Birth of Jesus, the Christ
At God's appointed time, He sent His Son to Earth, born of a virgin named Mary, as the special King and Savior He had promised for centuries.
Family History of Jesus
The genealogical records of Jesus connect Him to several prominent Old Testament people, including Abraham and King David, which made Jesus eligible to be the Savior and King that God had promised.
Early Events in Jesus' Life
Some early events in the life of Jesus, as a baby and as a young boy, marked Him as a special person who would later bring hope and peace to multitudes of people.
Temptations by Satan
After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was personally tempted by Satan, but He resisted Satan's temptations with statements from God's Word in the Old Testament.
John the Baptist's Testimony
After Jesus resisted Satan's temptations, John the Baptist boldly announced that Jesus was the special King and Savior, God's Lamb, who would take away the sin of the world.
The Selection of Jesus' Disciples
From among His committed followers, Jesus chose a special group of disciples that were often referred to as “apostles” or simply, "the Twelve."
Encounter with a Religious Leader
On one occasion, Jesus told Nicodemus, a prominent religious leader, that he needed to experience a spiritual birth in order to enter God's kingdom.
Encounter with a Samaritan Woman
On another occasion, Jesus explained to a woman from Samaria how God could permanently satisfy her spiritual thirst.
Spread of Jesus' Fame
During the second year of His ministry, the crowds that were attracted to Jesus grew increasingly large, especially as He moved about the region around the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus' Power over a Stormy Sea
Jesus even amazed His closest disciples by calming the Sea of Galilee, when its raging, stormy waters threatened to overwhelm their boat.
Jesus' Power over a Legion of Demons
On the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus cast many evil spirits out of a severely afflicted man and his life was dramatically transformed in many ways.
Jesus' Claims of Oneness with God
Several times when Jesus declared that He was the Son of God and was one with His Father, some people were greatly offended and attempted to kill Him.
Jesus' Power over Blindness
In an unprecedented act, Jesus healed a man who was born blind, which shocked the man's parents and neighbors, offended the religious leaders, and resulted in the man's sincere faith response.
Stories of God's Love and Forgiveness
Jesus used many parables in His teaching, but one of the most famous was about a wayward son whom his father forgave and a selfish brother who didn't understand.
Jesus' Teaching About Hell
As He moved among the people, Jesus often lovingly but sternly warned them of the reality of eternal punishment in Hell and the urgent need to escape it.
Jesus' Power over Death
Jesus demonstrated His power over nature, demons, and physical infirmities, but perhaps His greatest miracle was bringing a dead man, who had been in the grave for four days, back to life.
Jesus' Triumphal Entry
On Sunday of His final week of ministry on earth, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a triumphant king surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd, but then announced His impending death.
A Prophetic Discourse on the Mount of Olives
Two days following His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus gave a prophetic discourse to His disciples in which He told of future events that would shock the world.
Jesus' Last Supper with His Disciples
The last supper that Jesus shared with His disciples was a Passover meal, at which time He explained the significance of His death and instructed them about His future care for them.
Betrayal of Jesus
When one of Jesus' twelve disciples (Judas Iscariot) betrayed Him, Jesus did not resist arrest but willingly submitted Himself to the Jewish religious leaders and Gentile Roman soldiers who seized Him.
Jesus' Appearances Before Unjust Judges
Although Jesus was never proven guilty of any wrongdoing in any religious or civil court, He was unjustly flogged and condemned to die by Roman crucifixion.
The Crucifixion of Jesus, His Humiliation & Suffering
Jesus was taken to a place outside of Jerusalem called Golgotha, where He was nailed to a cross and suffered great physical pain and humiliation.
Jesus' Death & it's Provision for Mankind
Just before Jesus died on the cross, one guilty man who was being crucified beside Him placed his faith in Jesus and was granted the gift of life in a paradise beyond the grave.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
On the third day after Jesus died and was buried, God raised Him physically from the dead to demonstrate God's power over sin, death, and Hell.
Appearances & Impact of the Resurrected Jesus
After Jesus' resurrection His disciples developed a strong conviction that God had raised Him bodily from the grave and that He truly was the Son of God, the promised Savior.
Great Commission
When Jesus met with His disciples after His resurrection, He commanded them to go into all the world and make disciples from all the nations of the world.
Ascension of Jesus
After forty days of preparing His disciples for their future roles, Jesus repeated His Great Commission to them and then ascended to heaven to begin His ministry as our heavenly High Priest.
The Gospel of Jesus & the Jews in Jerusalem
Soon after Jesus ascended to Heaven, His disciples began to proclaim the good news about who Jesus was, what He did, and why people should trust in Him as their Savior.
Life & Ministry in the Early Church
Those who trusted in and followed Jesus assembled regularly to worship God, pray, study His Word, and fellowship together, with a passionate zeal to proclaim the good news to others.
The Gospel to the Fringe of Judaism
Persecution against the Jerusalem church caused Philip to go to Samaria where he proclaimed the gospel, but then was led by the Lord to Gaza to lead an Ethiopian official to faith in Christ.
Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
God radically changed the life of Saul of Tarsus, a man who zealously persecuted early Christ-followers, and then God commissioned him to become a prominent leader in the early church.
Conversion of Cornelius
In a vision God taught Peter the way to peace with God through Jesus is open to all people, regardless of their ethnic and religious heritage, and then He demonstrated that truth by saving Cornelius, a Roman military officer.
The Church in Syrian Antioch
The gospel spread from Jerusalem to Antioch, a major cosmopolitan city in the Roman empire, and a blended Jewish-Gentile church was founded that sent missionaries abroad.
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Commissioned by the church in Syrian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to Cyprus and regions of Galatia, now part of the country of Turkey.
The Jerusalem Council
In response to false teachers who came to Antioch, Paul and Barnabas travelled to Jerusalem to confirm the truth that Gentiles do not have to keep the Law of Moses to have their sins forgiven.
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
Paul chose new missionary companions and set out to revisit the churches established on the first missionary journey and after that extended his trip into Greece.
Paul's Third Missionary Journey
After a brief visit with the Syrian Antioch church, Paul made a third journey, on which he spent a significant amount of time ministering in the very pagan city of Ephesus.
Paul's Appearances Before Roman Judges
At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul was arrested for his faith in Jesus and appeared before several Roman judges, where he boldly shared his personal faith story.
Final Years of the First Century A.D.
During the final four decades of the first century, many Christians suffered persecution and martyrdom and false teachers began to corrupt the teachings of Jesus and His apostles.
Two Thousand Years of Church History
For more than 1900 years, since the death of John, the last living apostle, God has preserved His Church through much hardship and adversity and has caused it to spread all around the world.
Jesus Will Return for Believers
Based upon the promise of Jesus and the teachings of the apostles, those of us who trust in Jesus expect Him to return at any time to take us to heaven to live with Him.
Future Judgment of Believer's Works
Sometime after Jesus returns for believers and before He returns as King, He will evaluate the lives of those who have trusted and served Him and will reward them for faithful service.
A Future Period of Tribulation
God's judgment upon the Jewish people, which began in the time of Daniel and Ezekiel, will not be completed until a future period of seven years of tribulation.
The Return of Jesus Christ
Shortly after His return for believers, Jesus will come back with those He took to Heaven and will deliver His redeemed people from their time of great tribulation.
The Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus Christ
Following His return with power and glory, Jesus will fulfill the Old Testament promises to Israel of a Davidic king and worldwide kingdom by reigning over the earth for 1000 years.
Satan's Final Doom
At the close of the earthly reign of Jesus Christ, after a brief final rebellion against God, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire where he will be punished with everlasting conscious torment.
The Great White Throne Judgment
At the end of time as we now know it, unbelievers will stand before God to be sentenced to eternal punishment for their sins and their refusal to receive God's provision for sin.
The Destruction of the Heavens & Earth
At or near the time of the great white throne judgment of unbelievers, God will destroy the current sin-contaminated earth and its heavens with a roaring fire and intense heat.
The New Heavens & New Earth
But God's story ends with wonderful news—everyone who has trusted Jesus as his or her Savior will enter a beautiful, sin-free paradise and live there eternally with God.
