The earthly path of Jesus Christ. Stone of scourging of the Lord. Jesus Christ: biography

For two thousand years people have tried to imagine what Jesus looked like, how he lived. We see portraits and scenes of his life - but all this appeared not at the time of Christ, but later.

In fact, no one knows what his appearance was like, how he dressed and what manners he had. The Gospels are silent about the color of his hair and eyes, about his weight and gait. Was he right-handed or left-handed. Did he have a favorite food, what songs did he like. As we ask ourselves these questions, we begin to realize how little we know about Jesus.

Nazareth. It is also called the City of Good News. It was here that the Virgin Mary learned that she was to give birth to the Savior. And here Jesus lived until the age of 30. It is a holy city for Christians, the same as Bethlehem, where he was born, and Jerusalem, where he died on the cross. Today, about 70 thousand people live in Nazareth. At the time of Jesus, it was a large village or a village by our standards. Unpaved streets, stone and clay houses with thatched roofs. We will tell you how Jesus' childhood went, who his friends were, in what house he lived and what kind of education he had.

The family lived in poverty. The profession of a carpenter was not prestigious in those days. And Jesus had no chance to become someone else - the profession was inherited. Then for the inhabitants of Nazareth, the family was everything. Place of birth, school of life and a guaranteed job. Nazareth is considered the hometown of Jesus. Although he was not born here. Christmas is Bethlehem. Everything that is written in the Gospels about the birth of Jesus Christ is connected with this city. And Christmas today is the main holiday of the city.

But why were Jesus' parents here? After all, it is almost 200 kilometers from Nazareth! 5 days of walking. Despite the fact that Maria was, as they would say now, "on demolition, late pregnancy." So, she could give birth at any moment! Joseph and Mary could not help coming to Bethlehem, they were required to participate in the census.

If in the time of Jesus any Jew could come here, today it is different. Bethlehem is located in the territory of the Palestinian Authority. This means that when you visit the city, you actually pass through the border of Israeli and Arab territory. So the journey to Bethlehem begins with the Israeli checkpoint. Today, Bethlehem has about 11,000 inhabitants. Half are Christians. They never hid their faith. Vice versa. On the doors of their houses they depict a cross or George the Victorious. This saint comes from Palestine. The mayor of the city, according to local law, must be a Christian.

The Bible says that Jesus was born in a cave. On the site of the cave today stands the Church of the Nativity. We will visit this cave, talk about the manger in which the baby Jesus was placed and show the Star of Bethlehem, to which all pilgrims venerate. In Bethlehem, this is perhaps the main shrine. The queue to the Star can stretch for several hours. In the Church of the Nativity there is a special icon of the Virgin. Virgin Mary on it - smiles. Under the glass, a lot of jewelry - gifts from grateful people. Those who have received healing. We will tell one of these stories - a woman was healed of infertility and found the happiness of motherhood at the age of 41!

With a newborn child in their arms, Joseph and Mary did not go to Nazareth, but to Egypt. And not for vacation. They had to flee from King Herod the Great. When Jesus was born, Herod was under 60. He was a terrible and cruel ruler. Three years before his death, he ordered to strangle his two sons, heirs to the throne. Herod was terrified of losing his kingdom. And when he heard from the Magi about the birth of a “new king of the Jews,” he took these words literally. And then he simply ordered the destruction of all male babies under the age of two years.

Opposite the cave of the Nativity is the cave of the Bethlehem babies - the holy martyrs. Today, the relics of babies are considered holy. They are prayed by women whose children died in infancy, and those who had an abortion. A few years later, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: "Arise, take the Child and His Mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the soul of the Child have died." Herod died, times changed, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth.

Until the age of 30, Jesus led the life of an ordinary person. Why didn't he show up? What were you waiting for? According to Jewish law, adulthood occurs at 13 years of age. That is, at this age, Jesus was considered to be a fully grown man. But! A spiritual adult who has the right to teach other people - a person is considered only from thirty. Wise law. You won't write anything!

At 30, Jesus actually challenges society. He violates the age-old traditions of his people. A very bold move. He quits his job, leaves his family and goes into the desert. How could relatives perceive this? They probably thought Jesus was crazy. And neighbors and just acquaintances immediately hung labels - demoniac, brawler, friend of sinners. Remember the phrase - there is no prophet in his own country? These are words from the Bible, however, it sounded a little different there - there is no prophet without honor, except in his own country or in his own house. The people of Nazareth could not believe that the man who had grown up before their eyes suddenly called himself the son of God. The familiar image of the neighbor prevented them from seeing its essence.

But Jesus doesn't seem to notice. He does the will of God. First of all, he goes to John the Baptist and is baptized in the waters of the Jordan. Until 2011, this territory was disputed between Israel and Jordan, entry here was strictly prohibited. Access was opened once a year on the feast of Epiphany. Then everything calmed down, and from now on pilgrims and tourists freely come here. No permits or entrance tickets needed. You can just come by car. Or with a tour group. We will tell you why the Jordan should never be crossed and in what clothes you need to enter the water. And also - why bathing in the Jordan is not baptism.

And on January 18, a great consecration of water takes place here. Baptism. On this day, Patriarch Theophilos III, Primate of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, comes here from Jerusalem. On this day, a miracle happens here - the Jordan turns back. As confirmation of this, a unique fact - the water in the river suddenly becomes salty. It's the salt from the Dead Sea that ends up in the river. Rare luck to get it in a bottle. Even the ancient Jews considered the waters of the river to be healing. And at this moment, she acquires a special power. Although in order to get a lot of impressions, it is not necessary to go to Epiphany. It's full of people here every day. As they say, both in winter and in summer.

The Orthodox Church calls baptism the Epiphany. It is believed that on this day the whole Holy Trinity revealed Himself: God the Father - with a voice from heaven said - this is my beloved son, God the Son - by baptism from John in the Jordan and God the Holy Spirit - a dove descended on Jesus Christ. What happened after the baptism of Jesus - the Bible describes in sufficient detail. For Jesus, the life of an ordinary person ended; he stepped on the path of the Son of God, destined for him from above.

"Way of Christ". Movie 2nd

We imagine Bible stories mainly from books and pictures. The imagination of artists has created a stable image in our head. The Last Supper - a long table, the Appearance of Christ to the people - a river bank, Christmas - a cave overlooking a green valley. Andrei Rublev, Alexander Ivanov and Leonardo Da Vinci have never been to the Holy Land. Where and how could the events that the Gospel describes actually take place?

After the Baptism on the Jordan River, in fact, the first event in the life of Christ, which is described in the Bible, Jesus "withdrew into the wilderness." At the word "desert" sands and dunes are presented. We'll show you where it really was. Today, the Monastery of the Temptations, or, as it is also called, the 40-day monastery, was built on this site. It is located literally 7 kilometers from the Jordan. An hour and a half walk, no more. After all, it was not a matter of distance and sands. And in solitude, apart from other people, humanity. Pilgrims who come here usually follow the path of Jesus. Still wet and energized from the Jordan bath, they climb the mountain. It is necessary to go, reading a prayer. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

In the Monastery of the Temptation today there is only one monk. He accepts notes on health and repose from everyone who comes here. And then he reads the names out loud. By this he shows that he understands the Russian language. Notes must be written in capital letters. All names are in the nominative case only. According to tradition, you can take away from the monastery the pebbles consecrated in the cave of Jesus. This is a kind of amulet.

After 40 days of temptation, the "ministry" of Jesus began. This stage of his life is most fully described in the Bible. True, the evangelists rarely describe the motives for his actions. One can only speculate about this. Jesus begins with his native Galilee. Sometimes preaching in houses of worship, sometimes somewhere on the hills or even in the open air. All the miracles that are described in the New Testament, basically, took place near Nazareth, where Jesus lived for the first 30 years of his life. around the Lake of Galilee.

Cana of Galilee is the village where, according to the Bible, Jesus performed the first miracle. Turned water into wine. At first glance, this miracle does not carry any deep meaning. But it was the act of a grateful son. Who could not refuse his mother, Mary. He did not want to perform this miracle. Because he understood that as soon as he showed himself, this would be the beginning of the end. And so it happened. The countdown has begun, and the process has become irreversible. The miracle at Canna is Christ's first step to Golgotha. But then no one knew this, except Jesus himself. And Cana of Galilee today is associated with a wedding, newlyweds and happiness.

Capernaum. The city where Jesus Christ lived and preached. Of his 33 years, he lived here for 3 years. Here he performed the greatest number of miracles. Today it is no longer a city, but an open-air archaeological museum. Now it is difficult to understand why Jesus chose this place as his, so to speak, "headquarters". But the explanation for this is simple - at the time of Christ, Capernaum was a kind of regional center of Galilee. Everything that was said in this city quickly spread through the neighborhood through word of mouth.

The miracles performed, in modern terms, greatly increased the rating of Jesus. He was talked about all over the area. But not yet as a son of God. It seems that even the closest students do not quite understand who they are next to. Jesus has yet to show them the divine essence. This event in church tradition is called the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The transfiguration took place 40 days before the crucifixion of Christ. Thus, Christ allowed the disciples to touch the kingdom of God. Now they knew exactly what it was! And only after that Jesus was able to openly announce to them about his martyrdom, which is ahead.

The last thing Jesus does before going to Jerusalem - to meet an inevitable and painful death - he delivers a sermon. This is a kind of legacy, something that people need to leave behind.

In it, the words were sounded, in which, in fact, the whole meaning of Christian teaching is concentrated, and the main prayer for all Christians is “Our Father”. If all Christians come together, the only prayer they can say together will be the Lord's Prayer.

We will show the mountain on which it was said and explain why it happened there. And most importantly, let's explain what unique Jesus said in his sermon. It concerns each of us. Regardless of religion, nationality and age. These are not recipes for how to achieve happiness in the usual sense - wealth, health ... But recipes for how to get rid of the feeling that the world has treated you unfairly, from a sense of inner inferiority. Let's explain what the common expression "salt of the earth" and "turn the other cheek" means.

The miracles and preaching of Jesus caused controversy. For his ministry, Jesus chose a strange and provocative manner that attracted attention. It was as if Christ was not being led, but he himself was going to Golgotha. He always did everything against the rules. Ignored the ritual washing of hands before eating, did not fast, lived surrounded by social outcasts such as tax collectors and prostitutes. He publicly communicated with women and even included them among his students. Unthinkable in those days! And Jesus was especially hated because he did not honor the Sabbath. How dare he perform miracles on this day!

The activities of Jesus attracted more and more followers. Talk and controversy abounded about him. Who is he: a prophet, the Messiah or a charlatan? The appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem was to put an end to these disputes. Claiming to be God's messenger in Galilee is pointless. I had to go to the center of the Jewish religion.

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on the day when most of the people gathered there. Before Passover. Consonant with Easter, but the meaning is different. For the Jews, this is a holiday in honor of the Exodus from Egypt. The first thing Jesus does is destroy the main Jewish temple. He reproaches the chief priests for having distorted the teachings of God. And drives the merchants out of the temple. After this, the fate of Jesus was sealed. The high priests convene the Sanhedrin - the supreme court. And they sentence him to the highest measure of punishment - the death penalty. And now Jesus himself deliberately brings the denouement closer.

In our film, we will tell you how the Last Supper actually took place, and what is the mistake of Leonardo da Vinci's painting. What is left of the famous Garden of Gethsemane, and where Pontius Pilate lived. We will show the Way of the Cross or the Way of Sorrow, along which Jesus went to his execution.

The Path of Sorrow ends in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Every year a miracle happens here - the Holy Fire descends. And all Christians of the world celebrate Easter. Day of the Resurrection of Christ. On the third day, the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples. The hitherto timid and frightened disciples of Jesus gained the strength to boldly bring to people the light of Christ's teaching. This is how Christianity was born.

The film was attended by:

Anna Musan-Levi, Orthodox guide

Archimandrite Alexander (Elisov) - head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem

Hegumen Leonty (Kozlov) - member of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem

Yana Chekhanovets - Archaeologist of the Antiquities Authority in Israel

Hieromonk Nazariy - a resident of the monastery Optina Hermitage

Mikhail Yakushev - historian and orientalist

Archpriest Alexander Timofeev - Head of the Department of Biblical Studies of the Moscow Theological Academy

Ekaterina Andreeva - TV presenter

Gleb Yastrebov - biblical historian

Galina Vasilyeva - pilgrim

Anton Makarsky - actor

Victoria Makarskaya - singer

Sergei Chetverikov - pilgrim

Stas Mikhailov - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation

Vyacheslav Fetisov - the legend of the Soviet and Russian hockey

Roman Gultyaev - deacon

Producer: Andrey Sychev

Production: LLC "Contrast"

In the Western Church there is a tradition about the image of St. Veronica, who gave the Savior going to Calvary a towel to wipe His face. An imprint of His face was left on the towel, which later fell to the west.

In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to depict the Savior on icons and frescoes. These images do not seek to convey exactly His appearance. Rather, they are reminders, symbols that raise our thoughts to the One who is depicted on them. Looking at the images of the Savior, we remember His life, His love and compassion, His miracles and teachings; we remember that He, as omnipresent, abides with us, sees our difficulties and helps us. This sets us up to pray to Him: “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!”

The face of the Savior and His entire body were also imprinted on the so-called “Shroud of Turin,” a long canvas in which, according to legend, the body of the Savior taken down from the cross was wrapped. The image on the shroud was seen only relatively recently with the help of photography, special filters and a computer. Reproductions of the face of the Savior, made according to the Shroud of Turin, have a striking resemblance to some ancient Byzantine icons (sometimes coinciding at 45 or 60 points, which, according to experts, cannot be accidental). Studying the Shroud of Turin, experts came to the conclusion that a man of about 30 years old was imprinted on it, 5 feet, 11 inches tall (181 cm - much taller than his contemporaries), slender and strong build.

Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ taught that He is of one essence with God the Father: "I and the Father are one," that He is both "descended from heaven" and "who is in heaven," i.e. - He simultaneously abides on earth, as a man, and in heaven, as the Son of God, being a God-man (; ). Therefore, “all must honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. He also confessed the truth of His Divine nature before His sufferings on the Cross, for which he was sentenced to death by the Sanhedrin. So the members of the Sanhedrin told Pilate about this: “We have a law, and according to our law He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God” ().

Having turned away from God, people got lost in their religious concepts about the Creator, about their immortal nature, about the purpose of life, about what is good and what is bad. The Lord reveals to man the most important foundations of faith and life, gives direction to his thoughts and aspirations. Citing the instructions of the Savior, the Apostles write that “Jesus Christ went through all the cities and villages, teaching in synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom,” - the good news of the coming of the Kingdom of God among people (). Often the Lord began His teachings with the words: “The kingdom of God is like...” From this it follows that, according to the thought of Jesus Christ, people are called to be saved not individually, but together, as one spiritual family, using the grace-filled means with which He endowed the Church . These means can be defined in two words: Grace and Truth. (Grace is an invisible power given by the Holy Spirit, which enlightens the mind of a person, directs his will to good, strengthens his spiritual strength, brings him inner peace and pure joy, and sanctifies his entire being).

Attracting people to His Kingdom, the Lord calls them to a righteous way of life, saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (). To repent means to condemn every one of your sinful deeds, change your way of thinking and decide, with God's help, to start a new way of life based on love for God and neighbor.

However, in order to start a righteous life, one desire is not enough, but God's help is also needed, which is given to the believer in grace-filled baptism. In baptism all sins are forgiven a person, he is born for a spiritual way of life and becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The Lord said this about baptism: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Then sending the apostles on a worldwide sermon, he commanded them: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned ”(). The words “everything that I have commanded you” emphasize the integrity of the Savior’s teaching, in which everything is important and necessary for salvation.

About the Christian life

In the nine beatitudes (chapter), he outlined the path of spiritual renewal. This path consists in humility, repentance, meekness, striving for a virtuous life, in deeds of mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking and confession. In the words - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" - Christ calls a person to humility - the recognition of his sinfulness and spiritual weakness. Humility serves as the beginning or foundation for correcting a person. crying, because they will be comforted "- they will receive forgiveness and peace of mind. Having found peace in the soul, a person himself becomes peace-loving, meek: "Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth," they will receive what predatory and aggressive people take away from them. repentance, a person begins to yearn for virtue and righteousness: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied," i.e., with God's help, they will achieve it. Having experienced the great mercy of God, a person begins to feel compassion for other people : "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." The merciful one is cleansed of sinful attachment to material objects and Divine light penetrates into him, as into the clear water of a still lake: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” This light gives a person the necessary wisdom for the spiritual guidance of other people, for their reconciliation with themselves, with neighbors and with God: “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.” The sinful world cannot tolerate true righteousness, it rises with hatred against its bearers, but there is no need to mourn: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Saving the soul should be the main concern of man. The path of spiritual renewal can be difficult, therefore: “Enter through the narrow gate; For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go through it. For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. A Christian must accept the inevitable sorrows without grumbling, as his worldly cross: “Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me” (). In essence, “The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it away” (). For admonition and strengthening, it is necessary to call on God for help: “Watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ... In your patience save your souls ”(;).

Coming into the world because of His infinite love for us, the Son of God taught His followers to make love the basis of life, saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. “This is my commandment, that you love one another” (; ). to neighbors is revealed through deeds of mercy: “I want mercy, not sacrifice!” (Matt. 9:13; ).

Speaking of the cross, of tribulations, and of the narrow path, Christ encourages us with the promise of His help: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (). Like the beatitudes, so is the whole teaching of the Savior imbued with faith in the victory of good and with the spirit of joy: “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” “Here I am with you until the end of time” - and promises that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but will inherit eternal life (;).

On the Nature of the Kingdom of God

To clarify His teaching about the Kingdom of God, he used life examples and parables. In one of the parables, He likened the Kingdom of God to a sheepfold, in which obedient sheep live safely, guarded and led by the good Shepherd - Christ: “I am the good Shepherd, and I know Mine, and Mine know Me ... ... I also have other sheep that are not of this fold, and those I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd ... I give them (the sheep) eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand... Therefore the Father loves me, because I give my life (for the sheep) to receive it again. No one takes it from Me, but I myself give it. I have power to give it away, and I have power to receive it again” (Ch.

In this likening of the Kingdom of God to a sheepfold, the unity of the Church is emphasized: many sheep dwell in one fenced-in yard, have one faith and one way of life. All have one Shepherd - Christ. He prayed to His Father for the unity of believers before His sufferings on the Cross, saying: “May they all be one, as You, Father, in Me, and I in You, so they will be one in us” (). The connecting principle in the Kingdom of God is the love of the Shepherd for the sheep and the love of the sheep for the Shepherd. Love for Christ is expressed in obedience to Him, in the desire to live according to His will: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” The mutual love of believers is an important sign of His Kingdom: “Therefore, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” ().

Grace and truth are two treasures that the Lord gave to the Church as its main properties, constituting, as it were, its very essence (). The Lord promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would preserve in the Church until the end of the world His true and intact teaching: you into all truth." Similarly, we believe that the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, to this day and until the end of the world, will operate in the Church, reviving her children and quenching their spiritual thirst: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him, he will not thirst forever. But the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life.

As earthly kingdoms need laws, rulers and various institutions, without which no state can exist, so the Lord Jesus Christ endowed with everything necessary for the salvation of believers - the Gospel teaching, the sacraments of grace and spiritual mentors - the pastors of the Church. This is what He said to His disciples: “As the Father sent Me, so I send you. And having said this, he blew and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord has entrusted the pastors of the Church with the duty to teach believers, cleanse their consciences, and regenerate their souls. Shepherds are to follow the high Shepherd in His love for the sheep. The sheep must honor their shepherds, follow their instructions, as Christ said: “He who listens to you, listens to me, and whoever rejects you, rejects me” ().

A person does not become righteous instantly. In the parable of the tares, Christ explained that just as weeds grow among wheat in a sown field, so among the righteous children of the Church there are unworthy members. Some people sin out of ignorance, inexperience, and the weakness of their spiritual powers, but repent of their sins and try to correct themselves; others languish in sins for a long time, neglecting God's long-suffering. The main sower of temptations and all evil among people is. Speaking about the tares in His Kingdom, the Lord calls on everyone to fight against temptations and pray: “Forgive us our debts, just as we forgive (forgive) our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Knowing the spiritual weakness and fickleness of believers, the Lord endowed the Apostles with the power to forgive sins: “To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, they will remain "(). Forgiveness of sins implies that the sinner sincerely regrets his bad deed and desires to correct himself.

But evil will not be tolerated forever in the Kingdom of Christ: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. But the slave does not stay in the house forever. The Son abides forever. So, if the Son sets you free, then you will be truly free” (). Christ commanded to exclude people who persist in their sins or who do not obey the teachings of the Church from the environment of a grace-filled society, saying: “If the Church does not listen, then let him be to you, like a pagan and a publican” ().

In the Kingdom of God there is a real union of believers with God and with each other. The connecting principle in the Church is the theanthropic nature of Christ, to which believers partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion. In Communion, the divine life of the God-Man mysteriously descends into believers, as it is said: “We (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) will come to him and make our abode in him;” thus the Kingdom of God enters into man (; ). emphasized the need for communion with the following words: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (). Without union with Christ, a person, like a broken branch, spiritually wilts and is unable to do good deeds: “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so you, unless you are in Me. I am the Vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing. Having taught His disciples the need to have unity with Himself, the Lord on Maundy Thursday, on the eve of His suffering on the Cross, established the sacrament of Communion itself (see above), commanding them in conclusion: “Do this (sacrament) in remembrance of Me” ().

Conclusion

So, the entire life and teaching of the Savior was directed towards laying new spiritual principles in human life: pure faith, living love for God and neighbor, striving for moral perfection and holiness. On these principles we should build our religious outlook and our life.

The history of Christianity has shown that far from all people and not all nations were able to rise to the lofty spiritual principles of the Gospel. The establishment of Christianity in the world was sometimes a thorny path. Sometimes the gospel was accepted by people only superficially, without the desire to correct their hearts; sometimes it was completely rejected and even persecuted. Despite this, all the high humane principles of freedom, equality and fraternity that distinguish modern democratic states are actually borrowed from the Gospel. Any attempts to replace the gospel principles with others lead, at times, to catastrophic consequences. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at the modern consequences of materialism and atheism. Thus, modern Christians, having before their eyes such a rich historical experience, must clearly understand that only in the teachings of the Savior will they find the right guidance for solving their family and social problems.

Building our lives on the commandments of Christ, we console ourselves with the thought that the Kingdom of God will certainly triumph, and the promised peace, justice, joy, and immortal life will come to the renewed Earth. We pray to the Lord to make us worthy to inherit His Kingdom!

The prophet Isaiah describes the feat of the voluntary self-abasement of the Messiah in this way: “There is neither form nor majesty in Him. And we saw Him, and there was no form in Him that would draw us to Him. He was despised and humbled before men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with sickness. And we turned our faces away from Him. He was despised and regarded as nothing. But He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. And we thought that He was smitten, punished and humiliated by God. But He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities. The punishment of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. We all wandered like sheep, each turned to his own way, and the Lord laid on Him the sins of all of us. He was tormented, but suffered voluntarily and did not open His mouth. From bondage and judgment He was taken. But His generation, who will explain? (Ch.).

With these final words, the prophet addresses the consciences of those who will reject their Savior, and, as it were, says to them: you turn away with contempt from the mocked and suffering Jesus, but understand that it is because of you sinners that He suffers so hard. Look into His spiritual beauty, and then, perhaps, you will be able to understand that He came to you from the heavenly world.

But voluntarily humiliating Himself for the sake of our salvation, the Lord, nevertheless, gradually revealed the secret of His unity with God the Father to those who were able to rise above the rough ideas of the crowd. So, for example, He told the Jews: “I and the Father are one ... He who saw Me saw the Father ... The Father abides in Me and I am in the Father ... All Mine is Yours (the Father) and Yours is Mine ... We ( Father and Son) we will come and make our abode with him ”(). These and other similar expressions clearly point to His Divine nature.

Finally, let us remember that the very condemnation of Christ on the cross was caused by His official recognition of His Divinity. When the high priest Caiaphas, under an oath, asked Christ: “Tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Christ replied: "You said," using the established form of the affirmative answer (; ; ).

Now we should clarify another, very important question related to this: where did Caiaphas, many Jews and even demons (!) Could get the idea that the Messiah would be the Son of God? There is only one answer here: from the Old Testament Holy Scripture. It was this that prepared the ground for this belief. Indeed, even King David, who lived a thousand years before the birth of Christ, in three psalms calls the Messiah God (Psalms 2, 44 and 109). The prophet Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Christ, revealed this truth even more clearly. Predicting the miracle of the incarnation of the Son of God, Isaiah wrote: “Behold, the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to the Son, and they will call His name: Emmanuel,” which means: “God is with us.” And a little further, the prophet even more definitely reveals the Properties of the Son who had been born: “And they will call His name: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of eternity” (). Such names cannot be applied to anyone but to God. The prophet Micah also wrote about the eternity of the Child who had to be born (see:).

The prophet Jeremiah, who lived about two hundred years after Isaiah, calls the Messiah "Lord" (Jer. 23 and 33:16), meaning the Lord who sent him to preach; and Jeremiah's disciple, the prophet Baruch, wrote the following wonderful words about the Messiah: “This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him. He found all the ways of wisdom and gave it to His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. After that, He appeared on earth and spoke among people ”() - i.e. God Himself will come to earth and live among people!

That is why the more sensitive of the Jews, having such definite indications in the Holy Scriptures, could not hesitate to recognize in Christ the true Son of God (see the pamphlet "Old Testament about the Messiah" about this). It is remarkable that even before the Nativity of Christ, the righteous Elizabeth greeted the Virgin Mary, who was expecting the Baby, with the following solemn greeting: “Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb! And where is it to me that the Mother of my Lord came to me ”(). It is clear that the righteous Elizabeth could have no other Lord than the One whom she had served since childhood. As Ap. Luke, Elizabeth said this not on her own, but under inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

Having firmly assimilated faith in the Divinity of Christ, the apostles planted this faith in Him and among all peoples. With the revelation of the Divine nature of Jesus Christ, the Evangelist John begins his Gospel:

"In the beginning was the Word

And the Word was with God

And the Word was God...

Everything came into being through Him.

And without Him, nothing began to be that began to be...

And the Word became flesh

and settled among us,

full of grace and truth...

And we have seen His glory

Glory as the Only Begotten from the Father,

No one has ever seen God;

the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father,

He revealed (God)"

The name of the Son of God by the Word, more than other names, reveals the secret of the inner relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Most Holy Trinity - God the Father and God the Son. Indeed, the thought and the word are different from each other in that the thought resides in the mind, and the word is the expression of the thought. However, they are inseparable. There is no thought without a word, no word without a thought. Thought is, as it were, a hidden word within, and the word is the expression of thought. The thought, embodied in the word, conveys the content of the thought to the listeners. In this regard, thought, being an independent beginning, is, as it were, the father of the word, and the word is, as it were, the son of thought. Before thought it is impossible, but it does not come from somewhere outside, but only from thought and with thought remains inseparable. Similarly, the Father, the greatest and all-encompassing Thought, produced from His bowels the Son-Word, His first Interpreter and Messenger (according to St. Dionysius of Alexandria).

About the Divinity of Christ, the apostles spoke with all clarity: “We know that the Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, so that we might know the true God and may we abide in His true Son Jesus Christ” (). From the Israelites was born "Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all" (). “We look forward to the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (). “If the Jews had known [the wisdom of God], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (). “In Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (). “Unquestioningly - the great mystery of piety: he appeared in the flesh” (). that the Son of God is not a creation, but the Creator, that he is immeasurably higher than all the creatures created by Him, the apostle Paul proves in detail in chapters 1 and 2 of his epistle to the Jews Angels are only ministering spirits.

It must be remembered that calling the Lord Jesus Christ God - Theos - in itself speaks of the fullness of the Godhead. "God," from a logical, philosophical point of view, cannot be a "second degree," a "lower rank," limited. The properties of the Divine nature are not subject to convention, reduction. If "God," then wholly, not partially.

Only thanks to the unity of the Persons in God is it possible to combine in one sentence the names of the Son and the Holy Spirit along with the name of the Father, for example: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (). “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (). “Three testify in heaven: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one” (). Here the apostle John emphasizes that the Three are one - one Being.

Note: It is necessary to clearly distinguish between the concept of "person" and the concept of "essence." The word "person" (hypostasis, person) denotes a person, "I," self-consciousness. The old cells of our body die off, new ones replace them, and consciousness refers everything in our life to our “I.” The word "essence" speaks of nature, nature, physis. In God, one essence and three Persons. Therefore, for example, the Son and God the Father can talk to each other, make a joint decision, one speaks, the other answers. Each Person of the Trinity has its own personal properties, in which It differs from another Person. But all Persons of the Trinity have one Divine nature. The Son has the same divine attributes as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity reveals to people the inner, mysterious life in God, which is actually inaccessible to our understanding, but at the same time necessary for the correct faith in Christ.

Jesus Christ has one Person (hypostasis) - the Face of the Son of God, but two essences - Divine and human. In His Divine essence, He is equal to the Father - eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc.; according to the human nature he assumed, He is like us in everything: He grew, developed, suffered, rejoiced, hesitated in decisions, etc. The human nature of Christ includes soul and body. The difference is that His human nature is completely free from sinful corruption. Since the same Christ is both God and man at the same time, Holy Scripture speaks of Him either as God or as a man. Even more than that, sometimes human properties are attributed to Christ as God (), and sometimes Divine properties are attributed to Him as a person. There is no contradiction here, because we are talking about one Person.

Taking into account the clear teaching of the Holy Scriptures about the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, in order to stop all interpretations of the word Son of God and belittling His Divine dignity, decided that Christians should believe:

"In the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

The only begotten, born of the Father before all ages.

Light from Light, true God from

true God, begotten, uncreated,

consubstantial with the Father (one essence with God the Father),

By whom all things were created."

The Arians especially vehemently objected to the word consubstantial, because it could not be interpreted in any other way than in the Orthodox sense, namely, what is recognized as true God, in everything equal to God the Father. For the same reason, the Fathers of the Council insisted that this word be included in the Creed.

Summing up what has been said, it must be said that faith in the Divinity of Christ cannot be planted in people's hearts either by quotations or formulas. Here you need personal faith, personal willpower. As it was two thousand years ago, so it will be until the end of the world: for many, Christ will remain "a stumbling block and a stone of stumbling block ... let the thoughts of their hearts be revealed" (;). It was pleasing to God by an attitude towards Christ to reveal the hidden direction of the will of each person. And what He hid from the prudent and wise, He revealed to babies ().

Therefore, this article does not aim to "prove" that Christ is God. It is impossible to prove this, like many other truths of faith. The purpose of this article is to help a Christian understand his faith in the Savior and give him the necessary arguments to defend his faith from heretics.

So, who, God or Man? “He is a God-Man. On this truth our faith must be established.

Via Dolorosa begins in the Muslim quarter near the gates of St. Stephen, or the Lion's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem at the gates of the Muslim religious school El-Omaria.

The first station is where Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate.

(Matthew 27:22-23,26: Pilate says to them: what will I do to Jesus, who is called Christ? Everyone says to him: let him be crucified. The ruler said: what evil did He do? But they shouted even more loudly: let him be crucified Then he released Barabbas to them, and having beaten Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.)

In the old days, here on the territory of the Anthony Tower, there was the residence of the Roman procurator (praetorium), where the trials of the accused were held.

Now nothing remains of the Anthony Tower. In its place is the convent of the Sisters of Zion. There are two chapels in its courtyard: Condemnation and Scourging. The Chapel of Judgment was erected over the place of Christ's condemnation. The floor slabs have survived from that time.2

Second station

The second station is the Church of the Flagellation.

Here Jesus was scourged, he was dressed in a scarlet shroud, a crown of thorns was placed on him, and here he accepted the cross.

(Matthew 27:27-31: Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole army against him, and having undressed him, put on him a purple robe; and, having woven a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and gave him in his right hand reed, and kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews, and they spat on Him, and taking the reed, struck Him on the head. clothes, and they led him to be crucified...)

The dome of the Chapel of the Flagellation is symbolically decorated with a mosaic crown of thorns. From the monastery across Via Dolorosa, the arch of Ecce homo is thrown. Pontius Pilate brought the condemned Jesus here and showed it to the crowd with the words "Behold the man!"

third station

The place of the first fall of Christ is considered the third station.

This place is marked by a small chapel, since 1856 it belonged to the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate, but in the first half of the 20th century it was under Polish patronage. In 1947-48 it was restored with donations from the Polish military. The relief above the door of the chapel depicts Christ, languishing under the weight of his burden.

fourth station

Moving a little further along Via Dolorosa, we come to the fourth stop - here Jesus met the Mother. This event, like the previous one, is not described in any Gospel, but is immortalized by tradition.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
From here, the Virgin Mary, overtaking the procession, watched the suffering of her son. The place is marked by the Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Great Martyr.

Above the entrance is a bas-relief depicting a meeting.

Fifth station

At the corner of Via Dolorosa and El Vade is the fifth stop of the Way of the Cross.

Here the road to Calvary begins to rise. It is likely that the Roman soldiers, seeing how exhausted Jesus was, began to fear that He would not have the strength to reach the place of execution. At this time, on the way they meet a certain passerby Simon Cyrene, who is forced to carry the cross of Christ.

(Mt. 27:32: As they went out, they met a certain Cyrene named Simon; he was made to bear His cross.)

The Jew Simon came from the Libyan city of Cyrene, and his sons were famous and respected people in Jerusalem.

According to some legends, after everything he saw on the way to Golgotha, Simon became a follower of Jesus.

This place is marked by a Franciscan chapel, and on the right in the wall there is a stone with a depression, which is considered to be a trace from the hand of Jesus, leaning against the wall, freeing himself from the cross.

This stone is polished by hands and lips of pilgrims. In fact, the building belongs to a much later time and the stone cannot be recognized as authentic.

sixth station

The sixth station of the Sorrowful Path is a meeting with Veronica.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
According to church tradition, she went out of her house to meet him and wiped his face with her handkerchief soaked in cold water.

The face of Christ, the Savior Not Made by Hands, who subsequently worked miracles, was imprinted on the scarf. It is now in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The sixth stop is marked by the chapel of St. Veronica, and a piece of a column embedded in the wall marks the place where the house of Veronica was supposedly located.

seventh station

The seventh station is the second fall of Jesus Christ.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
Here, according to legend, the exhausted Jesus fell again on the way to Golgotha. This place is marked at the crossroads of Via Dolorosa and the bustling market street of Suk Khan es-Zeit, which means "Oil Market".

At the site of the second fall, there is the remains of a column, and a Franciscan chapel is located nearby. It is assumed that, leaving the city, Jesus stumbled on the threshold of the Judgment Gate. Through these gates, those condemned to be executed were taken out of the city.

They were called judges by the fact that before them the sentence was read to the condemned for the last time, after which he was no longer subject to appeal.

By the way, near the threshold of the Judgment Gate, a section of the wall with a narrow hole widening upwards was found. It was enough for a person to walk into it while bending over. This passage was used to enter the city at night, when the city gates were locked.

Because of its shape, this gate was called the "eye of the needle." It is she who is mentioned by the Savior in the famous parable: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25)

eighth station

The address of Jesus Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem is considered the eighth stop.

Many people followed Jesus and he turned to the women mourning him: "Weep not for me, daughters of Jerusalem, but for yourself and your children," thereby predicting the imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

Lk.23:28-31: Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, for the days are coming in which they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not fed! then they will begin to say to the mountains: fall on us! and hills: cover us! For if they do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry one?

Here is the chapel of St. Harlampy, and on the wall is a stone with a Latin cross and the inscription NIKA, which symbolizes the eighth stop.

ninth station

The ninth station is the site of the third fall of Christ.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible)
At the entrance to the Ethiopian monastery, in a shallow niche, there is a column marking the place where Christ fell for the third time. From here he saw Golgotha.

tenth station

The remaining five stations of Via Dolorosa are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The tenth station is the removal of clothes.

At the entrance to the Temple is the chapel of the Revelation (Limit of the Division of Rees), where Jesus' clothes were torn off before the crucifixion.

(Matthew 27:33-36: And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means: Place of the Skull, they gave Him to drink vinegar mixed with gall; and, having tasted it, did not want to drink. Those who crucified Him divided His clothes, casting lots ; and, sitting, they guarded him there.)

The first thing that strikes, eyewitnesses write, when you find yourself in front of the Temple of the Lord, is the size of the square.

Watching the descent of the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday, one gets the impression that there are huge spaces here.

In fact, the buildings of the Christian quarter surrounded the Temple very tightly, because of this it is difficult to get a complete picture of its architectural forms.

eleventh station

The place where Jesus was nailed to the Cross.

(Matthew 27:37-42: and they put an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side, and the other on the left. Those passing by cursed Him, nodding with your heads, and saying, "Destroying the temple, and building up in three days! save thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, and the elders, and the Pharisees, mockingly, said, He saved others, but he cannot save himself; if He is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him...)

This place is marked by an altar. Above the altar is Jesus nailed to the cross.

twelfth station

The twelfth station is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

(Matthew 27:45-50,54: From the sixth hour darkness was over all the earth until the ninth hour; and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Or, Or! lama savahthani? that is: My God, My God! for Why did you leave me? Some of those standing there, hearing this, said, He is calling Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink; And when Jesus again cried out with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit, and the centurion and those who were with him guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and all that had happened, were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

The place where the cross stood is marked with a silver disk under the altar. Here, through the hole, you can touch the top of Golgotha.

thirteenth station

Descent from the cross.

(John 19:38: After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secret from fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to remove the body of Jesus; and Pilate allowed it. He went and removed the body of Jesus.)

The place where the body of Christ lay is indicated by a Latin altar. Under glass is a wooden statue of the Sorrowful Virgin with gifts from pilgrims. The words "Stabat Mater dolorosa" - "Mourning mother stood" are written here. The body of Christ was laid by Joseph and Nicodemus on the stone of anointing for anointing with incense before burial.

The Stone of Anointing is covered with a flat marble slab exuding myrrh and incredibly fragrant. Eight large lamps burn above the Stone. Everyone entering the temple is first of all applied to the Anointing Stone.

To the right of the Anointing Stone, steps leading to Golgotha are visible on the right.
Following to the left under the arch of columns, we find ourselves in a large round rotunda, in the middle of which a cave rises. This is the last stop...

Fourteenth stop

Fourteenth stop - position in the coffin.

(Matthew 27:59-61: And taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean shroud and laid it in his new tomb, which he hewn in the rock; and, having rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb, he departed. Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary, who were sitting against the tomb.) Above the Holy Sepulcher there is a cuvuklia.

Here Joseph of Arimathea puts the body of Jesus in the crypt, and the Romans block the entrance with a huge stone. This is where the resurrection took place.

By the way, a marble chapel is called a cuvuklia in our time. It covers the cave of the Holy Sepulcher (where Jesus was buried) and is divided into two parts: the chapel of the Angel and the Holy Sepulcher itself.

Two windows in the chapel of the Angel serve to convey to all those who pray the Holy Fire, which descends annually on Holy Saturday before Easter.

According to tradition, on Holy Saturday, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches enter the Kuvuklia.

The patriarch of the Greek Church enters the cave of the Holy Sepulcher and prays for the sending of fire. The patriarch of the Armenian Church remains in the chapel of the Angel. It is his duty to see to it that the Greek Patriarch does not start the fire with natural means.

When the fire lights up, the Greek patriarch takes out a burning lamp, from which the Armenian patriarch lights candles (bundles of 33 candles, according to the number of years of Christ's earthly life), then both clergy go out to the faithful.

Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ

About the Christian life

On the Nature of the Kingdom of God

Conclusion

"In the beginning was the Word

And the Word was with God

And the Word was God...

Everything came into being through Him.

And without Him, nothing began to be that began to be...

And the Word became flesh

and settled among us,

full of grace and truth...

And we have seen His glory

Glory as the Only Begotten from the Father,

No one has ever seen God;

the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father,

He revealed (God)"

"In the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

The only begotten, born of the Father before all ages.

Light from Light, true God from

true God, begotten, uncreated,

consubstantial with the Father (one essence with God the Father),

By whom all things were created."

So, who, God or Man? “He is a God-Man. On this truth our faith must be established.

Christianity is one of the world's leading religions. Millions of people around the world consider themselves followers of Christ. However, unlike the founders of other religions, Jesus Christ preached for only three years and died crucified on the cross - this is how criminals were executed in those days.

He was then thirty-three years old. He didn't leave a single line behind, and we can only guess what He looked like. However, we keep track of our chronology from the year of His birth. Every year people all over the world, even those who are not His followers, celebrate Christmas - the day when He was born. Who was Christ that He managed to make such an incomprehensible upheaval in world history? Several decades after the death of Christ, testimonies of His life were collected and written down for the edification of posterity. These records are called Gospels, which means the Gospels. The earliest of these may have been written around 50 CE. e., although some historians attribute them to a later period. The four gospels of the New Testament are the main sources from which we draw our information about the life of Jesus Christ.

historical era

The country in which Christ was born and lived was seething and living with expectations. In 63 BC. e. The Roman general Pompeii captured Jerusalem. This marked the end of the short political independence of the Israelites - from then on, a Roman garrison was constantly in Jerusalem. The Romans could not understand the religion of the Jews, seeing in it only a mixture of prejudice and barbaric customs. They tried to convert the Israelis to their faith, insulted them, subjected them to robbery and exactions. The Jews hated the Romans and often rebelled against their rule. In 40 BC. e. With the blessing of the Romans, a native of the country, Herod the Great, who was distinguished by an extremely cruel disposition, became the king of Judea. During his reign in Judea, the planting of Hellenistic culture continued. Fearing the loss of power, he flooded the country with secret spies and severely punished every Jew on whom even the shadow of suspicion of treason fell. Fearing betrayal even in his own family, he killed his two sons and his wife. After his death, the country was divided between his two sons, whom the people treated with the same hatred as they did to Herod himself. In 6 AD e. Jerusalem and Judea passed into direct submission to Rome. Governors and procurators sent from Rome began to rule the country. The Jews dreamed of deliverance from the hated yoke of the Romans. Some of them united in original parties. So, for example, the Zealots were going to achieve liberation through an armed uprising and struggle. They urged the people not to pay taxes to the Romans. Zealots became the basis of the liberation movement, defeated in 73 AD. e.

For the Jews, this was a time of religious quest. There was a split into religious groups. One of the groups that we often find mentioned in the New Testament was called the Pharisees. This direction united the laity, people who did not have a holy order. The Pharisees called their teachers "Rabbi", which means "teacher". They brought many new ideas to the ancient teachings, such as ideas about life after death, angels and demons, and also about the fact that history is driven by Divine Providence. They tried to interpret the Torah in a new way in relation to the changed needs of people. However, this led to an endless multiplication of rules that were difficult to follow, and to the charge of being too legalistic. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. e. The Pharisees became the backbone of Judaism. Another important group were the Sadducees, the conservative party of the aristocracy. The ruling elite of society consisted mainly of representatives of this particular group. Religiously and politically, they were extremely conservative and opposed the reform-minded Pharisees. They literally interpreted the law of Moses and apparently did not believe in life after death. After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, they lost their power and influence. In addition, there were other spiritual groups. The most famous among them were the Essenes who lived in the desert - an ascetic religious community, to whose members very severe requirements were imposed. The Essenes condemned the venality of the Temple priests. They were preparing for the coming of the Messiah, who was to lead them to fight against the tyranny of the Roman Empire, for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel.

The Birth of Christ and His Childhood

Being under the yoke of the oppressors, the Jews supported themselves with the thought that God would not leave them. As in the days of Egyptian slavery, a new Moses will appear and lead them. This will be the Messiah (i.e., chosen by God). He will free the Jews from foreign enslavers, complete the Law of Moses and bring new revelations about God to earth. Eternal peace, order and prosperity will reign on earth. The last of the prophets Malachi also spoke about the coming of the Messiah. However, he warned people that if they did not prepare for this day, they would die. The Gospel of Luke begins with a story about how an angel appeared to the elderly priest Zacharias, when he was serving in the Temple, and brought the news that his already elderly and barren wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son. Archangel Gabriel also told that a high mission was prepared for the son of Zechariah. The shocked priest at first could not believe what he heard, but what the angel said came true. Zechariah's wife became pregnant and soon gave birth to a son named John. And then Zechariah. prophesying, he turned to his son:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will come as forerunners of the Lord to prepare His ways. (Luke 1:76)

The angel also appeared to a relative of Elizabeth, Mary. Appearing before the astonished girl, the angel told her that she would give birth to a son who "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High", inherit the throne of David and establish an eternal kingdom in the house of Israel. Mary is surprised and confused: "How will it be when I don't know my husband?" (Luke 1:34). However, the angel told her about what had happened to Elizabeth and assured her that the Lord would perform this miracle as well. When the carpenter Joseph, betrothed to Mary, found out that she was pregnant, he wanted to leave her. However, the angel who appeared to him revealed that the baby to whom he was to be born was called to save people from their sins, and this is the will of the Lord. Having believed in the revelation of the angel, Joseph stayed with Mary. The baby born to Mary and Joseph was named Jesus. Shortly before his birth, Joseph and his wife went to Bethlehem - the place of his birth, since at that time a census was being conducted in the country, and all residents were ordered to return to the villages where they were born. So Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in a manger for cattle, for there was no other place for Joseph's family. Nevertheless, three wise men from the East, having received a sign from above about the birth of an extraordinary baby, came to Him with gifts, calling Him the King of the Jews. However, Herod also heard about the birth of the "king". Fearing a rebellion against his authority, he ordered the killing of all children under two years of age born in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. Warned of this in a dream, Joseph, together with Mary and the newborn Jesus, fled to Egypt. After the death of Herod, they returned to their homeland, settling in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, where Joseph used to live.

We know almost nothing about the childhood of Christ. We only know that Jesus spoke Aramaic, read Hebrew, and possibly understood Greek, since there was a Greek city not far from Nazareth. When He was twelve years old, His parents took Him to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. On the way home, they found that Jesus was not with them. They returned to Jerusalem and only three days later found their son in the Temple, conversing with the teachers of the Law. They were amazed at the boy's wisdom. A few more years passed. The emperor Augustus, who considered himself a member of the host of gods, died, and the gloomy and suspicious Tiberius became his heir. The sixth procurator, Pontius Pilate, was appointed to Judea. At this time, the young hermit John, the son of Zechariah, gradually became more and more famous in Israel. John lived in the desert, eating only locusts and wild honey, dressed in a rough shepherd's sackcloth made of camel hair. And so, when he was thirty years old, John first turned to the people with a sermon. Filled with a righteous determination to bring his people to God, he spoke of the need for repentance and the imminent Judgment of the world: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). Priests and ordinary people from all over the country came to John to listen to his sermons and to be baptized by him in the Jordan River, which since ancient times was considered the boundary of the holy land. Immersion in water symbolized cleansing from sins and the beginning of a new life - just as water washes the body, so repentance cleanses the soul. John, who soon became known as the Baptist, urged people to recognize their errors and sins and correct them, for the coming of the Messiah is not far off. One day Jesus also came to John to be baptized by him. But at that moment, when Jesus stood in the river and prayed, the Lord sent John a spiritual illumination, and it was revealed to him that the person standing in front of him was the Son of God. John testified to the assembled people about Jesus. Two of John's disciples left with Christ, becoming His followers, while John himself continued to preach and baptize people in the Jordan. Soon after this, John, who denounced the wicked way of life of King Herod Antipas (the son of the former ruler, Herod the Great), was taken into custody and then executed.

Christ Gathers the First Disciples

After being baptized by John, Jesus went into the wilderness. There, in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, He spent more than a month in fasting and prayer before starting to preach to the people. After that, He returned to Judea and began to preach the gospel, preaching the same as John: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Along with several of his disciples, Jesus also baptized people in the waters of the Jordan, and many came to Him. When word reached Jesus that more people were coming to him to be baptized than to John, he left Judea and returned home to Galilee. Christ went around the cities and villages, preaching now in prayer houses, now somewhere on the hills or in the open air. Returning to Nazareth, the city where He spent His childhood, Jesus preached in the synagogue. All the parishioners were surprised: where does such eloquence come from in the son of a carpenter? But they were no less embarrassed and even angered by the content of the words of Christ, so that they even tried to throw Him off the top of the mountain on which the city stood (Luke 4:16-30). However, this did not intimidate Jesus. He went on a journey through Galilee, preaching and announcing the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven. He preached in the synagogues, and the people were mesmerized by the confidence that filled His words. Crowds followed Him wherever He went. He healed the sick, cast out demons. The crowd of thousands held their breath, catching His every word. People looked in amazement at the miracles He performed. They recognized that, unlike other pastors, He preaches "with authority", and even evil spirits are forced to obey Him. It was impossible to calmly listen to the words of Christ - they called for decisive changes in everyone's life. He preached complete and unconditional submission to the will of God, saying that everyone should, in repentance and humility, prepare themselves for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew, 6:25-34). His disciples had to leave everything: wealth, family, friends and follow Him. He urged the Jews to love their Roman enemies, treated the despised Samaritans as equals, spoke highly of the destiny of woman, and challenged the religious, social, and political prejudices of his day. During his wanderings in Galilee, Christ gathers the disciples. The first were the fishermen Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John Zebedee; then the tax collector Matthew joined them. The Pharisees marveled that Jesus surrounded himself with such sinners. Jesus answered them: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). Some time after the night spent in prayer, Jesus chose himself and other disciples, bringing their number to twelve. These were Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the Younger, Simon, Judas (brother of James) and Judas Iscariot.

Instructions from Jesus

Jesus spent much time with his disciples teaching and instructing them. In sermons and parables, He helped them understand what it means to love one another, spoke about how one should turn to the Lord in prayer. Christ not only instructed people, He himself was the living embodiment of his teaching. Jesus deeply believed in prayer. In the gospels, we often find references to how He left the hustle and bustle of everyday life and retired to the mountains to pray. In response to the request of his disciples, he taught them how to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven! hallowed be thy name; May your kingdom come; may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us our daily bread for this day; And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one... (Mat. 6:9-13)

He gave them a new commandment, which from now on was to become the basis of their lives: "Love one another; as I have loved you, love one another" (John 13:34). Christ taught his followers to serve each other and not to try to exalt themselves one before another: "Let the greatest of you be your servant: for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:11- 12). In the Sermon on the Mount, He expressed the essence of his teaching, designed to bring people love, harmony and the true joy of unity with God:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat. 5:3-12)

Teaching people, Christ said that true happiness is not in power or money, and it is not the powers that be who own it. Only those who open their hearts to sacrificial love can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Crowds of people come to Christ

All kinds of people flocked to Jesus during this spring in Galilee. Once a Roman centurion came to Him and asked Him to heal his servant. On another occasion, one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus asked Him to bring back to life a daughter who was dying, which Christ did. The Pharisees also attended the sermons of Christ, invited Jesus to their homes, where they listened attentively to Him. People from all walks of life came to the Savior; there were so many of them that Jesus alone could no longer guide all these people on the true path. Therefore, he sent first 12, and later 70 closest disciples to proclaim the Good News on their own. Sending the apostles to preach, the Master warned that they would be persecuted, but God would always be with them and protect them. The apostles went to different cities, preaching and carrying the good news about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. Like Jesus, they also healed the sick and cast out demons. From now on, their life was devoted only to service, for they were called to give themselves to God and the world, as Jesus the Nazarene gave himself.

Confusion around Christ

Meanwhile, talk and controversy about Jesus continued to multiply. People argued heatedly about who He was: a prophet, the Messiah, or an impostor. Despite the fact that hundreds of people came to Christ, listening to His sermons, receiving healing, misunderstanding gradually grew, and sometimes even open opposition to Him.

Once, when Jesus was talking with the disciples, a paralyzed man was brought to Him and asked to heal him. Christ addressed the sick man with the words: "Your sins are forgiven you." The scribes who were present were indignant, because, in their opinion, only God can forgive sins. However, Jesus, having read their thoughts, with the words "The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:5,10) healed the sick man. The scribes and other religious mentors were also outraged by the environment of Christ, because among his followers there were sinners, tax collectors and harlots. The Pharisees reproached Jesus for healing the sick on the Sabbath (Jews were forbidden to do any work on the Sabbath, which was considered a day of rest). Some of the Pharisees, jealous of the power He had over the people, began to challenge the authority of Christ more and more forcefully. Trying to slander Jesus, they reproached Him for violating the Law. However, Christ always wisely answered all questions and could refute any of their arguments. Much of what Jesus talked about offended the religious leaders. When He declared, "I and the Father are one," they were so enraged that they were about to stone Him: "We want to stone You for blasphemy and because You, being a man, make yourself God" (John 10 :33). Christ understood that it was difficult for them to accept his teaching, which was so different from the religious norms they were accustomed to. And so He invited them to at least acknowledge that the good works and miracles that He does testify that He was sent by God.

Time passed. The gossip grew around Christ. Crowds followed Him, considering Him to be the new Prophet. Some of the followers hoped that Christ would lead them in the fight against the Romans. They began to openly proclaim Christ as the Messiah, although He asked that this be kept secret. Fearing the growth of rebellious moods, the high priests decided to convene the Sanhedrin - the supreme court of Judea. What to do with the Nazarene and his disciples? If the whole nation believes in Jesus, the Roman authorities may take this as a riot and start a bloodbath again. Why this new bloodshed? And the high priests decide that it is better for Jesus alone to die than to give the whole country to be torn to pieces. So, Jesus decided to kill.

The Followers of Christ Leave Him

Many of the supporters of Christ also could not accept what He preached, it was so contrary to the usual norms and traditions. It is one thing to witness miraculous healings, and quite another to love the enemies of the Romans. Gradually, the followers began to leave Christ, and even those who remained faithful found it difficult to fully understand and accept His teaching. Jesus tried again and again to instruct his disciples. He told parables in which everything was so familiar, so recognizable - Samaritans, Pharisees, shepherds, tax collectors. However, it was difficult for the apostles to understand the meaning of His parables. The crowded crowds that had so recently surrounded Christ also began to thin out. The heart of Christ was filled with pain. He came in order to tell people about love, which they did not yet know, which could change their whole life, but they did not understand it. Filled with sorrow, He mourned Jerusalem and the sad fate of his people, who did not know what he was rejecting.

Christ still continued to teach people, but the content of His sermons had already become different. “From that time on, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and rise again on the third day” (Matthew 16:21). The first time He told this to His disciples, they were shocked, for until now they had only talked about how they would be with the Teacher in the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 24:21).

Holy Week

Christ turned His face towards Jerusalem. There was only a week left until Easter, the main Jewish holiday that celebrated the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Jerusalem was full of pilgrims gathered from all parts of the country. When Jesus, accompanied by his disciples, entered Jerusalem, those people who had previously followed Him, and then dispersed, seemed to remember again the miracles he had shown:

And as He rode, they spread their clothes along the road. And when He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, all the multitude of disciples began to joyfully publicly praise God for all the miracles that they saw, saying: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19:36-38)

All the days before Easter, the city was seething, discussing this triumphal meeting, everyone was talking about Jesus. Many supported Him, others virulently denounced Him. Roman authorities and high priests were increasingly afraid of unrest. On the very first day, Christ went to the Temple and, seeing that it was full of merchants and money changers, angrily drove them out. The next day, Jesus was again in the Temple preaching and instructing the people. The lawyers approached Jesus again and again, tempting Him, but each time He answered tricky questions so wisely that they were forced to be silent in anger. The clergy wanted to take Christ half guard, but were afraid to do it openly, because the people supported the prophet from Galilee. Fearing rebellion, they looked for opportunities to secretly seize Christ. Such an opportunity soon presented itself. One of the disciples of Christ, Judas Iscariot, harbored a grudge against the Teacher in his heart. When the situation around Jesus began to deteriorate, Judas decided to betray. He told the chief priests that he knew a way to arrest Jesus when there were not many people around him, and for this he received thirty pieces of silver. However, betrayal did not save him from mental heaviness, did not bring peace. Later, realizing the severity of the perfect deed. Judas hanged himself.

The Last Supper

The next day, Thursday, Jesus and His disciples celebrated Passover. At the Paschal meal, which later became known as the "Last Supper", all twelve apostles gathered. At the beginning of the evening, Christ took a jug to wash the feet of his disciples. The apostles were embarrassed, feeling that they could not accept such a humiliation of the Master. But Jesus also taught on the last evening - not with words, but with life - how to take care of each other, love each other, serve each other. Then He shared a meal with the disciples. It was on it that the first communion was performed, which became the main sacrament of the Christian church:

And he took bread and gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:19-20)

During the Last Supper, Christ for the first time told the disciples that betrayal would soon take place, and He would die. Speaking of the one who would betray Him, he said: "It would have been better for this man not to have been born" (Matthew 26:24).

Christ's Prayer and His Imprisonment

After the meal, Christ and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, which towered over Jerusalem. Jesus asked his disciples to wait for him while he prayed:

And he took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to be horrified and to grieve. And he said to them: My soul is grieving to death; stay here and stay awake. And, going a little way, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, this hour would pass from him; and said: Abba Father, everything is possible for you; carry this cup past Me; but I do not want it, but what do you want. (Mark 14:33-36)

Returning, Christ found his disciples sleeping. He woke the apostles, and at that moment the garden was filled with voices, lit up with lanterns and torches. Armed men were walking through the garden. Judas Iscariot approached Christ and kissed Him, indicating to the persecutors exactly whom they should arrest. Jesus was seized, and the disciples, seeing this, fled in confusion. Christ was taken to the high priest Caiaphas. At the Sanhedrin, which met to pass the death sentence on Jesus, no one tried to defend Him. He was also silent: "Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him: I conjure you by the living God, tell us. Are you the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus said to him: you said" (Matt. 26:63-64).

The chief priests, hearing this answer, were furious. But the Sanhedrin had no right to pass death sentences, and therefore Jesus was sent to the Roman governor in Judea, Pontius Pilate. Pilate, having interrogated Christ, found Him innocent and wanted to release him, but the roar of the crowd incited by the high priests: "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" forced the procurator to agree to the execution of Jesus.

Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ

Then Christ was delivered into the hands of the soldiers. They put a crown of thorns on his head and led him to the place of execution. Showered with ridicule and scolding, Christ carried his cross. He soon became exhausted from the heat and the beatings he endured, and then Simon of Cyrinth was called from the crowd to carry the cross of the Savior. On the top of Calvary - a hill not far from the walls of the city, past which a crowded road went - Christ was crucified between two robbers. Pilate ordered that an inscription be attached to His cross, which read: "Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews." But even being crucified, Christ did not curse his persecutors. On the contrary, even at this last moment of his life, he was filled with love for people and asked God to forgive them, who did not know what evil they were doing:

Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing .... Jesus, having exclaimed with a loud voice, said: Father! into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he gave up his spirit. (Luke 23:34,46)

When evening came, one of the followers of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, removed the body of the Savior from the cross, took it to a tomb carved into the rock, and closed the entrance there with a large stone. Early Sunday morning, the women who accompanied Jesus to the place of execution came to the tomb, only to find it empty.

Instead of the Master's body, they saw an angel who told them that Christ had risen from the dead (Mark 16:6). The excited women hurried to report what they had seen and heard to the disciples of Jesus, but they did not believe them. However, in the evening, when the ten apostles gathered together for a conversation, Christ himself suddenly appeared among them, causing confusion and fear (John 20:19). Over the next forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples more than once. And every time He talked with them, encouraged them, strengthened them in faith, instructed them. He taught them what was to be their most important mission from now on:

Go therefore, teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you all the days to the end of the age. (Mat. 28:19-20)

On the fortieth day after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. On the fiftieth day, when His disciples gathered together, the Spirit of God descended on them in the form of flames (Acts of the Apostles, 1). The hitherto timid and fearful disciples of Jesus gained strength to boldly bring the light of the gospel to people. From that time on, they began to fulfill the great mission that Christ entrusted to them. Many of them were persecuted, but no longer feared death or other threats. This is how Christianity was born.

The apostles, who at first had been so terrified by the crucifixion of Jesus, now gained unbending courage and dispersed to preach the Good News.