of the Virgo's guardian than her husband. Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, remained a virgin.
What was the nationality of the Mother of God? Her parents were natives of Galilee. This means that the Virgin Mary was not a Jew, but a Galilean. By confession, she belonged to the Law of Moses. Her life in the temple also points to her upbringing in the faith of Moses. So who was Jesus Christ? The nationality of the mother, who lived as a pagan in Galilee, remains unknown. The mixed population of the region was dominated by Scythians. It is possible that Christ inherited his appearance from his mother.
Father of the Savior
For a long time, theologians have been debating whether Joseph should be considered the biological father of Christ? He had a fatherly attitude towards Mary, he knew that she was innocent. Therefore, the news of her pregnancy shocked the carpenter Joseph. The Law of Moses severely punished women for adultery. Joseph was supposed to stone his young wife.
He prayed for a long time and decided to let Mary go and not keep her near him. But an angel appeared to Joseph, announcing an ancient prophecy. The carpenter realized how much responsibility he had for the safety of the mother and child.
Joseph is Jewish by nationality. Can he be considered the biological father if Mary had an immaculate conception? Who is the father of Jesus Christ?
There is a version that the Roman soldier Pantira became the biological father of the Messiah. In addition, there is a possibility that Christ was of Aramaic origin. This assumption is due to the fact that the Savior preached in Aramaic. However, at that time the language was widespread throughout the Middle East.
The Jews of Jerusalem had no doubt that the real father of Jesus Christ existed somewhere. But all versions are too dubious to be true.
Image of Christ
A document of those times describing the appearance of Christ is called the “Epistle of Leptulus.” This is a report to the Roman Senate, written by the proconsul of Palestine, Leptulus. He claims that Christ was of medium height with a noble face and good figure. He has expressive blue-green eyes. The hair, the color of a ripe walnut, is combed in the middle. The lines of the mouth and nose are impeccable. In conversation he is serious and modest. He teaches gently and in a friendly manner. Scary in anger. Sometimes she cries, but never laughs. A face without wrinkles, calm and strong.
At the Seventh Ecumenical Council (8th century), the official image of Jesus Christ was approved. The Savior should be painted on the icons in accordance with his human appearance. After the Council, painstaking work began. It consisted of reconstructing a verbal portrait, on the basis of which a recognizable image of Jesus Christ was created.
Anthropologists claim that the icon painting uses not the Semitic, but the Greco-Syrian type of appearance: a thin, straight nose and deep-set, large eyes.
In early Christian icon painting they were able to accurately convey the individual, ethnic features of a portrait. The earliest image of Christ was found on an icon dating from the beginning of the 6th century. It is kept in Sinai, in the monastery of St. Catherine. The face of the icon is similar to the canonized image of the Savior. Apparently, the early Christians considered Christ a European type.
Nationality of Christ
There are still people who claim that Jesus Christ is a Jew. At the same time, a huge number of works have been published on the topic of the non-Jewish origin of the Savior.
At the beginning of the 1st century AD, as Hebraic scholars found out, Palestine split into 3 regions, which differed in their confessional and ethnic characteristics.
- Judea, led by the city of Jerusalem, was inhabited by Orthodox Jews. They obeyed the law of Moses.
- Samaria was closer to the Mediterranean Sea. The Jews and Samaritans were long-time enemies. Even mixed marriages between them were prohibited. In Samaria there were no more than 15% of Jews from the total number of inhabitants.
- Galilee consisted of a mixed population, some of whom remained faithful to Judaism.
Some theologians claim that the typical Jew was Jesus Christ. His nationality is beyond doubt, since he did not deny the entire system of Judaism. But he just disagreed with some of the tenets of the Mosaic Law. Then why did Christ react so calmly to the fact that the Jews of Jerusalem called him a Samaritan? This word was an insult to a true Jew.
God or man?
So who is right? Those who claim that Jesus Christ is God? But then what nationality can one demand from God? He is beyond ethnicity. If God is the basis of all things, including people, there is no need to talk about nationality at all.
What if Jesus Christ is a man? Who is his biological father? Why did he receive the Greek name Christ, which means “anointed one”?
Jesus never claimed to be God. But he is not a person in the usual sense of the word. His dual nature was the acquisition of a human body and a divine essence within that body. Therefore, as a man, Christ could feel hunger, pain, anger. And as a vessel of God - to create miracles, filling the space around you with love. Christ said that he does not perform healings on his own, but only with the help of a Divine gift.
Jesus worshiped and prayed to the Father. He completely submitted himself to His will in the last years of his life and called on the people to believe in the One God in heaven.
As the Son of Man, he was crucified for the salvation of people. As the Son of God, he was resurrected and incarnated in the trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Miracles of Jesus Christ
About 40 miracles are described in the Gospels. The first happened in the city of Cana, where Christ, his mother and the apostles were invited to a wedding. He turned water into wine.
Christ performed the second miracle by curing a patient whose illness lasted 38 years. The Jews of Jerusalem became embittered with the Savior - he violated the rule about the Sabbath. It was on this day that Christ worked himself (he healed the sick) and forced another to work (the sick man carried his own bed).
The Savior raised the dead girl, Lazarus and the widow's son. He healed a demoniac and calmed a storm on Lake Galilee. Christ fed the people with five loaves after the sermon - about 5 thousand of them gathered, not counting children and women. Walked on water, healed ten lepers and the blind of Jericho.
The miracles of Jesus Christ prove his Divine essence. He had power over demons, illness, death. But he never performed miracles for his own glory or to collect offerings. Even during interrogation by Herod, Christ did not show a sign as evidence of his power. He did not try to defend himself, but asked only for sincere faith.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ
It was the resurrection of the Savior that became the basis for a new faith - Christianity. The facts about him are reliable: they appeared at a time when eyewitnesses of the events were still alive. All recorded episodes have slight discrepancies, but do not contradict each other as a whole.
The empty tomb of Christ indicates that the body was taken (by enemies, friends) or Jesus rose from the dead.
If the body had been taken by enemies, they would not have failed to mock the disciples, thus stopping the emerging new faith. Friends had little faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ; they were disappointed and depressed by his tragic death.
Honorary Roman citizen and Jewish historian Josephus mentions the spread of Christianity in his book. He confirms that on the third day Christ appeared alive to his disciples.
Even modern scientists do not deny that Jesus appeared to some followers after death. But they attribute this to hallucinations or other phenomena, without challenging the authenticity of the evidence.
The appearance of Christ after death, the empty tomb, the rapid development of a new faith are proof of his resurrection. There is not a single known fact that denies this information.
Appointment by God
Already from the first Ecumenical Councils, the Church unites the human and divine nature of the Savior. He is one of the 3 hypostases of the One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This form of Christianity was recorded and declared the official version at the Council of Nicaea (in 325), Constantinople (in 381), Ephesus (in 431) and Chalcedon (in 451).
However, disputes about the Savior did not stop. Some Christians argued that Jesus Christ is God. Others argued that he is only the Son of God and is completely subject to his will. The basic idea of the trinity of God is often compared to paganism. Therefore, disputes about the essence of Christ, as well as about his nationality, do not subside to this day.
The cross of Jesus Christ is a symbol of martyrdom for the atonement of human sins. Does it make sense to discuss the nationality of the Savior if faith in him can unite different ethnic groups? All people on the planet are children of God. The humanity of Christ stands above national characteristics and classifications.
The life of Jesus Christ is still the subject of speculation and gossip. Atheists claim that its existence is a myth, but Christians are convinced of the opposite. In the 20th century, scientists intervened in the study of the biography of Christ and made strong arguments in favor of the New Testament.
Birth and childhood
Mary, the future mother of the holy child, was the daughter of Anna and Joachim. They gave their three-year-old daughter to the Jerusalem monastery as God's bride. In this way, the girls atone for the sins of their parents. But, although Mary swore an oath of eternal fidelity to the Lord, she had the right to live in the temple only until she was 14 years old, and after that she was obliged to get married. When the time came, Bishop Zachary (confessor) gave the girl as a wife to the eighty-year-old old man Joseph, so that she would not break her own vow with carnal pleasures.
Joseph was upset by this turn of events, but did not dare disobey the priest. The newly-minted family began to live in Nazareth. One night, the couple saw a dream in which the Archangel Gabriel appeared to them, warning that the Virgin Mary would soon become pregnant. The angel also warned the girl about the Holy Spirit, which would descend for conception. That same night, Joseph learned that the birth of a holy baby would save the human race from hellish torment.
When Mary was pregnant, Herod (king of Judea) ordered a census, so subjects had to report to their place of birth. Since Joseph was born in Bethlehem, the couple headed there. The young wife had a hard time with the journey, as she was already eight months pregnant. Due to the crowd of people in the city, they did not find shelter for themselves, so they were forced to go outside the city walls. Nearby there was only a barn built by shepherds.
At night, Mary is delivered of her son, whom she names Jesus. The birthplace of Christ is considered to be the city of Bethlehem, located near Jerusalem. The situation with the date of birth is not clear, since sources indicate conflicting figures. If we compare the reign of Herod and Caesar Augustus of Rome, then this happened in the 5-6th century.
The Bible states that the baby was born on the night when the brightest star lit up in the sky. Scientists believe that such a star was a comet that flew over the Earth in the period from 12 BC to 4 BC. Of course, 8 years is not a small discrepancy, but due to the passage of time and contradictory interpretations of the Gospel, even such an assumption is considered to be on target.
Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7, and Catholic Christmas on December 26. But, according to religious apocrypha, both dates are incorrect, since the birth of Jesus occurred on March 25-27. At the same time, the pagan Day of the Sun was celebrated on December 26, so the Orthodox Church moved Christmas to January 7. The confessors wanted to wean parishioners from the “bad” holiday of the Sun by legitimizing a new date. This is not disputed by the modern church.
Eastern sages knew in advance that a spiritual teacher would soon descend to Earth. Therefore, having seen a Star in the sky, they followed the glow and came to a cave, where they discovered the holy baby. Entering inside, the wise men bowed to the newborn as if they were a king and presented gifts - myrrh, gold and incense.
Immediately, rumors about the newly-minted King reached Herod, who, angry, ordered the destruction of all the babies of Bethlehem. In the works of the ancient historian Josephus, information was found that two thousand children were killed on the bloody night, and this is by no means a myth. The tyrant was so afraid for the throne that he even killed his own sons, to say nothing of other people’s children.
The holy family managed to escape from the wrath of the ruler by fleeing to Egypt, where they lived for 3 years. Only after the death of the tyrant, the couple and their child returned to Bethlehem. When Jesus grew up, he began to help his betrothed father in carpentry, which is how he later earned his living.
At the age of 12, Jesus comes with his parents to Jerusalem for Easter, where he spends 3-4 days having spiritual conversations with the scribes who interpreted the Holy Scriptures. The boy amazes his mentors with his knowledge of the Laws of Moses, and his questions baffle more than one teacher. Then, according to the Arabic Gospel, the boy withdraws into himself and hides his own miracles. Evangelists do not even write about the child’s future life, explaining this by saying that zemstvo events should not affect spiritual life.
Personal life
Since the Middle Ages, controversy about the personal life of Jesus has not subsided. Many people were worried about whether he was married or whether he left any descendants behind him. But the clergy tried to reduce these conversations to a minimum, since the son of God could not become addicted to earthly things. Previously, there were many Gospels, each of which was interpreted in its own way. But the clergy tried to get rid of the “wrong” books. There is even a version that references to the family life of Christ are not specifically included in the New Testament.
Other Gospels mention the wife of Christ. Historians agree that his wife was Mary Magdalene. And in the Gospel of Philip there are even lines about how Christ’s disciples were jealous of their teacher for Mary for a kiss on the lips. Although in the New Testament this girl is described as a harlot who took the path of correction and followed Christ from Galilee to Judea.
At that time, an unmarried girl did not have the right to accompany a group of wanderers, unlike the wife of one of them. If we remember that the risen Lord first appeared not to the disciples, but to Magdalene, then everything falls into place. The apocrypha also contains references to the marriage of Jesus, when he performed the first miracle by turning water into wine. Otherwise, why would he and Our Lady worry about food and wine at the wedding feast in Cana?
In the time of Jesus, unmarried men were considered strange and even ungodly, so there was no way an unmarried prophet would become a Teacher. If Mary Magdalene is the wife of Jesus, then the question arises as to why he chose her as his betrothed. Political trends are probably involved here.
Jesus could not become a contender for the throne of Jerusalem as an outsider. Having taken as a wife a local girl belonging to the princely family of the tribe of Veniamin, he already became one of his own. The child born to the couple would have become a prominent political figure and a clear contender for the throne. Perhaps this is why persecution arose, and subsequently the murder of Jesus. But the clergy present the son of God in a different light.
Historians believe that this was the reason for the 18-year gap in his life. The Church tried to eradicate heresy, although a layer of indirect evidence remained on the surface.
This version is also confirmed by a papyrus released by Harvard University professor Carin King, in which the phrase is clearly written: “ Jesus said to them, “My wife...”
Baptism
God appeared to the prophet John the Baptist, who lived in the desert, and commanded him to preach among sinners, and to baptize those who wanted to be cleansed of sin in the Jordan.
Until the age of 30, Jesus lived with his parents and helped them in every possible way, and after that an insight descended on him. He strongly desired to become a preacher, telling people about divine phenomena and the meaning of religion. Therefore, he goes to the Jordan River, where he is baptized by John the Baptist. John immediately realized that this very youth was in front of him - the son of the Lord, and, perplexed, objected:
“I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”
Jesus then went into the desert, where he wandered for 40 days. Thus, he prepared himself for the mission to atone for the sin of the human race through an act of self-sacrifice.
At this time, Satan is trying to hinder him through temptations, which became more sophisticated each time.
1. Hunger. When Christ was hungry, the tempter said:
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
2. Pride. The devil took the man to the top of the temple and said:
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because the angels of God will support you and you will not stumble on the stones.”
Christ rejected this too, saying that he did not intend to test the power of God for his own whim.
3. Temptation by Faith and Wealth.
“I will give you power over the kingdoms of the earth, which is given to me, if you worship me,” Satan promised. Jesus answered: “Get thee behind Me, Satan, for it is written: God is to be worshiped and only served.”
The Son of God did not give in and was not tempted by the gifts of Satan. The rite of Baptism gave him strength to fight the sinful instructions of the tempter.
12 apostles of Jesus After wandering through the desert and fighting the devil, Jesus finds 12 followers and gives them a piece of his own gift. Traveling with his disciples, he brings the word of God to the people and performs miracles so that people believe.
Miracles
- Turning water into fine wine.
- Healing the paralyzed.
- The miraculous resurrection of Jairus's daughter.
- Resurrection of the son of the Nain widow.
- Calming the storm on Lake Galilee.
- Healing of the Gadarian demoniac.
- The miraculous feeding of the people with five loaves.
- Walking of Jesus Christ on the surface of the water.
- Healing of the Canaanite daughter.
- Healing of ten lepers.
- The miracle on Lake Gennesaret is the filling of empty nets with fish.
The Son of God instructed people and explained each of his commandments, inclining them to God’s teaching.
The Lord's popularity grew every day and masses of people rushed to see the miraculous preacher. Jesus bequeathed the commandments, which later became the foundations of Christianity.
- Love and honor the Lord God.
- Don't worship idols.
- Do not use the name of the Lord in empty conversations.
- Work six days, and pray on the seventh.
- Respect and honor your parents.
- Don't kill another or yourself.
- Do not violate marital fidelity.
- Do not steal or appropriate other people's property.
- Don't lie and don't be jealous.
But the more Jesus won people's love, the more the nobles of Jerusalem hated him. The nobles were afraid that their power would be shaken and conspired to kill the messenger of God. Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem on a donkey, thereby reproducing the Jewish legend about the triumphant coming of the Messiah. The people enthusiastically greet the New Tsar, throwing palm branches and their own clothes at his feet. People expect that the age of tyranny and humiliation will soon end. With such pandemonium, the Pharisees were afraid to arrest Christ and took a wait-and-see attitude.
The Jews expect from Him victory over evil, peace, security and stability, but Jesus, on the contrary, invites them to renounce everything worldly and become homeless wanderers who will preach the word of God. Realizing that nothing would change in power, people hated God and considered God a deceiver who had destroyed their dreams and hopes. The Pharisees also played an important role here, inciting a rebellion against the “false prophet.” The surrounding situation becomes more and more tense, and Jesus step by step approaches the loneliness of the Gethsemane night.
Passion of Christ
According to the Gospel, the passion of Christ is usually called the torment endured by Jesus in the last days of his earthly life. The clergy have compiled a list of the priority of the passions:
- Entry of the Lord into the Jerusalem Gates
- Supper in Bethany, when the sinner washes Christ’s feet with myrrh and her own tears, and wipes them with her hair.
- God's son washing the feet of his disciples. When He and the apostles came to the house where it was necessary to eat Passover, there were no servants to wash the guests’ feet. Then Jesus himself washed the feet of his disciples, thereby teaching them a lesson in humility.
- Last Supper. It was here that Christ predicted that the disciples would abandon him and betray him. Soon after this conversation, Judas left the supper.
- The road to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayer to the Father. At the Mount of Olives, he calls out to the Creator and asks for deliverance from his impending fate, but receives no answer. In deep sadness, Jesus goes to say goodbye to his disciples, expecting earthly torment.
Trial and crucifixion
Descending from the mountain in the dead of night, he informs them that the traitor is already close and asks his followers not to leave. However, at the moment when Judas arrived with a crowd of Roman soldiers, all the apostles were already fast asleep. The traitor kisses Jesus, ostensibly greeting him, but thereby showing the guards the true prophet. And they put Him in shackles and take Him to the Sanhedrin to administer justice.
According to the Gospel, this happened on the night from Thursday to Friday of the week before Easter. The first to interrogate Christ was Annas, Caiaphas' father-in-law. He expected to hear about witchcraft and magic, thanks to which crowds of people follow the prophet and worship him as a deity. Having achieved nothing, Annas sent the captive to Caiaphas, who had already gathered elders and religious fanatics.
Caiaphas accused the prophet of blasphemy for calling himself the son of God and sending him to the prefect Pontius. Pilate was a just man and tried to dissuade those gathered from killing the righteous man. But the judges and confessors began to demand that the culprit be crucified. Then Pontius offered to decide the fate of the righteous man to the people gathered in the square. He announced: “I consider this man innocent, choose for yourself, life or death.” But at that moment, only the prophet’s opponents gathered near the court, shouting about crucifixion.
Before his execution, Jesus was beaten with whips by 2 executioners for a long time, torturing his body and breaking the bridge of his nose. After the public punishment, he was put on a white shirt, which was immediately soaked in blood. A crown of thorns was placed on his head, and a sign on his neck with the inscription: “I am God” in 4 languages. The New Testament says that the inscription read: “Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews,” but it is unlikely that such a text would fit on a small board, and even in 4 dialects. Later, Roman priests rewrote the Bible, trying to keep silent about the shameful fact.
After the execution, which the righteous man endured without making a sound, he had to carry a heavy cross to Golgotha. Here the hands and feet of the martyr were nailed to a cross, which was dug into the ground. The guards tore off his clothes, leaving him in only a loincloth. At the same time that Jesus was being punished, two criminals were hanged on either side of the slanted crossbar of the crucifixion. In the morning they were released, and only Jesus remained on the cross.
At the hour of Christ’s death, the earth shook, as if nature itself rebelled against the cruel execution. The deceased was buried in a tomb, thanks to Pontius Pilate, who was very sympathetic to the innocent, executed man.
Resurrection
On the third day after his death, the martyr rose from the dead and appeared in the flesh to his disciples. He gave them the last instructions before his ascension to heaven. When the guards came to check if the deceased was still there, they found only an open cave and a bloody shroud.
It was announced to all believers that the body of Jesus was stolen by his disciples. The pagans hastily covered Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher with earth.
Evidence for the Existence of Jesus
By familiarizing yourself with the Bibles, primary sources and archaeological finds, you can find real evidence of the existence of the Messiah on earth.
- In the 20th century, during excavations in Egypt, an ancient papyrus was discovered containing verses from the Gospel. Scientists have proven that the manuscript dates back to 125-130 years.
- In 1947, ancient scrolls containing biblical texts were found on the shores of the Dead Sea. This discovery proved that parts of the first Bible are closest to its modern sound.
- In 1968, during archaeological research in the north of Jerusalem, the body of a man crucified on a cross was discovered - John (son of Kaggol). This proves that then criminals were executed in this way, and the Bible describes the truth.
- In 1990, a vessel containing the remains of the deceased was found in Jerusalem. On the wall of the vessel there is an inscription engraved in Aramaic that reads: “Joseph, son of Caiaphas.” Perhaps this is the son of the same high priest who subjected Jesus to persecution and trial.
- In Caesarea in 1961, an inscription was discovered on a stone associated with the name of Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea. He was called a prefect, and not a procurator, like all subsequent successors. The same record is in the Gospels, which proves the reality of biblical events.
Science was able to confirm the existence of Jesus, confirming with facts the stories of the Testament. And even a famous scientist said in 1873:
“It is extremely difficult to imagine that this vast and wonderful universe, just like man, arose by chance; this seems to me the main argument in favor of the existence of God.”
New religion
He also predicted that at the turn of the century a New Religion would arise, bringing light and positivity. And now his words began to come true. The new spiritual group was born quite recently and has not yet received public recognition. The term NRM was introduced into scientific use as a contrast to the words sect or cult, which obviously carry a negative connotation. In 2017, in the Russian Federation there are more than 300 thousand people associated with any religious movement.
Psychologist Margaret Theler has compiled a classification of NRMs, consisting of a dozen subgroups (religious, oriental, interest-based, psychological and even political). New religious movements are dangerous because the goals of the leaders of these groups are not known for certain. And also the bulk of the groups of the new religion are directed against the Russian Orthodox Church and pose a hidden threat to the Christian world.
Short version
One day Jesus asked the apostles:
“Who do the people say that I am?They answered and said: for John the Baptist, and others for Elijah(very powerful ancient prophet) ; others say that one of the ancient prophets was resurrected(in our time, people believe that Jesus is a revolutionary or a hippie-pacifist of his time, or maybe completely insane or a deceiver; some may consider him some kind of very holy person) . He asked them: Who do you say that I am? Peter answered: For the Christ of God»
To answer the question “Who is Jesus Christ anyway?”, I will ask: “ What does Christ mean? Is this a surname, middle name or nickname?”
Actually, none of the above! And this is important!
Christ means "chosen"(literally “anointed”, because in ancient times the chosen ones (kings and priests) were anointed with oil as a sign of election:
“they made Solomon the son of David king, and anointed him high ruler before the Lord, and Zadok priest.”
In relation to Jesus, the only one in all of history who was chosen, capable of saving humanity from the coming punishment for their sins. He is the only sinless, ever-living priest and king at the same time.
Why is it important? Because all the Gospels (biography of the last 3 years of Jesus’ life) were written so that we can make sure that Jesus is the Christ:
Birth of Jesus
Jesus was conceived immaculately:
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a husband named Joseph, from the house of David; The name of the Virgin is: Mary.
The angel, coming to Her, said: Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women. She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this would be.
And the Angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for You have found favor with God; and behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
Mary said to the Angel: How will this happen when I don’t know my husband? (this phrase means that she has no physical contact with the man)
The angel answered Her: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God»
(Bible, Luke 1:26-34)
God created man in His own image and likeness, but since the Fall, people have given birth to children in their own image and likeness, and not in God’s:
“This is the genealogy of Adam: when God created man, in the likeness of God He created him, male and female He created them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, on the day of their creation.Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, in his own image, and called his name Seth.”
When you make photocopies from a sheet of paper with writing on it, you won’t get a clean one. And Jesus was born not of a man, but of the Spirit of God, therefore he did not have original sin in him like all people. For example, even King David, who is called “a man after God’s own heart,” says about himself:
“Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother bore me in sin.”
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because in him(in Adam) everyone has sinned"
Little is said about Jesus' childhood (because it is not important for the Gospel). Jesus was born in Bethlehem by coincidence, because the parents were forced to go to the census precisely on the eve of the birth:
“In those days a command came from Caesar Augustus to make a census of the whole earth. This census was the first during the reign of Quirinius in Syria. And everyone went to sign up, each to his own city. Joseph also went from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David, to enroll with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for Her to give birth; and she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? ...
And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judah, for thus it is written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means the least of the governors of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel (prophecy of Micah 5:2).”
A little later, Joseph and Mary, together with Jesus, had to flee to Egypt from the king who wanted to kill the baby Jesus (he thought that he would take away his throne when he grew up):
“When they departed, behold, the Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says: get up, take the Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt, and be there until I tell you, for Herod wants to look for the Child in order to destroy Him. He arose, took the Child and His Mother by night, and went into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (another fulfilled prophecy of Hosea 11:1)
They didn't stay there long:
“After the death of Herod, behold, the Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in Egypt in a dream and says: Arise, take the Child and His Mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the soul of the Child are dead.”
They returned to Judea, to the city of Nazareth, when Jesus was still a baby:
“And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.”
Jesus lived there for the rest of his time:
“Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday. And when He was twelve years old, they also came, according to custom, to Jerusalem for the feast.… (after the holiday)
And he(Jesus) went with them(by his parents) and came to Nazareth; and was in subjection to them"
Jesus lived in Israel in the family of a carpenter, in a provincial town, where he was a parishioner of the local synagogue (something similar to the church of our times):
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and entered the synagogue, as was his custom, on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”
God called Jesus His beloved Son:
“When all the people were baptized, and Jesus, having been baptized, prayed, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and There was a voice from heaven, saying: You are my beloved Son; My favor is in You! Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.”
The service was preaching and healing:
- sermon:
“And after John was betrayed, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel.”
- healing from leprosy:
“When Jesus was in a certain city, a man came covered with leprosy and, seeing Jesus, fell on his face, begging Him and saying: Lord! if you want, you can cleanse me.He stretched out his hand, touched him and said: I want you to be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him.And He commanded him not to tell anyone, but to go and show himself to the priest and offer a sacrifice for his cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
- from paralysis:
“One day, while He was teaching, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from all the places of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was manifested in healing the sick, behold, some brought a man who was paralyzed on the bed, and tried bring it into the house and lay it before Jesus; and, not finding where to carry him because of the crowd, they climbed onto the top of the house and through the roof lowered him with his bed into the middle before Jesus. And He, seeing their faith, said to the man: Your sins are forgiven you.The scribes and Pharisees began to reason, saying: Who is this that blasphemes? who can forgive sins except God alone?Jesus, understanding their thoughts, answered and said to them, “What are you thinking in your hearts?” What is easier to say: your sins are forgiven you, or to say: get up and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic: I say to you, get up, take up your bed and go to your house.And he immediately stood up before them, took what he was lying on, and went to his house, praising God.And horror seized everyone, and they glorified God and, being filled with fear, said: “We have seen wonderful things today.”
- from blindness:
“He comes to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man to Him and ask him to touch him. He, taking the blind man by the hand, led him out of the village and, spitting in his eyes, laid his hands on him and asked him: does he see anything?He looked and said: I see people passing by, like trees.Then he again laid his hands on his eyes and told him to look. And he was healed and began to see everything clearly.And he sent him home, saying: “Do not enter the village and do not tell anyone in the village.”
- resurrection of the dead:
“When He approached the city gates, they carried out the dead man, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and many people went with her out of the city. Seeing her, the Lord took pity on her and said to her: “Don’t cry.” He approached and touched the bed; those carrying them stopped, and He said: young man! I'm telling you, get up! The dead man got up, sat down and began to speak; and Jesus gave him to his mother. And everyone was seized with fear, and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet has arisen among us, and God has visited His people. This opinion about Him spread throughout Judea and throughout the surrounding area."
At first, I didn’t understand why Jesus forbids talking about himself. Later it became clear that he simply did not strive for popularity, did not set such a goal, and on the contrary, he would like to remain unknown. He sent people to the temple so that the priests would see cases of healing and could believe that he was the Christ. But people did not fulfill his requests, did not go silently to the temple, and the rumor spread, reaching John, who baptized Jesus:
“And his disciples told John about all this. John, calling two of his disciples, sent to Jesus to ask: Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? They came to Jesus and said: John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask: Are you the one who should come, or should we expect someone else? And at this time He healed many from diseases and illnesses and from evil spirits, and gave sight to many blind people. And Jesus answered them: Go, tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor are preached to the gospel; and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me! »
“Say to the timid in soul: be strong, do not be afraid; behold your God will come vengeance, God's retribution; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will jump up like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will sing; For waters will break out in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”
There is also a hint about who Jesus is, because the prophecy says that God will come.
At first it seems that Jesus is a very gentle pacifist like Doctor I-Bolit, but:
He overturned the tables in the temple and drove the traders out of there:
“The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus came to Jerusalem and found that oxen, sheep and doves were being sold in the temple, and money changers were sitting. And, making a scourge of ropes, he drove everyone out of the temple, including the sheep and oxen; and he scattered the money from the money changers and overturned their tables. And he said to those who sold doves, “Take this from here, and do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.”
- harshly denouncing the hypocritical priests:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you close the Kingdom of Heaven to men, for you yourself do not enter and you do not allow those who want to enter.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows and hypocritically pray for a long time: for this you will receive all the more condemnation.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go around sea and land to convert even one; and when this happens, you make him a son of Gehenna, twice as bad as you.
Woe to you, blind leaders, who say: if anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is guilty. Mad and blind! What is greater: gold, or the temple consecrating gold? Also: if anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on it, he is guilty. Mad and blind! What is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? So he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it; and he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it; and he who swears by heaven swears by the Throne of God and Him who sits on it.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint, anise and caraway seeds, and have abandoned the most important things in the law: judgment, mercy and faith; this had to be done, and this should not be abandoned. Blind leaders, straining out a mosquito and devouring a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you cleanse the outside of the cup and platter, while inside they are full of robbery and unrighteousness. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of them may also be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness; So, on the outside, you seem righteous to people, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in shedding the blood of the prophets; Thus, you testify against yourself that you are the sons of those who beat the prophets; complete the measure of your fathers. Serpents, spawn of vipers! How will you escape from condemnation to Gehenna? Therefore, behold, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some you will kill and crucify, and others you will beat in your synagogues and drive from city to city; May all the righteous blood shed on earth come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachi, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.”
(I specifically cited the full text to make it clear that this is not just one remark thrown at emotions, but a purposeful accusatory speech)
- or speaking about oneself as the only way to God, calling all past and future liars and deceivers:
“So again Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” All, no matter how many of them came before Me, are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door: whoever enters through Me will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” ... “Jesus said to him: I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
“Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is Christ, or there, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
Jesus finally destroys the usual ideas about him as some kind of hippie - “everyone be kind” and “flower power” :-). As stated in, he acted like he had power:
Comparing those incidents with the situation we are used to, everything becomes clear. For example, imagine that I (or you) come home to my father, and there are some tomboys coloring his pictures with markers and making origami from the pages of his expensive books. I would kick them out, because I am aware of my power to do so. I know that my father would never approve of this, so I kick them out as if from my home (which I could not do so confidently if I came to your father’s house, because I don’t know him, I would be a guest there).
Jesus says:
“I and the Father are one”, “Philip said to Him: Lord! show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him: I have been with you so long, and you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from Myself; The Father abiding in Me, He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me; but if not so, then believe Me based on the very works.”
Actually, because of all this, the priests and government of that time betrayed Jesus to execution, fabricating the case:
"And they(to the Pharisees) says: Should one do good on the Sabbath, or do evil? save your soul or destroy it? But they were silent. And looking at them with anger, grieving over the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man: Stretch out your hand. He stretched out, and his hand became as healthy as the other.
The Pharisees, going out, immediately made a conference with the Herodians against Him, how to destroy Him.”“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin sought testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death; and were not found. For many bore false witness against Him, but these testimonies were not sufficient. And some stood up and bore false witness against Him and said, “We have heard Him say: I will destroy this temple made with hands, and after three days I will build another, not made with hands.” But even such evidence was not enough.
Then the high priest stood in the middle and asked Jesus: Why don’t you answer? What do they testify against You? But He was silent and did not answer anything. Again the high priest asked Him and said to Him: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? Jesus said: I; and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What more need do we have for witnesses?” You have heard the blasphemy; what do you think? They all found Him guilty of death."
Jesus knew this would happen and prophesied to his disciples about this:
"He(Jesus) And he asked them: Who do you say that I am? Peter answered: for the Christ of God. But He strictly ordered them not to tell anyone about this, saying that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again.”
He was killed by hanging on a cross, as most likely known to almost all educated people in the world (even such darkness as I knew about this before believing). This was predicted 1000 years in advance:
"My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me? The words of my cry are far from saving me. …For dogs surrounded me, a crowd of evil ones surrounded me, they pierced my hands and my feet. One could count all my bones; and they look and make a spectacle out of me; They divide my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothing.”
It is predicted that his execution will be made into a spectacle; they will divide his clothes by casting lots:
They won't break a single bone of his:
“The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, when they saw Him already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.”
executed with the criminals, but buried in the rich man's coffin:
“Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side, and the other on the left. Those passing by slandered Him, nodding their heads and saying: He who destroys the temple and builds it in three days! save yourself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, the high priests with the scribes and elders and Pharisees, mocking, said: He saved others, but he cannot save himself; if He is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him; trusted in God; Let him deliver Him now, if He pleases Him. For He said: I am the Son of God. Likewise, the thieves who were crucified with Him reviled Him.From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour; and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Either, Or! Lama Savakhthani? that is: My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?Some of those standing there, hearing this, said: He is calling Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave Him to drink; and others said, “Wait, let’s see if Elijah will come to save Him.” Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the stones dissipated; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected and, coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him, seeing the earthquake and everything that happened, were greatly afraid and said: Truly this was the Son of God. There were also many women there, watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving Him; among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Josiah, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.When evening came, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also studied with Jesus; He came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered the body to be given up; and Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean shroud, and laid it in his new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock; and, having rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, he departed.”
|| “He was assigned a grave with evildoers, but He was buried with a rich man, because He committed no sin, and no lie was found in His mouth.”
|| “Everyone who sees me curses at me, speaks with their lips, nodding their heads.”
|| “he trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him, let him save him, if he pleases him.”
everyone will think that he is receiving punishment from God, but in reality he:
Everyone knows the story associated with the Resurrection of Jesus, but few know the details of this event, although the holiday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the main one for Christians.
It is in honor of the Resurrection of Christ that all Christians celebrate Easter for forty days.
What sources describe the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?
The main sources that describe the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus:
— Gospel of Matthew. Chapters 27, 28
— Gospel of Mark. Chapters 15, 16
- Gospel of Luke. Chapter 24
The word Gospel is translated from Greek as “good news” about the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel according to Mark
The story of Jesus' resurrection began with his trial and crucifixion on the Friday before Passover.
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus, crucified on the cross, died about three hours after lunch.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Christ and Salome and other disciples of Christ were present during the execution.
In order not to overshadow the Jewish holiday of Passover (Easter), the Jewish high priests and Pontius Pilate instructed one of their high priests, a rich man from the city of Arimathea, named Joseph, to take the body of Jesus and bury him. According to the Bible, Joseph and his assistant removed Jesus' body from the cross and buried it in Joseph's crypt.
But most likely, given Joseph’s rank, and he was one of the leaders of the Sanidrin, all these actions were carried out not by him personally, but by a funeral team from the local guard, but under his leadership.
It is interesting that none of the disciples of Jesus, neither Mary Magdalene nor the mother of Jesus took part in the funeral of the Lord.
Jesus Christ was buried in a similar grave
Having removed the body of Jesus from the cross, Joseph wrapped a shroud around Christ and buried Jesus in a cave that evening, then rolled a stone to the entrance to the cave and returned to Jerusalem.
Mary Magdalene and his mother Mary watched from afar where Jesus was buried.
The cave where Jesus was buried was in Joseph's garden, next to Golgotha, where Christ was crucified.
The next morning, remembering Jesus' prediction that he would rise on the third day, the high priests went to Pilate and asked him to place a guard at the cave so that Christ's followers could not secretly steal Jesus' body.
To guard the cave, Pontius Pilate assigned guards and ordered it (the cave) to be sealed.
Myrrh-Bearing Women
On the third day after the funeral of Jesus, early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the mother of Christ Mary of James, having bought aromatic oils, went to the cave to anoint the body of the deceased.
Approaching the cave, the women were worried about who would move the heavy stone that was covering the entrance to the cave.
But when they approached the cave, they were surprised to find that there were no guards who were supposed to guard the cave, and the stone covering the entrance had been rolled away.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Angel of the Lord
When the women entered the cave, they saw that the body of Christ was not there, and on the right side of the bed was sitting a young man dressed in white clothes.
The women were frightened and froze, but the young man immediately turned to them:
“You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified; He has risen, He is not here. This is the place where He was laid. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee; There you will see Him, just as He told you."
The frightened women ran out of the cave and returned to Jerusalem, but, overcome with horror, they did not tell anyone anything, neither about the disappearance of the body, nor about the young man in white robes.
However, just as Jesus predicted, he rose again early on Sunday morning.
The first person to whom he appeared was Mary Magdalene.
Appearing before Mary Magdalene, he cast out seven demons from her.
After which Mary Magdalene went to the disciples of Jesus and told them that Jesus had risen and that she had seen Him alive, but the disciples did not believe Mary’s story.
Then Jesus appeared in another form to two of the disciples on the road.
They told about the meeting with the Teacher, but the rest of the students again did not believe them either.
Then in the evening Jesus appeared to the remaining eleven of his disciples and reproached them for not believing in his resurrection and said to them:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will take snakes; and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
After the conversation with the disciples, Jesus went to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, and the disciples went to preach.
This concludes the story of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew tells about the events associated with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with slightly different details than the Gospel according to Mark.
In the Gospel of Matthew there are earthquakes, a solar eclipse, and the resurrection of the dead:
“Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the stones dissipated; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were resurrected, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.”
But near the cave, events are already happening somewhat differently.
When Mary, the mother of James and Josiah (mother of Christ), and the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached the cave, a great earthquake occurred due to the fact that the Angel of the Lord who descended from heaven came, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it:
“His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow.”
Horror gripped everyone: the guards guarding the cave and the women.
The angel turned to the women and said:
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified; He is not here - He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there"
The women, making sure that Jesus’ deathbed was empty, went back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles about the resurrection of the Teacher.
Eleven disciples went to Galilee to meet the Teacher there, on the mountain.
Not all the disciples believed that their teacher Jesus was before them.
As Jesus approached, he addressed his disciples:
“All authority in heaven and on earth is mine. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This concludes the story of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Gospel of Luke
In the Gospel of Luke in chapter 24, the women also came to the cave on Sunday morning to the tomb of Christ with prepared spices and also found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the cave.
But when they entered the cave, not a young man appeared before them, but two men in shining clothes.
They, just like the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, told them that Jesus had risen and was waiting for them in Galilee,
But even here the women did not believe the messengers.
However, in the Gospel of Luke, the Apostle Peter is present in the cave, approaching the Holy Sepulcher and seeing only the linens lying there.
The following describes the events when two disciples meet Jesus on the road and do not recognize him for a long time, and only after he reclined with them and broke bread with them did they realize that they had spent the whole day in the company of Jesus:
“And as He reclined with them, He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He became invisible to them."
Further, upon returning to Jerusalem, they found together the eleven Apostles who said that the Lord had truly risen and appeared to Simon. And they told about what had happened on the way, and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of bread.
And at that moment Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them:
"Peace to you"
The apostles were confused and afraid, thinking that they saw a spirit.
But Jesus convinced them that he was their blood, and then he ate baked fish and honeycomb with them.
The disciples bowed to Jesus and returned to Jerusalem in a festive mood.
This concludes the story of the Resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.
Are there any records of references to the Ascension of the Lord in the works of eyewitnesses of Christ?
No, in the works of eyewitnesses of Christ there is not a single record where there would be any mention of the Ascension of the Lord. All references to the Ascension of the Lord were not written by eyewitnesses and in a later period.
M.: Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2010 - 448 p.
The gospel story covers biblical events from the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Ascension. The great events described by the four evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are given in a single chronological sequence based on the interpretations of mainly the ancient holy fathers, and first of all, St. John Chrysostom. To illustrate the publication, a computer restoration of more than 150 mosaics and frescoes of the 11th–16th centuries was carried out. The publication is supplied with tables and an alphabetical index.
Format: pdf
Size: 29 MB
Download: yandex.disk
Table of contents
SACRED HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 3
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ 3
Chapter 1. THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST INTO THE WORLD 4
§ 1. Announcing the birth of the Forerunner to Zechariah 4
§ 2. Announcing the incarnation of the Son of God 5
§ 3. Meeting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Righteous Elizabeth 10
§ 4. Nativity of John the Baptist 11
§ 5. The Archangel reveals to Joseph the secret of the Incarnation 12
§ 6. Nativity 14
§ 7. Circumcision and the Presentation of the Lord 16
§ 8. Adoration of the Magi 19
§ 9. Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Massacre of the Bethlehem Innocents 21
§ 10. The growth of Jesus Christ in Nazareth. Twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple 23
Chapter 2. PUBLIC MINISTRY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 28
Chapter 2.1. Social narrowing of the Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning to the first Easter 28
§eleven. Sermon of John the Baptist 28
§ 12. The appearance of Jesus Christ to the people. Epiphany 32
§ 13. Forty-day fast and temptation from the devil 34
§ 14. Embassy of the Sanhedrin to John the Baptist. John's Testimony of Jesus as Redeemer 39
§ 15. The first disciples of Christ 41
§ 16. The first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana of Galilee 43
Chapter 2.2. The first Easter of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ 45
§ 17. Journey to Jerusalem and the first expulsion of traders from the temple 45
§ 18. Conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus 47
§ 19. The preaching of Jesus Christ in Judea and the last testimony of John the Baptist about Him 49
§ 20. Imprisonment of John the Baptist 50
§ 21. The Lord’s departure to Galilee, His conversation with the Samaritan woman 52
§ 22. The coming of Jesus to Galilee and the beginning of the sermon 56
§ 23. Absentee healing of the son of a courtier 57
§ 24. The miraculous catch of fish and the call to the apostolic ministry of fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James and John 57
§ 25. Sermon in the Capernaum synagogue and healing of a demoniac 59
§ 26. Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and many sick people 60
§ 27. Sermon in the Nazareth Synagogue 61
§ 28. Healing of a leper 63
§ 29. Return to Capernaum and healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof 65
§ 30. The calling of the Apostle Matthew 67
Chapter 2.3. Second Easter of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ 70
§ 31. Healing of the paralytic at the Sheep Font 70
§ 32. The teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ about His equality with God the Father, about the general resurrection and judgment 72
§ 33. Harvesting and interpretation of the Sabbath Law 75
§ 34. Healing of a withered arm on Saturday 76
§ 35. Election of the twelve apostles 79
§ 36. Sermon on the Mount 82
§ 37. Absentee healing of the centurion’s servant in Capernaum 105
§ 38. Resurrection of the son of the Nain widow 107
§ 39. Embassy of John the Baptist from prison to Jesus Christ 108
§ 40. A terrible sentence over unrepentant cities and a call for the toilers to calm down 110
§ 41. Supper in the house of the Pharisee Simon, forgiveness of the sinner 112
§ 42. Healing of a blind and dumb demoniac. Convicting the Pharisees of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit 114
§ 43. The Lord's answer to those who sought from Him a sign from heaven. About carnal and spiritual kinship 116
§ 44. The teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ about the Kingdom of God in parables 119
§ 45. The Lord’s answers to those who wanted to follow Him 126
§ 46. Taming the sea storm 128
§ 47. Expulsion of the legion of demons in the country of the Gadarenes 129
§ 48. Healing of the bleeding woman and resurrection of Jairus’s daughter 131
§ 49. Healing of two blind people and a dumb demon possessed 133
§ 50. Unbelief of the inhabitants of Nazareth 135
§ 51. Jesus' preaching in Galilee and His sorrow for the lack of laborers in the harvest 136
§ 52. Letter of the twelve apostles for preaching 137
§ 53. Beheading of John the Baptist 142
§ 54. Feeding the five thousand with five loaves 145
§ 55. Walking of Jesus Christ on the waters 147
§ 56. Conversation of Jesus Christ about the Bread of Life 149
Chapter 2.4. Third Passover of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ 155
§ 57. Convicting the Jews of violating the commandments of God for the sake of the traditions of the elders 155
§ 58. Absentee healing of the Canaanite daughter 157
§ 59. Healing of the deaf, tongue-tied and many sick people 159
§ 60. Feeding four thousand with seven loaves 160
§ 61. Answer to the Pharisees who demanded a sign from heaven, warning against the leaven of the Pharisees 161
§ 62. Healing a blind man by spitting 163
§ 63. Confession of Jesus by the apostles as the Son of God. The Promise of the Church 164
§ 64. Jesus' predictions about suffering, death, resurrection and the Second Coming. Teaching about bearing the cross 166
§ 65. Transfiguration of the Lord 168
§ 66. Healing of a youth who was possessed during the new moon 172
§ 67. Wonderful stater 175
§ 68. Conversation about who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven 176
§ 69. The doctrine of combating temptations 178
§ 70. Parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The Court of the Church and the Power of Conciliar Prayer 179
§ 71. Forgiveness of grievances. Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor 182
§ 72. Departure of Jesus from Galilee to Judea 184
§ 73. Message for the preaching of seventy disciples 186
§ 74. Jesus in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles 187
§ 75. Forgiveness of a sinner 192
§ 76. Conversation with the Jews in the Temple 194
§ 77. Healing of a man born blind 199
§ 78. Parable of the Good Shepherd 203
§ 79. The Lord Jesus Christ at the Feast of Renewal. The doctrine of the consubstantiality of the Son and the Father 206
§ 80. Return of seventy disciples from sermon 209
§ 81. Parable of the Good Samaritan 211
§ 82. Visit of Martha and Mary 213
§ 83. The parable of persistent petition 214
§ 84. Reproof of the scribes and Pharisees at a Pharisee’s dinner 215
§ 85. Parable of the foolish rich man 217
§ 86. Parables about the watchful servants and the prudent steward 219
§ 87. The Fire of Christ and division among people 221
§ 88. Call to repentance in connection with the murder of the Galileans by order of Pilate and the fall of the Tower of Siloam 221
§ 89. Parable of the barren fig tree 222
§ 90. Healing of a crumpled woman on Saturday 223
§ 91.0 narrow gates to the Kingdom of God 224
§ 92. Herod's intention to kill Christ. Jesus' Sorrow over Jerusalem 226
§ 93. Supper in the house of the ruler of the Pharisees 227
§ 94. The doctrine of self-sacrifice 230
§ 95. Parable of the Prodigal Son 231
§ 96. Parable of the unfaithful steward 234
§ 97. Parable of the rich man and Lazarus 237
§ 98. The doctrine of the sanctity of marriage and virginity. Blessing of children 239
§ 99. Instruction on the power of faith and the parable of the worthless slaves 243
§ 100. Healing of ten lepers 244
§ 101. Revelation about the advent of the Kingdom of God and the Second Coming 246
§ 102. Parable of the unjust judge 247
§ 103. Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee 248
§ 104. Advice to a rich young man 250
§ 105. Conversation with the apostles about retribution 252
§ 106. Parable of the vinedressers who received equal pay 253
§ 107. Departure to Judea, news of Lazarus’ illness 256
§ 108. Prediction of death and resurrection. Request of John and James Zebedee 258
§ 109. Healing of two blind men near Jericho 261
§ 110. Conversion of the tax collector Zacchaeus 262
§111. Parable of the Ten Minas 263
§ 112. Raising Lazarus 266
§ 113. The decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus 269
§ 114. Supper in Bethany in the house of Lazarus 271
Chapter 3. THE LAST DAYS OF THE EARTH LIFE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 276
Chapter 3.1. Sunday afternoon 276
§ 115. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem 276
§ 116. Messiah in the Jerusalem Temple, expulsion of traders 279
Chapter 3.2. Maundy Monday 282
§ 117. The curse of the barren fig tree 282
§ 118. Meeting with the Hellenes, speech about glorification and the voice of God from heaven 283
Chapter 3.3. Maundy Tuesday 288
§ 119. Withered fig tree, teaching on the power of faith 288
§ 120. Question of the Sanhedrin about the powers of Christ 289
§ 121. The parable of the two sons sent by their father into the vineyard 290
§ 122. Parable of the evil vinedressers 292
§ 123. Parable of those invited to the wedding feast of the king's son 295
§ 124. Question of the Pharisees about tribute to Caesar 298
§ 125. Question of the Sadducees about the resurrection 300
§ 126. Discourse on the greatest commandment in the Law and the question of the Messiah, Whose Son He is 301
§ 127. Reproof of the scribes and Pharisees, eightfold “woe” 304
§ 128. Widow's mite 308
§ 129. Conversation with the disciples on the Mount of Olives about the destruction of Jerusalem, the Second Coming and the end of the world 308
§ 130. Parable of the Ten Virgins 316
§ 131. Image of the Last Judgment 318
Chapter 3.4. Great Wednesday 322
§ 132. Secret meeting of the Sanhedrin on the murder of Christ 322
§ 133. Supper in the house of Simon the leper 323
§ 134. Agreement of Judas with the enemies of Christ 324
Chapter 3.5. Maundy Thursday 327
§ 135. Preparation for the Last Supper 327
§ 136. Last Supper 328
§ 137. Farewell conversation at the Last Supper 339
§ 138. Concluding the farewell conversation with the High Priestly Prayer 350
§ 139. Repeated prediction about Peter’s denial and the dispersion of the disciples 353
§ 140. Gethsemane feat: prayer for the cup 355
§ 141. Capture of the Lord by soldiers 359
§ 142. Court of the Sanhedrin 362
§ 143. Peter’s threefold denial 367
Chapter 3.6. Good Friday 370
§ 144. Final verdict of the Sanhedrin 3 70
§ 145. Pilate's Court 372
§ 146. Jesus before Herod 3 76
§ 147. End of Pilate's trial 377
§ 148. The death of Judas 385
§ 149. Procession of the Cross to Golgotha 388
§ 150. Crucifixion 391
§ 151. Repentance of the thief 395
§ 152. Our Lady of the Cross 397
§ 153. Death of Jesus 398
§ 154. Burial of Christ 403
Chapter 3.7. Holy Saturday 406
§ 155. The Savior’s descent into hell 406
§ 156. Placement of guards at the tomb 408
Chapter 4. THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 412
§ 157. Resurrection of Christ 412
§ 158. The appearance of the Lord on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, the myrrh-bearing women and Peter 415
§ 159. Lies of the Sanhedrin and bribery of the guards 418
§ 160. The appearance of the Lord to two disciples on the way to Emmaus 422
§ 161. The appearance of the Lord to the apostles (without Thomas) on the day of the Resurrection 424
§ 162. The appearance of the Lord to the apostles on the eighth day. Assurance of Thomas 426
§ 163. The appearance of the Lord in Galilee on the Sea of Tiberias. Restoration of Peter to the apostolic rank 428
§ 164. Appearance of Christ on a mountain in Galilee 433
§ 165. Ascension of the Lord 437
The teaching and miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophetic predictions about Jesus Christ 440
Recommended reading 442
Alphabetical index 442
