Jesus Christ Biography

Unlike most biographies, the Jesus Christ biography does not begin with His birth, or even with His conception. Jesus Christ's biography can be understood more fully if we realize the Bible uses many names to refer to Jesus Christ. John referred to Jesus Christ as "the Word" when he wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1-2). This tells us that the Jesus Christ biography begins in eternity past - with God. 


The first recorded acts in Jesus Christ's biography go back to creation. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3). Although not mentioned by name, this Scripture tells us that He was there, and Scripture records God's words as "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness. . ." (Genesis 1:26), indicating that the Father was not alone at the time of creation. 


Birth: Some would think of a Jesus Christ biography in terms of His life here on earth. For that we must begin not at His birth but at His conception, for both of these events were unlike any other in history. The earthly life of Jesus is the only one that begins with a spiritual conception, with no man present. This conception was foretold by the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-35. His birth was the only one to ever open a womb, since He was born of a young Jewish virgin. Because of a government census His mother, Mary, and His stepfather, Joseph, had to travel to Bethlehem. This is where Jesus was born in a lowly stable. His birth was announced by angels to shepherds, and by a special star to wise men in a far country. At eight days of age, he was dedicated in the Temple according to Jewish custom. 


Childhood: At an early age, Jesus and his family fled to Egypt because an angel warned Joseph in a dream of impending danger. When they returned from Egypt, they settled in Galilee, in the town of Nazareth. At the age of twelve, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem with Mary and Joseph to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. When His parents could not find Him in their group of relatives and friends on the return trip, they returned to Jerusalem and "After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, 'Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.' 'Why were you searching for me?' he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' "(Luke 2:46-49). After that, He returned to Nazareth with them, was obedient, and continued to grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52) 


Adult/ Public Ministry: At approximately 30 years of age, Jesus entered into the public awareness. John the Baptist had preached of the coming Messiah, preparing the way for Jesus' ministry. John baptized Jesus, and as Jesus prayed at the time of His baptism, "heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:21-22). After this, Jesus went into the wilderness for a time of fasting and prayer in preparation for His ministry. Then the devil came to Him and tempted Him. Rather than succumbing to the temptations, Jesus answered with Scripture, setting a pattern for His followers to handle temptations for ages to come. 


Jesus began to preach a message of repentance, and from among His followers hand-picked twelve men with whom He worked most closely, teaching them even more intensely than to the multitudes. These men have come to be known as the twelve disciples, or the apostles. The teaching and preaching of Jesus convicted, challenged, or encouraged those who heard, while some were simply entertained and others were angered. Jesus performed many miracles of healing and restoration, as well as miracles designed to teach a lesson. 


A Jesus Christ biography is intensely interesting - and can be studied in depth in the pages of Scripture, especially the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, the primary reason for Jesus' earthly life was "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) Jesus sought the lost through His teaching and preaching. Then He provided the way of salvation from sin (the only way to Heaven) by way of the ultimate sacrifice, the one that only He could make - His crucifixion on Calvary, followed by His resurrection from the dead after three days. Thus He conquered death and the grave for all who would put their faith in Him.




Jesus Christ has been called many things by many people, including a great man, a great teacher, and a great prophet. There is no legitimate scholar today that denies that Jesus is a historic figure that walked on this earth about 2,000 years ago, that he did remarkable wonders and acts of charity, and that he died a horrible death on a Roman cross just outside Jerusalem. The only dispute is whether Jesus was God incarnate who rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion. These are all matters of historical record that can be earnestly discovered and tested. Jesus told us who He was – He didn’t mince words. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6).


Jesus Christ: He is the Way
Jesus Christ declared “I am the Way,” but clearly, not everyone believes Him. What are we all afraid of? The evidence for Jesus and His great works are well documented both in and out of the Bible. The evidence for His crucifixion on the cross, the empty tomb three days later, and His appearances to over 500 eye-witnesses after his resurrection is very compelling. Jesus fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, you can be assured that these prophecies were not “conspired” after-the-fact. They were truly fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 


Actually, if you look at the polls, most people aren’t afraid of Jesus at all. They’re afraid of Christians. Look at the way many Christians act, and who can deny this fear. Arcane rituals, flamboyant preachers, money, power, hypocrisy – Do these present a real picture of who Jesus is, and who He wants us to be? No. However, Jesus did not ask us to follow men and religion, He asked us to follow Him.


Jesus Christ: He is the Truth
Jesus Christ declared “I am the Truth,” but clearly, many of us have created our own concepts of truth. Moral relativism and religious pluralism pervade our culture. Truth is redefined daily. However, Jesus, through His Word -- the Bible -- gave us absolute truth. With today’s archaeological, historical and manuscript evidence, there’s far less reason to deny the origin of the Bible and its divine authenticity than to deny the legitimacy of works by Homer, Plato and Aristotle. What about your own pursuit of the truth? Is it even a priority in your life? How do you discover Christ’s truth, you might ask? He tells us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”


Jesus Christ: He is the Life
In Philippians 3:8, Paul said it all when he claimed that everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). 


Jesus Christ: He is Who He Said He Was

Jesus Christ said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a “good man,” how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? There is only one logically consistent alternative - He must have been telling the truth. Jesus is who He said He was - He is the only way to God!

Life History of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born on August 27,1910 in Skopje,Macedonia. Mother Teresa's original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. The youngest of the children born to Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. Her father was a successful merchant and she was youngest of the three siblings. She received her First Communion at the age of five and a half and was confirmed in November 1916. From the day of her First Holy Communion, a love for souls was within her.

Her father’s sudden death when Gonxha was about eight years old left in the family in financial straits. Drane raised her children firmly and lovingly, greatly influencing her daughter’s character and vocation. Gonxha’s religious formation was further assisted by the vibrant Jesuit parish of the Sacred Heart in which she was much involved. At the age of 12, she decided that she wanted to be a missionary and spread the love of Christ. At the age of 18 she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. There she received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

After a few months of training at the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dublin Mother Teresa came to India on 6 January 1929. On May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948, Mother Teresa taught geography and catechism at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. On 24 May 1937, Sister Teresa made her Final Profession of Vows, becoming, as she said, the “spouse of Jesus” for “all eternity.” From that time on she was called Mother Teresa. She continued teaching at St. Mary’s and in 1944 became the school’s principal. A person of profound prayer and deep love for her religious sisters and her students, Mother Teresa’s twenty years in Loreto were filled with profound happiness. Noted for her charity, unselfishness and courage, her capacity for hard work and a natural talent for organization, she lived out her consecration to Jesus, in the midst of her companions, with fidelity and joy. 

After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, she returned to Calcutta and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. She started an open-air school for homeless children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and she received financial support from church organizations and the municipal authorities. On 21 December she went for the first time to the slums. On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Vatican to start her own order. Vatican originally labeled the order as the Diocesan Congregation of the Calcutta Diocese, and it later came to known as the "Missionaries of Charity". The primary task of the Missionaries of Charity was to take care of those persons who nobody was prepared to look after.

Mother Teresa's words are by blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus. ”Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God’s thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. “God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.” She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: “to quench His thirst for love and for souls.” On 10 September 1946 during the train ride from Calcutta to Darjeeling for her annual retreat, Mother Teresa received her “inspiration,” her “call within a call.” On that day, in a way she would never explain, Jesus’ thirst for love and for souls took hold of her heart and the desire to satiate,

 His thirst became the driving force of her life. Over the course of the next weeks and months, by means of interior locutions and visions, Jesus revealed to her the desire of His heart for “victims of love” who would “radiate His love on souls.” “Come be My light,” He begged her. “I cannot go alone.” He revealed His pain at the neglect of the poor, His sorrow at their ignorance of Him and His longing for their love. He asked Mother Teresa to establish a religious community, Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to the service of the poorest of the poor.however, the prevailing poverty in Calcutta had a deep impact on Mother Teresa's mind and in 1948, she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta . On August 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in a white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor.

She visited families, washed the sores of some children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger and TB. She started each day in communion with Jesus in the Eucharist and then went out, rosary in her hand, to find and serve Him in “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” After some months, she was joined, one by one, by her former students. By the early 1960s, Mother Teresa began to send her Sisters to other parts of India. The Decree of Praise granted to the Congregation by Pope Paul VI in February 1965 encouraged her to open a house in Venezuela. It was soon followed by foundations in Rome and Tanzania and, eventually, on every continent. Starting in 1980 and continuing through the 1990s, Mother Teresa opened houses in almost all of the communist countries, including the former Soviet Union, Albania and Cuba.

The physical and spiritual needs of the poor, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963, in 1976 the contemplative branch of the Sisters, in 1979 the Contemplative Brothers, and in 1984 the Missionaries of Charity Fathers. She formed the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa and the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, people of many faiths and nationalities with whom she shared her spirit of prayer, simplicity, sacrifice and her apostolate of humble works of love. This spirit later inspired the Lay Missionaries of Charity. In answer to the requests of many priests, in 1981 Mother Teresa also began the Corpus Christi Movement for Priests as a “little way of holiness” for those who desire to share in her charism and spirit. 

She has received a number of awards and distinctions Numerous awards, beginning with the Indian Padmashri Award in 1962 and notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, honoured her work, while an increasingly interested media began to follow her activities. She received both prizes and attention “for the glory of God and in the name of the poor.” These include the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), Nehru Prize for Promotion of International Peace & Understanding (1972), Balzan Prize (1978), Nobel Peace Prize (1979) and Bharat Ratna (1980).

The whole of Mother Teresa’s life and labour bore witness to the joy of loving, the greatness and dignity of every human person, the value of little things done faithfully and with love, and the surpassing worth of friendship with God. On March 13, 1997, Mother Teresa stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity. On 5 September Mother Teresa’s earthly life came to an end. She died on September 5, 1997, just 9 days after her 87th birthday. 

She was given the honour of a state funeral by the Government of India and her body was buried in the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity. Her tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all faiths, rich and poor alike. Mother Teresa left a testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her response to Jesus’ plea, “Come be My light,” made her a Missionary of Charity, a “mother to the poor,” a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God. Following Mother Teresa's death, the Holy See began the process of beatification, the second step towards possible canonization, or sainthood.

Less than two years after her death, in view of Mother Teresa’s widespread reputation of holiness and the favours being reported, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of Canonization. On 20 December 2002 he approved the decrees of her heroic virtues and miracles.

The Historical Jesus

“If one wishes to understand the historical Jesus and early Christianity one must understand first century Judaism. During this historic era the Roman occupiers of the land were particularly oppressive and there was much opposition to them particularly in the Galilee.” 
(Rabbi Moshe Reiss, PhD.)


Not much is known about the historical Jesus since nothing was written down by him or about him during his lifetime. It is believed that he was born around 4 BCE and died in 30 CE.  He was a Jew, born probably in Nazareth in Galilee and he probably had brothers and sisters. 


According to scholars such as Rabbi Moshe Reiss, quoted above, it is very likely that “He had a typical Galilean Jewish education including studying the Hebrew Bible, the traditions of the people after the biblical period and he undoubtedly went to synagogue. One can safely assume his family as religious Jews kept the commandments; dietary laws, circumcision, tithing, laws of purity and the pilgrimages to Jerusalem.  Jesus dressed like a Jew, prayed like a Jew, taught and argued in parables like a Jewish Rabbi and was crucified as were many first century Jewish radicals.”


He was an itinerant teacher who attracted crowds and apparently performed miracles. By all accounts he was a charismatic teacher who spoke with an oral brilliance. He was in many ways both typical of his times, and yet extraordinary in his religious convictions and beliefs, in his scholarship of the Biblical literature, and in the fervency with which he lived what he taught.


We are told that he had a number of disputes with Jewish religious leaders, probably Shammaite Pharisees (see below), who disputed with him on the law and who, in cooperation with the priestly aristocracy, the Sadducees, handed him over to the Romans who had him crucified.




Jesus appears on the scene at a time reminiscent of the tumultuous times of Axial Sages. The oppressive rule of the Roman Empire caused rebellion and a large number of political and sectarian groups called for different kinds of reform, with different ideas about the individual and their country’s future.


Prophets, Messianic Zealots, Hellenists, Romanists, Sadducees and others, all contributed to the unrest of the times. One of the most progressive groups was the Pharisees, who were repelled by violence and who emphasized that God was present in every thought and action.  Atonement for one's sins could be attained through acts of kindness rather than animal sacrifice. Rabbi Hillel (c. 65 BCE - 20 CE), who came to Palestine from Babylonia, was perhaps the greatest of their number. As did the Axial sages before him, he advocated the importance of personal responsibility: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?”Similarities between the sayings of Hillel and those spoken by Jesus in the New Testament have been noted by scholars. Here are examples:


One of the famous Talmudic stories tells that the Pharisee Shammai – a fundamentalist and opposed to Hillel's views – was visited by a pagan who promised to convert to Judaism if the Rabbi could teach him everything that was in the Torah while he stood on one leg.


Shammai dismissed him angrily, but when the joker went to Hillel, Hillel replied: “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”


The same idea is found spoken by Jesus in Matthew 7:12 when he says “do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”


Hillel is quoted as saying, “Pass not judgment upon thy neighbor until thou hast put thyself in his place.” Which is again familiar to New Testament readers where Jesus says:  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” (Luke 6:37).


Hillel also said: “Whoever would make a name loses the name… whoever makes use of the crown perishes.” And Jesus said: “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 7:33).Hillel and his group believed in the Resurrection – for they believed that Elijah had ascended to Heaven – and were flexible in their interpretation of the Law. They accepted Gentile converts, taught that one should “love peace, seek peace, love mankind and thus lead them to the law.”


Shammai and his associates disagreed with them on this and on almost every aspect of the Law; so when Hillel died around 10 - 20 CE and the Shammaite Pharisees took control of the Temple, things changed.


“Hillel who died when Jesus was young … influenced strongly many facets of Jesus’ theological and ethical teachings. This does not imply that Jesus was a student or disciple of Hillel; Hillel’s views were well known and embodied as one of the more acceptable Jewish views of Halakha (Law) particularly among the populace…” (Rabbi Moshe Reiss, 


One of the groups we know about was the Essenes, a philosophic and religious sect, so distraught with the way things were in Jerusalem that some left for the desert and set up a community in Qumran.




We know about this community mostly from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a group of 930 documents dated from 250 BCE - 50 CE and found in the mid nineteenth century in caves near what is believed to be the community ruins.


According to Michael White, Professor of Classics and Director of the Religious Studies Program, University of Texas at Austin, it is a mistake to think that the Essenes believed in an imminent end of the world. “They used language like ‘the end’ or ‘the last things’ or ‘the last days’, but what they mean is the present evil age is coming to an end.” This was in line with Jewish eschatology of the time. Many believed that the end of Roman rule and the end of corruption was imminent and would bring with it a new kingdom, not necessarily accompanied by a Messianic figure. 




“At Qumran, on the other hand, among the Dead Sea Scrolls we hear not of just one Messiah, but at least two,” continues Dr. White, “Some of their writings talk about a Messiah of David, who is a kind of kingly figure who will come to lead the war. But there is also a Messiah of Aaron, a priestly figure, who will come to restore the Temple at Jerusalem to its proper purity and worship of God.”

Jesus Prayer - Prayer of the Heart

"Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner," 




The Jesus Prayer according to numerous Church Fathers is "essential" to our spiritual growth. The Jesus Prayer proclaims our faith and humbles us by asking mercy for our sinfulness. The Jesus Prayer is thought to be as old as the Church itself. 

The Jesus Prayer, says Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, “more than any other,” helps us to be able to “stand in God’s presence.” This means that the Jesus Prayer helps us to focus our mind exclusively on God with “no other thought” occupying our mind but the thought of God. At this moment when our mind is totally concentrated on God, we discover a very personal and direct relationship with Him.




Jesus Christ - the Power In the Name -
The Jesus Prayer's power comes from the use of our Lord's Name, Jesus Christ, Son of God. It is a confession of our faith.




Jesus Prayer requires Humility -
The Jesus Prayer in its practice assumes you are a regular participant in the worship services of the Church, in her Sacraments and aware of your sinfulness. Be sure to consult with and follow the advice of your spiritual Father. Humility is a prerequisite for all prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer.




Jesus Prayer Has Two Functions -
The Jesus Prayer has two important purposes. The first is worship as with all prayer. The second is a discipline to help our soul gain control our overactive brains and create stillness so the Holy Spirit can work through us and help us live the virtues in union with God.




Jesus Prayer Has Three Stages in Practice -
The Jesus Prayer involves three stages of progress in its practice. You begin praying the Jesus Prayer by repeating the words of the prayer out loud or at least moving the lips. This is called verbal prayer. After some time saying of the Jesus Prayer becomes silent or mental and is repeated only in the mind. This is mental prayer. Finally, the Jesus Prayer becomes a continuous prayer in the heart, the inner core of our being. We begin with vocal prayer and do not force the move to mental prayer. This will happen naturally when you are ready.


Jesus Prayer in Practice -
In praying the Jesus Prayer, our holy Fathers tell us, we say it over and over hundreds of times as part of our daily prayer rule. It is best to add the Jesus Prayer to your morning prayers as this is when the mind is the quietest. Begin by saying the Jesus Prayer verbally focusing on each word. Repeat the Jesus Prayer continually for 15 minutes at first and then expand to 30 minutes. You will experience the challenge of dealing with your thoughts, the tendency for you mind to wander. Attention when praying the Jesus Prayer is important. Be sincere in your prayer and repeat it with contrition. Praying the Jesus Prayer is that simple!


Jesus Prayer is A Long and Difficult Path -
Do not be fooled by its simplicity. The Jesus Prayer practice is a difficult task and like all ascetic practices it requires commitment of time, patience and perseverance. Remember Jesus Prayer's aim is not to obtain a calmness or any kind of spiritual experience, but to become in communion with God and participate in His grace.


Jesus Prayer - When To Pray -
The Jesus Prayer will eventually be prayed throughout the day and when this happens, you will find that your life changes. 


Jesus Prayer is Not a Form of Eastern Meditation -
The praying of the Jesus Prayer should not be confused with methods used in Eastern Yoga or meditation. In praying the Jesus Prayer as in all Orthodox Prayer we are seeking a relationship with a personal God based on faith and love.

How does Jesus Really save ?

God desires for us all to go to heaven


He doesn't judge us, or condemn evildoers to hell. Those who choose evil condemn themselves to hell by choosing to withdraw from the Lord's love and mercy. The Lord God Jesus Christ saved us by showing us how to live our lives. His entire life on earth was about overcoming evils and temptations, and his death was the conclusion of that struggle. Just as we are faced with evils and temptations in our lives, Jesus struggled against those same temptations as a human. In overcoming them, He taught us the way to live.




We are saved when we open ourselves to the Lord and his love, and draw nearer to the Lord; and we do that by living our lives loving him. What does that mean? It means obeying his commandments (avoiding evil), being of use and loving others. We may have been taught that believing in the Lord is enough to save. But belief (or faith) without actively living that faith is not truly believing. Certainly, we cannot earn our way to heaven by our works. But we only truly believe or have faith when we actively work to do God's will. Love (or charity) must be united with faith in order for either to be real.


Jesus saved us, not through his death, but through his life


He overcame evil and restored a sense of balance in the world, leaving us in freedom to choose good or evil. He taught us how we should live our lives; in fact he showed us how to do it. It is only by so doing that we can be truly happy. When we die, we continue to make these choices, which determines whether we live in heaven loving God and doing his will, or turn away from him to hell. Jesus set the stage so that we are free to choose. We must do our part to choose good, which will draw us closer to the Divine. This is how Jesus saves.

How to Know God Personally

Add caption

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you?


You may be surprised that none of those things will work. But God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him.


The following principles will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now, through Jesus Christ...




 Principal No. 1


God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.


God's Love


"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." 1


God's Plan


[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful]. 2


Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because...


 Principal No . 2


All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.


 We are Sin full


"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 3


We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the Bible calls sin.


We Are Separated 


"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God]. 4


This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are sinful. A great gulf separates us. The arrows illustrate that we are continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion -- but we inevitably fail.


The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...


Principal No. 3


Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.


He died in our place


"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 5


 He  rose from the dead


"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." 6


 He is the only way of God


"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'" 7


This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.


It is not enough just to know these three principles...


 Principal No. 4


We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ.


"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." 8


 We receive Christ through faith 


"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." 9


When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth 


We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation 


[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." 10


Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. You receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.


Self directed life


Selfis on the throne , directing decisions and actions ( represented by the dots ), often resulting in frustration. Jesus is outside the life.


Christ - Directed Life


Jesus is in the life and on the throne , Self is yielding to Jesus. The Person sees Jesus'
influence and direction in their life .


Which circle best describes your life ?


which Circle would you like to have represent your life ?


The Following explains how you can receive Christ .
You can receive Christ right now by Faith through Prayer


Prayer is talking to God . God knows your heart and is not  so concerned with your words
as he is with the attitude of your heart,  The following is a suggested Prayer.




"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."




If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

who is jesus

Not much is known about the historical Jesus since nothing was written down by him or about him during his lifetime. It is believed that he was born around 4 BCE and died in 30 CE.  He was a Jew, born probably in Nazareth in Galilee and he probably had brothers and sisters. According to scholars such as Rabbi Moshe Reiss, quoted above, it is very likely that “He had a typical Galilean Jewish education including studying the Hebrew Bible, the traditions of the people after the biblical period and he undoubtedly went to synagogue. 

One can safely assume his family as religious Jews kept the commandments; dietary laws, circumcision, tithing, laws of purity and the pilgrimages to Jerusalem.  Jesus dressed like a Jew, prayed like a Jew, taught and argued in parables like a Jewish Rabbi and was crucified as were many first century Jewish radicals.”

He was an itinerant teacher who attracted crowds and apparently performed miracles. By all accounts he was a charismatic teacher who spoke with an oral brilliance. He was in many ways both typical of his times, and yet extraordinary in his religious convictions and beliefs, in his scholarship of the Biblical literature, and in the fervency with which he lived what he taught.

We are told that he had a number of disputes with Jewish religious leaders, probably Shammaite Pharisees (see below), who disputed with him on the law and who, in cooperation with the priestly aristocracy, the Sadducees, handed him over to the Romans who had him crucified.

Jesus appears on the scene at a time reminiscent of the tumultuous times of Axial Sages. The oppressive rule of the Roman Empire caused rebellion and a large number of political and sectarian groups called for different kinds of reform, with different ideas about the individual and their country’s future.

Prophets, Messianic Zealots, Hellenists, Romanists, Sadducees and others, all contributed to the unrest of the times. One of the most progressive groups was the Pharisees, who were repelled by violence and who emphasized that God was present in every thought and action.  Atonement for one's sins could be attained through acts of kindness rather than animal sacrifice. Rabbi Hillel (c. 65 BCE - 20 CE), who came to Palestine from Babylonia, was perhaps the greatest of their number. As did the Axial sages before him, he advocated the importance of personal responsibility: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?”