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Jesus Christ
Jesus' name appears in
Bhavishya Puraan, 3/16
also. In Hindi he is called Eesaa Maseeh. Read his story below.
As Krishn said - "First I taught this to Soorya..."
[Geetaa, 4:1]
Christ also said - "Before Abraham was, I am."
[John,
8:58] - This is a very important verse to Trinitarians because it is one of
the places we use to show that Jesus is God.
Jesus Christ
He himself was a Jew and was born
in Bethlehem in Roman Judaea, between Africa and Asia, near Dead Sea. King Herod
was ruling at that time. His followers regard him as the Son of God and believe
that he rose from dead after being crucified by Romans. he was believed to be born
between 5-2 BC and died in AD. His mother In New Testament, Luke 1:26-33, Mary was
informed by Angel Gabriel that she would have a son and she should name him Jesus.
While in Matthew, 1:21 an Angel told this to Joseph and asked him to name him Jesus -
"You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
All four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) agree that Jesus was crucified in
Calvary which was under the rule of Pontius Pilate. Pilate ordered to crucify him.
These Gospels include "The Sermon on the Mount" and over 30 parables related
to his discourses. Jesus is believed to be born of a virgin, Mary, performed some
miracles, founded Church, died for people, rose from dead and ascended to Heaven.
Even after his ascending to Heaven, he was seen by his disciples.
Birth of Jesus
Jesus' birth is a mysterious birth. While Gospel of Luke traces the genealogy
upwards towards Adam and God, Matthew traces it downwards towards Jesus. Both
gospels state that Jesus was begotten not by Joseph, but by God, means that his
birth was Divine. Both accounts trace Joseph (his mortal father, back to King
David and from there to Abraham. These lists are identical between Abraham and
David (except for one), but they differ almost completely between David and
Joseph. Matthew gives Joseph’s father's name as Jacob and Luke says that
Joseph was the son of Heli. Thus the differences between the genealogies have
varied in nature, e.g. that Luke traces the genealogy through Mary while Matthew
traces it through Joseph; or maybe that Jacob and Heli were both fathers of
Joseph, one being the legal father, after the death of Joseph's actual father.
Luke is the only Gospel which
provides the account of John the Baptist's birth and relates to Jesus' birth.
Luke relates the two births in the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. He further
connects the two births by noting that Mary and Elizabeth are cousin sisters. In
Luke 1:31-38 Mary learns from the angel Gabriel that she will conceive and bear
a child called Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit. When Mary is due to
give birth, she and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Joseph's ancestral home in
Bethlehem to register in the census of Quirinius. In Luke 2:1-7. Mary gives
birth to Jesus and, having found no place in the inn, places the newborn in a
manger. An angel visits the shepherds and sends them to adore the child in Luke
2:22. After presenting Jesus at the Temple, Joseph and Mary return home to
Nazareth.
The Nativity appears in the Gospel of
Matthew too, where, following the betrothal of Joseph and Mary, Joseph is
troubled because Mary is pregnant, but in the first of Joseph's three dreams an
angel assures him not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because her child was
conceived by the Holy Spirit. Then the three Wise Men or Magi bring gifts to the
young Jesus after following a star which they believe was a sign that the King
of the Jews had been born. King Herod hears of Jesus' birth from the Wise Men
and tries to kill him by massacring all the male children in Bethlehem under the
age of two. Before the massacre, Joseph is warned by an angel in his dream about
this massacre and the family flees to Egypt and remains there until Herod's
death, after which they leave Egypt and settle in Nazareth to avoid living under
the authority of Herod's son and successor Archelaus.
Childhood
It is believed that Joseph was a carpenter. His childhood passed in Nazareth of
Galilee. It is said that he got lost in the childhood and then his parents found
him teaching in a temple. He worked as a religious teacher up to the age of 30s.
When John the Baptist baptized him he was about 30 years old. Jesus came to the
River Jordan where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing. Jesus was also
baptized, but as he rose from the water, he saw the Heavens tore open and a
Spirit descended on him like a dove and a voice came from Heaven - "You are
my beloved son, I am very pleased with you."
After he got baptized, God led him to
a desert and he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. During this time, the Devil
appeared to him and tempted Jesus three times. Each time, Jesus refused temptation
with a quotation of scripture from the Book of Deuteronomy. The Devil departed and
angels came and brought nourishment to Jesus. The Baptist twice declares Jesus as
the "Lamb of God", a term found nowhere else in the Gospels. John also
emphasizes Jesus' superiority over John the Baptist.
Ministry
After the baptism Jesus started his Ministry around 27-29 AD and finished it
around 30-36 AD with the Last Supper with his disciples in Jerusalem. It is
said to start in the courtyard of Judea near the River Jordan. The Sermon on
the Mount is the most famous discourse of Jesus. During this period he had 12
Apostles (disciples). He asked them not to keep any belongings with them as
they had to go to preach from town to town. His Final Ministry in Jerusalem
is sometimes called the "Passion Week" and begins with the Jesus'
triumphal entry into Jerusalem on "Palm Sunday". In that week Jesus
drove the money changers from the Temple, and Judas bargained to betray him.
This period includes the "Olivet Discourse" and the "Second
Coming Prophecy" and culminates in the "Last Supper", at the
end of which Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure in the "Farewell
Discourse". The accounts of the ministry of Jesus generally end with the Last
Supper. However, some people also consider the period between the Resurrection
and the Ascension as part of the ministry of Jesus.
Proclamation of Christ and Transfiguration
His proclamation occurred on a mountain when he went there with Peter and two
other Apostles. Matthew (17.2) writes that there he saw his transfiguration -
"His face was shining and his clothes became white as light. At the same
time prophets Elijah and Moses were also with him he talked to them. The then a
bright cloud came and a voice came from it - "This is my beloved son with
whom I am well pleased, listen to him." This supported him as "Son of
God" as was proclaimed at the time of his baptism.
Betrayal by Judas and Arrest
When Jesus was in Bethany, he sent his disciples to retrieve a donkey from
Jerusalem. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem people laid down their cloaks and small
branches of trees in his way and sang part of Psalms. There happens the cleansing
of the temple and expelling money changers from there. Later one of the Apostles
Judas Iscariot, approached the Jewish elders and accepts to betray Jesus and hand
him over to them in exchange of 30 silver coins.
In the New Testament, he takes his
final meal with his Apostles before his crucifixion. This event is described in
all four Gospels and Paul's "First Epistle to the Corinthians" (written
before Gospels). During the meal, Jesus predicts that one of his Apostles
would betray him. All Apostles, except Judas, present there said that they would
not betray him. Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives to his disciples saying -
"This is my body which is given for you." Jesus also predicts that Peter
will deny about the knowledge of him stating that Peter will disown him three times
before the rooster crows the next morning. But after the third denial, he will hear
the rooster crow and recall the prediction as Jesus turned to look at him. Peter
then began to cry bitterly. Jesus also washed his disciples' feet before the meal
and delivered a long sermon preparing his disciples (now without Judas) for his
departure.
Immediately after the Last Supper,
Jesus takes a walk to pray to Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asks Peter, John, and
James to stay there and he himself moves away a little bit where he feels overwhelming
sadness over and says "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.
Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it." Jesus had the sweat of
blood and the visitation of an angel who comforts Jesus. Jesus accepts the will of
the Father. Returning to the disciples after his prayer, he finds them asleep and
asks Peter - "So, could you men not keep watch with me for an hour?"
While they were in the Garden, Judas
comes there along with Jewish priests and elders and people with weapons. Judas
kisses Jesus to give a sign to them identifying him as Jesus. One of Jesus'
disciples tried to stop the people by using his sword to cut off the ear of one
of them, but Jesus miraculously healed his wound. Jesus didn't like this violent
act and requested that they should not stop his arrest saying that "all who
live by the sword, shall die by the sword." Before being arrested, Jesus
tells his disciples: "All ye shall be offended in me this night." and :
"But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee." After his
arrest, Jesus' disciples went into hiding. Judas, distraught by his betrayal of
Jesus, attempts to return the 30 pieces of silver he had received for betraying Jesus,
and then hangs himself.
Trial and Death of Jesus
After Jesus was arrested, he
was taken to the Jewish Judicial body for trial. He is mocked, beaten and
condemned to call himself as Son of God. The Chief Priest had arranged some
false witnesses but they did not agree together. The High Priest asked him -
"Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed?" Jesus replied, "I
am." The High Priest got very angry at this reply and tore his own robe.
He again asked - "Are you the Son of God?" Jesus said - "You say
that I am." So he decided to punish him. He is then taken to Pontius Pilate
and elders ask Pontius to condemn him for claiming as the King of Jews. After
a few questions, Pontius finds him innocent, but the crowd insists on punishment.
Realizing that Jesus belongs to Galilean area of Herod Antipas, so he sends him
to Herod. Jesus speaks very little, no defense, so an officer has to slap him.
Herod also mocks him and puts a gorgeous robe and sends him back to Pontius Pilate.
Pontius informs the elders that he does not find any wrong with Jesus. The main
discussion was the term "King", so Jesus says that "My kingdom is
not this world." but does not deny directly being the King of Jews. So the
priests said - "Whoever says himself King, is to be punished as we have only
one king - Caesar." Pontius Pilate's wife sees a dream and urges Pontius not
to do anything with Jesus, still he orders for his crucifixion. Soldiers put a
purple robe on Jesus, place a Crown of Thorns, beat him and mistreat him. They put
INRI on his cross as the sign of "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".
Jesus is then sent to Calvary for crucifixion.
While going to Calvary, he was
assisted by Simon of Cyrene. Jesus asks the women in crowd not to cry for him
but for themselves and their children. Once, at Calvary Jesus was given a
painkiller but he refused to drink. The soldiers then crucified Jesus. he was
crucified between two thieves, one of whom rebuked him while the other one
defended him. He handed over his mother to one of his beloved disciple, then
he said - "Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do."
and thus he forgave all his opponents. There is a controversy about his last
statements - there are seven such statements.
Various supernatural events have been
reported after the crucifixion, such as the sky got dark, an earthquake. The
Roman soldiers did not break Jesus' legs as they did to two other convicted to
hasten the crucifixion process, as Jesus was already dead. One of the soldiers
pierced his side and water came out of his body. Joseph of Arimathea asked the
permission to remove the body from the cross, and Jesus' body was removed from
the cross, was wrapped in a clean cloth and was buried in a rock-hewn tomb. The
Jews went to Pontius Pilate the day after the crucifixion (possibly on Saturday,
as the crucifixion process is believed to be occurred on Friday) to ask for the
guards to guard the tomb to be sure that the body remains there.
Resurrection
It is believed that the Resurrection of Jesus took place on the first day of the
week (maybe Sunday) after the crucifixion. His followers find him risen from the
dead as they found the tomb empty. One or two angels wrapped in bright robes
announced this to those who came there early in the morning - they were either
Mary Magdalene or Mary the mother of Jesus. While soldiers helped to spread the
rumor that Jesus' disciples took away his body. After that they saw him several
times delivering the sermons and commissioning them before ascending to Heaven,
including the episode of "Doubting Thomas", because he did not believe
that Jesus was resurrected until he was made to believe by putting his fingers into
the holes of the body; and "catch of 153 fish" miracle at the Sea of
Galilee. The final event of Resurrection was the ascension to Heaven. Accounts of
his ascension describe it as "Jesus was carried up into the Heaven". This
even occurred after 40 days of Resurrection - "...a cloud received him out of
their sight."
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