The life of Jesus

What historical event fascinates you the most?

Yes there is evidence of him as a historical figure!

I believe he was murdered and then defeated death by rising again to life on the third day! This gives me hope that there is an afterlife and I do believe that his sufferings and brutal death pays the price for my forgiveness.

I’m genuinely interested in what his life was like. We know about his birth, we know about a week of his life when he was 12 on a trip to Jerusalem. Then we have more detailed knowledge of 3 years when he was aged 30-33years old and his death at 33 years old. Such a short amount of time to change the world … and yet it has never been the same! It was profoundly changed by his teachings (especially as detailed in what Christians refer to as ‘The sermon on the Mount’.

But also after his death and resurrection a handful of fearful followers suddenly emboldened taught about Him and the knowledge spread across the world.

I wonder what Jesus was like as a child. I wonder how he reacted when his brothers (& sisters?) were born. When did he begin to realise/remember that He was the Son of God. What did his earthly father Joseph teach him? Did they work together before Joseph died? It would appear the people of Nazareth thought him ‘ordinary’.

I am really enjoying watch The Chosen. Now it’s not the Bible but uses it as inspiration of how someone (probably Dallas Jenkins) thinks events might have played out in the years of Jesus and His ministry. I think it’s really thought provoking and it also makes me love Jesus even more! He was God and became a man – what a thing for creator God to do. He lived the vast majority of his life asking the ones who noticed that He was different to not tell! Imagine being Jairus who watched his daughter get ill. Be and so worried about her that he left her bedside to find Jesus & asked Him to come see his daughter. Think of the agonising frustration as the incident of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’s garment for healing played out as he was impatiently bringing Jesus to his desperately sick little girl. And then, to see a friend or servant running to him with the awful news – Don’t bother the teacher anymore! Your little girl is dead!

But Jesus, being Jesus, walked still with Jairus and back to the house – now filled with mourners. He told them to leave and then brought the girl back to life.

The joy of Jairus’s heart!! And then Jesus asked a favour – he had just brought his daughter back to life I’m sure Jairus would have given everything he owned to Jesus if he’d asked for it! But Jesus asked him not to say anything about it! I wonder what he told the doctor who had pronounced her dead. The neighbours who were with his family mourning. How did he keep from declaring this amazing story from the rooftops?!

I’m sure he followed what Jesus did after that with interest. How did he feel when he heard the news of the crucifixion? Did he mourn – I’m certain he did.

I think he would have been quick to believe the next incredible rumours coming from Jerusalem – those of the resurrection! After all he had seen with his own eyes his daughter brought back from the dead. Was Jairus among the 100 or so people who saw Jesus alive before he ascended into heaven?

So many events like this where ordinary lives were hugely impacted by an encounter with Jesus.

He is still changing lives today! You didn’t have to live almost 2,000 years ago to encounter Him. Admittedly modern day encounters are not person to person like when Jesus walked around in Israel but when Jesus left the earth he promised he would send another like him to fill those of us who believe. He’s here – the spirit of Jesus, the Holy Ghost or most often referred to as the Holy Spirit.

I believe it is the Presence of the Holy Spirit that changed those few frightened disciples into brave warriors (many of whom became martyrs) to preach and share all that they had seen and heard when they were with Jesus. Holy Spirit come live in me and help me to share Jesus … just like they did.