The story of Jesus’ birth begins in the village of Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary lived (Luke 2:1-7). The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary there and announced to her that she would give birth to the Messiah. As the time drew near for Jesus to be born, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, the town […]
Category Archives: Jesus
Jerusalem during the New Testament
By the time of the New Testament, the ancient city of Jerusalem had been transformed from the relatively small fortress of David’s day (2 Samuel 5:6-10; 1 Chronicles 11:4-9) into a major city with a Temple that rivaled the greatest temples in the Roman world. Just prior to Jesus’ birth, Herod the Great completely renovated […]
Palestine under Roman Rule
At the time of Jesus’ birth, the land of Israel (now called Palestine by the Romans) was ruled by the Romans, who had granted Herod the Great the title of “king” over the region. His domain included most of the land that once belonged to Israel. After his death, the Romans granted Herod’s wishes that […]
Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances
On the Friday of Passover, Jesus was crucified and his body was placed in a tomb, but early Sunday morning he was raised to life again through the power of the Holy Spirit! After this he appeared to many believers over a period of forty days until he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-4), although it […]
Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, and Burial
Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 13-19 On the Thursday before he was crucified, Jesus had arranged to share the Passover meal with his disciples in an upper room, traditionally thought to be located in the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem. After they finished the meal, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus […]