1. JESUS CHRIST FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY and The ONLY SON OF GOD … was born in a stable...remained poor throughout his life … received little formal education … never travelled far from His birthplace … led no nation or army …falsely condemned and CRUCIFIED at the age of 33 YET …. He has been the object of FAITH and WORSHIP for Christians of ALL denominations and nationalities over the last 20 CENTURIES!!!

2. WHY is it important to know about JESUS CHRIST? BECAUSE …. His life, teachings, and death are among the MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS in the history of humanity. TODAY….. 1/3 of the WORLD’S POPULATION belongs to the religion which bears Christ’s name. Christians PRAY to God in the name of JESUS for salvation and strive to FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE by leading lives of faith, hope, love and humility.

3. How do we KNOW about the life of JESUS CHRIST??? Basically, we learn from the accounts of His disciples, MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN whose writings make up the first four books (Gospels) of the Christian Scriptures. Unfortunately, the gospels portray very little of Jesus Christ’s life. They only have a small bit of his early years, and the majority of the Gospels events only recall events that occur in last 1-3 years of his life (when he was most active in ministry).

4. BIRTH: Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the southern part of Palestine approx 8 kilometres southwest of Jerusalem (Judea) Christians believe that He was born of a virgin girl named Mary. JOURNEY TO EGYPT: To escape persecution by the Judean King Herod, Mary and husband Joseph took young Jesus to Egypt, returning to Nazareth after Herod’s death. HOME IN NAZARETH: Nazareth lay between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee… apart from the great international trade routes. His home was religious in tone. EDUCATION: Joseph and Mary were Jesus’ teachers as they did not send him to Temple school. Religious training came from local rabbis, and Jesus learned the trade of his foster father- carpentry. COMING OF AGE: Jesus travelled 130 kilometres in Jerusalem for the annual temple Passover service. On one of these occasions he frightened his parents who thought he was lost. He was found teaching the elders in the temple. HIS EARLY YEARS

5. Jesus’ Baptism: Before beginning His public ministry, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by the prophet named John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a white dove, signifying the presence of God. Jesus’ Ministry: After praying and fasting for 40 days, Jesus began his ministry of teaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. He also called 12 men, the Apostles, to follow Him and help with the work. Jesus’ Passion, Death, Resurrection: After his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus is forced to carry His cross and is put to death. On the Third Day, Jesus conquered sin and death and rose to new life. This is what Christians always celebrate when they gather. Ascension: After giving His apostles specific instructions for establishing the Church, Jesus ascended bodily to heaven. Pentecost: Considered the birthday of the Church, this is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that he would send His presence to be with the apostles while they ministered in His name. HIS LATER YEARS

6. Religious Experience: Timeline Using Pages #262-263 of the Orange textbook: Record the 14 key dates to the History of Christianity and make a brief summary of each date in your notes. Read Pages #264-269. Complete the Check your Understanding questions #1-4 on page #269.