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Only part of the life of Jesus of Nazareth who latter became known as Jesus Christ is known and that was gleaned from writings of others written long after his passing. Many of the writings available about the teachings of the Christ in ancient times were not included in what is considered the sanctioned and official collection of writings known as the Bible. Since Jesus broke away from traditional Judaism and founded a new religion based on new teachings, it is doubtful that he would have recommended that the collection of Judaic writings known as the Old Testament be included as part of the foundational spiritual teachings of Christianity. There is a period of time from when Jesus was thirteen until he began his ministry at age thirty where there are no written records available to explain where he sojourned or what he did during that timeframe. From the gospels we do know that for the most part he preferred to give his sermons outdoors in the Natural World like the sermon on the mount, and, that he was a benevolent man of peace who believed in the diversity and equality of all humans, even sinners who had fallen into bad ways. Jesus preferred to teach by the oral tradition method as a storyteller of parables, similitudes, and exemplaries. He was a kind hearted healer who performed miraculous healings, cast out demons, manifested food to fed the hungry, and calmed troubled and stormy seas. He also was a mentor and benefactor to his disciples, assuring them that the miraculous deeds, he had accomplished they were also capable of doing in due course. What follows is a brief synopsis of church doctrinal sanctioned storytelling about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. According to the gospels, Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by his mother Mary, the wife of a carpenter, Joseph of Nazareth, and born in a manger in Bethlehem in Judea, where Joseph and Mary had gone to comply with the Roman edict of enrollment for the census.
They spent several years in Egypt before returning to Nazareth after King Herod's death. Not much is known about Jesus from his twelfth year (when he attended the Passover in Jerusalem) until his thirtieth year when he began his three year ministry. His travels and studies during the eighteen intervening years remained veiled in mystery, some sources suggest that he may have sojourned in Egypt, India, Tibet and other lands before returning to Judea. The baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist signaled the beginning of his public ministry. Afterwards he meditated for forty days in the wilderness then returned to Nazareth before moving on to Capernaum where he selected his first disciples. From there he traveled to neighboring towns preaching, teaching in parables, healing, and performing miracles. Three years later on the Sunday before the Passover, Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem where he was met by crowds of people who acclaimed him the Messiah. The next Wednesday when Jesus Christ was in Bethany, the scribes and priests in Jerusalem conspired with his disciple Judas to arrest and kill Jesus Christ by stealth. Thursday evening after Jesus had retired to the Garden of Gethsemane, he was arrested by a crowd sent by the religious authorities.
On Friday he was executed by
crucifixion at Golgotha for being, "The King of the Jews". Later that day
because of the approach of Sabbath, when burial was not permitted, his body was
taken down and laid in a nearby tomb. On Sunday morning the tomb was found empty
since Jesus had risen from the dead, giving humanity hope of life after death.
He then instructed his disciples for another forty days before he ascended into
the heavens. For more details of the Life Story of Jesus please see Christianity Background Overview.
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