The following is a brief account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

More than a Christmas Carol

Jesus was born in a stable to a young, middle-eastern woman named Mary; the wife of a poor carpenter named Joseph. He was raised in Nazareth and later crucified on a cross at the age of thirty-three. During the last three years of his life, he traveled throughout Israel preaching, teaching, and performing miracles.

Those are the basic historical facts according to the Bible; but more important than these facts are the words he spoke and the mission he came to earth to fulfill.

Messages from a King

Jesus summed up his mission in the following way: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus claimed to be this Son, sent to earth to save it. He proclaimed to the skeptical people of Israel that he was the savior—or messiah— they had been waiting for. He called himself the king of the Jews, but he wasn’t referring to an earthly kingdom; he was referring to a heavenly kingdom—a kingdom where those who accept him could live with him for eternity. Many people believed his claims, but a large faction of the religious leaders of the time branded him a heretic. Despite this, he continued to proclaim his message throughout the land.

Jesus spoke a message of love and peace. He said that the greatest commandment was to love God, but the second greatest commandment was to love others. He told his followers that if a man hits you on the cheek, turn and let him hit the other cheek—do to others, as you would have them do to you. This flew in the face of the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” system that was prevalent in Israel at the time.

A Hard Saying, Who Can Understand It?

In fact, nearly everything said and done by Jesus seemed in direct conflict with convention. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This statement inflamed the religious leaders of the time. How could this common carpenter from Nazareth claim to be the only way to God? How could he claim to be truth? Jesus made the leaders even more irate by mingling with those on the fringes of society. He spoke to prostitutes and tax collectors because he loved all people regardless of their position in life. The religious leaders thought this was hardly the way for the supposed Son of God to act, but Jesus addressed these leaders directly, many times referring to them as a “brood of vipers.” Imagine their rage.

A Criminal's Death

Because of this, they plotted to kill him, and Jesus allowed himself to be taken captive, though he had never wronged anyone. After a hasty trial, he was whipped, beaten and sentenced to death by crucifixion. The prophet Isaiah wrote these words more than 700 years before this crucifixion took place:

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. ~ Isaiah 53:5

Jesus died on a wooden cross like a common criminal. His final words were, “It is finished!”

O Grave, Where Is Your Victory?

But the story continues. Three days after his death, the tomb of Jesus was found empty. Throughout his time on earth, he had declared that he would be crucified and would rise again on the third day following that crucifixion. Many believed he fulfilled his own prophecy. Firsthand accounts claim that he appeared to his followers and urged them to tell the world the good news that those who believe in him will have eternal life.

A man named Paul was one of those followers. He explained the way to receive eternal life in a letter to the people of Rome. He said that everyone has sinned, and the punishment for this sin is death, but through Jesus, people are offered the chance to be forgiven for those sins and to have eternal life. For this to happen, a person must acknowledge that they have sinned and acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God.

… if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ~ Romans 10:9-10