About Jesus

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

Is he a madman, a misguided moral teacher, a liar?

How did his followers spread faith in Jesus so quickly

through the Roman empire?

Who could have made the story up?

Who do you think Jesus is? Your life on earth and for all eternity is affected by your answer to this question.

Jesus was born to a humble Jewish family circa 0 AD. He rarely left Palestine,never wrote a book, got rich or became a celebrity but no-one has affected human history more.

The bible tells that he lived a sinless life. He taught, healed and worked miracles throughout Palestine for about three years. People, including those on the margins of society, were changed by their encounter with Jesus.

Eventually the religious, political and military leader, and even the crowd of ordinary people, turned against him. They crucified him - the regular means of execution for ordinary criminals at that time.

However, God brought him back to life 3 days after. His special followers - his disciples - met the risen Jesus. He talked and ate with them. 500 people saw him on one occasion. Then he left them to return to heaven, but sent the Holy Spirit to them. The world was changed.

Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, the prophets of the Old Testament predicted his coming. People had rejected God and broken the relationship with him.

But God promised to send a special one to mend the relationship. Jesus was the one. God came to earth in Jesus to mend the relationship with humankind, by living a human life without sin and bearing the punishment that would naturally be coming to all of us.

Jesus told this story in the book of Luke chapter 15 verses 11-22:

'Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.

"But while he was still a along way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

"The son said to the him, ' Father i have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Lets have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

Just as the younger sinful son left his father, each one of us has turned away from God. We need to "come to our senses" and return to God asking for forgiveness too. In the Bible God promises that he will forgive us if we turn to Jesus and accept that he paid the price for all our isns on the cross. We can start life anew and He gives us His Holy Spirit to help change is into the people we were always meant to be, with Him.

 

Lord Jesus Christ

I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever.

Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.

The bible is available on the web at www.thebible.co.uk and at www.bible.gospelcom.net. Bibles can be brought from most bookshops and Wesley Owen in Cheltenham is a good starting place. We would recommend the Youth Bible New Century Version published by Nelson World Bibles for a beginner. It contains introductions to each book, maps and modern everyday stories which relate to the Bible passages. We would also recommend beginners start with Mark's Gospel.

Contact: office@ckbc.org.uk or (01242) 261507 for further help