Facts about Jesus
Following this event, Jesus retreated to a garden outside Jerusalem's walls to pray, asking that if God wills, the bitter cup of his impending death might be taken from him.
Jesus himself lived simply, accepting hospitality when it was offered.
Scholars have long debated what the content was of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached.
According to mainstream Islam, Jesus (Isa in the Qur'an) was one of God's highest ranked and most beloved prophets, ranked among the righteous.
Some suggest that Jesus, if he was a rabbi, probably married (Funk 1993, 221; Phipps 1996, 174).
The above mentioned story of Jesus teaching in the Temple also hints at the strain between Jesus and his parents.
Jesus was born miraculously without a human biological father by the will of God (Q19:20-21).
Until the late eighteenth century, few Christians doubted that the Jesus in whom they believed and the Jesus of history were identical.
Christians are said to exaggerate Jesus' importance, committing excess in their religion.
Dayananda Sarasvati (1824-1883) thought the gospels silly, Jesus ignorant and Christianity a “hoax” (Bennett 2001, 327-328).
The docetics and authors of various Gnostic texts said that Jesus was entirely a spiritual being; he only appeared to be human.
Some recognized Jesus as the one who had been promised, who would bring salvation to the world (Luke 2:25-42).
Muslims believe that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, but God made it appear so to his enemies (Qur'an 4:157).
Many Muslims think that Jesus will then marry, have children, and die a natural death.
Soon after, Peter, who was Jesus' chief disciple, confessed that he believed Jesus was the Messiah, the "Son of the Living God" (Matt.
Above all, Jesus was the "man of sorrows" who, despite a most difficult life, never closed his heart and never ceased to love.
Many items exist that are purported to be authentic relics of Jesus.
Many Christians regard Jesus as a pacifist, but the work of Horsley, among others, questions this, suggesting that Jesus did not reject violence.
Jesus, these writers point out, had a lot in common with Hillel and Honi the Circle Drawer, who are honored as Jewish sages in rabbinic literature.
The real Jesus, he said, remains alien and exotic, so much a product of his eschatological worldview, which we do not share, that he escapes us—constantly retreating back into his own time.
Some point to similarities between Jesus and Krishna (see Bennett 2001, 299-301).
At the marriage at Cana, when his mother asked Jesus to turn water into wine, he replied in anger, "O woman, what have you to do with me?"
The revolutionary and political implications of the Jewish title "Messiah" are not lost by some scholars, who see it as the key to understanding Jesus' life and fate.
Outwardly, Jesus' crucifixion appeared no different from the execution of a common criminal (crucifixion being the Roman form of execution in those days).
Jesus was also tried before Herod Antipas, because his jurisdiction included Galilee and before the Roman governor, Pilate, who alone had the authority to pronounce a death sentence.
Joseph Klausner, a prominent Israeli scholar, was vigorous in asserting the Judaism of Jesus.
Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code transforms this into fiction, linking the concealment of Jesus' marriage and offspring with the suppression of the sacred feminine by a male-dominated Roman church.
According to the Gospels, Jesus preached and healed in Jerusalem, especially in the Temple courts.
The doctrine of the Second Coming attests to the unfinished quality of Jesus work, where salvation and the Kingdom are spiritually present but yet to be manifest in their fullness—in the fullness of time.
Miller (2001), who surveys this debate, asks whether Jesus was or was not an apocalyptic preacher.
Paul began to develop a theology of Jesus as the "new Adam who comes to restore the sin of the first Adam” (1 Cor.
Apparently this impression of Jesus was believed by some of his contemporaries—that he was the return of Elijah (Mark 6:14-16; Matt.
Jesus proceeded to explain from the scriptures the significance of his suffering and death, and then shared a meal with them, at which point they recognized who he was.
Angelic warning enabled Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to flee to Egypt, where they remained for an unspecified period.
Some Muslim scholars (notably Ahmad Deedat) maintain that Jesus was indeed put up on the cross, but did not die on it.
See Vivekananda (1963-1966), who depicted Jesus as a jibanmukti, one who had gained liberation while still alive and love for the service of others.
James Cone (1970) argued that Jesus was actually black, and that to be a true follower of Jesus all people—white as well as black—need to identify with the black experience of oppression and powerlessness.
Judas Iscariot took offense at her extravagant devotion; it is the final insult that caused him to go to the priests to betray Jesus.
The simplicity of Jesus’ lifestyle, his kindness to animals and his other-worldliness are stressed in Sufi writings (see Bennett 2001, 279-280).
Reimarus points out, as do numerous others, that the disciples did not witness the main events of Jesus’ trial and execution, or the resurrection.
The relationship between Mary and Joseph may have suffered, and as they had more children for whom parentage was not at issue, Jesus became an outcast even in his own home.
Jesus spoke words of forgiveness from the cross, praying for the soldiers who were mocking him, tormenting him, and taking even his clothes, and then declared, “it is finished” just before he expired.
Some Jewish scholars believe that Jesus is mentioned as Yeshu in the Jewish Talmud, usually in ridicule and as a mesith (enticer of Jews away from the truth), although other scholars dispute this.
Jesus invites us to follow him on a spiritual path in which serving God is manifest by giving of self and living for the sake of others.
The events surrounding Jesus' last days—his death and resurrection—are called the Passion.
More than that, the person of Jesus represents God's revelation to humanity, making possible communion with God.
The Arabic version of Josephus is free of these apparent Christian interpolations, but still makes it clear that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus.
Scholars such as Howard Marshall, Bruce Metzger and Thomas Wright defend the traditional view of Jesus as God's Son, as well as that he was self-conscious of his identity and mission as the messiah.
The earliest New Testament texts which refer to Jesus are Saint Paul's letters, usually dated from the mid-first century, but Paul never met Jesus in person; he only saw him in visions.
Jesus was causing public disturbance, but Pilate's wife intervened, calling Jesus a “righteous man.” The charge before Pilate was treason—that Jesus claimed to be king of the Jews.
Finally, Mahavira's chief disciple, Ganadhar Gautam Swami, is also alleged to have attained complete knowledge (Kevalgyana) on Diwali, thus making the day a very special occasion for the Jains.
Some Muslims accept the Gospel of Barnabas as the most accurate testament of Jesus.
Elizabeth S. Fiorenza stresses that Jesus affirmed the feminine and that Sophia (wisdom) was feminine—despite its later neglect by the church.
Matthew often cites Hebrew Bible passages, saying that they have been fulfilled in Jesus.
According to Mark 14:3-9, when Jesus was at Bethany, two days before the Last Supper, a woman anointed Jesus with costly ointment.
Jesus did not teach a spirituality that is best achieved by celibate withdrawal from the world but within the midst of life.
Among them, the Gospel of Thomas is believed by some critics to predate the gospels and to be at least as reliable as they are in reporting what Jesus said.
Christians also believe that Jesus will return to earth before the Day of Judgment.
Jesus renounced all worldly possessions and lived a life of strict nonviolence, abstaining from eating meat and also from drinking alcohol.
Jesus has been featured in many films and media forms, sometimes seriously, and other times satirically.
affirms that Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.
Jesus chose 12 men to be his disciples, who appear to have spent most of the time in his company.
On the road to Emmaus, the resurrected Jesus net two disciples who were despondent over his death.
According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain and nociception are not the same.
Women also belonged to Jesus' inner circle, spending much time with him (John 11:1-4).
Quarrels broke out between John's disciples and Jesus' disciples (John 3:25-26), and while John obliquely praised his greatness, he kept his distance: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Jesus has been portrayed in countless paintings and sculptures throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and modern times.
The traditional account of Jesus' life is that he was born at the beginning of the millennium, when Herod the Great was king.
Pilgrimage constitutes the central congregational worship in Borobudur.
From the moment Jesus set his course to go to Jerusalem, he knew it would lead to his death.
Many incidents were borrowed from the Hebrew Bible, such as the slaughter of the innocents by Herod, to stress that Jesus had a lot in common with Moses.
Jesus answered in disappointment, "Blessed is he who takes no offense at me" (Matt.
Mahatma Gandhi greatly admired Jesus but was disappointed by Christians, who failed to practice what they preach.
Jesus received a gospel from God, called (in Arabic) the Injeel and corresponding to the New Testament (Q3:3).
According to Matthew's account, Jesus had assigned a role to John, that of Elijah the prophet, whose return Jews believed was to presage the Messiah (Matt.
At age 12, Jesus visited the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 2:39-52), where he confounded the teachers with his wisdom.
Salvation is not achieved by obeying the law but by faith in Jesus: “whosoever believes on him shall not perish” (3:16).
Jesus, who had already been whipped mercilessly, was now forced to carry his own cross to the place of execution outside the city.
Jesus' charismatic preaching—his teaching that people could have direct access to God—bypassed the Temple and the trained, official religious leaders.
Others taught that Jesus was an ordinary man, whom God adopted (perhaps at his baptism) as his son.
Jesus Seminar members are typical of those who think that all such notions were borrowed from paganism.
Many black people have been so alienated by that Jesus that they have repudiated Christianity.
Jesus Christ, also known as Jesus of Nazareth or simply Jesus, is Christianity's central figure, both as Messiah and, for most Christians, as God incarnate.
Jesus may have sought to overcome this setback by taking the role of the second coming of Elijah on himself, not least by performing miracles similar to what Elijah had done.
Apparently aware that he was about to die, Jesus gathered his disciples together for what he said would be his last meal with them before he had entered his father's kingdom (Matt.
Other portrayals have attracted less controversy, such as the television ministry’s Jesus of Nazareth by Franco Zeffirelli.
Jesus is alive and seated at God's right hand, as both Lord and Messiah.
A small population of Mandaeans exists to this day; they regard Jesus as an impostor and opponent of the good prophet John the Baptist—whom they nonetheless believe to have baptized him.
Jesus believed that his death on the cross, based on his understanding of himself as suffering Messiah, would usher in the Kingdom.
An Asian appreciation of the divinity and humanity of Christ sees in Jesus' sorrows an image of the sorrows and pain of God himself.
Their belief is based on the Islamic doctrine that the almighty God always protects his prophets—and Jesus was a prophet.
After this, Jesus spent forty days fasting and praying in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan to use his gifts to serve himself, not others, and to gain worldly power.
The legendary Holy Grail refers not to the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper but to Jesus' blood line (see Baigent and Leigh).
Another theme is bringing Jesus' story into the present day (such as in Jesus of Montreal) or imagining his second coming (in The Seventh Sign, for example).
Pilate, remembering a custom that allowed him to release one prisoner at Passover, offered those gathered the choice for the release of Jesus or a prisoner called Barabbas.
Traditional belief is that Jesus lived in Palestine his entire life, except for a few childhood years in Egypt.
Another tendency in contemporary biblical scholarship is to see Jesus as a loyal but reformist Jew, who made no messianic claims but instead was a teacher and prophet.
We can, said Schweitzer, still respond to Jesus call to follow him.
Considered one of the original "Cradle of Civilization" states, the modern state of Syria can trace its roots to the fourth millennium B.C.E.
Remйnyi told Brahms that their friendship must end although it remains unclear as to whether Liszt felt offended or otherwise.
When Jesus was 30 years of age, he accepted baptism from John at the Jordan River.
Perhaps with the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 in mind, Jesus said that before the “restoration,” he would have to suffer and be humiliated (Mark 9:12).
Learning of the real Jesus from amidst the cacophony of interpretations is a major critical task.
Jesus' criticisms in Matthew 23 make more sense if directed at the Saducees.
Hence, they may mix genuine recollections of Jesus' life with post-Easter theological reflections of Jesus' significance to the church.
Others say that someone else, perhaps Judas, was substituted for Jesus unbeknownst to the Romans.
Christology is the attempt by the church to explain who Jesus was from the standpoint of faith, as a human being who manifest divinity both in life and in death.
Judas identified Jesus for the soldiers by kissing him (on both cheeks, in the Middle Eastern fashion), and they arrested him.
Jesus is alive in heaven and will return to Earth in the flesh with Imam Mahdi to defeat the dajjal (the anti-Christ in Islamic belief), once the world has become filled with injustice.
Jesus spoke Aramaic and perhaps some Hebrew, while the gospels are written in koine (common) Greek.
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has a manufacturing plant in Brooklyn that employs 990 workers.
Some groups, including the Copts of Egypt, teach that Jesus had only one nature, which was divine.
Judaism does not see Jesus as a messiah and also rejects the Muslim belief that Jesus was a prophet.
The next morning (Sunday), a group of women went to embalm Jesus' body but instead saw that the stone had been rolled away and that the tomb, apart from Jesus' grave clothes, was empty.
Much popular and some scholarly literature also uses the Qumran Community's Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in a cave by the Dead Sea in 1946 or 1947 to interpret the life of Jesus.
The earliest Jewish Christians, who later became known as Ebionites, saw Jesus as a good Jew who never intended to establish a separate religion.
Liberal scholars, most notably Albrecht Ritschl (1822-89) represented Jesus as a teacher of eternal truths, as a source of moral and ethical guidance.
Albert Speer claims Hitler remained a member of the Catholic church until his suicide, although he also notes that Hitler said that "he had no real attachment to it.
Rediscovery of Jesus’ Jewish identity makes many traditional Western depictions of him as an honorary European seem racist.
The followers of Marcion (d. 160) divorced Jesus from his Jewish background, contending that Jesus' God and the God of the Jews were different.
Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), founder of the Mevelvi order, equated Jesus with divine love, whose selfless, other-centered nature poured out in “healing love” of others.
Jesus' side was pierced while he hung on the cross, and he was given vinegar to drink when he complained of thirst.
Jesus is not nor did he claim to be one of the trinity (Q4:171), although the Qur'an appears to describe a trinity of Father, mother (Mary) and Son (Q5:117).
Jesus even suggests that he had truths he could not reveal because his disciples were not ready to receive them (John 16:12).
Mary Magdalene remained behind, and it was to her that Jesus first appeared.
The issues that Reimarus opened for debate remain the bread and butter of Jesus studies and of theological discussion.
Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code transforms this into fiction, linking the concealment of Jesus' marriage and offspring with the suppression of the sacred feminine by a male-dominated Roman church.
The primary sources about Jesus are the four canonical gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
After approximately three years of teaching, at the age of 33, Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Nevertheless, there is a genre of blood-line literature, for whom Jesus and Mary Magdalene established a lineage whose true identity has been protected by secret societies, such as the Knights Templar.
According to such thinkers, miracles, Jesus' foreknowledge of his own fate, his self-consciousness as divine, the resurrection and ascension, were all pious additions.
Jesus characteristically spoke in parables—earthly stories using metaphors drawn from daily life—often from agriculture and fishery with an inner spiritual meaning.
Most regard him as a manifestation of God but not as the only one—Jesus is one among many.
At the resurrection, Mary was the first disciple to meet the resurrected Jesus, whom she wished to embrace (John 20:17); but he forbade it.
Some Muslim scholars maintain that Jesus was indeed put up on the cross, but was taken down and revived.
When they later found him, instead of apologizing for their neglect they upbraided Jesus for mistreating them (Luke 2:48).
John is traditionally honored on account of this testimony, yet evidence points to only half-hearted support for Jesus.
Much of what Jesus said was back-projected onto his lips to support Christian theology.
Jesus believed that his death on the cross, based on his understanding of himself as suffering Messiah, would usher in the Kingdom.
25-Dec
The earliest source stating 25 December as the date of birth of Jesus is likely by Hippolytus of Rome, written very early in the 3rd century, based on the assumption that the conception of Jesus took place at the Spring equinox which he placed on 25 March, and then added nine months – festivals on that date were then ...
According to History.com, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. However, this association came much later when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century and merged with already ingrained pagan beliefs. The first Easter Bunny legend was documented in the 1500s.Feb 13, 2018
People back in Jesus' time ate a mostly plant-based, clean diet. In that region of the world, lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dates, nuts and fish were all quite popular. For snacks, some even ate grasshoppers and crickets!Mar 26, 2013
The proper name Jesus /ˈdʒiːzəs/ used in the English language originates from the Latin form of the Greek name Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous), a rendition of the Hebrew Yeshua (ישוע), also having the variants Joshua or Jeshua.
In Christianity, the Christ (Greek Χριστός, Christós, meaning "the anointed one") is a title for the saviour and redeemer who would bring salvation to the Jewish people and mankind. Christians believe that Jesus is the Jewish messiah called Christ in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.
Aramaic
The name corresponds to the Greek spelling Iesous, from which, through the Latin Iesus, comes the English spelling Jesus. The Hebrew spelling Yeshua (ישוע) appears in some later books of the Hebrew Bible.