What did Jesus Do?
His Background
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea (Israel), in approximately 4-7 B.C.E. His father was Joseph, a carpenter and probably a lower to middle class man, and a decendant of the great King David of Israel. His fionse Mary (a virgin), was told by an angel that she would become pregnant (by the Holy Spirit) and give birth to the Saviour (see Luke 1:26-38). Since the Romans decreed a census to be taken at the time when the baby was due, Jospeh and Mary left their home town of Nazareth, and went to Bethlehem. There Jesus was born, not in some high palace, but in a lowly barn with the animals.
The Roman King over Judea, Herod, head about this 'Saviour', also known as the 'King of the Jews'. Not liking the possibility of another claimant to the throne, he ordered the systematic slaughter of all babies aged two years or younger! Warned in a dream, Joseph and Mary escaped with their son to Egypt, and then back to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Not much else is said about the childhood years of Jesus' life.
His Life
When he reached thirty years of age, Jesus began to make history in a radical way. He was baptised by a man known as John the Baptist (see Mark 1:9-11), and although Satan tried to tempt him in the desert, he resisted (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus gathered a group of twelve followers, called 'disciples' (Matthew 4:18-22), and began travelling around Israel to teach the people about the things of God.
Jesus performed miracles beyond count in the three years to follow. His first miracle was to turn water into wine at a wedding (John 2:1-10). Jesus healed many people (John 4:46-53, John 5:2-9, John 9:1-8, Luke 7:1-10), cast out demons (Mark 5:1-13, Luke 4:33-35, Luke 9:38-42), and on several occasions he even raised people from the dead (John 11:1-44). He multiplied a tiny amount of food to feed thousands (Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 8:1-9), and violent storms were under his command (Mark 4:35-41). People flocked to Jesus to be healed by his power and to hear his joyful message.
His Death
Despite his supernatural powers, generosity, and incredible compassion, Jesus was not universally popular. His fiercest opponnents were the religious leaders of the day (the 'Pharisees' and 'Sadducees'), who took every opportunity to try and catch him out (Luke 20:19-20. During the holy Jewish celebration called 'Passover', Jesus was betrayed by Judas, his own disciple (Luke 22:1-6, 47-48), and executed by the Romans, without a trial, by the painful method of crucifixion (Luke 23:33-46).
Jesus made an incredible claim before he died. He said that there was a reason for his death - so that Jesus could pay for our sin which separates us from God, so that we can be made right with God! To learn more about Jesus' payment for our sins and what it means for you, read about how to get right with God.
His Life
This was not, however, the end for Jesus. His last and greatest miracle was to rise from the dead, several days later (Matthew 28)! He appeared before his disciples several times (John 20-21) before ascending to heaven. And not only that, he also promised to return one day!