We have seen how God’s eternal plan developed through the Old Testament. Let us now consider the climax of that plan in the life of Jesus Christ!

Jesus of Nazareth

The prophets had foretold that in the days of the fourth empire God would establish a kingdom that would never end, ruled over by a king in the line of David, who would restore the fortunes of God’s people. Expectations, therefore, were very high in the first centuries BCE and CE. And this is when Jesus of Nazareth enters the scene.

Bible passages: Isaiah 7:10-15; 9:1-7; 11:1-16, Daniel 2:31-45; 7:1-28.

His Birth

Jesus was born to Mary through the Holy Spirit according to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. He was not born into a wealthy family, but to a carpenter’s family in the backwoods of Galilee, in northern Israel. His humble origins tell us much about Him and His purpose.

Bible passages: Matthew 1:1-2:23, Luke 1:1-2:40.

His Life

When Jesus was about thirty years old, He began to do the work of God His Father. After being baptized by John the Baptist, He began to preach good news to the people of Israel about the coming Kingdom of God.

Jesus performed many miracles to prove that He was of God and that the Kingdom was coming. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and was even able to raise the dead.

He spent most of His time teaching His twelve disciples and the multitudes of poor Israelites that would come to listen to Him. The twelve especially received lessons about the Kingdom that was coming, although they did not truly understand it until later.

Jesus did not have a good relationship with the religious authorities among the Jews of the day: the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and lawyers. Even though they often challenged Him, He always showed them God’s truth, and prevailed.

Bible passages: Matthew 4:1-19:30, Mark 1:1-10:52, Luke 4:1-19:48, John 1:1-12:50.

His Death

In March or April of 30 CE, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem to observe the Jewish feast of the Passover. He had previously revealed to His disciples that He was going to be arrested, treated badly, and killed, and rise again on the third day. The disciples did not understand what He meant.

Jesus traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem often and taught the people there. The religious authorities were tired of His teachings and desired to have Him executed.

On the night of the Passover, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus into the hands of these religious authorities. After a show trial, He was handed over to the Roman authority, Pontius Pilate. Pilate agreed to the plans of the Jews, and Jesus was handed over to be scourged (lashed with a whip) and to be crucified (to hang upon a cross). Thus Jesus died, punished as a common criminal.

Bible passages: Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Matthew 20:1-27:66, Mark 11:1-15:47, Luke 20:1-23:56, John 13:1-19:42.

His Resurrection

If the story of Jesus ended here, it would not be very notable. Yet unlike everyone who has ever lived, Jesus rose from the dead through the power of God on the third day, never to die again.

He appeared to some of the women who followed Him and then also to His disciples. They could not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead!

Jesus then explained to them the nature of His Kingdom. God intended to restore the fortunes of His people, but it would not be as the Jews expected. The Kingdom would be spiritual, not physical, and people would gain freedom from bondage to Satan and sin, not the Romans. Jesus had died as the sacrifice for sin, as the prophets of old had seen, and He would now rule over heaven and earth.

Bible passages: Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-16, Luke 24:1-53, John 20:1-21:25, 1 Corinthians 15:1-58.