Orthodox Catholic News

Who Is This Nazarene Called Jesus?

                       By: Very Rev. Fr. “Abouna” Gregori

 

 

Was He real, a fraud or a fairy tale? How can we know for sure?

Many people are either unaware or just vaguely aware that Jesus Christ's birth, life and death were prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures, of the Old Testament. Yet, there are a great number of predictions with astonishingly precise details foretold up to thousands of years in advance. These predictions make for a powerful confirmation of the accuracy of Bible prophecy.

In the New Testament, there are listed fifty-two prophesies that have been fulfilled in the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ as found in eighty-one passages in the Old Testament. These prophecies in the Old Testament were a road sign that pointed toward the future to Jesus Christ’s first and second comings. The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible discusses not only hundreds of specific prophecies, but many events, people, rituals and sacrifices recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures that foreshadowed the life, death, ministry and return of Jesus Christ.

Let us examine some of these prophecies and see if they were really fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth:

The Messiah, according to Micah 5:2, would be born in Bethlehem. (See Matthew 2:1).

According to Isaiah 11:1-5, the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. (See Matthew 1:1,6).

Isaiah 40:3, 5 and Malachi 3:1 tells that there would be one who will precede Him and announce His coming. (See Matthew 3:1-3).

In Isaiah 53:3, we read that His own people would reject Him. (See John 1:11).

According to Psalm 41:9, the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend. (See John 13:18-30).

Zechariah 11:12-13 tells that the price for His betrayal would be thirty pieces of silver and that the thirty pieces of silver would buy a potter's field. (See Matthew 27:3-10).

Psalm 22:16 says that wicked people would pierce His hands and feet. (See Luke 23:33; 24:38-40).

The Messiah would suffer execution without the breaking of any of His bones according to Psalm 34:20. (See John 19:33-36).

We read in Psalm 22:18 that others would cast lots for His garments. (See John 19: 23-24).

Isaiah 53:9 declares that He would be buried with the wealthy. (See Matthew 27: 57-60).

And finally, Psalm 16:10 says God would resurrect Him from the grave. (See Acts 2:30-32).

The prophets had written these remarkable details in advance up to 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, and King David predicted details of Christ's death by crucifixion hundreds of years before the practice of crucifixion became common as a method of execution.

Jesus Himself could not have controlled how these prophecies were fulfilled. It is beyond the power of any mere man, woman or child to control the circumstances of their own birth, who their ancestors are and where they are born. Nor could they control the actions of others in betraying them, putting them to death and laying their body in the unused tomb of a wealthy man.

The four Gospels are filled with accounts telling of how many of the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled, but Christ's closest followers didn't recognize their fulfillment at the time. It was only after the facts that they were able to recognize many specific prophecies recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures and how they had been fulfilled.

There are still many prophecies regarding Jesus Christ that are yet to be fulfilled. Just as the many exact details of Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection came to pass exactly as foretold, so will the many prophecies that relate to His second coming be fulfilled exactly as spelled out in God's Word.

His Birth and Early Years:

Roughly 2000 years ago a man named Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in the land of Israel. He was unique. He was fully God and yet fully human. God had allowed himself to be born as a man so that he could live and suffer among us, to serve as the perfect atonement for sin, and to offer forgiveness and salvation to anyone who believes.

His birth, mission, death and resurrection were foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament and revealed to us by the writers of the New Testament.

The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke explain the virgin birth of Jesus. Mary was espoused (engaged) to a man named Joseph but not yet married. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she would have a son who would be named Jesus and who would be called the Son of God.

This event was foreshadowed centuries earlier when the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 7:14) spoke of a sign from God in which an "almah," meaning a young maiden, would give birth to a son who would be called "Immanuel," which is a Hebrew phrase that means "God with us." Because Jesus was God incarnate as a man, who lived among us, he literally was "God with us."

Not long before Jesus was born, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus decided that a census be taken throughout the Roman Empire, including the land of Israel. People were required to return to their ancestral homes for registration. For Joseph and Mary, that meant leaving Nazareth, which is a town in the northern district of Galilee, and traveling to Bethlehem, which is in the southern region called Judah or Judea.

Upon their arrival in Bethlehem, Mary was in labor and ready to give birth to Jesus. So Joseph and Mary went to a manger because they could not find other lodging. It was a manger, where animals are kept, that served as the humble place of birth for Jesus.

Bethlehem is a very important city for Messianic prophecy. King David, who ruled over Israel about 1,000 years before the time of Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. And the prophet Micah, who lived about 700 years before Jesus, announced that Bethlehem would be the birthplace for the Messiah:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." - Micah 5:2

Ephratha is the ancient name for the town of Bethlehem in Judah.

When Jesus was born, a star appeared over Bethlehem. Scholars today speculate whether the star was a meteor, a supernatural phenomenon, an alignment of celestial bodies, or a literal star. Many scholars believe that Jesus was born sometime around 4 BC to 8 BC. It is interesting to note that ancient Chinese astronomy records indicate that there was a star-like object hovering somewhere over the Middle East for several days in the year 5 BC, about 2000 years ago.

The Star of Bethlehem caught the attention of visitors from the East. These visitors believed that the star marked the birth of a new king. Perhaps the visitors were familiar with the Bible's prophecies and understood that a Messiah King would be born in Israel and that he would have an impact on the entire world.

However, Israel already had a ruler, King Herod the Great. He was not a true king but had been appointed by the Romans to govern the Jews in the land of Israel. Herod was described by Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived during the first century, as a murderous man who ordered the deaths of many of his own family members. When Herod found out that the visitors were hoping to find and worship the newborn king, Herod ordered the deaths of every infant in Bethlehem, in the hopes of killing the king that the visitors sought.

An angel warned Joseph of Herod's plans to murder the young children of Bethlehem. So Joseph and Mary took the baby Jesus to Egypt and they lived there until Herod died. In ancient times the people of Israel sometimes sought refuge in Egypt. During the days of Jacob and his 12 sons, for example, the Israelites traveled to Egypt because there was a great famine in the land of Israel. The book of Matthew shows that many events in Jewish history are similar to events in the life of Jesus, reinforcing his role as the Messiah.

After the death of King Herod, Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to the land of Israel. Joseph was afraid to return to Bethlehem because the town is near Jerusalem, where Herod Archelaus, the son of Herod, now reigned as king. So Joseph took his family to the northern district of Galilee, to a small town called Nazareth. This obscure town became the hometown of Jesus, where he grew up and became an adult.

When Jesus was 12 years of age, he and his mother Mary and stepfather Joseph traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual Feast of the Passover. When the feast had ended, Mary and Joseph became separated from Jesus and they searched for him. Jesus had gone to the Lord's Temple and conversed with the people there. The people were amazed by his depth of understanding and by his knowledge. When Mary found Jesus at the Temple, Jesus said to her: "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49).

Jesus’ First Year of Ministry:

The Gospel of John describes three annual Passover feasts during the course of Jesus' ministry and this is why there is the commonly held belief that his ministry lasted for about three years. Luke tells us that Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. Here I will explain a few details of his first year of ministry, which begins with the forerunner, John the Baptist.

In the book of Malachi, there is a prophecy about a forerunner who would prepare the way for the Lord: "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. - Malachi 3:1

About 400 years later this prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was about to begin his ministry, John the Baptist proclaimed to others: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29

At about thirty years of age, Jesus left the district of Galilee, which included the town of Nazareth, where he grew up, and had traveled to the wilderness of the Jordan River to be baptized. There, John the Baptist drew crowds as he preached and baptized.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:16-17

After he was baptized, Jesus went into the desert and fasted for forty days. Satan used this time to tempt Jesus. "Satan" is a Hebrew word that means "adversary," or "enemy." During the temptations, Satan uses the supernatural to find Jesus in the desert, then to transport Jesus to the top of the Temple in Jerusalem, and then to take Jesus to a high mountain. With each successive temptation, the loftiness of what Satan offers increases, as does the height from which he makes the offer.

Each time, Jesus resists the temptation and quotes scripture to rebuke Satan. In one instance, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy, chapter 8. It is important to note that Deuteronomy 8:2-3 reminds us that the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert where they too were tested for their obedience to the will of God. This is another example of the book of Matthew pointing out similarities between the life of Jesus and the history of Israel.

Jesus’ First Miracle:

Jesus along with some of his disciples went to Cana, a town in the district of Galilee, to attend a wedding party. His mother, Mary, also attended. The host of the wedding party did not have enough wine for everyone and this was considered a very embarrassing situation. Mary intervened on behalf of the wedding host and told Jesus about the problem. Jesus then miraculously changed six barrels of water into wine for the wedding party.

Of all the miracles that Jesus performed, this one might appear to be minor. But it did accomplish two important things. It shows that Jesus has concern for people's problems, even if they are not major problems. And it showed Jesus' disciples that he was able to perform miracles.

Throughout the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are descriptions of thirty-four miracles performed by Jesus. But there may have been thousands, as sometimes when surrounded by a large group of people, the Bible states "He healed them all." These thirty-four miracles are a sampling of what he did and the compassion he felt for people. Everything from raising the dead, controlling nature, healing the sick, casting out demons, and providing enough food from a few baskets of bread and fish to feed thousands.

But, having a human nature, Jesus was capable of anger also. Jesus went to the holy city of Jerusalem, the most important city in the Jewish homeland, and visited the Lord's Temple. When he arrived he saw that many people were selling animals and exchanging money in the Temple courts. This angered Jesus because the Temple was intended to be a place to worship God, not a place for commerce. Jesus made a whip out of some strands of rope and chased the merchants out of the holy Temple. Jesus said to them:

"How dare you turn my Father's house into a den of thieves?" - John 2:16

Jesus Preached of Love for us and His Plan for our Salvation; He also told the Samaritan Woman about the “Water of Life”:

Jesus explains to Nicodemus, who was a secret disciple of Jesus, what a person must do to have salvation and eternal life. Jesus says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” - John 3:16-17

As Jesus and his followers traveled through Samaria, Jesus rested at a place called Jacob's Well. There he met a Samaritan woman and spoke to her about the "water of life." He told her:

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13-14

In his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus showed that the word of God was meant to be shared with all people, even enemies (the Samaritans and the Jews were hostile towards one another). And, he showed that it was to be shared with men and women, Jews and Gentiles. (Gentile refers to those who are not Jewish).

Jesus Proclaims His Divinity and is Rejected:

Jesus went to a Synagogue in Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah to the people gathered there:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn”, - Isaiah 61:1-2

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." - Luke 4:20-21

Shortly after Jesus announced that he was the Messiah, the people at the Synagogue in Nazareth rejected him as the Messiah:

"All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way." - Luke 4:28-30

Second Year of Jesus’ Ministry:

During this second year, Jesus performed many miracles and his popularity increased.

John 5: 17-47 is one of the most important Bible passages, because here, Jesus explains that God is his father. Jesus also explains that all who believe the words of Jesus will have eternal life: . . .”the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth; whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:22-24).

A group of disciples gathered around Jesus as he traveled throughout the countryside. The word disciple means "learner" or “student” and the relationship of a teacher to his disciples were considered important by Jews in ancient times. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes, for example, had disciples. In fact, John the Baptist had disciples. Jesus entrusted his disciples to serve people:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Matthew 9:35-38).

From among his disciples, Jesus gave some the ability to heal people of their diseases and illnesses. Jesus did this after going up a mountain and spending the night in prayer to God the Father. These disciples became known as the twelve Apostles. They were:

Peter, also known as Simon Peter;

Andrew, brother of Peter;

James, son of Zebedee;

John, brother of James;

Philip;

Bartholomew;

Thomas;

Matthew, the former tax collector;

James, son of Alphaeus;

Thaddeus, Judas the son of James;

Simon the Zealot;

Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus not only healed many people and performed miracles that showed that he is the Son of God; he also preached the greatest sermons in history. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 is observed by many as the greatest of all. It establishes the basic themes of his teachings. After pronouncing a series of blessings (the beatitudes) Jesus spoke of the law and its fulfillment.

He asserted that his purpose was to fulfill the law and the prophets, at the same time claiming the authority to speak in a way that went beyond the law. Jesus laid out several contrasts between his own teaching and that of traditional law; each opened with the phrases "You have heard that it was said...But I say to you" (Matt. 5:21-22). His intent was to move away from a law intended to be enforced by judicial authorities toward a standard of thought and commitment that could only be applied internally to one's own heart and life. He dealt with difficult topics of anger, adultery and covetousness, retaliation, and resisting evil.

Finally, Jesus came to the heart of his teaching, a commitment to love without boundaries. Jesus rejected the common attitude of loving one's neighbor and hating one's enemies, asking them to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

The following is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:43-48:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

There are sixteen great sermons listed in the four Gospels, which includes: the final tribulation, his fathers House, the bread of life, judgment and resurrection, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Devil and his children, the Good Shepherd, against religious hypocrites, etc.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about praying to God:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

'Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as

we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:6-15).

When a group of religious leaders saw that Jesus had the power to cast out evil spirits from people, they accused Jesus of getting his power from the devil. Jesus, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, rebuked them and explained that only good can come from good and only evil, can come from evil. He also said, as quoted in Matthew 12:30-32 - "he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

A Bible scholar named John Gill offered his opinion of what is meant by the 'unpardonable sin:' "because such persons willfully, maliciously, and obstinately oppose the Spirit of God, without whom there can be no application of pardon made; and remain in hardness of heart, are given up to a reprobate mind, and die in impenitence and unbelief, and so there is no forgiveness for them ..."

Third Year of Jesus’ Ministry:

This is sometimes called the "Year of opposition." Some of the community leaders attempted unsuccessfully to challenge Jesus' authority and were becoming increasingly antagonistic. Jesus continued to perform miracles and large crowds continued to seek him.

During this period of His ministry, Jesus fed the “Five Thousand” from fives loaves of bread and two fishes. Of all of the miracles that Jesus had performed in healing people, turning water into wine and in feeding a multitude of people with a single basket of food, the miracle that made the disciples proclaim that Jesus was the Son of God was his miracle of walking on water. Jesus told his disciples to go out into the water in a boat while Jesus went to a private place to pray. Later, Jesus walked out to the boat and startled the disciples. They thought they were seeing a ghost walking on the water. But after they realized that it was Jesus, they worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Similar to other prophets in the Bible, Jesus foretold events that later happened. He prophesized that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed and that the Word of God would be preached to every corner of the world. These prophecies were fulfilled. But, Jesus is different than the other prophets of God. For one, Jesus was the subject of many of the prophecies given by the others. And two, Jesus fulfilled some of his own prophecies. As explained in Matthew 16:21-26, Jesus prophesized his own persecution, death and resurrection.

The end of Jesus' ministry was marked with a triumphal entry into Jerusalem and great antagonism from local religious leaders. About five hundred years before the time of Jesus, there was a prophet of God named Zechariah (see Zechariah 9:9) who spoke of a king presenting himself to Jerusalem while riding on a humble donkey. This is how Jesus entered the Holy City of Jerusalem shortly before he was crucified. He rode on the back of a donkey into the city. Along the way, a crowd of people gathered near Him, praising him as he went by.

The religious and political groups of Jerusalem, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, were often at odds with Jesus. Members of these groups conspired to get rid of Jesus. In Matthew 22, the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking whether Jews should pay taxes to the Romans:

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22).

The enemies of Jesus had to be careful in trying to silence him. They knew that Jesus was popular, so they tried to find ways to trap him without angering the people. In this example from the book of Matthew, the opponents came up with a ploy that backfired:

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."

Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Matthew 21:23-27).

The book of Matthew shows another example of how some of Jerusalem's religious leaders tried to test Jesus:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:34-40).

Jesus was able to summarize the Law, which is the first five books of the Old Testament, into a few sentences.

A few days before the Passover, Jesus again predicted his death. He told his disciples that he would be handed over to be crucified. At about this time, the chief priests and other community leaders plotted to have Jesus arrested so they could kill Him. They conspired with Judas, one of Jesus' 12 Apostles, and paid him 30 pieces of silver to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

During the Passover celebration, Jesus gathered with his apostles. He knew that this would be the final meal that he would share with his apostles before his crucifixion. It was at this time that Jesus instituted what is now known in many Christian churches as "communion." It is also called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Supper."

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28).

After the meal, Jesus and his followers had entered the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. His disciples were sleeping for the night when a crowd of Roman soldiers and Jewish officials showed up to arrest Jesus. Judas told the soldiers which man was Jesus. Then the men began to arrest Jesus, but Peter used a sword to cut off a man's ear. Jesus scolded Peter for doing that: "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52). Jesus healed the injured man's ear and then allowed Himself to be arrested and led away.

Jesus was falsely accused of being an anti-government rebel. He appears before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the land of the Jews, and eventually is condemned. Jesus then was beaten and mocked by Roman soldiers.

After the trial, Jesus was beaten and whipped. Then he was given a cross to carry and led to Calvary. There, he was nailed to the cross, through his wrists and feet. The cross was raised and Jesus was left to die. Many people had gathered to watch. Some mocked Jesus as he was dying. Others mourned for Him.

After Jesus had died on the cross, a Roman soldier pierced Jesus with a spear to make sure he was dead. Two men had asked permission to take Jesus' body and bury Him. The two men were Joseph of Arimethea and a man named Nicodemus. Jesus was taken down from the cross, wrapped in clothe and placed into an empty tomb owned by Joseph of Arimethea, who was a rich Tin merchant. A large stone was placed in front of the tomb to close off the burial chamber. The Romans also posted a guard at the tomb to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

The Resurrection of Jesus:

His death on the cross and His burial in the tomb could not and did not end the story of Jesus the Nazarene.

Jesus was crucified. He died. He was buried. And he rose again. The resurrection is an essential part of Christianity. There is no Christianity without the resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15).

The third morning after Jesus had been placed in the tomb; Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. It was very early in the morning and it was still dark outside. She saw that the stone had been removed from the front of the tomb and that the tomb was empty. She ran to Peter to inform him what she had seen. Then, Peter and another Apostle, John, ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The body of Jesus was gone and the only thing left behind was the cloth that was used to wrap his body for the burial. The Apostles were confused; they did not understand what was happening. How could the tomb be empty? Where was the body of Jesus?

The Apostles returned to their homes. But Mary Magdalene remained by the tomb, crying. Then she turned and saw a man who asked her why she was crying. Mary Magdalene soon realized that the man who was talking to her was Jesus Christ. Jesus had risen from death. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the beginning of Christianity. If Christ had not been resurrected and seen by many people (more than 500), Christianity would not exist today. Jesus made twelve appearances after his resurrection:

His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene, on that early Sunday morning. (Mark 16:9; John 20:10-18).

The second, Jesus appeared to the women returning from the tomb. (Matthew 28:9-10).

The third, Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32; Mark 16:12-13).

His fourth appearance was to Peter in Jerusalem. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).

He appeared to his disciples and other followers, and also a second time to the two men from Emmaus, in a locked room in Jerusalem. The apostle Thomas wasn't there at that time. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23).

A week later, Jesus again appeared to his disciples behind locked doors, and this time Thomas was present. (John 20:24-29).

Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-24).

Jesus was seen by 500 believers at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:6).

He appeared to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7).

He appeared to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. (Matt. 28:18-20).

He walked with his disciples along the road to Bethany, on the Mount of Olives, and then ascended into Heaven. (Luke 24:50-53).

He was seen by Paul on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8).

Some people had doubts that Jesus had risen from the dead, that he had been resurrected. After all, the Romans drove nails through Jesus' hands and feet and later pierced his side with a spear to make sure he was dead. And now there were people claiming to have seen Jesus alive again. Even the Apostle named Thomas had doubts, as explained in John 20:24-29.

The 15th chapter of the book, 1 Corinthians, which was written by a disciple named Paul, explains the significance of the resurrection of Jesus. It says that Jesus died for our sins. (see 1 Corinthians 15:3). It also says that our faith would be meaningless if there had been no resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15:17). And it proclaims that Jesus was resurrected. (see 1 Corinthians 15:20). Paul is one of the people who saw Jesus after the resurrection.

After the resurrection, Jesus met with his disciples on a mountain in Galilee and gave them a command to go out and evangelize to all people:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20).

After he had told his disciples to go out into the world and preach the word of God, Jesus ascended into Heaven. The New Testament explains that Jesus will return in the future to judge the living and the dead and to establish eternal peace.

So, is Jesus truly the Christ, the Son of God or was He a fool or charlatan? Each of you will have to decide for yourself. If you accept Jesus as having been real and the Son of God, and if you accept his gift of salvation and repent from your sins, you will spend eternity in heaven. If you choose to either disbelieve or reject Jesus out of hand, you will suffer eternal damnation. How will you choose.