

The Old, Old Story... Simply Told

By Greville Mills

Copyright Greville Mills 2012

Published at Smashwords

(V.27 – September 2015)

"Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,  
Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love.  
Tell me the story simply as to a little child,  
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled."

### Catherine Hankey, (1834-1911)

Acknowledgment:-

Thank you to:-

Catherine Hankey, (1834-1911) for her hymn 'Tell me the old, old story' which provided the inspiration for the title of this book. The tune came to me one day as I was thinking about the 'story' I had tried to re-tell. Tears came as I read the words – it was a God-inspired moment, since it said exactly what I have been trying to put across. (All the words to the hymn can be found in the Appendices)

My Beta readers – your input has been invaluable

Howard who edited the book and ensured you can read the 'words wot I rote'

Tricia for her never-ending love and support

#  Contents

Chapter 1. - Foreword

1.1 - How I came to write the book

1.2 - Who is the book for? Can you recognise yourself?

Chapter 2. - What is a Christian?

2.1 - What does the word mean?

2.2 - What do Christians believe?

Chapter 3. - History or Story?

Chapter 4. - The story

4.1 - What Jesus did and said

4.2 - His life story

4.3 - His birth

4.4 - Early years

4.5 - What he came to do

4.6 - Hometown visit

4.7 - Key Events and Significant Happenings

4.8 - Parables

4.9 - Miraculous healing

4.10 \- Mixing with the 'undesirables'

4.11 - Open air sermon

4.12 - Joy before sadness

4.13 - 'Showdown'

4.14 - They think it's all over.....

Chapter 5. - Why Jesus came

5.1 - Roman Empire

5.2 - Religious leaders

5.3 - Daily life

Chapter 6. \- Why he did what he did

Chapter 7. \- Some final reflections

7.1 - Where does knowledge end – and Belief start?

7.2 - Truth or fiction?

7.3 - Why write this book now?

Chapter 8. - Appendices

8.1 - The historical record

8.2 - The books that make up the Bible

8.3 – Old Testament (39 books)

8.4 - New Testament (27 books)

Chapter 9. - Glossary of terms

Chapter 10. - References

# Chapter 1- Foreword

##  1.1 - How I came to write the book

It was after closing time and the shop windows shone brightly. I was just walking past a jewellers shop and the array of sports watches caught my eye – I could do with a new one – one with a 30 lap-time memory. This was an attractive selection with a wide range of alternatives. As I bent over to study the different watches, comparing their features and prices, I found myself gradually walking around the first window into the recess towards the entrance door. I didn't take much notice of it at the time but the window was continuous – it went round in a curve. I became aware of it as my concentration increased on the display. It was getting brighter and all of a sudden I realised I was actually inside the shop; it had been open all the time. It was a bit of a shock at first – I hadn't expected it. The main reason for looking in shop windows after the shop had closed was that you could shop without coming under any obligation to buy or pressure from a keen salesperson to be persuaded to part with your cash. I always had that fear. I hated shopping and only went into shops for things I definitely needed.

As it happened I wasn't subjected to the third degree of sales onslaught. The assistants smiled, were friendly, and stayed behind their counters.

Nevertheless I got out of there pretty quick, just in case they came after me. But a little further down the road, I started to reflect on the experience and two things struck me. The first was what a clever device it had been: to get a reluctant shopper into the shop without feeling pressurised. It was true that I had not noticed the point at which I crossed the threshold to get inside the shop. The second was that I was never under any perceived threat or pressure. The experience was a seamless one from one moment being outside the shop and in the next moment being inside.

This experience reminds me very much of how I came to be a Christian, albeit over a longer period of time. Mine was not what can sometimes be referred to as a dramatic awakening, a sudden event that happened on a particular day at a particular time, and whose effect is on-going. No, mine occurred gently and almost unnoticed – a bit like going to bed at night with a headache and waking in the morning to find it gone – you don't know when precisely it happened – just that it did. Now, it is my duty to share my experience of what I have come to believe with those I meet, in the hope that they too can find that same rewarding help and support in the good and not-so-good times.

How I fulfil this duty is however very important. I aim to give you an experience similar to mine in the jewellers shop. I want you to be able to read about a series of events and not to feel the pressure normally associated with any retelling of the Jesus narrative. You have to judge for yourself whether it has any lasting effect for you.

In this sense you should treat the book as you would a shop. It presents you with the goods on display for you to browse without undue pressure to buy. If you need assistance with information about the features or prices, or how to get the best out of the product on sale, there is help on hand in the appendix and the highlighted glossaries. You can browse without any obligation to 'buy' – and you can come back and have another look at any time you like. It functions like a 24/7 shop, but perhaps you may have to wait a little while for the 'assistant' to answer your query.

## 1.2 - Who is the book for? - Can you recognise yourself?

Christians may well be interested in this book but it is primarily meant for those who are not Christians; those for whom 'faith' is a problematic word, – or for 'non-believers' or 'outsiders' – in fact, all those who are made to feel 'excluded' by religion and religious people. There are also just as many who don't know or understand what a Christian is or what they believe in.

And how about those who did RE (religious education) at school or were made to go to church by their parents, but never understood it or saw any relevance in it for their lives, and never thought about it again. Or what about those who have a friend or someone they know who is a Christian – and who have seen what they do and how they live their lives and wondered why they live like that. Or what about those who have a Christian faith but who don't quite know how to tell others what they believe.

If you are any one of these people or you are mildly curious - even sceptical – not really sure but interested enough to learn a bit more – then maybe this book is for you. Above all, if you find yourself answering any of these questions with a "yes", and want a jargon free explanation which is short and to the point, and which doesn't preach at you, then read on.

Jesus never forced anyone to follow him – it's all about freedom of choice. The same is true here. I have given you an abridged version of the story about the man from Nazareth. The rest is up to you.

But first a "sign post" for you.

For those who want to know the historical events which gave rise to Christianity, jump chapter two and come back to it later. For those of you who first want a definition of the term 'Christian' and how it came to refer to a system of beliefs, read chapter two next.

# Chapter 2- What is a Christian?

##  2.1 - What does the word mean?

I've already used the term 'Christian', and many people will be familiar with what it refers to. However others may not have heard of it, so what does it mean? Well it's used to describe someone who is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish Rabbi and prophet who claimed to be the one 'promised' by God, (sometimes referred to as the 'Messiah'.) The Greek work for Messiah is 'Christos' and this name was applied to Jesus sometime after he died. Over time the two have been put together so that he became known as Jesus the Christ, or later simply, Jesus Christ. But it was not part of his name, merely a title, but one which has become synonymous with Jesus of Nazareth. This labeling of Jesus in this way meant that anyone who followed Jesus became known as a 'Christian'. (See also Glossary of terms for more information.)

However a definition which tells us more about what it means to be a Christian is: _"a person who has a living relationship with God and 'follows' the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and applies this to their way of living, working and relating to others and seeks to know more about God's love through reading the Bible, praying, meeting with other Christians and attending worship."_

Becoming a Christian is one of the easiest things to do. There are no complicated entry conditions or rules. You don't have to wear any particular clothes or carry out any special rituals during the day. But getting to a point of understanding and commitment can take some time, and I have to admit that there are some who never make it. There were many Jews, for example, eye witnesses to Jesus and his work activities, who were still not convinced. We are a long way from 1st Century Palestine and much has changed in the way life is perceived and lived. Therefore, what is the enduring attraction for modern day Christians, and what do they find that is so relevant about their belief? How do you find out what it's all about in a succinct and understandable way? How can you begin to make a genuine enquiry without somebody pouncing on you and pressurising you to "come to church and find Jesus?" Well let's start by looking at what Christians believe.

## 2.2 - What do Christians believe?

Well, the narrative which explains what Christians are all about is in The Bible, which is an ancient semi-historical account of the Jewish people. But, for the majority of people, merely giving you a Bible and telling you to "read this and then you'll understand" may not be the most useful suggestion. Wonderful as it is, the Bible, read from cover to cover is far from illuminating – it was never written as a continuous story with a clear narrative thread. (You can do this if you want to, and many have, or you can follow a reading 'plan' which sets things out in a logical and structured way. Or you can use one of the many books which enable you to read through the Bible in a year. Either of these suggestions could lead to a better understanding and I have included some suggestions for you later.)

To read the Bible with understanding requires three things:

  * An accurate translation

  * Context

  * Explanation

In the stories that are to follow I have tried to provide these elements so that you have as full an understanding as possible.

[Comments, observations and explanations have been italicised in bold type]

Scholars have been studying the Bible for centuries now and there is a significant amount of background information which will enable the reader to take full account of who the author was likely to be, when and where it was written, for whom it was written and what the interpretation of the particular passage is. You may find a Bible Commentary (a study guide which gives a verse-by-verse interpretation) or a Concordance (which is like a Bible dictionary with definitions and lists of names and pronunciations, timelines and maps etc.) will help you –see the Appendices for more information.

Also bear in mind that the original translations of the Bible were carried out a long time ago, and they are being constantly reviewed and revised and issued in many different languages.

If you ask any Christian what their faith is all about, they probably won't be able to tell you – well, not in a sentence. Also, everybody's version is slightly different; mainly because everybody's personal experience is different. As the cliché indicates– "we're all on a personal journey". Which is true – we all experience different things in life at different times in our lives – and they all have to be dealt with in the best way we can. We can get help sometimes; at other times we can't. Even when you find out more, you will still end up with your own interpretation, which of course is fine. But whatever version you experience, in whatever language you hear it, and however eloquently (or not) it is explained, it will have a lot in common with all the other versions. And it is these elements which all the versions share that I have attempted to set out in this book.

One of the criticisms of the Bible is that the stories are so old and out of date they are no longer relevant. You often hear people commenting that the stories are mostly about shepherds and sheep and growing things by hand and carrying water from a well. And you may ask yourself what relevance all this has to today's society in the developed world. There may be some justification in such criticism. But if we take the time to understand the context in which these original stories were set, their value becomes clear, and surprisingly relevant in today's world.

Human nature has changed very little in two millennia and the need for clarity and an understanding in the way we live our lives remains as pressing as ever. So, I offer my book as a new guide - free of any jargon with explanations in clear and simple terms to help you get the hang of it. If what I say awakens some interest in you, there are some suggestions for further reading, and ideas on how to go forward. Also if you have any comments or observations on the book, I will be pleased to hear from you (http://grevillemills.wordpress.com)

[To help you, I have provided a glossary of terms to explain any problematic terminology. One such word, included here, is one which Christians use a lot. It's Love – this is a highly complex word as it means many different things in different situations. So to ensure you have a better understanding of its meaning, have a quick look at it before you go much further.]

# Chapter 3- History or Story?

The Bible was never written as an historical account, although some of the history of the Jews is recorded in it – the family trees for instance. The Bible is the original 'soap story' which records the progress of the Israelites, an ancient nomadic tribe; the 'chosen' people of God. As a 'soap story' it has a lot of human experience in its many episodes. There are bloody battles and periods of peace ; there are vast armies of men, women and children and their animals travelling lock, stock and barrel through inhospitable country, living off the land as they go; feasting and famine; natural disasters; pestilence; treachery; new birth and death; exile and return. There is also beautiful poetry describing an understanding of the 'creation' and marvellously lyrical songs of praise (called Psalms). Basically it's the story of how God guided and cared for his people. It's a story of trust and obedience; of disobedience and punishment: of hardship and triumph over adversity. There are stories about the great leaders (the patriarchs as they are called) and great prophets and the way they were guided by God.

In the later section, the story contains a significant development when the idea is introduced that God would send a 'chosen one' to rescue the people who had forgotten him and his guidelines for a just and moral society. This 'chosen one' was referred to as the 'Messiah' which means 'chosen one' in Aramaic, then the language of the Jewish people. The story is then taken forward with various accounts of the life of Jesus, whose teachings Christians try to follow.

Well, you got this far – so here is the story of Jesus and the events which changed the subsequent history of the world, politically and culturally, for ever.

# Chapter 4- The Story

##  4.1 - What Jesus did and said

Jesus' story stretches the imagination from known fact to things stranger than fiction. It is about a unique man whose short life had an immeasurable impact. He was a radical who was not afraid of authority and was prepared to stand up for ordinary people. It is a story full of emotion - a love story which demonstrates the highest level of devotion, and it is a heroic story of a person whose love for others was so great that he was prepared to suffer torture and ridicule and eventually give his life so that others may live. So how come you've never heard it before?

When people exclaim "Jesus Christ!" or "Oh my God!" it doesn't always mean the person saying this is a Christian. There may be a rare occasion when this happens, but more than likely what you hear is a non-Christian saying it – more as an expletive.

It's very unusual to hear anybody swearing saying "Oh Buddha!" or "Oh Mohammed!" (Apologies to any Buddhist or Muslim reading this, but you will know what I mean). So people who do this must have heard the name from somewhere, but do they really know or even care who Jesus was and what he did?

So where to start - why not start with an epitaph or an obituary? Did I say he was dead? Well yes, he died – but here's the bit that will stretch your imagination – he came back to life – but I'm telling you too much too soon.

## 4.2 - His Life Story

The story of Jesus was written about 2000 years ago and is to be found in the part of the Bible known as the New Testament. The story is in fact a composite of four separate accounts of the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth, as told by four of his contemporaries. These accounts were written many years (between 25 and 60 years) after his death.

[The New Testament is the second part of the Bible and contains the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A 'Gospel' is the story of the life and times of Jesus and in it he announces what he referred to as the 'Good News' about a new way of living together. Jesus referred to this 'new way' as a 'new kingdom'. Also included in the New Testament is the book of Acts, the story of what happened after Jesus went away and also the many letters (known as Epistles), written by the followers of Jesus (known as the Apostles) to the members of the new church that was spreading throughout the Gentile (non-Jewish) world. The Old Testament, the first and largest part of the Bible, tells the story of the Jewish nation from the start of creation, as understood at the time, leading up to the times of Jesus. The Bible, as now written, is divided into Chapters and each chapter divided into verses, the main purpose of which is to be able to quickly refer to specific sayings or events – and this has been universally accepted so that whatever language or translation is used, the verses are always the same.]

Jesus was born in year 'One'. Yes, the impact of Jesus on the thinking and culture of the world following his death was considered so important that the calendar, as we know it was set to the date of his birth. The sheer immensity of his influence is however in great contrast to the austere and difficult circumstances of his birth.

## 4.3 - His birth

Jesus was born in a stable in the town of Bethlehem, Judea (modern day Israel). As the gospel story tells it, the occupying Romans had imposed a census on all of Israel and all men (and only men, since women had no status in those days,) had to register in their town of birth. Joseph and his wife Mary had to travel from Nazareth, where they lived, to Bethlehem to register since this was Joseph's home town. Although they were married, Mary was pregnant, but Joseph was not the father. When they arrived, Mary's pregnancy was very advanced and the town was full to bursting point with census visitors. They could not find anywhere to stay, but an innkeeper took pity on them and let them stay in the only spare space he could find - his stable at the back of the inn. Not long after they arrived, Mary gave birth to Jesus, but this event was a far from simple or private affair.

I said that Joseph was not the natural father, and you might say – "so what, that happens a lot now – people make mistakes." Well that's true, but we are talking over 2000 years ago and things were very different then. In those days women got stoned to death for adultery, so it was a big thing for Joseph to stand by Mary as he did. But he had a special reason to do this, and it wasn't easy for him. Well it wasn't easy for Mary either, but women's feelings were rarely considered in those days

You see, (and this might sound a bit weird), Mary had had a visit from an 'angel' who just appeared from nowhere. (Throughout the bible, angels appear as supernatural messengers sent to people by God). Anyway, this angel claimed to have brought a message from God to say that she, Mary, had been chosen to be the mother of God's child – he was to be a boy and she was instructed to call him Jesus. The angel said that the baby would be 'special'. He would have a gentle nature and he would become a wonderful counsellor, a 'prince of peace', and would come to set the people free. In short, he was what was commonly known by the Jewish people as the 'Promised one' (the 'Messiah'). A Messiah had been prophesied for Israel for more than 700 years by several of the Prophets who received and passed on messages from God – and now that time had arrived. Well, quite naturally, Mary and Joseph were surprised, shocked and amazed. But being God-fearing they went along with it not really knowing what else to do. In time it became evident that Mary was indeed pregnant. So here they were, in Bethlehem, without a proper bed and with a new baby sleeping in an animal feeding trough for his cot. Not the best of starts for someone who was supposed to be 'special'.

As if that were not enough, other people were somehow drawn towards the stable by unexplained paranormal events. Some shepherds, usually the most unreliable of village folk, arrived at the door, claiming that whilst they were guarding the sheep in nearby fields they had seen a wonderful sight of bright lights in the sky and what appeared to be people, like birds flying about in the sky, singing and praising God and telling them that a baby, a new King, had just been born and that he was the 'Messiah'. So they had come to see if it was true.

[Some were saying that they were shepherds and they had been drinking again – hallucinating, but the events proved that they did see something and it happened just as they were told.]

Later, a group of astronomers or scholars from the east arrived, saying that they had seen an unknown star appear in the sky several months previously and, intrigued by its significance, had followed it to where it seemed to come to rest (above Bethlehem). They believed that the star signified the birth of a new King and so, as tradition dictated, they had brought the traditional and precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. So, despite these squalid surroundings in which they found him, they knelt down before this baby and presented their rare gifts.

The significance of this birth had not escaped the notice of the politicians either, and none less so than King Herod who, jealous of the reports that this baby was a new King of the Jews, sought to eliminate him. He enlisted the help of the scholars from the east to tell him where the child was so that he too might visit him and pay his respects. Fortunately, they were not taken in by his pretended interest in the child and following their visit, returned to their homes via another route. In a backlash response, Herod had all boy babies of two and under in the Bethlehem area killed, but Jesus escaped, Joseph having been warned in a dream to flee to Egypt and not to return until it was safe.

[There is much speculation as to the veracity of the story of Jesus' birth. Only two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) record any of the details and much of these are unique to each – i.e. not much of the information is repeated. However many of the facts recorded have been verified by other independent writers of the time, although the dates do not always exactly match.]

## 4.4 - Early years

[As with the details of his birth, not a lot was written about Jesus during the years he grew up, but we do know about a few of the events in his early life.]

As practising Jews, his parents took him to the Temple in Jerusalem for his purification. There they met an old man named Simeon, who came and met Jesus as he was being presented. He took the child in his arms and said that this one would be destined for great things – he was the one they had all be waiting for – the Messiah. Likewise, the old prophet Anna, daughter of Phanuel who lived in the temple in constant fasting and prayer came to see the child and also declared that this was the 'chosen one'. This was confirmation, if it were needed, for Joseph and Mary. They were quite amazed at these revelations. How could they have possibly known unless they had been told by God?

After Herod had died, Mary, Joseph and Jesus returned to Nazareth, where Joseph resumed his trade as a carpenter. We can assume that, as a youngster, Jesus would have initially watched his father at his work and later started an apprenticeship and assisted him with bigger jobs. When Jesus was about 12 he was taken to the Temple where he showed a great interest in the scriptures and spent time discussing things with the teachers of the law. He was so interested that when his parents left for home with the group they had travelled with, they didn't notice he was missing until they got home. So they had to return as quickly as possible to Jerusalem to find him. When they got there he was still in the temple with the teachers. When he saw his parents and realised their concern, his response was reportedly, "Where else would I be?"

The next time Jesus appears is when he is 30 and about to set out on what he had been 'called' to do – to travel around the towns and villages to teach the people about God and how to live their lives – in short to become an itinerant preacher. To people who now call themselves Christians, they refer to this period as Jesus' 'Ministry'. The extent and importance of this 'Ministry was to be revealed to Jesus in a spectacular way at a meeting he had with his cousin John, whom he met one day by the river Jordan.

## 4.5 - What he came to do

The first recorded event in his adult life is a meeting that Jesus has with his cousin, John, who has been brought up as a Nazirite (one whose life was dedicated to God, a bit like a modern day monk in Holy Orders). His simple lifestyle left him with a 'wild', unkempt look and his clothes were rough and very basic, as was his diet - he lived on locusts and honey, and never touched alcohol. John had been given the task of preparing the way for the Messiah – and he went around the country villages and towns proclaiming 'repentance' – (that is, telling people that they needed to change the way they were living their lives and turning back to God). Because of the way he looked and the message he was proclaiming, he was often mistaken for Elijah, (an Old Testament prophet) who had returned, an event which had been predicted a long time before.

Despite this harsh message, his preaching was well received and people came from far and wide to hear what he had to say. As a sign of their repentance, John was dunking the people in the river Jordan to 'wash away' their wrong-doing. (This was a process called baptising, as they confessed their wrong-doing and asked for forgiveness from God. As a result he became known as John the Baptiser or John the Baptist). He also told people that he was there to prepare the way for the one 'chosen' by God to set the people free and lead them back to him. But this 'chosen' one (the Messiah), would not baptise with water but with something far more powerful and lasting – something special - the 'Spirit' of God, which had been foretold hundreds of years before. This was an invisible 'life-force' that nobody could see which was subsequently referred to as the 'Holy Spirit'.

The Messiah had been promised by the prophets hundreds of years earlier, so long ago really that people had begun to think that it was never going to happen. But on the day, when Jesus met John, who was once more baptising in the Jordan, Jesus asked to be baptised. John was reluctant at first, but then agreed. As Jesus came out of the water, something strange and unusual happened. It was as if the clouds parted in the sky and God's Spirit – this invisible 'life-force' descended, in the form of a dove which landed on Jesus, and a voice was heard saying "You are my Son and I am so pleased with you".

Those who were present were totally amazed and wondered what it all meant, but we must assume that John and Jesus understood precisely what it was all about. John continued in his work and knew that his purpose in life was being fulfilled just as it had been foretold.

It seemed that Jesus also knew precisely what he had to do and went immediately into the remote countryside where he underwent a period of meditation and self-examination in preparation for his ministry, to ensure he was capable of fulfilling his role as Messiah. After a month or so he felt ready to leave, fully prepared and filled with the 'Holy Spirit' – this new 'life-force'.

He travelled to Capernaum in Galilee where he started his ministry, travelling around the villages and towns, teaching in the synagogues. Most of the synagogues had a resident leader, but they also invited travelling Rabbis (a Jewish teacher) to read from the scriptures and teach.

By this time John (the Baptist) had been arrested and Jesus picked up where John had left off, imparting the good news, inviting people to repent their wrongdoing and declaring the coming of a new phase of God's gift to the people – the coming of God's kingdom.

As he travelled round, he collected a group of followers, whom he called his disciples. He met them one by one. Some were individuals, others were brothers, working at their trade. After a short conversation with them, he simply said, "Follow me," and they dropped everything and went with him. They had no money, nowhere to live and only what they stood up in, but such was the attraction of this man that they willingly left all they had, be it job or family, behind. They were a mixed bunch, drawn from different places and with different trades. Several were fishermen, and one was a tax collector - a trade most despised by the people. Jesus doesn't seem to have carried out much of a selection process in choosing these men. They were 12 in number, not in any way 'special' or trained, just ordinary people who loved God, but over the ensuing three years they got to know this special person very well and his purpose for calling them, learning like apprentices from the master.

[Although most of the 'followers' were men, there were also several women who went around with the group, ostensibly to look after the men. Women at that time had no authority and were completely subservient to men – they did their bidding. So the fact that these women went along with the group attracted much criticism and suspicion from the authorities. The most well-known of the women was Mary Magdalene, who became a devoted follower after Jesus had freed her from a form of madness, and there was much speculation (but no evidence) that Jesus had more than a purely platonic relationship with Mary Magdalene.]

Jesus' 12 followers

Simon (whom Jesus later called Peter) and Andrew (brothers)

James and John, (also brothers and sons of Zebedee)

Philip

Bartholomew, (sometimes called Nathanael)

Matthew, (sometimes called Levi)

Thomas

James, son of Alphaeus, (often called James the Less to distinguish him from James, John's brother)

Simon, (called a zealot)

Jude, (sometimes called Judas or Thaddaeus)

Judas Iscariot

## 4.6 - Hometown visit

As he travelled around the district, Jesus came to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. So when he arrived, he went as usual to the synagogue to teach and read scripture. He was handed a scroll from the Prophet Isaiah, which he opened at the place where it said _"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to pronounce the Jubilee."_ He rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the attendant and sat down. All eyes were on him – expectant and waiting to hear more. He announced _"Today, what you have just heard, has come true"_.

Well the people were amazed because this was Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter, saying these words. They wondered how it was that he knew so much and was able to speak with such authority. They became sceptical about his authority and he replied that he almost expected them to respond in this way since a prophet is never accepted in his home town. At this the people got quite angry and agitated and threatened to throw him out – but Jesus just walked calmly through the crowd and left. He was never able to do any good works there.

[Everywhere he went, Jesus saw how those in authority had exceeded their powers over the people. The tenets of the Jewish faith, looking after the weak and frail, the women and orphans had been forgotten and new laws covering a myriad of situations, mainly to do with hygiene, had been introduced. They controlled the people by restricting their access to the Temple (the place where they worshipped God) and to buy their way back into his favour by making sacrifices. This was by then controlled by the Temple authorities so that any 'sacrifices' had to be bought using the 'Temple currency', which they also controlled at a beneficial rate. This was another tenet of Jewish faith that they would not lend to another Jew for gain, or take any pecuniary advantage of another Jew.

By reading this particular verse, Jesus confirmed the prediction about the coming of the Messiah, and also that the Jubilee (an event that should have been celebrated every 50 years) was meant to bring a redress in the balance in Jewish society by the return of land to the original owner, the cancellation of debt, freeing of slaves and many other benefits to those who had not done so well.

In this scene, Jesus was clearly setting out his manifesto to bring help to those without power and authority and to restore the balance.]

## 4.7 - Key Events and Significant Happenings

There are numerous stories about the things Jesus did and said; about miraculous healings he performed, even bringing people back to life after they had died; how he taught the people he met and his followers, often illustrating the point by the use of what are called 'parables'. The parables were mainly straight forward, simple stories, using every day experiences, but some were complex and open to interpretation – and came across more as puzzles for people to think about.

Most of his teaching was about how to live in the new 'kingdom' he was introducing.

This next section looks at some of the more significant events that have been recorded.

The news of what Jesus was doing spread rapidly around the countryside and crowds would seek him out and follow him around. Remember, there were no newspapers, no TV or radio, so word only got round by word of mouth. One day he was near the Sea of Galilee, when news reached Jesus that Herod had killed his cousin, John the Baptist. He was deeply upset and sought to escape the crowds and get some space for himself. He gathered the disciples together and they went off in the boat across the lake to a remote area. But the people spotted what he was doing and made their way around the lake on foot and got there ahead of him. When the boat landed, Jesus could see the people who had followed him, and by this time the crowd had grown and numbered up to five thousand all told. When he saw them, he thought they looked confused and afraid - like lost sheep. He felt sorry for them and forgetting his own concerns, began to teach them. Because this situation had occurred more or less on the spur of the moment, no one had taken any account of how long they were going to be out and what, if anything, they were to eat. And so there was this great crowd in a remote area, who would be a long time out before returning home. Clearly there was a problem about food for everyone and Jesus asked whether any of the disciples had any food, triggering a less than harmonious discussion among them, as none of them had money or opportunity to acquire enough food to feed everyone. As it happened, there was a boy who had some bread rolls and a couple of small fish – enough for his lunch. Jesus asked the boy if he would give him this meal. He then instructed the disciples to get the people to sit down on the grass in groups of 50 to 100, and he blessed the bread and fishes and divided it up for the disciples to distribute to the people where they sat. It seems that he was able to divide the food up without it ever running out. When everyone had eaten, they were able to fill 12 baskets with the left-overs.

The crowd were utterly amazed – how was it possible for him to take a few bread rolls and some fish and multiply them into enough food for 5000 people? This event remains one of the most memorable and enduring of Jesus' miracles.

[There are many possible explanations, one of which is that more people had actually taken food with them and having witnessed the way in which everyone was sharing what little they had, they joined in and shared with those near to them. Well we'll never know how it was possible – it was a supernatural event, the people called it a miracle, one of many Jesus performed. But it's not so much a story about 'magic tricks' – it's more to do with 'generosity'. If we are being led to believe that God duplicated the mass of food so that there was enough to go round over five thousand people – then why was so much left over? No this story was more to do with trust in God and his generous nature – there was a need and God did not only provide but over-provided and this appeals to our better nature to be as generous in our giving.]

## 4.8 - Parables

Throughout his ministry, Jesus would often tell stories to the people where they were – in the market place, by the lake, gathered in people's houses. Most of the stories were straightforward, but often he would use a story to explain something with a deeper meaning. These stories are now known by the term 'parable'. It was his way of getting them to think about and reflect on ethical and moral issues and how they affected the way people lived.

Most of the Parables were to do with daily experiences, so familiar to 1st Century Palestinians. But they seem so antiquated and far-off to us 20 Centuries later, but with some explanations these can be just as relevant to us in our lives today. In all, there are 32 parables recorded in the Bible, but here are a just a few.

Jesus told one such story to a lawyer, who stopped him one day and asked him what he should do to be able to live forever (or as Jesus put it - to inherit eternal life). It was a trick question really – he was testing Jesus. So Jesus asked the man what the Law said about this, and the man replied , quoting from the Old Testament books of the Law, _"Love God with all your heart, strength and mind, and love your neighbour as you love yourself"._ Jesus told the man that he was right, and if he followed this he would live. But the man was not satisfied with Jesus' answer and wanted to know who his neighbour was.

So Jesus told him a story about a man who set off on a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the way he got mugged. A gang beat him up, took his money, stripped off his clothes and left him for dead by the side of the road. Later, a priest came along the road, but when he saw the injured man, he went out of his way to avoid him, moving over to the other side of the road. The next person who came along was a Levite, an official of the Temple, who also ignored the man and continued on his way without offering any help. The third person who appeared was a Samaritan, a person from the neighbouring region of Samaria, with whom the Jews were always in conflict. He however stopped, and immediately helped the injured man. He attended to his cuts, sat him up and gave him some water, then put him on his donkey and took him to the nearest hotel, where he paid for the man to stay with a special request to the manager to take care of him. He also made it clear that if there was anything further to pay, he would settle up on his return journey.

Then Jesus asked the lawyer, who, of the three, in his opinion was a neighbour to this traveller. The lawyer said that, of course, it was the one who showed kindness to the man who had been mugged. So Jesus told the man to behave in a similar manner to all those who might need his help.

[For us to understand this story better, we need to know a bit more about the significance of what was going on here. The priest and the Levite were involved in the rituals of the Temple and, according to the Jewish Law, would have become ritually 'unclean' if they had stopped and even touched the man. This would have meant that they would have had to 'purify' themselves and not be able to take part in any ceremony for a prescribed period of time.

Because of their history, Samaritans (people who lived in Samaria, a territory in the north of Palestine) were hated by the Jews, so Jesus had deliberately used a Samaritan as the one who took pity on this traveller to demonstrate that our neighbour isn't just the person living next door to us – it is much wider, even people from other cultures and countries. He used officials from the Temple to show that ritual should not get in the way of genuine concern and love for others, whoever they are. It was told to wake them up and to insult their pride. So this was really three stories in one.]

So a modern day example of this story might be this:

" _It was early evening and dark as a young man waited for a bus to the next town where he had arranged to meet his buddies for a drink at their local. The bus was late and it was unusually quiet with not many people about. Suddenly from behind him a group of youths set upon him and beat him up, stripping off his leather jacket and new Nike trainers. They took his wallet and phone and gave him a good kicking before they finally set off running back to where they had come from with their booty._

Some people had seen the attack but kept their distance and each continued on their way. A policeman passing by on the other side of the street saw the bundle on the floor and, thinking it was a drunk or homeless person, hurried by, as he was just about to finish his shift and needed to be home to see his children before they went to bed. Then a passing taxi slowed down and stopped. He had a quick look, and seeing blood, he didn't want to get his cab messed up for the evening, so he drove off. Also he shouldn't have been driving, as he had just received more points on his licence, so he didn't want to get involved.

Then a Polish immigrant worker who worked as a cleaner at the hospital arrived at the bus stop just as the man was regaining consciousness. She took pity on him, and found some tissues in her bag and started to clean him up. She phoned for an ambulance and when it arrived, went with him to the hospital. She asked him if she could contact someone from his family to let them know where he was and then stayed with him until they arrived."

Jesus mixed with all sorts of people on his travels, including many who had been labelled as undesirables by the authorities; handicapped people, or those with incurable illnesses; widows and orphans; prostitutes and beggars etc. One group in particular who were despised by the church leaders were tax collectors (in fact everybody hated them since the taxes they collected went to the occupying Romans). But Jesus bore no grudges, he was happy to speak to and teach them all, and as a consequence they followed him around, because nobody previously had taken any interest in them. This had not gone unnoticed by the church leaders who were becoming increasingly fed up with Jesus, as they saw him as a challenge to their authority. On one occasion, a typically mixed crowd had gathered which also included some church leaders who were critical of Jesus for mixing with that 'sort' of person. His response was to tell them three parables about the extent of God's love as a way of testing their understanding.

The first was about a shepherd who was missing a sheep from his flock of a hundred. So big deal you say - he's still got 99 left! But not this shepherd - he left the ninety nine and went looking for the one that got lost, and when he'd found it, he was overjoyed and carried it home on his shoulders. When he got home he held a party with his neighbours to celebrate the return of the one who'd gone astray.

The second story was similar to the first, but involved a woman who had ten coins, and she lost one. So she turned on all the lights in the house and carefully swept all the floors, looking in every nook and cranny until she found it – then she too held a party with her friends to celebrate finding the coin that was lost.

[Jesus was saying that these stories illustrate what it's like for God when a person goes astray or when they go missing. Any person who turns away from God, temporarily or over a period of time, is considered to be a 'lost sheep' but he never gives up on them. They are so precious to him that he goes searching for them until he finds them and brings them back to safety. And this is no better illustrated than in the final story.]

The final story was about a farmer who had two sons who worked on the farm with him. One day, the youngest son asked his father for his share of his inheritance. So the father divided all his property between them and a few days later the youngest son set off to travel the world. He had a good time spending his money on 'wine, women and song', but eventually the money ran out. At that time there was a severe famine in the country where he was and it wasn't long before he was in desperate need, eventually finding work looking after a farmer's pigs. Realising that the pigs were getting better food than he was, he decided to swallow his pride and head back home. He was concerned about how he might be received by his father and resolved to apologise for his behaviour and plead with his father to take him back as a hired hand, because even the hired hands were eating and living better than he was. So he set off, hoping against all hope that his father would be merciful and take him back.

When he got near to his home, but still some distance away, his father, who had never stopped hoping for his son to return, spotted him. Overcome with delight, he ran out to meet his son, welcoming him with open arms. They hugged and wept together, each delighted and happy to be reunited. The son said that he was really sorry for all the harm he had done, and that he wasn't fit to be called his son. He would be happy to come and be one of the hired hands if he would allow it. But the father would have none of it. He called for a fresh set of clothes and all the trimmings to show his status – to reinstate his son. Then he remarked that his son 'who had been lost, had now been found', and proceeded to organise a great party to celebrate his return.

The older brother meanwhile had been out in the fields and missed the reunion, returning only when the party was in full swing and demanding to know what was going on. One of the workers told him what had happened; that his brother had returned safe and well and his father had welcomed him back and thrown a party for him. The older brother was so mad at this that he refused to join the party, causing his father to go out and speak to him.

The older brother was furious that his younger brother had been dealt with so leniently. He had always worked hard, never disagreed with his father and never asked for anything in return, whereas his brother had been given his part of the inheritance and squandered it on loose living and now was being given another chance. His father tried to console him by saying _"You are always with me and all that is mine is yours, but we had to celebrate because the son that was lost is found, he was dead but is now alive again."_

[This seems a very hard story, but one I think a lot of people will recognise from their own families. Jesus' stories were very 'real' which is why they made the impact they did. Even if we have not had direct experience of this situation (or at least in the extreme circumstances) we will recognise the dilemma for both the son who ran away and the father who welcomed him back, and also for the loyal son whose jealousy blinded him to the deep bond of love his father had for both sons. But the main point Jesus was trying to make was that God, as our father, is always waiting and looking for our return, irrespective of what we've done, and he will be there ready to fling his arms around us and restore to us the love we so desperately need from him.]

Many of Jesus' stories were to do with farming – ploughing fields, sowing seeds, looking after animals or growing vines - because this is what most people were involved with and they understood the analogies. He once talked about a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds; how it grows into one of the biggest shrubs where birds make their nests - and becomes their home, their security. And Jesus compared this to the kingdom of God – how it too grows from just a word to a single person reaching in time many hundreds of people, giving them a familiar and safe place to be.

Another parable was about a farmer who went out to sow seeds which were scattered in different places. Some seed fell on the path where it became eaten by the birds. Other seed fell on stony ground where it germinated but because there was little soil, died off in the heat of the sun. Some fell among weeds which grew up with the seed and choked it so that it could not produce any grain. But some fell on good soil where it grew strongly and produced an abundance of grain.

[Jesus had to explain what this meant to his followers. They understood the story at the basic level – they had known this from experience, but the point Jesus was making was that the seeds represented the 'word of God' being given by one who believes. For those who do not understand what has been said, the forces of evil incorporated in the presence of the devil (an angel who rebelled against God and became his sworn enemy, seeking to usurp his power and put all sorts of challenges in the path of any who would follow him) take up the 'word' and devour it, much like the seed that falls on the path that is taken by the birds. So here nothing grows.

The seed that falls on the rocky ground is like the 'word' that is received and understood initially, but after time and when some challenge appears, the 'word' is taken away because there is no depth of knowledge or understanding to sustain it. The seeds that fell amongst the weeds are like the 'word' that is received and understood, but the lure of the world – wealth and self-interest – choke the 'word' and no crop results; whereas the seed that falls on the good soil is nurtured in the soil, and the crop flourishes and produces loads of grain, just like the one who fully understands the 'word', who resists any obstacles, and is nurtured in the love of God and like-minded people - and their faith grows and spreads.]

Jesus told a similar story about a farmer who sowed good seed in a field, but at night an enemy came into the field and sowed weed seeds. So as the seeds grew, the labourers came to the farmer to tell him that there were weeds growing in amongst the wheat and questioned what seed he had used. The farmer confirmed that he had used only good seed but that this might be the work of an enemy.

So the labourers asked if the farmer wanted them to pull up the weeds, but he said "No, just leave things as they are – let them grow up together, because if you pull up the weeds now you would also pull up the wheat, as the roots would have become entwined." He told them that when harvest time came he would get them to pull up the weeds first then gather in the grain, and throw the weeds on the fire for burning.

[Sadly this was a common practice in 1st Century Palestine and the Roman Governor issued a law to deal harshly with anyone caught sowing weeds in another's field.

Jesus went on to explain the meaning of this parable. The wheat seeds are the followers of God, and the devil is the enemy who comes in darkness and sows the weed seeds. The weeds are the children of the devil who are selfish, do evil things and spread misery. The farmer is God who sows the good seed, and he allows the good and evil to grow up together until it is time for harvest. The farm workers are God's helpers who first pull out the weeds and then burn them in the fire, after which they harvest the grain and put it into the barn.

This is a story to illustrate a point about behaviour. It's about people living and working together in the world. Each one of us is capable of good and evil deeds, and only we can decide how we conduct ourselves and live with other people. According to what Jesus was teaching here, there comes a point in the future when we will have to account for the things we've done or not done, and we will be treated according to those actions. This point in time is referred to as the 'Day of reckoning' and according to the illustration, the evil are to be punished and the good will be rewarded by living for ever in God's presence.

Unlike weeds and wheat, people can change from being evil and living a selfish life to becoming loving and caring, as God would have us be. But we have been given a free choice, and each individual has the power to choose between good and evil – there is no one to force us. But any positive change will not go unnoticed by God, at any time we choose. The story is by way of a warning that it's never too late to change - except if you're a seed! God knows that we all have good and evil thoughts and deeds in our make-up and we are constantly moving from one to the other – it's like an internal battle, but we need to know what will result if the good in us does not overcome the evil.]

## 4.9 - Miraculous healing

Some of the things that Jesus did seem a bit far-fetched these days - at least they stretch the imagination, and for some it is too much to believe. Since there is no way of proving what was done – no way of verifying with the people involved, we only have the accounts in the Bible to rely on. These events were referred to as the Miracles of Jesus, (although John calls them 'signs' of Jesus), of which 35 are recorded in the Bible. Most people have heard of some of these, for example;

Jesus walking on the water,

Jesus turning water into wine, or

Feeding the 5000 (see previously).

But, the majority of these miracles, (26) were healings for people. Deaf, blind and dumb people were cured of their handicap, as were lame, sick and dying. These were people who came to Jesus, or were brought by friends to see him for healing and Jesus, out of compassion for their situation, restored them, freed them, in the sight of many witnesses. In one incident, the friends of a disabled man were so desperate for a cure for their friend, that when they couldn't get into the house where Jesus was healing, they went up on the roof and broke through it and lowered the man down on his bed. Jesus was amazed at how much their faith had stretched their ingenuity to give their friend access to him, that he healed the man.

One day, when Jesus went to Peter's house, Peter's mother-in-law was very ill so Jesus helped her up and she was immediately made well again and continued with her work. Word spread very quickly and people from the whole town assembled outside the house with ailing relatives – waiting for healing. They had never seen anything like this before. This started a tidal wave reaction, as people came from miles around for this very 'special' healing.

Never before had anyone taken any interest in them or their problems or their situation. They had just been left to get on with life the best they could. There was no health service, no social services – nothing we would recognise today as a form of social net – just their friends and neighbours who were in pretty much the same situation.

Probably the most amazing of the 'healing' or 'miracle' stories are the two that follow. They are different stories about the extent of faith shown by the two characters involved. The first happened when the one being healed was not brought directly in front of Jesus, but received healing because of the faith of the one who came on their behalf. The second incident was about a woman who believed that she could be healed without even being touched by Jesus.

On one of his visits to Capernaum, Jesus was approached by a Roman Centurion whose assistant was ill and close to death. The Centurion had heard about Jesus' healings and approached him; told him of his concern for the assistant and asked Jesus to help. Jesus agreed to go with the Centurion, but he said that he wouldn't presume on Jesus to visit his house; he merely had to speak the word – that would be sufficient. He explained that he was a commander of men and all he had to do was say _"Come"_ or _"Go"_ and his soldiers would do as he commanded. And all he needed to say to his assistant was _"Do this"_ and it was done.

Jesus was amazed at this and he said to his followers that he had not known faith like this in all of Israel. (And he went on to say that this showed that those other than the Jews would be welcomed into the kingdom, and some of the Jews would not.)

And Jesus told the Centurion, that due to his faith, all that he had requested would be done – and it was, for as he reached his home, the assistant was fully restored to good health.

There was another time when Jesus was in Caperneum with a large crowd surrounding him. This story really highlights the hectic life Jesus and his followers were experiencing – going from one crisis to another. On this particular day, Jesus was approached by Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue. He was in great distress and fell at Jesus' feet saying that his 12 year old daughter, (his only child), was dying. He begged Jesus to come and make her better, so they set off together back to his house.

On the way, with the crowd bustling in behind, a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for 12 years, stretched out her arm and touched his robe. Immediately Jesus stopped where he was and turned around and asked who had touched him, as he had felt his power being sucked away. No one owned up to it and his followers were incredulous that he could even feel his power leave him from a touch by someone in the crowd. But on Jesus' request the woman came forward and threw herself at his feet and admitted that she had done it.

She told him about her illness and that despite spending all her money on doctors she had not improved at all. She said that she knew that if she could just touch his cloak she would be cured, and she actually felt the illness go that instant that she touched him.

He helped her up and said that it was her faith that had made her well, and he sent her on her way.

[There are several interesting points to note here. The fact that the woman was bleeding was enough to make her, under the Jewish law, ritually unclean, and as such she would have been excluded from most social contact. She would also have been aware that if she physically touched Jesus or got him to touch her, then this would have made him ritually unclean also. So if she touched something of his, she believed this would have been sufficient. Such was her faith - which she put into action.]

Meanwhile Jairus received news that it was too late; his daughter had died. Jesus, however, refused to accept this and told Jairus to _"only believe and she will be saved"_. When they arrived at the house, the mourning had already started with people wailing and weeping, but Jesus instructed the family to send everyone away as the girl was only sleeping. All the mourners laughed because they knew that she had died. But Jesus went into the house with Peter, James and John, and her parents and he took hold of her hand and told her to get up, which she did. Her parents were astounded, but Jesus told them to give her something to eat and say nothing about what had happened, and he went on his way.

[Jesus would often ask people not to mention some of the things he did, and several reasons have been put forward for this. On this occasion it was probably to protect Jairus, whose position as a leader in the synagogue could have been compromised, and Jesus recognised this. On other occasions it was because he knew what human nature was like and he was aware that whatever he said, the person would do the opposite anyway. Sometime the news was too good to keep to themselves despite what Jesus has asked. He may, of course, have said this deliberately, knowing that those who had been healed would go and tell their friends their good news.]

## 4.10 - Mixing with the 'Undesirables'

We've heard before that Jesus was criticised by the religious leaders for mixing with certain 'undesirables'. These were the 'dregs of society' as they might be referred to today – the 'down-and-outs'. In those days they were the widows and orphans, prostitutes, the poor, the sick and dying, and – in a class all of its own - tax collectors. These were despised by everyone, because not only did they take money off the people but it went to the occupying Romans, whom they all hated. Also in a separate class were the mentally ill. Because they were not able to diagnose their illness, they were all lumped together as those 'possessed by demons'. And many of the stories are about how Jesus mixed with and brought healing and recognition to these people. It is true that Jesus sought out these 'undesirables' specifically because that's what they had become – they had been labelled by the religious leaders and the stigma had effectively excluded them from a 'normal' life.

Jesus was making the point that they may have been turned away by the religious leaders but not by God, and he went out of his way to demonstrate the hypocrisy of these so called representatives of God – the Priests, the Scribes and Pharisees.

One such story involved a man named Zacchaeus who lived in a town called Jericho. He was one of the most influential tax collectors in the area and as a consequence was a wealthy and much despised man. He had heard a great deal about Jesus and that on this day he was on his way through the town, so Zacchaeus determined to have a look at him – see what he was like. As usual there was a great crowd surrounding Jesus as he passed through the town, and because Zacchaeus was not very tall, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see what was going on. As he passed by, Jesus looked up at Zacchaeus and stopped. And he said, _"Zacchaeus, come down here quickly, I want to come to your house and eat with you"_. The people around were gobsmacked! What on earth was he doing mixing with this scoundrel? He shouldn't even be talking with him, least of all going to eat with him!

But Zacchaeus clambered down and came and stood in front of Jesus and told him that he was pleased to welcome him to his house. Zacchaeus was overwhelmed that Jesus should know him by name and that he would want to eat with him. In response he said that he would give half of what he owned to the poor and that if he had defrauded anyone of anything he would give back four times the amount. This response was just what Jesus had hoped for and he announced to the crowd that Zacchaeus, as a descendant of Abraham, had brought salvation to himself by this act. And Jesus confirmed that he had come to look for and save those who had been lost – and here indeed was one such lost soul.

[The people were amazed that Jesus should refer to Zacchaeus as a descendant of Abraham. To them, he was a tax collector and someone to be despised – but Jesus saw him as just a man doing a job that had to be done, who had repented in response to the love shown by Jesus. Zacchaeus demonstrated by his actions that he had made an inner change in his attitude to those around him.]

Other sections of the community that were not given any status or authority were women and children, (particularly widows and orphans) and foreigners, attitudes of which we today are very critical. This next story is about a Samaritan woman that Jesus meets on his travels.

Jesus was on his way back from Judea to Galilee one day and stopped at a town called Sychar. The place was well known since one of the Jewish Patriarchs, Jacob, had first dug a well here to water their herds and given the land to one of his sons, Joseph. But over time the land had become occupied by Samaritans, who as a race were despised by the Jews. Most travellers would avoid Samaritan country if they could, but it was the shortest route and Jesus saw no reason to avoid it. Jesus stopped at the well whilst the other followers went to buy food - it was about midday and very hot. A Samaritan woman came up to draw water and Jesus asked her to give him a drink. The woman was surprised and quite shocked – he had broken several taboos – as a Jew, he had actually spoken to a woman who was also a Samaritan, and he was asking her to share a cup of water with him! Jesus answered her by saying that if she knew the gift of God and who it was that asked for a drink, she would ask him to give her 'living water'. She said _"Sir you have no bucket and the well is deep – how are you going to get 'living water' – are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who built this well?"_ But Jesus replied that anyone who drinks water from this well will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water he gives them – this 'living water', will never be thirsty again – this water will give them eternal life. So the woman asked if Jesus would give her this 'living water' so that she would never be thirsty again – or have to keep going to draw water from the well.

So Jesus told her to go and tell her husband and come back, but the woman said that she didn't have a husband. Jesus acknowledged that she was right to say this – in fact she had had five husbands and the one she has now was not really a husband, so this was in fact the truth. The woman was quite shocked and wondered how he knew all about her private life – he was, after all, a stranger. She felt very uncomfortable and so she quickly changed the subject. She said that she could see that he was a prophet, and that her ancestors worshipped on the mountain nearby, but that the Jews said that the place they should worship was in Jerusalem. So Jesus replied that the time was coming when this would not be necessary. Jesus then got into quite a deep discussion with her over the reason that the Samaritans were reviled so much by the Jews.

[This hatred went back to the time when their ancestors worshipped other gods in the hills - and when the Assyrians invaded Samaria they inter-bred. It was for this reason that the Jews thought that they, as the thoroughbreds were better than Samaritans. But Jesus said that salvation for all nations was coming through the Messiah – the one sent by God, and true worshippers would worship God wherever they pleased – they wouldn't need to go to the Temple in Jerusalem.]

The woman said she had heard about the Messiah – that when he comes he will proclaim all things to them.

Jesus said - _"I am he – the one who is speaking with you."_

Just then the followers returned and saw Jesus in conversation with the woman. This was quite a revelation but, remarkably no one said anything – they were getting used to Jesus being different.

The woman left her bucket by the well and went back to her home and told those she met to come and see a man who told her everything she have ever done - she believed that he was the Messiah. So many of the people left and went to see for themselves.

While they were still discussing this, many people from the town came out to see Jesus and his followers and asked them to stay a few days with them – which they did and many came to believe that he was indeed the Messiah.

Another event involving a woman happened when Jesus was in Jerusalem. He had returned early one morning from the Mount of Olives and went into the Temple to teach. Several people arrived as usual and he started to teach them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to him who had just been caught having sex with a man who was not her husband. They said that according to the Law of Moses, anyone found committing adultery was to be stoned to death but they asked him what he would do.

[The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus to go against the teaching of the Law. But Jesus had repeatedly said that his mission was not to change the Law- there was nothing wrong with the Law, just the interpretation of it].

Jesus bent down and wrote with his fingers on the ground while they were saying this and when they stopped speaking he stood up. So he said that anyone who has never done anything wrong should be the first one to throw a stone at her and he bent down and continued to write on the ground. One by one the men who were there slid away, and when he stood up again there was no one left. So he asked the woman where everyone had gone, and who was left to condemn her. She said there was no one – they had all gone, so Jesus said that he would not condemn her either, and that she should go – but not to break the law again.

[Jesus sought to expose the hypocrisy of those who were in positions of power- justice was not administered equally. This story illustrated the low status of women - it was only the women who were identified and punished in these cases. In neither of these cases did Jesus preach morality 'at' these women. He didn't judge them either, but rather forgave them and allowed them to draw their own conclusions about their behaviour. He recognised also that, as women, they had very little say in how they could conduct their lives.]

Throughout his ministry, Jesus seemed to clash with the church authorities on a regular basis. They did not like his style of ministry or his popularity with the people (and the fact that he was not particular with whom he met – tax collectors, women in general but especially prostitutes, beggars and the diseased). They abhorred his wild claims to be God's son (which they viewed as blasphemy) and the fact that he was always trying to ridicule them in front of the people. There were plots to expose him as a fake and quash the religious fervour he created, but with every counter measure, Jesus managed to turn the tables on them and reinforce the point he was trying to make.

Jesus was aware that one day he would have to have a 'show-down' with them which would lead to his death. He had spoken to his followers about this but they didn't really understand what he was trying to say. He also knew that this time was now approaching, as he made his way towards Jerusalem to celebrate the 'festival of the Passover'.

[Passover is a religious festival observed by the Jews, (still observed today) to remember the time when God rescued the Israelites, led by Moses, (the great patriarch) from their captivity in Egypt. Each year the celebration took place in peoples' homes with all the family present and the story was re-told. Jesus planned to do just this with the followers in Jerusalem.]

But before we go on to the final part of the story, I just want to summarise what Jesus came to do – and indeed what he did. Jesus did this beautifully one day when a large crowd had gathered. He was a good teacher and it wasn't difficult for him to retain their interest and to spell out in great detail his philosophy on how they should live as a just and moral society with God at the centre of their being.

## 4.11 - Open air sermon

He set off up a hillside with this great crowd in tow and after a while he sat down and talked to them using the context of everyday matters to teach about the new way of life he was advocating, which was in a sense a new way of thinking of and of experiencing life with God. What he had to say was so compelling that his audience sat intrigued, hanging on his every word.

He told them he'd come to turn things around from the way they had become. He had often spoken about the 'first' being 'last' and the 'last' being 'first'. He had come to put things right and to rescue those who had been lost and he spelled out the way God wanted them to be.

[This series of sayings became known as the Beatitudes (or blessings), and they are to be found in Matthew's Gospel (chapters 5-7), and also in Luke's Gospel. There are 8 of these sayings where he took a group of people who may have been considered unfortunate, but he turns round their misfortune and asserts that they are fortunate in another way. Here his focus was on love and humility, rather than on force, and the aim was to show mercy and compassion as he confirms God's' happiness' (or Blessings) on them.]

He began by explaining that the ideal state of mind was one where you are at peace with God – and there are many situations when you can experience this.

1. When you stop craving for material things – i.e. when you are content with what you've got – it's all you need.

[These are all the things that money can't buy.]

2. When you mourn – when you have lost what you feel is most precious to you and you don't know where to turn.

[Only then can you be comforted by God who loves you dearly – you are the most precious thing to him and he will give you support, help and a way forward.]

3. When you seem passive to the outside world.

[This means that you have surrendered to God's rule in your life and you depend on him].

4. When you have a desire for justice and moral perfection – when you keep on calling to God for help.

[Because he hears your persistence and will answer.]

5. When you demonstrate mercy for someone.

[As soon as you start to care for others you will find yourself being 'cared-for'.]

6. When you put God before yourself and you're at peace with yourself.

[When you get your life ordered and sorted out so that your head and your heart are saying the same thing, and you see God at work in others.]

7. When you begin to show others how to co-operate instead of competing or (worse still) fighting.

[This is when you bring peace to situations and find out who you really are and your place in the 'family' of God.]

8. When your commitment to God provokes antagonism and even persecution, (every time people put you down or throw you out, or lie about you to try to discredit God).

[Because when people push you away it drives you closer to God. When this happens, you know then with certainty that you've hit a nerve – a truth that your enemies can't bear to hear – and they don't like it because it's painful for them. But God will be pleased that this is happening – not because of the pain it causes – but because it is an awakening for them and perhaps the start of a recognition of God – and ultimately the start of their spiritual healing process.]

[If only we could get back to this style of preaching and understanding.]

This hillside dialogue with ordinary people, in a place where they were most comfortable, is now regarded as central to the philosophy and way of life that Jesus wanted to communicate. In effect he was outlining the key principles on which their lives should be based: their responsibilities towards each other; the ethics of communal living; the nature of freedom; and respect for each other, and especially, for God.

Ethical living

Jesus was saying that if we live by the ethical laws, those we love will be protected, so we can go on enjoying life more fully. The ethical principles are simply these:

**Don't murder anyone**. (In fact don't even think about it because to even think about it is bad – it's not what we should do. If you've had a disagreement with someone – go and sort it out; offer peace and make up. If you're waiting for them to do it first, they won't. Words can kill a relationship – so think very carefully, and not just about how _you_ feel.)

**Don't go sleeping with someone else's spouse.** (Even thinking about it is as bad. Your heart can be corrupted by lust quicker than your body, so take great care – it's not as easy as you think. Remember your vows – they weren't empty promises when you made them.)

**Don't promise anything you have no intention of keeping**. (Better to not say anything. And don't embellish things to make them sound better; if they're hollow it won't change anything – it will just make it worse.)

**Don't go looking for revenge.** (There used to be an old saying _"an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"_. Forget it - it only leads to revenge and escalation. Same thing if someone strikes you – stand there and take it. This is NOT what you think – it's not being soft – a pushover – it's a big thing. And if someone takes you to court for the shirt off your back – let them have it and give them your coat as well – wrap it up for them for good measure. End this 'tit-for-tat' nonsense – be generous – it will unnerve them.)

If we live by the laws, we and those we love will be protected, so we can go on enjoying life more fully.

**Be well disposed to other people, not just those close to you**. (It used to be said that you should love your neighbour and (by inference) hate your enemy. This is nonsense – love your enemy. It will bring out the best in you. Anyone can love someone they like – it's easy, but it's hard to love someone you hate. The sun's rays fall on everyone, as does the rain, so why would God's love be any different – there are no favourites in God's kingdom. In short – grow up – this is a big world and you are a big person. Be generous and gracious to one another, as God is to you.)

**Be natural - be yourself** (Don't show off as if people are watching you. Do what you have to do without any fuss. You don't have to show others what you're doing – God will know, and that's all that matters, because you're taking responsibility.)

Freedom

When we pray we should do it simply. There's only one prayer you'll need, and this is it:

The Lord's Prayer

(adapted from the original in Matthew 6:9-13)

### Our Father, who is in heaven, we revere your Name;

### Your kingdom come; your will be done

### on earth as it is in heaven.

### Give us today our daily bread.

### And forgive us our wrong-doing,

### as we forgive those who do wrong to us.

### And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

### For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory,

### For ever and ever. Amen

Jesus pointed out that we can't barter with God (if we want something we should just come out and ask for it), and we shouldn't look for an easy shortcut to God – there aren't any. People may tell you that there are – but you're being fooled if you think this. There's only one way and it's vigorous and demands your total attention.

He also warned us to be wary of false preachers who make wild promises, and an easy life. We shouldn't believe them – they're out to con us. We should be on the lookout for their true character and not what they pretend to be.

Respect for each other

He warned about being too hasty to judge others; that we shouldn't criticise people when they get things wrong

[we all get things wrong at times])

that we should treat others as we would be treated

[give each other some slack]

we shouldn't be hypocritical

[we should try to see the wrong in ourselves before we accuse someone else of wrong-doing]

that we should give suitable and appropriate respect for what others hold as 'sacred'

[if we expect others to respect what we believe, we should respect what others believe].

Respect for God

He explained how God thought about human life on earth. How he created everything for them – how he was like a father to them – giving them all the good things a father wants for his children. For his children to be safe and happy they need to be protected by him and the best way to do this was to give them some rules for them to follow.

Moses had got some rules from God in the distant past (known as the 10 Commandments). Jesus made it clear that he wasn't there to change anything in the law, but to complete it – to clarify and make it accessible to everyone. He pleaded for people to respect the law of the land and the law of God, not trivialise it. Laws were there for a purpose – to protect and not to control or stop us enjoying life. If we follow God's rules, we will show gratitude to God and please him, because he will see that we will get to enjoy all the things he's provided for us.

Jesus made his message clear by referring to how food is seasoned with salt. Just as salt brings out the best taste in food, so you, as God's representatives – his 'seasoning', will bring out the best in others. If you fail to do this, you will be as useless as salt that has lost its flavouring and may as well be thrown out.

His final words were a call to make these principles the foundation of our lives. If we succeed in doing so, we will be able resist anything that life throws at us.

He didn't promise any favours to those who changed their lives to follow God's principles. Moreover we need to do what we say – to 'walk the talk', and become obedient to God's call. If we are insincere about any of this, we'll be found out and then left out of the chosen group of God's followers.

When he'd finished speaking, the crowd was astounded. They'd never heard anyone speak so plainly and with such authority, and completely unlike the church leaders who were always so strict, inflexible and stuffy. He was different and he seemed to make sense of it all. The general feeling was of one being totally uplifted and inspired.

So now back to the finale...

## 4.12 - Joy before sadness

The people heard that Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem and wanted to welcome him when he arrived. His arrival wasn't quite what they were expecting. He travelled into Jerusalem sitting on a donkey and the people tore down palm leaves from the trees and waved them, and they laid them down on the road, together with their coats for him to ride over. This was the way the people welcomed a King, and to them Jesus was their King. After this fantastic welcome, Jesus and the followers made their way to the place they were to stay, with Simon the leper, and a few days later they set off to celebrate their Passover meal in a large upper room that they had rented. Little were they to know that this was to be their last supper together.....

The end of his life can be summarised like this: He was betrayed by a friend; falsely arrested; tried and sentenced to death; executed, died and was buried...

This would be an accurate statement – but to leave it like this would be to deprive you of the most amazing story ever told. It is a story of injustice, but also a story with a twist – an amazing surprise when it appears that all is lost. It has an ending that has puzzled many for a long time – an ending that has founded a world-wide following. For many it has been the foundation of their faith and their strength in times of trouble and difficulty, and has even led many to give up their previous lives to become a Christian on the basis of this event alone.

But for many others it has had the opposite effect - it has turned them away from reading any further – and has brought about their total disbelief – it being a truth too hard to accept or even contemplate. Which category, I wonder, do you fall into? Don't know what I'm talking about? – Read on and find out!

## 4.13 - 'Showdown'

A few days prior to the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus had been speaking with his 12 followers, away from the crowds, and telling them strange things about what he called 'end times' – about what was to happen to him and to everyone else after he had left them. They didn't really understand what he was saying, but he had spoken about these matters on other occasions and then, as now, they had dismissed them as his feeling a bit down after a long day. On this occasion he returned to this topic again at supper saying that after the meal he was to be handed over to the authorities and killed. They didn't know what to say, except Peter, of course, who said that nobody was going to take him away – that he would protect Jesus.

As the meal was starting, Jesus took a cup of wine and gave thanks and passed it round the table for them all to drink from it. Likewise with the bread – he gave thanks and broke it up and passed that around the table also. He said that this was to be the sign of a new covenant to remember him after he was gone – the wine was to represent his blood and the bread was to represent his body - a sacrifice he was about to make.

[A 'covenant' was an 'agreement' or promise made between God and the people. There had been many such agreements before – two such examples being after the flood that Noah survived and later with Abraham when God promised that he would be the father of many nations.]

Whilst they were eating he told them that one of the disciples was going to betray him to the authorities. They were all aghast – they could not believe that one of their group, who had travelled around together for so long, would do such a despicable thing, and they asked Jesus who it was. He said that the one who it was already knew.

Of course, the disciple known as Judas Iscariot knew, because it was him. He had been troubled at the way things were going for the group and had been secretly conniving with the authorities to see what they would give him if he were to hand Jesus to them. They offered him a sum of 30 pieces of silver. He agreed a time and place with them and that he would identify Jesus with a kiss. The authorities could not believe their luck because they had been plotting to kill Jesus and put a stop to all the trouble he had caused them. This was perfect! They decided they would not make a move until after the Passover had been celebrated for fear of causing a riot. So it was arranged.

Sometime during the meal, Judas left. As the treasurer for the group, some of the disciples thought that he had to go and pay for their supplies so they did not think anything of him leaving early.

Jesus took Peter aside and told him to be careful and said that he (Peter) would deny knowing Jesus in the events that were to come. Peter felt hurt that Jesus should think such a thing, and was most emphatic – that he would never let Jesus down. But Jesus said that he would deny he knew him three times before the morning arrived.

However, when the meal was finished they headed for the Mount of Olives, as was their custom, and came to an area known as the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray, for he knew that his time was near and that the authorities were coming for him.

Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and asked them to wait while he prayed. They could see he was getting a bit edgy and he told them that he was really afraid of what was coming. He went further away from them and lay on the ground and prayed. When he returned he found them asleep. He woke them up and scolded them and asked them if it was too much to ask for them to keep vigil for him. He went away again and on two further occasions when he returned, they were asleep. By this time, however they were joined by a large group.

Judas had turned up with a posse of hired hands and some of the temple guards. They were armed and acted aggressively. Judas came over to Jesus and kissed him and immediately the mob set on Jesus and he was arrested. Jesus said to him _"Judas is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?"_

The disciples tried to protect Jesus and one of them attacked a temple guard and sliced off his ear, but Jesus would have none of this – he touched his ear and it was healed. He said _"Why do you come after me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? I have been in the temple day after day and you have not touched me, but you wait until it's dark and then attack. Don't you know that if I wanted to I could call on my Father and he would send thousands of Angels to rescue me – but that would not fulfil what has been decided."_

So they led him away to the house of the High Priest, Caiaphas, where all the church leaders had gathered. They brought him in to see if they could find someone who would testify against him so that they could put him to death. Several came and told untrue stories about what they had heard Jesus say, but their stories contradicted each other, so they could not be used. Then someone came and said that he heard Jesus say he would destroy the temple and rebuild it by hand in three days. So Caiaphas said _"is this true?"_ – but Jesus stayed silent. Then Caiaphas asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, the Son of God, as some claimed him to be, and Jesus answered _"Yes, and you will see the Son seated at the right hand of God"_ – That was enough for Caiaphas – he exploded and accused Jesus of blasphemy – a crime punishable by death and asked all the other leaders if they agreed – and they did. They spat on Jesus and blindfolded him and started hitting him – taunting him by saying _"Now say who hit you if you really are the Son of God."_ Having condemned him they sent him under guard, to the headquarters of the Roman governor of Palestine, Pontius Pilate.

[This was a completely false assumption, and did not constitute blasphemy.]

The rest of the followers had scattered to find somewhere safe to hide for fear of being arrested, but Peter had followed at a safe distance to see where they would take Jesus. When they came to the High Priest's house, he slipped into the courtyard. He went to the fire to warm himself alongside some of the soldiers on sentry duty. One of the serving women spotted Peter and challenged him as being one of those with Jesus, but Peter very quickly denied this.

Sometime later, another servant came to warm himself by the fire, and also spotted Peter and asked him if he was one of the Galileans, and Peter again denied that he was. The others around him looked at him and one said that he was certain that he'd also seen Peter with that Jesus when he had been arrested. Peter was angry now and swore and said he definitely hadn't been there. As soon as he spoke, a cock started to crow to announce the dawn – and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him - that he would deny he knew Jesus three times before morning had arrived – and he wept bitterly, and rushed away.

Early in the morning Jesus was taken to the Pilate's headquarters since any death sentence had to be approved by him. But Pilate was reluctant to get involved in, what he perceived as the Jews' petty squabbles, and told them to deal with the matter themselves. Caiaphas told Pilate that it was a political crime and as such he, Pilate, should deal with it.

So Pilate spoke to Jesus and asked him if he was indeed the king of the Jews. Jesus' response was to return the question to Pilate as to whether this was his question or one that others put into his head. Pilate's response was that as he was not a Jew, what would he know about such things; that it was Jesus' own people who had raised these issues, and it was Jesus' responsibility to explain what he had done to upset them. Jesus replied that his kingdom was from another world and if he was from this world, his followers would be fighting to stop him from being handed over, but they were not. So Pilate asked him _"So you are a king, are you not?"_

Jesus replied that his sole purpose was to come into the world to speak the truth and those who heard him believed him. Pilate countered by saying _"What is truth?"_ It seemed that for Pilate there was nothing treasonous in this man, and for him that was his only concern. It followed therefore that the accusations were false. Hence he went back to the Jews and deemed that he had found nothing to answer, but as it was customary to release a prisoner at the Passover feast, he asked if they wanted to release the King of the Jews.

The church leaders were annoyed with Pilate and sent word to incite the crowd. As a result, instead of having Jesus released, they called for the release of Barabbas, a convicted murderer. The crowd chanted to release Barabbas, and in response to Pilate's question about what they wanted to happen with Jesus, they cried, _"Crucify him!"_ Perplexed, Pilate pointed out that, as far as he was concerned, Jesus had done nothing wrong. However, his advice was ignored and such was the hysteria of the crowd that the calls for Jesus to be crucified became more intense.

Pilate could see that nothing he could say would alter the mood of the crowd and to avoid a riot and restore order, he gave in. In a gesture of dissociation with the vigilante justice of the crowd, he washed his hands in front of them to demonstrate that he was having nothing further to do with it, and sent Jesus to be flogged and then off to be crucified.

Soldiers took Jesus away and beat him up in a most cruel way.

[In those days, punishments were harsh and those who carried them out showed no mercy. People were often beaten to within an inch of their life, and there were many who never survived as disease spread rapidly to untreated wounds.]

They mocked him and dressed him in a purple cloak and they made a crude ring from a thorn bush, set it on his head like a crown and bowed down before him mockingly, saying _"Hail King of the Jews"_. They spat on him and hit him with their fists. They stripped off his cloak and put his clothes back on him and forced him to carry a heavy timber cross to a place called Golgotha (meaning The Skull), just outside the city walls. He was so weak from the beatings that he was unable to carry the cross so the soldiers compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, to carry it for him.

At Golgotha they nailed his hands and feet to the cross and set it upright in the ground so that Jesus was pinned high above the onlookers, and there left to die alongside two others also being crucified. These men were both convicted criminals, and they were set up one on either side of Jesus. Above his head they put a sign saying 'This is the King of the Jews'.

The soldiers cast lots to divide his clothing. Weakened, Jesus uttered the words, _"Father, forgive them; for they do not understand what they are doing."_ A crowd stood by watching and directing taunts such as, _"He saved others but he couldn't save himself"_ at Jesus. The soldiers joined in, saying _"If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself."_ One of the criminals also being crucified said, _"If you are the Messiah, save yourself and us"_. But the other one came to his defence and said _"Stop. We've been convicted of a crime – we deserve what we're getting, but he doesn't – he's done nothing wrong"._ Then he also implored Jesus to help him in the afterlife with the words, _"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."_ Jesus replied _"Believe me, today you will be with me in paradise."_

At noon the sky went dark as if a storm were brewing. Towards 3 o'clock he cried out, "It is done!" and with that he died.

In that instant, the curtain in the temple, the one dividing the Holy place from the Holy of Holies, was torn from top to bottom. The Captain of the guard, a witness to these events, remarked, _"He truly was the Son of God"._ Jesus' friends, followers and his mother, Mary, were overcome with grief. It was all over. What had happened to change the world as they had come to know it with this wonderful, gentle leader who had done so many good things and helped so many people?

The Sabbath had almost arrived, and the soldiers, keen to get the prisoners down off the crosses, went round checking to see if they were dead. If they weren't, their practice was to break their legs to speed up the process, but when they checked on Jesus, he was already dead and one of the soldiers thrust his spear into his side and released water and blood.

Pilate gave permission to Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower, to take the body away for burial, so he and Nicodemus took the body down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb, owned by Joseph, in a garden close by. Some of the women who had been there watched as they laid him in the tomb which was sealed by a huge stone set across the entrance.

## 4.14 - They think it's all over.....

The next day was the Sabbath (the Holy Day) and no one visited the tomb. It was the day after, early before it was light, when the first group of visitors arrived. Mary Magdalene and some of the other women came with spices to embalm the body. Immediately they noticed that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance and that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Mary ran to tell Peter and the rest of the followers what she had found and Peter and John returned in great haste to see for themselves. They left soon afterwards having found only the linen cloth folded on the slab.

Mary Magdalene also returned and while she stood in tears at the entrance of the tomb, she saw two figures in shining clothes sitting at the head and foot of where Jesus had been laid. They asked her why she was weeping and who she was looking for. She said that someone had taken Jesus away and she didn't know where they had put him. Just then a figure appeared at the entrance of the tomb and said _"Woman, why are you weeping, who are you looking for?"_ She assumed it was the gardener so she turned and asked him if it was he who had moved the body and if so where had he put it. When the person addressed her as Mary, she realised it was Jesus. He told her to tell the others and to go to Galilee where he would meet them. Hardly believing that she had seen Jesus, and that he was alive, she set off to tell the disciples the good news.

[Women had so little power in 1st Century Palestine that they were not to be believed, which is why the men were so sceptical about Mary's story. Remember who had been entrusted with the news of the birth of Jesus? Shepherds – this was another group that society had chosen to distrust, and it was exactly why God chose people from these sectors of society to entrust the most important pieces of information ever given to humankind!]

Later that day, two of the followers were travelling on the road to Emmaus, a seven mile walk from Jerusalem. They were downcast and saddened by what had happened to Jesus and spent their time trying to make sense of it all as they walked. Some way along the road they were joined by a stranger travelling in the same direction who became interested in their discussion, asking them to explain what it was all about. They informed him of the momentous events in Jerusalem and were surprised that he seemed unaware of what had gone on. They gave him a background picture of Jesus – who he was, and their expectations for him, how things had gone wrong in the plan and how he had been arrested, given an unfair trial and been condemned to death and crucified. Dejected, they also added sarcastically that some of the women in the group had come back with a 'cock-and-bull' story about having seen him – that he was alive, which had left them incredulous. It was true that his body wasn't in the tomb anymore because some of the men had been and seen for themselves, but the rest, that Jesus might be alive, was simply too much to believe.

Then the stranger remarked that they may be guilty of forgetting the age old prediction that a Messiah had been promised, who was supposed to suffer exactly like this man they were speaking about. He suggested that they may perhaps be failing to see an important link. The stranger then began a detailed interpretation of the signs and predictions since the time of Moses. They did not recognise that the stranger was in fact Jesus, possibly because of the glare as they walked towards the setting sun. Absorbed in the conversation, they suddenly realised that they had arrived at the village where they were to stay for the night, and they asked the stranger to join them for some supper, which he willingly accepted.

When they sat down Jesus took the bread and blessed it; broke it and gave it to them. At this point they realised who this must be - because only Jesus did this thing with bread but before they could say anything he had vanished from the room. They were amazed and excited and afraid – all at the same time. But they did not hesitate to return to Jerusalem immediately to tell the others what they had seen with their own eyes. It was late and dark, but nothing would stop them from telling this fantastic news to their friends.

When they arrived some time later, and as they were explaining to the others what had happened to them as they travelled to Emmaus, Jesus appeared before them. The whole group looked on in amazement, unsure at what they were seeing. He showed them his hands and the marks left by the nails, and the wound in his side where he had been pierced by the spear and let them touch him. Now they believed. This was the final piece of evidence that they needed to know for sure that he was indeed the Messiah, God's Son. He said _"See, I am not a ghost, I'm made of flesh like you. Now give me something to eat."_ So they gave him some food, which he ate before them.

This occasion was not the only time that Jesus met with his disciples. There were several other meetings in the room, and also a communal breakfast at the lakeside. It was here that he gave them their final instructions - to go out into the surrounding countries, including to other communities (not just the Jews) and do as he had done – baptising, healing, teaching, praying for any they met. They would have to carry out these tasks without him as he had to return to his Father, God. He said that they would never be alone because he would be sending them a helper (the Spirit) to be with them – to guide, inspire and protect them in this mission.

He also gave them one final promise. He said _"When the day of judgement comes – I'll be back, so be ready – stay alert!"_

Unhappy that he would be leaving them again, they accompanied him up a mountain where he took his leave of them. As he went away, a bright light appeared... and in an instant he was gone....

The disciples returned to Jerusalem and began their mission to go and do as Jesus had tasked them to do.

[Without a resurrection this would be just another story about a good man who helped a lot of people. But with the resurrection (if you believe in such a thing) it's a whole new ball game.]

So the story of Jesus' life on earth comes to an end, but for the followers it was the beginning of a new journey, and a new story.....

# Chapter 5- Why Jesus came

As important as it is to know just what Jesus did, and how that affects our lives and shapes the way we live in the world, it is even more important to know why he did what he did. And to better understand this, we need have an understanding of the historical background at the time of Jesus.

The people in Palestine (modern day Israel) were governed by two regimes – the occupying Roman forces and the religious leaders of the Jewish faith.

## 5.1 - Roman Empire

The Roman Empire occupied most of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and in Palestine they were generally hated, as on the one hand they were strict and ruthless, and on the other the Jews were decidedly unwilling subjects. At the time of Jesus' birth, the local Roman ruler, King Herod had initiated a massacre of all Jewish baby boys born at the time. Herod was also responsible for placing forbidden idols within the Jewish temple. Such actions added more reasons for Jewish resentment.

The Roman Empire also imposed taxes on the countries that they occupied which were passed back to Rome. The only benefit to local people was a modicum of protection provided by the Roman soldiers, who were stationed at garrisons in strategic towns. Nazareth was one such town. Local people were required to collect these taxes, so tax collectors, by extension, were also hated.

The Roman government allowed religious and political freedom and freedom of thought to the countries they occupied, but they maintained strict control. The Romans were responsible for discipline and regularly punished offenders by public flogging and execution. Rebellion and insurrection was severely dealt with by their favoured and gruesome means of execution – crucifixion.

## 5.2 - Religious leaders

In first century Palestine there was no separation between church and state. The priests at the temple in Jerusalem not only officiated over the religious life of the Jews, they were also rulers and judges. The Jewish religious leaders were divided into different groups, Pharisees, Sadducees, Levites and Scribes. (For a detailed description see Glossary of terms).

They meted out punishments, exclusions and penalties for disobeying the rules. The only thing they were not allowed to do was to carry out executions – only the Roman Governor could do this. The religious authorities also imposed taxes which, combined with those set by Rome, inflicted severe economic hardship on the Jewish people.

## 5.3 - Daily life

Religious life centred on the temple in Jerusalem, but the teaching of the law and the worship also happened in the churches (synagogues), which were located in most of the towns around Palestine. Each synagogue had a resident Rabbi 'teacher', but often travelling Rabbis would visit and teach in the synagogues. Jesus was one such teacher.

Jewish tradition was centred on the Sabbath Day – the day began on Friday at sundown and ended at sundown on Saturday. Sabbath commenced with prayer in the home, the lighting of the candles by the wife of the household, followed by a joyful Friday supper. Sabbath was considered to be a day of rest and worship, where everything done was in honour of God and where no work was allowed.

There were several religious holidays during the Jewish year, but the most important was the Passover feast celebrating deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. During this feast, many Jews would travel to Jerusalem in order to celebrate in the holy city. The temple courtyards had become a marketplace, where local merchants would sell sacrificial animals at excessive cost in order to turn a profit from the tourists and pilgrims

The religious leaders formed the elite group, the upper class in society. The middle class comprised traders and merchants, artisans and craftsman. (The Pharisees, scribes, and teachers were a part of this middle class.)

The lower class was made up of labourers - weavers, stone carriers, slaves, and the unemployable (lepers, blind, insane, crippled, etc.) Women had a status even below the latter. Their word was not accepted as a witness and in most cases they were prevented from owning land. Priests tended to enjoy lavish lifestyles while the average Jewish peasant struggled to survive in an existence of barely tolerable hardship.

Many people were excluded from the temple, for all sorts of reasons and, as a result, were prey to supernatural practices. It was common, for example, for people to believe in curses and to allow their lives to be controlled by superstitions.

One way of tolerating the austerity and setbacks of ordinary life was to fall back on the prophecy of a 'Messiah' or saviour, the leader that God had promised who, according to their understanding, would bring them spiritual renewal and political freedom from centuries of foreign oppression. From time to time groups of zealots and rebels appeared to challenge the Roman authority, all of whom were ruthlessly put down by the occupying governor.

The social climate in Palestine was therefore a powder keg waiting to be lit, and it was into this scenario that Jesus emerged. For the Jews, God was an invisible God, but one of great power and strength. He was one who should not be crossed as his anger was fierce and his wrath limitless. Their knowledge and experience of God was of him living in the temple within the hallowed ground of an inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was held and into which only the High Priest could enter – and then only on one special day in the year – Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).

Jesus brought a fresh approach to a life with God – it was a new 'kingdom' – a way of life - where people could commit to God's rule in their lives and where they would be completely free to worship him wherever and whenever they pleased. In effect God too was to be freed from his exclusive position within the temple to be with his people – the people he loved dearly - wherever they were, at whatever time. In this he is what is called 'omnipresent' (present everywhere) and 'omnipotent' (all powerful) – in other words – the new way of life is one of freedom from restrictions of worship and devotion.

The meaning of the curtain in the temple being torn from top to bottom is widely seen as signifying that the barrier between God and the people had been broken and that from then on, any one could have direct access to God. The full significance of this was not realised at the time but ever since then there has been a realisation that God was no longer a God exclusively for the Jews – he was a God for all.

When Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the scroll (a passage from Isaiah) he announced his mandate – his manifesto. He said he had come to bring good news to the poor, to release the prisoners, to bring sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free and finally to announce the 'jubilee'. (The Jubilee was something that happened every 50 years where the balance in society is restored. Those who traded land had to return it; slaves were set free, and all debt was wiped away. It was the opportunity for those who fared badly in life to be given a new start and for those who had done well to be benevolent.) This practice was a tenet in the Jewish law but over the years it was overlooked, not surprisingly as those likely to lose out were the ones in power and authority.

It could be said that the pendulum had swung too far towards the wealthy and powerful and was now set to swing the other way towards the powerless and neglected.

# Chapter 6- Why he did what he did

Jesus set out to address a series of social issues:

Redress

Poverty - The poor had no money and suffered from lack of proper food, education and healthcare.

Healthcare – For the sick and dying there was no provision, no help or moral support.

The Underprivileged - Women and children, (particularly widows) had been largely left to fend for themselves.

The Undesirables – These were the outcasts in society – prostitutes, lepers, the blind and disabled, the mentally ill, tax collectors. Today they would be the unemployed or any on Social Security or 'in care', drug and alcohol addicts, the homeless, prostitutes and any caught in slave trafficking, illegal immigrants – sadly, the list is endless.

Many of Jesus' illustrations, (stories or parables) were about and directed towards these members of society. He listened to their stories and spent time healing and restoring them, enabling them to become, once more, useful members of society.

Expose

He aimed to expose the hypocrisy of religious leaders – those whose charge it should have been to protect those who had been overlooked. They had become too interested in the application of the law (to the letter), that they missed the original intent of the law, which was to help and protect people, and to create a safe and co-operative society in which to live.

Redirect

He wanted to redirect the focus on God and enable people to become obedient to his ways. God had been seen as one to be feared (mainly by those who had done wrong), but Jesus emphasised a loving, generous and caring God, and his appeal was to the wider society of both Jews and non-Jews (the Gentiles). He demonstrated how narrow the Jews' vision had become – thinking of their 'exclusivity' with God – and showed that there were many others (gentiles in particular) who had a much better capacity for loving and caring and understanding what God wanted for his people.

One of the themes throughout Jesus' ministry was to demonstrate that people were not willing or even capable of listening to what he was saying. The phrase that repeats itself is _"let those who have eyes to see, see and those who have ears to hear, hear"_. Jesus acknowledged that there was a time for hearing and seeing but that it wasn't always the right time for some people.

For me, as I write this book, my hope is that now is such a time for you, or if not right now – then maybe some time later, when you have digested its content and want to take your interest further.

In mentioning this I recall my grandmother who always tried to get me to use a bible study booklet that she'd bought for me. At that age all I wanted to do was play on my bike. But later a time came when the bike was less important to me and I picked up the booklet and one day I started to read it and put my bike away.

# Chapter 7- Some Final Reflections

There is so much more to this story. What is written here is merely scratching the surface. I have not included many of the sayings and miracles of Jesus in order to provide you with a quick and comprehensible snapshot of what Jesus was like. If you like, this is the 'pilot' to a story – the unexpurgated version can be found in other places. This version is designed to get you started, to awaken an interest in Jesus the man and his life.

It's difficult to build a picture of someone you've never met – their facial features, height, build and the way they carry themselves. What I can do, is to give you an idea of what a person was like, by what he said and did; how he said and did those things – and how people related to him.

Jesus never forced people to do what he wanted; they had to decide for themselves. Some decided very late, like the criminal who was executed on the same day as Jesus – but that was enough for him to be accepted by Jesus.

This book may leave you (as do many others written specifically for 'believers'), with more questions than answers. That is because there are no definitive answers; just the enduring 'mystery' that is Jesus of Nazareth. Only by continuing to search out answers may we discover what there is to know – after which we are left with our beliefs and our faith.

I have provided some suggestions at the end of the book, where to go next if you want to continue the ethos and meaning of Jesus' life for you today. There are also hyperlinks to other articles and references. If you prefer to examine a modern version of the bible, you could turn to 'The Message' by Eugene Peterson, which offers a good, readable account. You may also find a bible with a concordance package useful, and one in particular that I like with helpful charts and personal profiles is 'Life Application Study Bible' by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Moving from understanding the historical record towards accepting the message of Jesus' life is a transition which not everyone will make. This is because it will involve a shift from a rational understanding of events towards belief, a belief in the value and truth of an all-powerful and benevolent being called God. For example, everything recounted in this book can be authenticated – there are ample historical cross references – but proof, scientific or otherwise, is not available. There is a sense in which we have to rely on the immense impact that the life of Jesus had at the time, and continues to have, on people not just in Palestine but elsewhere in the Mediterranean and beyond, despite the absence of modern communication media. My conclusion is that belief in God is not about proving things. It is clear that some of the things that are claimed for Jesus are very difficult to believe – but the essence of the story is a challenge about whether you can take the step to believe in a benevolent God – or not.

## 7.1 - Where does Knowledge end and Belief start?

If you accept the challenge, you may still be puzzled by how you can justify making what has come to be known as a 'leap of faith'. For me, there always comes a point when what you know to be 'fact' or what you understand as 'knowledge' no longer helps. For example, until I had been on an aeroplane, I didn't 'know' what earth looked like from above. Of course, I'd seen maps and photographs, and had assumed they were 'factual'. I accepted that is 'fact', without any direct personal experience. If we extend this to other situations, we soon begin to separate out things we can accept and things we want to challenge. Are they 'fact' or is it something somebody else has told me? Whether we view what is said as fact or not, it is at that point that we must decide to enter the realm of 'belief'.

In everyday life, belief is strongly linked with the credibility of the messenger. So if someone I know and trust tells me something, I am more likely to believe what they say. Similarly, if someone in authority tells me something, e.g. a teacher or a doctor, then by-and-large I am likely to believe that person, simply because of the trust that goes with the authority. Many things that we are asked to accept and believe can be checked out by looking at alternative sources of information. In the 21st Century the availability of the internet, libraries, and the media, gives access to the most learned minds and an immense databank. It's not difficult to verify what we are told. It just remains for us to be certain that the source can be trusted.

The growth of knowledge however does not always work in the church's favour. Whereas in the past, the church, (as it became more and more institutionalised), enjoyed a monopoly of power and influence over people's lives, as did the monarchy and parliament. However, it now has to compete with an onslaught of information and opinion from other sources, much of which is aggressive and in conflict with its main message. The world of the 1st Century is therefore massively different to that of the 21st Century, and nowhere is this more noticeable than the lack of willingness of people to accept what they see or hear. We now live in a world of scepticism, where we challenge everything.

Yet far from trying to turn the clock back, my advice is that it's sensible to be sceptical, and a good thing to keep saying as you go through this book is _"I don't believe that, but I'm prepared to do a bit more checking"_. If it increases your understanding, it will help you make a decision about things you want to accept and, how far beyond this you are prepared to stick your neck out and state what you believe.

As a non-scientist, my scope and understanding of the universe, like most people I suspect, is quite limited, but I believe all those wonderful images we are getting back from space – showing galaxies and star systems \- way beyond what we have experienced in the past, and yet people have been looking at the stars and observing their movements for many thousands, possibly millions of years.

For me it confirms the existence of a 'creator' – one with an immeasurable mind, who has been around for all time. I also think that our understanding of whether this is true or just some fantasy is only restricted by our knowledge and understanding of the world. In all the stories and writings that I have been exposed to, and all the goodness in the world that exists (which again springs from my knowledge and experience), I see the hand of 'one who cares' – one who 'loves' – and I have no reason to doubt this. Whatever you believe – or come to believe, will be based on your own intimate examination of your experience and understanding of life. It may or may not be similar to mine, but ultimately it will not matter. What matters is that you take the time to look inside and explore.

All that matters is that I have attempted to tell you of my belief in a God who cares about you – a God who loves you no matter what you've done and a God who is prepared to accept you as you are. If you believe this, then do as I have done and tell someone – or better still – give them a copy of this book so they can decide for themselves what they believe.

## 7.2 - Truth or fiction?

In essence this is the 'knowledge or belief' approach in reverse. I have presented you with data from which as far as possible you can form your own opinions rather than have the opinions or preconceptions of others forced upon you. I wanted to spare you the situation where any preconceptions you may have had about what Christians are, maybe based on your personal knowledge of someone, or what you've been brought up to believe. Perhaps you think that they are 'do-gooders' or 'stuck-up'; or that they won't talk to you because you're not good enough...the list is endless. My advice to you is to start afresh and consider the data presented to you and to see where it takes you.

## 7.3 - Why write this book now?

Society is always changing – and it certainly has changed significantly since my childhood. As a post-war 'boomer' I sometimes went to chapel and Sunday school; we had RE in school (predominantly about Christianity) until I was 16; we had school assemblies (Christian themed); so my knowledge and understanding, even if I allowed it to 'wash over' me at the time, was established. For me there was probably no other 'religious' option, especially as my paternal grandfather was a lay preacher and my grandmother played the organ in chapel. My father, as a consequence, had an extensive knowledge of the Bible, no doubt due to lengthy enforced study. But there was resistance along the way – both from my dad and me, and sadly he died before I was able to discover if he ever found his way back.

Today the pendulum has swung the other way – schools (in the UK) go out of their way to show no preferences to different forms of religion – which, on the one hand, is good because it gives a wider balance, and as an education about other religions, it removes some of the fear and prejudice that has previously existed around this emotive subject. On the other hand, as far as Christianity is concerned, there is no leadership, and people have become afraid to declare a belief in Christianity. It seems that the 'secular' way is the 'only' way these days and a new generation is growing up who don't know where to turn for spiritual guidance.

There also seems to be a resistance to even try to contemplate what 'faith' is and what it means – people want churches for weddings, christenings and funerals – but not to go to worship. It's only at times of a major stress in their lives, for example, a death in the family or a major disaster that effects 'normality' that people ever stop to think about 'life and its meaning' and feel the need of some spiritual guidance.

So how do you enable people to enquire quietly, without undue pressure, and in a reassuring way that's easy to understand? Well, how about a short book – one that only takes a few hours to read, but which guides you to places on a journey that will reward you? That's really where I started on this journey and here we are nearly at the end. Was it successful? Who knows what seeds will grow when they have been planted? We just have to wait patiently and trust....

Those of us who are committed Christians are called by God to tell others about his love for all people everywhere. Some do this is in an overt way by shouting out a message to passers-by in the shopping mall (of which nobody takes any notice). It's too embarrassing to be stopped and challenged in public, so people avoid it and take a detour! Maybe a better way is to do it quietly on a one-to-one basis so that a trust can be built up and questions explored without any pressure.

[It doesn't matter who we are, where we've come from, what we've done - we will always be loved by God. Isn't that something everyone should know about? As you read this book, try to understand this – it applies to you. God does love YOU. Even if you don't believe in him – he still believes in you, and he always will.]

Hopefully, now you have got this far you will understand more about why this is so. But if you take nothing else away with you when you've finished reading, just remember that God still loves you.

I have tried to provide simple explanations and information around each important event in Jesus' life. I came to faith, as I've said before, not overnight after reading a big book, but gradually, taking time to think about things and to notice what was happening around me; seeking out answers for myself, and with the help of a few trusted friends. I hope that this book has given you the opportunity to mull things over at your leisure and explore the issues that stimulate your interest or provoke your curiosity.

If you have more questions or just someone to chat things through with then post me a note on my blog (http://grevillemills.wordpress.com).

If that's as far as you want to go for now – that's fine. Thank you for reading. You can always come back....at any time.

# Chapter 8- Appendices

##  8.1 - The historical Record

There were very few eye witnesses to the stories about Jesus, but some of these recorded what they had seen by writing on parchment scrolls, but not until some time had passed since the events happened. Being written on such fragile material, much of what was written has been lost due to decay or clumsy archaeologists not realising the importance of what they had discovered. Also there were deliberate acts of destruction by those wishing to deny the existence of Jesus' life. Many sceptics use this reasoning to dispute the accuracy of what was recorded, even that they happened at all. Of course, there is no one around to check this out, but the fact that, of the accounts that have survived, there is so much in common.

It's also true that the surviving accounts were written by different authors, wishing to make some point, or angled towards some particular sector of society, so there is an element of positive discrimination, even manipulation. But the whole thing isn't just about what's written – it also takes into account the Christian experience over the centuries and what has been verified by writers recording historical details. This is something you may want to explore in more detail and much has been written on this.

## 8.2 - The books that make up the Bible

The Christian Bible is made up of 66 Books – 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament. There are a lot of different versions (translations), which appeal to different people for different reasons. If you want to get hold of a copy, but don't know which one, see the list in the References (below), which describes the sort of language in each, but if you're still not sure, get a modern translation – it will be more readable.

Because the Bible was written a long time ago and in a different language, it has been translated and put into equivalent English. Sometimes the words aren't an exact match. The original versions were written on paper scrolls – not in a book form as we now know them, so they were not in any particular order, except the first five, which contained the law.

## 8.3 - Old Testament (39 books)

This is basically the Jewish Bible or Hebrew Scriptures, split into the Law (Torah – often referred to as the Pentateuch – first five books), the Prophets, the Writings (including the Psalms and Proverbs). The history of how the number of books and the order in which they currently appear was decided is a fascinating read – but for another time.

The events that occurred were remembered by the eye-witnesses and passed from generation to generation, and eventually (some considerable time later in many cases) written down and copied – all by hand. This is one reason why so many are sceptical about the accuracy or even that the events took place at all. However, the ability to recall intimate details of historical interest, to tell and re-tell stories for those ancient civilisations, a part of their rich heritage, is a skill which we in the so called civilised world have lost. We rely totally on the written word and 'electronic' memory!

The Old Testament traces the evolution of the Hebrew nation from the creation of the universe and of the first human beings. Much of this story is very controversial with a polarised position being taken by fundamentalist Christians, who say that everything you read in the Bible is literally true, and scientists, who have proved through the study of science and evolution of the species that there is another (proven) explanation. On the creator of the Universe theory – the Jury is still out, but as I write there is no one who can 'prove' who, how or why this was done – but as Christians we believe it was God, and there is, as yet, no evidence to the contrary.

To put this in context, we need to remember that when these words were originally written, the writers' understanding of the world was very different – they understood and believed that the earth was flat and only extended to the countries or land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

The Old Testament concludes about 300 years before Jesus arrived with prophecies that a Messiah would be sent by God to set the people free.

## 8.4 - New Testament (27 Books)

This part of the Bible covers the life and times of Jesus, and of his first Apostles. The first four books (called Gospels), relate the story of Jesus told by different authors, written at different times, for different groups of listeners and for different purposes. Matthew, Mark and Luke (known as the synoptic Gospels), have similarities and have a degree of overlap, but John's Gospel takes a quite different approach and was also the last of the Gospels to be written. In a way these authors were editors. They were aware of any number of events and stories which told of Jesus' life and illustrated the way he taught; the way he responded to people in different circumstances, and the purpose of his life, so several of the stories appear in more than one Gospel and some are unique only to the one Gospel. For example there are a total of 35 miracles recorded in the four Gospels. Over 50% (18) of these appear in two or more of the Gospels, and 17 are unique to each of the writers (6 each to John and Luke, and 2 to Mark and 3 to Matthew). Agreed, some of the details differ, but if you got four people today to write an account of some significant event that they all witnessed, you would probably get four different accounts. It's human nature and we all perceive things differently. This doesn't mean that some of the stories are wrong or inaccurate in any way, just told from a different perspective.

The remaining books (Acts) are about what the followers did after Jesus died and the growth of the early church; and the letters (Epistles) written by various of Jesus' followers (Apostles) to those churches; and the final book - Revelation, is a piece of what is known as 'apocalyptic' writing, which is a sort of visionary writing about future times, and was written at a time of persecution of the church. Much of it is written in a sort of code to protect the followers from persecution. As a consequence, it is heavily encrypted and can be understood in a number of different ways.

None of the writings which make up the New Testament were written straight away after the events. The expectation was that, following Jesus' death and ascension, he would return fairly soon for the final judgement, so there was no need to write things down. It was some 20 to 30 years later, when the church was suffering persecution by the Romans and the Jews, that the first Gospel (Mark) was written, followed more than ten years later by Matthew and Luke's. John's Gospel followed on a further 20-30 years later. So it was over a period of between 20 and 65 years that these accounts were produced, not what you'd call prolific. It is also thought that many of the Epistles were written before the first Gospel, the earliest being Galatians and James, probably CE49, i.e. only 16 years following Jesus' death.

It's also fairly evident from researchers and archaeologists that what we have that makes up the Bible is only a remnant of what may have been produced. There were also many other manuscripts that have been discovered – other Gospels, that are not included for various reasons, and again much has been written about this.

# Chapter 9- Glossary of terms

_Christ_

The word Christ, or Christos, the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messias, means 'anointed.' According to the Old Law, priests, kings and prophets were supposed to be 'anointed' for their respective offices. Now, the Christ, or the Messias, combined this threefold dignity in His Person. It is not surprising therefore, that for centuries the Jews had referred to their expected Deliverer as 'the Anointed'. In this way the term Christ or Messias was a title rather than a proper name. The Gospel writers recognize the same truth and, (with a few exceptions) the word Christ is always preceded by the article, i.e. he becomes Jesus, the Christ. Several of the Apostles, Paul in particular, referred to him as Christ Jesus to emphasise this point. Only after the Resurrection did the title gradually pass into a proper name, and the expression Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus became only one designation. But at this stage the Greeks and Romans understood little or nothing about the import of the word 'anointed'; to them it did not convey any sacred conception. In the subsequent two millennia, the Christian religion has spread to all parts of the world. However it needs to be noted that some Jewish people did not become followers of Jesus, but acknowledged him as a prophet only. They still await the arrival of their Messiah.

Disciples (followers)

These were the learners, chosen by Jesus to become the missionaries to carry the message of God's love to all the nations. They 'followed' Jesus and became 'apprentices' learning the trade of missionary.

Holy Spirit

This is one of the most difficult concepts to understand, even for some who have been Christians for many years. The main thing that sets Christians apart from other monotheistic religions is expressed in the concept of the 'Holy Trinity', or 'One God in three persons'. The idea is that God has three distinct but co-existing facets – God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit being the unseen life-force (sometimes referred to as God's breath) that works within us – that inspires us to do his work. The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus originally to sustain and embolden the followers in their on-going work of spreading the Good News of God's love after he had gone back to be with his Father. The Holy Spirit is available to all for the same purpose. It has been said that God the Father led the Israelites in the Old Testament life. God the Son came to lead people back to Him in the New Testament life and the God the Holy Spirit leads us back to God in the present life. One way of understanding the concept of the Trinity is to look at the element water – this can exist as a liquid (water), as a solid (ice), and as an invisible gas (water vapour), ostensibly three distinct states but a single element. We cannot compare this simplistic analogy to God who is far more than an inanimate object, but hopefully it demonstrates that things can exist in more than a single state.

Jewish Religious leaders

High Priest, Chief Priests, Priests, and Levites were members of the tribe of Levi who were responsible for the temple and its sacrifices, and thus were the religious and social leaders of the Jewish people. These were divided into two main groups:

Pharisees - (largest group) were zealous for the Law of Moses, (the Torah) but they also considered themselves the guardians of the oral traditions that scholars developed over generations. The oral traditions interpreted the Law of Moses. They were a group that rose to prominence in what scholars call the second temple period, when the Jews returned from exile in Babylon and the temple was rebuilt. It was a time when the gentiles were constantly encroaching upon the Jewish people, their customs, and religion and the Pharisees set out to preserve the Jews from this perceived threat. The very name 'Pharisee' is derived from the Hebrew word that means 'to separate.'

Sadducees - were of the wealthy ruling class. Many of them comprised the priesthood that controlled the temple in Jerusalem and the Jewish legal council called the Sanhedrin. They were in some ways more conservative than the Pharisees. They only recognized the Torah as the inspired word of God. They acknowledged neither the prophets nor the oral traditions that came after the first five books of the Bible. Consequently, they did not believe in the resurrection or any life after death. They were often at odds with the Pharisees over this matter. So even amongst themselves, the religious leaders were not in total agreement.

Scribes - men specially trained in writing and thus influential as interpreters and teachers of the Law, and agents of the rulers.

Love (Definition according to Wikipedia)

Love is an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also said to be a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection — the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. Love may describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.

In English, love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from pleasure _("I loved that meal")_ to interpersonal attraction _("I love my partner")_. Love may refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love, to the sexual love of 'eros', to the emotional closeness of 'familial' love, to the platonic love that defines friendship, or to the profound 'oneness' or devotion of 'religious' love, or to a concept of love that encompasses all of those feelings. This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states.

The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and woman—(erosin) Greek—and the unselfish love of others (agape), are often contrasted as 'ascending' and 'descending' love, respectively, but are ultimately the same thing.

There are several Greek words for 'love' that are regularly referred to in Christian circles, and in the New Testament.

Agape: is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love, seen as creating goodness in the world; it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.

Phileo: is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as 'brotherly love.'

Two other words for love in the Greek language, 'eros' (sexual love) and 'storge' (child-to-parent love), were never used in the New Testament.

Messiah

The word Messiah (in Hebrew) or Christos (Greek) meant the 'anointed one' – the one chosen by God to set the people free. Jesus, when truly acknowledged by the people as the Messiah, was also referred to as 'Christ' (See Christ above). There had been several over time who had claimed to be the Messiah, but each one was found to be false. The Jewish authorities felt this would also happen to Jesus after he had been killed, but they were proved wrong.

Mission

A purpose

Prophet

One sent by God to give a message to the people and their leaders. Usually this was a message for them to change what they were doing and return to God with dire consequences if they ignored the message. Generally prophets were either ignored or their authority was challenged and attempts made to keep them quiet

Synagogue

Translated 'house of assembly', the Synagogue was the Jewish place of both worship and education, and could be established in any village or town where there were 10 Jewish males present. Each synagogue had a resident Rabbi or leader who taught and lead worship, but also visiting Rabbis would be invited to preach each week. Jesus was regularly invited to speak.

Temple

The main religious centre for the Jewish faith. Centred in Jerusalem, it became the place for worship, sacrifice and in the inner sanctuary, the place where the Ark of the Covenant, (build by Moses) was stored. It was also the place where God was supposed to dwell.

Torah

Includes the first five books of the Old Testament Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). Translated 'law' – it was the source of all learning – it contained the Jewish law (as handed down by God to Moses), rites for religion, history and ethics.

# Chapter 10- References

_Books that have helped me:_

The Lost Message of Jesus: Steve Chalke, Alan Mann (Zondervan)

The Message: Eugene H Peterson (Navpress®)

Life Application Study Bible (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.)

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary: Raymond E Brown, Joseph A Fitzmyer, Roland E Murphy (Geoffrey Chapman)

Oxford Dictionary of the Bible: WRF Browning (Oxford University Press)

Jesus: The evidence: Ian Wilson (Pan Books)

Bible study courses

IBRA: International Bible Reading Association

http://www.bible.org.uk/index.php

Methodist Church daily bible study

 http://www.methodist.org.uk/prayer-and-worship/a-word-in-time

Cover to Cover – Through the Bible as it happens: Selwyn Hughes, Trevor J Partridge (CWR ©1999)

You Version of the Bible – reading plans

https://www.youversion.com/en-GB/reading-plans

Help with choosing a translation of the Bible

Here are some recent English translations and their respective translation approaches:

The 'New International Version' (NIV, 1978; revised 2011) seeks to convey the meaning of the text accurately in fluid, contemporary English (a thought-for-thought translation). It is the most widely used contemporary English translation in the world.

The 'New American Bible' (NAB 1970; revised 2011) is published by the Roman Catholic Church. It attempts to balance concerns to be accurate and readable.

The 'English Standard Version' (ESV, 2001) is a revision of the 1971 'Revised Standard Version' (RSV, 1971). It attempts to be as literal as possible (a word-for-word translation) while at the same time communicating clearly to a contemporary audience.

'The Message' (2002) is a creative paraphrase that uses modern expressions and language to evoke the same response the original writings would have had on their audiences.

The 'New Revised Standard Version' (NRSV, 1989) is a revision of the 'Revised Standard Version' (RSV, 1952); it utilizes a gender-inclusive approach.

The 'New King James' (NKJV, 1979-1982) maintains the beauty, elegance, and cadence of the KJV while updating some of its archaic language.

Each of these translations is valuable. Some Bible readers appreciate the formal approach of the ESV. Others have turned to 'The Message' to get a fresh perspective on this ancient collection of books. Many find the accuracy and readability of the NIV most appealing. Whichever translation you choose, the words will be easy to understand. It is the meaning of those words that you will have to wrestle with!

Free versions of the Bible

http://www.a.youversion.com/free-bible/

Reference works/definitions

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

There are a number of websites/blogs that offer help with topics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/

 http://www.exploringgod.com/questions/why-are-there-so-many-bible-translations?gclid=CMXc4qj2yrACFWchtAodkWF2Wg

 http://www.exploringgod.com/questions/what-about-contradictions-in-the-bible

http://grevillemills.wordpress.com

Science/religion debate

http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/faraday/index.php

Other help to find out more about Jesus

http://www.jesuscentral.com/link.php

http://www.rejesus.co.uk/

http://www.christianity.org.uk/

http://mapleseed.wordpress.com

Interesting website

http://www.tonyhj.ca/index.html

Inspiration for the title of the book

Tell Me the Old, Old Story by A. Catherine Hankey, 1834-1911

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,  
Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love.  
Tell me the story simply as to a little child,  
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Chorus:

Tell me the old, old story, Tell me the old, old story  
Tell me the old, old story, Of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in  
That wonderful redemption God's remedy for sin.  
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;  
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Chorus:

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;  
Remember, I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save.  
Tell me the story always, if you would really be  
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Chorus:

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear  
That this world's empty glory is costing me too dear.  
Yes, and when that world's glory is dawning on my soul  
Tell me the old, old story: "Christ Jesus makes thee whole".

Chorus:

Parable alternative

I found the following piece on the internet (http://mapleseed.wordpress.com) which pretty well sums up what Jesus meant by not judging or thinking that just because we proclaim to be a Christian that's all we need to do – that we will be exempt from any troubles. It's the sort of story Jesus might have told to highlight the point

JUDGE NOT...

I was shocked, confused, bewildered as I entered Heaven's door, not by the beauty of it all, nor the lights of its décor, but it was the people in Heaven who took my breath away:  
The thieves, the liars, the sinners, the alcoholics and the trash. There stood the kid from year eleven who nicked my lunch money - twice.

Next to him was my old neighbour who never said or did anything nice.

And Bob, who I always thought was rotting away in hell, was looking 'cool' on cloud nine.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal? I would love to hear your take on how all this lot came to be here? God must have made a mistake! And why is everyone so quiet - so sombre – give us a clue'.  
'Hush, child,' he said, 'They're all in shock. No one thought they'd be seeing you here'.

JUDGE NOT!

Remember... Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...

Every sinner has a FUTURE!

I hope you have gained something from reading this book. If there is just a flicker of interest and you want to find out more – or need to talk things through with someone then you can always post a note on my blog and I can point you in the right direction.

God Bless. 
