Christianity Overview
Christianity is a monotheistic religion that centers around the Jewish teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity stemmed from Judaism, but Jews believe the Messiah has yet to come whereas Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for.
Roughly 2000 years ago, an angel named Gabriel came down from heaven to deliver a message to a Jewish woman named Mary according to the Holy Bible, the Christians' sacred text. Gabriel says to Mary in Luke 1:26-38: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Mary, a young virgin, was nervous but replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Jesus was born around 4BC in a manger in Bethlehem, according to the Bible. He lived in Bethlehem under the rule of Caesar and is speculated to have worked as carpenter or fisherman until his 30's. It was around this time that the Bible records Jesus beginning his teachings and performing miracles. Jesus taught forgiveness, peace, to love one another, to love God, but most controversial was his claim that he was the son of God. While it wasn't unheard of for someone to be the son of God, it was usually someone of great power that made this claim instead of a poor Jewish man. The teachings of Jesus angered many religious leaders, and it was the claims of being divine that led the Romans to execute him through crucifixion.
There are many arguments over the details of Jesus' life, but ultimately not much is known or can be proved about him. The main sources of information come from the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However these are completely accurate historical descriptions as they are contradicting, but it is to be expected of documents that were written decades after his death. The Holy Bible wasn't even put together until the Council of Nicaea met and decided which books to include in the sacred text three centuries after Jesus' death.
Roughly 2000 years ago, an angel named Gabriel came down from heaven to deliver a message to a Jewish woman named Mary according to the Holy Bible, the Christians' sacred text. Gabriel says to Mary in Luke 1:26-38: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Mary, a young virgin, was nervous but replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Jesus was born around 4BC in a manger in Bethlehem, according to the Bible. He lived in Bethlehem under the rule of Caesar and is speculated to have worked as carpenter or fisherman until his 30's. It was around this time that the Bible records Jesus beginning his teachings and performing miracles. Jesus taught forgiveness, peace, to love one another, to love God, but most controversial was his claim that he was the son of God. While it wasn't unheard of for someone to be the son of God, it was usually someone of great power that made this claim instead of a poor Jewish man. The teachings of Jesus angered many religious leaders, and it was the claims of being divine that led the Romans to execute him through crucifixion.
There are many arguments over the details of Jesus' life, but ultimately not much is known or can be proved about him. The main sources of information come from the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However these are completely accurate historical descriptions as they are contradicting, but it is to be expected of documents that were written decades after his death. The Holy Bible wasn't even put together until the Council of Nicaea met and decided which books to include in the sacred text three centuries after Jesus' death.