His birth. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary in the city of Bethlehem ( Luke 2:1-28 ).
Early Life. On account of the decree of Herod, Joseph took the young child and his mother and fled into Egypt, where they remained until Archelaus succeeded his father, after which they returned to Nazareth and resided there ( Matthew 2:1-23 ). Nothing is recorded of Him until He was twelve years old, when he was able to confound the doctors of the law by His wisdom ( Luke 2:40-51 ). Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus learned the trade and followed it in the city of Nazareth ( Matthew 13:55 ; Mark 6:3 ; Luke 2:39 ).
His Baptism. Jesus came from Nazareth to Jordan and was baptized by John, and as he came up out of the water, His Father acknowledged Him, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him ( Matthew 3:13-17 ).
The Temptation and Triumph. Immediately after His baptism He was led away into the wilderness and tempted by the devil. He was tempted "in all points" ( Hebrews 4:15 )--the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life ( 1 John 2:16 )--but He signally triumphed in every particular ( Genesis 3:6 ; Matthew 3:1-11 ).
Introduction to Israel. Jesus was subsequently introduced to Israel by John, His forerunner ( John 1:29-36 ).
PublicMinistry. He immediately entered upon his public ministry. His work was twofold:
He announced that the kingdom of God was at hand ( Matthew 4:17 ), and that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( Matthew 15:24 ).
Manner of Teaching. He taught the multitude by parables in order to hide from them His true mission until the time ordained by His Father ( Matthew 13:33-35 ).
The Parables. Parables of Jesus stand unapproachable and unapproached in the history of man. There are thirty-one of them {*}, and they are divided into three classes:
He pronounced the doom on Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum ( Matthew 11:20-24 );
discourse after healing the infirm man at Bethesda ( John 5:1-47 );
He defended His disciples after they plucked the corn on the sabbath day ( Matthew 12:1-19 );
He defended Himself when the Pharisees accused Him of being in collusion with Baalzebub, the prince of devils, announcing to them that attributing His works to this source was a sin against the Holy Spirit that would never be forgiven ( Matthew 12:23-32 ; Mark 3:22-30 );
the discourse on the Bread of life ( John 6:25-61 );
The Last Supper. On the night of his betrayal, Jesus instituted a supper to be kept in memory of him--his death and sufferings ( Matthew 26:26-30 ). It was designed,
to keep Him enshrined in the hearts of His disciples to the end of time;
Agony in the Garden. After the supper Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane where, under the mighty weight of the world's sins, He cried to His Father to let the cup of sorrow and suffering pass, but expressed his willingness to submit to the terrible ordeal ( Luke 22:39-46 ).
Betrayal. Jesus was betrayed by one of His Apostles, Judas Iscariot ( Luke 22:47Luke 22:48 ).
His Trial. The trial of Jesus was the most consummate farce in the annals of the world. He was carried from court to court ( Matthew 26:5-75 ; Luke 23:1-12 ), and finally condemned to die without the establishment of a single charge against Him ( Luke 23:13-26 ).
Crucifixion. Jesus was crucified between two malefactors, forsaken of God and man ( Luke 23:27-48 ).
Sayings on the Cross. The utterances of Jesus on the cross were,
His prayer to God in behalf of His tormentors ( Matthew 23:34 );
Burial and Resurrection. He was buried in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea ( Mark 15:43-47 ), and raised again for our justification ( Mark 16:1-8 ; Romans 4:25 ).
His Incredulous Apostles. The apostles of Jesus received the news of the resurrection with incredulity--as idle tales ( Luke 24:10Luke 24:11 ).
Appearances After the Resurrection. After Jesus arose again He spent forty days on earth, demonstrating His identity by infallible proofs, and He instructed His apostles in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God ( Acts 1:1-3 ). He was seen by,
The Ascension. After Jesus had committed the words of reconciliation to the apostles ( 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ). He led them out as far as Bethany, blessed them and ascended to His Father's right hand ( Luke 24:49-53 ; Acts 1:9-11 ).
His Character. In contemplating the character we should note that He is