New Testament
Jesus did many miracles while He was at the Temple and many
believed in His name, yet Jesus was very aware that to
follow Him meant much more than just a belief in His
miracles.
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This is a very powerful portion of Scripture, especially
after studying the messianic prophecies in the Old
Testament. Jesus desired to go to Galilee in the North,
instead of Jerusalem, the holy city, where the Temple was
and all the most holy Jews.
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The next day they came to Galilee and Jesus found a man
named Philip and said to him, "follow Me" and Philip
followed Him. Philip was from Bethsaida, which was the home
of Andrew and Peter.
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Then Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found
Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph," and Nathaniel said
to him "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip
said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathaniel
approaching He said, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom
is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you,
when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
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Two days later the disciples and Jesus heard that Mary, the
mother of Jesus was attending a wedding in Cana and they
were also invited so they came. It must have been a fun
journey for the disciples and Jesus through the hills of
Galilee since there was no main road from the sea of
Galilee across to Cana. When they arrived Mary came to
Jesus and said that they were out of wine, and Jesus spoke
softly to her in certain words that would make her aware
that God would be in charge of His life from now on. Jesus
then ordered the servants to fill six stone waterpots used
for ritual cleansing with water. He suddenly turned the
water into wine and told them to bring them to the ruler of
the feast. The ruler tasted the wine and then called the
bridegroom and said:
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Jesus journeyed with a group of people including His
disciples and His mother, and they arrived at the Sea of
Galilee at Capernaum. Jesus stayed there for a short period
of time because the Feast of the Passover was about to
begin in Jerusalem and Jesus intended to be there.
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The Passover festivities were about to begin in Jerusalem,
and Jesus left Capernaum and journeyed up to the holy city.
Multitudes of pilgrims would`ve been on the roads, some in
caravans and some in small groups and families. It was a
great time of joy and festivity, people would sing praises
to the Lord and prepare themselves for the Passover. Every
male Israelite was required to bring a lamb to the Temple
and make a sacrifice. When Jesus arrived He immediately
came to the Temple in Jerusalem.
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When Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem he was very
aware of what was going on around him. The Temple was quite
an achievement of Herod the great to impress the Jews with
a grand renovation of the Second Temple, and to impress the
Romans with the finest architecture in the western portion
of the Roman world. But Jesus was not impressed with
external monuments, and the work of men`s hands...
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Jesus noticed that men were selling sacrificial animals
that were fit for sacrifice. Their business was very
sophisticated, and the Pilgrim to Jerusalem would usually
end up having to buy one of their sacrifices for a very
high price, rather than trusting that their own sacrifice
was clean enough for the priest to offer upon the altar.
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The business of the money changers was also very
sophisticated. They would sit at little tables and exchange
the money which the pilgrim brought to pay for the
sacrifices. The common currency was in Roman coins, and in
the Temple the coins were required to be changed for clean
Jewish Temple currency. There was actually a fee to
exchange this money into clean Temple currency.
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"When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of
the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the
changers` money and overturned the tables." - John 2:15
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The rich and powerful leaders of the Temple, the priests
and Levites, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, it
does not say exactly which ones but they came rushing out
and said to Jesus:
"What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" -
John 2:18
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Jesus said to them, "destroy this Temple, and in three days
I will raise it up". The Jewish leaders were very confused
about His statement and said to Him, "It has taken forty-
six years to build this Temple, and you will raise it up in
three days?" They had no idea that he was referring to the
Temple of His body, which they would eventually hand over
to the Romans to be put to death. But Jesus made the bold
statement that He would "raise it up in three days," and
this was to be their their sign that they requested. His
disciples remembered this whole event and the Words that
Jesus said to them:
"Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples
remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed
the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said." - John
2:22
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The ancient Hebrew prophet Malachi was the last of the
prophets of Israel recorded in the Old Testament. The
prophet spoke about a messenger who would prepare the way
before the Lord Himself, and then the Lord whom they were
seeking so diligently would suddenly come to his temple.
God had truly set up the stage for the nation of Israel,
yet the leaders rejected him, though not all rejected him.
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When Jesus entered the Temple He stood at the a large outer
court of the Gentiles, and observed the men who had set up
a marketplace in order to make lots of money from the
pilgrims entering the Temple for Passover. The joyful songs
and the festivities had been interrupted and the entrance
to the Temple had turned into a place of squabbling over
the condition and the price of the sacrifices.
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The Spirit of God chose the barren wilderness as the place
where this battle would take place. A place of solitude, a
place of contemplation, a place of no worldly comforts and
where loneliness and hunger abounds. The cold nights and
the heat of the day, with no friends except scorpions and
snakes, and the wild beasts, this was the chosen place for
the "temptations" of Jesus. Jesus was brought to the
ultimate testing of his character, the ultimate testing of
his identity, and the ultimate testing of his faithfulness
to His Father.
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According to the Bible Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Spirit
of God chose to make the very first mission of the Messiah
a contest between the king of this world and the real King.
The devil could only use the things of this world, the
things that all men are enslaved by, the enticing pleasures
of sin, to offer Jesus. He was no match for Jesus because
sin had no power over Him.
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When Jesus came up from the water, He was anointed for His
mission. God spoke an amazing Word right out of heaven,
"Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". This
statement by the Father about Jesus is very powerful, it is
clear that Jesus pleased His Father in every way. There is
an interesting parallel in the prophecy of Isaiah which
speaks of the Father loving the Messiah His Servant, in
whom His "soul delights." This is also a very powerful
expression of love in the Hebrew language:
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There is something very interesting about the dove
appearing at the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit
descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove and resting on
Him. The dove is a remarkable representation of the Holy
Spirit. In ancient cultures doves were known for their
gentleness and affection, used often as a symbol of peace.
The Holy Spirit filled Jesus with wisdom and understanding,
and Jesus mission was to reach out to every person who
would open their heart to Him. He knew everything about
people and was able to truly love them in a way that only
God could express.
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John obeyed the word of Jesus and baptized Him. Jesus went
under the water and as He came up from the water the
heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him
like a dove and lit up and rested upon Him. Suddenly a
voice came out of heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased."
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Every great event that ever happened in the history of the
world pales in comparison to this powerful moment when the
God of the universe, the creator of all things, the Word of
God in a human body is being anointed for His mission and
about to speak to the world.
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According to the Bible Jesus now makes his first public
appearance where John was baptizing at the Jordan River.
Jesus is thirty years of age, and He comes to John and
requests to be baptized. You can almost hear the calmness
in John`s powerful voice, "I have need to be baptized by
you, and you come to me?"
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John had a very special calling as the messenger of the
Messiah. He was given understanding by God about the
Messiah, and he knew something that most people didn`t
understand, that the Holy Spirit would be given to all who
believe, and their bodies would become the new Temple of
God. John said:
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"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he
confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the
Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And
he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered,
No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give
an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of
thyself? He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the
prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the
Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why
baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias,
neither that prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there
standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who
coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe`s
latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done
in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." -
John 1:19-28
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"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he
confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the
Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And
he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered,
No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give
an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of
thyself? He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the
prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the
Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why
baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias,
neither that prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there
standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who
coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes latchet
I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in
Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." - John
1:19-28
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When John saw the religious leaders, the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming to his baptism he denounced them without
hesitation...
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The "devil" is an interesting title, it means "slanderer".
The word explains very clearly how Satan operates. He
slanders and distorts man`s understanding of God. Man
CANNOT know God unless God reveals Himself by the Holy
Spirit. Many times man`s mind can believe certain things
about God and form a belief based on our five senses and
the world around us. This is where the devil enters in and
slanders. The Bible is the revelation of God and without
the Word of God man is in darkness. When God makes a
promise it is like a sworn oath, the Bible says it is
impossible for God to lie. The hard part is for man to have
faith in God`s promises, faith can only come by "hearing
the Word of God". The devil uses the 5 senses and the world
around us to keep us distracted from hearing the Word of
God. This is because, as we will see, the Word of God
renders the devil powerless, it is man`s only weapon
against his "lies" about God, and just as God spoke His
Word and all things were created, so God speaks His Word
and the devil must surrender.
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Jesus went into the wilderness and "ate nothing" for 40
days and then the "tempter came to Him" with the main 3
temptations. Luke tells us that Jesus was being tempted
throughout the 40 days.
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Jesus became hungry and He desired bread and there was
none. The temptation was to perform a miracle since He was
the Son of God and provide bread for Himself, rather than
trusting God and waiting for what God would bring Him. The
Word of God clearly teaches us that God will provide all of
our needs, and we are to trust Him and not worry or fear.
Jesus knew this and answered the devil by quoting the Word
of God.
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The second temptation was for Jesus to jump off the
Pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was a very high
portion of the Temple overlooking the Kidron Valley perhaps
a 700 foot drop. He was to voluntarily expose Himself to a
situation that would certainly destroy Him, unless God
delivered Him. Jump from the Pinnacle and watch God`s
angels catch you. Jesus resisted again by quoting the Word
of God.
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The next temptation the devil tempts Jesus with the power
and the glory of world domination. Many powerful rulers
sought to conquer and rule the world, Nebuchadnezzar,
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar. Jesus could have it all
right now, without dying for man`s sins, if he would
worship the devil. It is interesting that Jesus did not
dispute the fact that the devil was handed all the kingdoms
of the world. Who handed them to the devil? The answer is
man. God originally gave Adam and Eve dominion over the
works of His hands, when Eve was enticed to sin, Adam chose
to sin rather than be separated from the woman whom he
loved, in essence he handed dominion to the devil, because
of his love for the woman. Adam was a type of Christ who
would die for His bride as well. Jesus responded to the
devil again with the written Word of God.
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The Bible says that after the temptations were over that
the devil left and the angels came and ministered to Him.
The angels are called "ministering spirits" in the Bible
and God sends them to help every man, they cannot be seen
unless God allows it.
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After the devil had ended his assault the Bible says that
he departed for a season. The New King James translation
says the devil "departed from Him until an opportune time.
Satan`s attacks are strategically planned, he looks for a
moment of weakness and begins his assault. This time he met
the Son of God who commanded him, "Get thee behind me
Satan" and the devil had no choice but to submit to His
authority.
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John the Baptist was still preparing people at the Jordan
River for the coming of the Messiah, yet he had already
baptized Jesus and now Jesus walking by ready to begin His
mission. John turns to two of his disciples and says
something very remarkable, "Behold the Lamb of God." He
said this because he knew that Jesus would lay down His
life as the Passover Lamb and die for the sins of the
world. He told this to his disciples because they must
follow Jesus now, John`s work has come to an end. He was
baptizing people to prepare them for the coming of the
Messiah, and now He was baptized and is walking in their
midst. The two disciples leave John to follow Jesus.
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The Jesus turned around and saw them following him, and he
immediately asked them, "what do you seek?" and they
answered, "Rabbi, where are you staying?", and Jesus
responded, "come and see." they continued to journey with
him throughout that day. The Bible mentions the name of one
of the two disciples, his name is Andrew, but the others
name is not mentioned. Most scholars agree that the other
disciple was John, the author of the Gospel of John. There
are certain times throughout his writings that he refers to
himself as "the other disciple" or "the disciple whom Jesus
loved", etc.
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Andrew found his brother Simon, and said to him, "we have
found the Messiah" and Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus
looked at Simon and said, "You are Simon, son of Jonah, you
shall be called Cephas, Aramaic for "stone" (Peter in the
Greek).
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The Temple in Jerusalem was an architectural wonder, having
been built by Herod the Great, one of the greatest
architects of the ancient world. The Jews referred to it as
the "Second Temple" because the Babylonians destroyed the
First Temple in 586 BC. The location of the Temple was very
significant, the holy of holies rested upon the exact place
where David bought the threshing floor of Auranah.
Throughout Jewish history the High-priest would enter the
holy of holies once per year on Yom Kippur and sprinkle the
sacrificial blood between the cherubim upon the mercy seat,
which was the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, and inside of
it was the law of God. The presence of the Lord was called
the "Shekinah" and the glory would fill the Temple. The
Lord referred to the Temple as His "dwelling place".
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During the time of the Passover in Israel, it was important
for Jews to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover
feast and make a sacrifice at the Temple. The Bible reveals
that Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the Passover
every year, and this time Jesus was 12 years old. The
journey to Jerusalem was a very long and difficult journey
and many families traveled in a caravan. On their way back
to Nazareth, Mary and Joseph could not find Jesus for a
whole day. When they realized that they would not find him
they went back to Jerusalem, and they found him in the
Temple at the place of the discussions with the doctors of
the law. Everyone was astonished at the knowledge of the
young boy.
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Map of Israel During the New Testament.
Israel had 3 main regions: Galilee in the north, Samaria
in the middle, and Judaea in the south.
In Galilee there was upper Galilee and lower Galilee.
Upper Galilee had many mpountain ranges averaging around
4,000 feet. Lower Galilee had smaller hills of 1,000
feet. The very fertile Plain of Esdralon and Valley of
Megiddo was in Lower Galilee. The main cities in Galilee
mentioned in the Bible were Nazareth, Cana, Capernaum,
and far to the north was Caesarea Philippi.
Samaria had many rugged mountains of around 2500 feet.
The Biblical cities in Samaria were mainly Sebaste, and
Sychor.
Judea has a hill country and then lowers down to
Beersheba in the south about 1,000 feet above sea level.
The desert in the South is a plateau that rises about 500
feet above sea level, and is very barren. But the
mountains in this region had much water. The cities of
Judea mentioned in the Bible were mainly Jerusalem,
Bethany, Jericho, Bethlehem, Emmaus, and to the South was
Hebron and Masada.
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Map of the New Testament World During the Time of the Roman
Empire. The Nations. This map reveals the "Nations" within
the ancient world during the first century A.D., the time of
the New Testament. The map includes the areas of Israel,
Asia, Greece, and Italy.
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Map of Herods Kingdom During the New Testament. Herod the
Great and his Kingdom.
During the time of the birth of Jesus in the New Testament
Israel was under the dominion of King Herod "the Great".
Herod was the son of Antipater, an Idumean (Edomite) who had
come to the aid of Julius Caesar in Alexandria and was made
chief minister of Judea in 47 BC. Later in 40 BC Marc Antony
and Octavian and the Roman Senate appointed Herod as King of
Judea. Although he had many enemies to overcome, Herod
defeated them and made himself the recognized king of Judea
in 37 BC.
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Map of the Divisions of Herods Kingdom After His Death. This
map shows the Tetrarchies and Roman Administration of
Israel. The Kingdom of Herod the Great Divided.
After Herod the Great had died his kingdom was divided among
his three sons, Antipas, Phillip, and Archelaus. Archelaus
inherited Judea, Antipas was given Galilee and Perea
(Transjordan), and Phillip inherited the predominantly
Gentile areas east and north of the Sea of Galilee. Caesar
Augustus quickly removed Archelaus after there were so many
bad reports about him from the Jews.
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The Bible reveals that Jesus grew up full of the Spirit of
God and wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. It is
important to understand that Jesus had to grow as a
physical man in stature, and also had to grow up and learn
the world around Him as any other man, but He was full of
the Holy Spirit and learned wisdom in everything directly
from God.
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The Bible revealed hundreds of years before Jesus came that
a forerunner would precede the coming of the Messiah.
Matthew referred to him as the Herald, the official
messenger who would announce the King`s arrival.
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The Bible reveals that Joseph took his family to Galilee in
northern Israel, to a city called Nazareth. This city would
become the home of Jesus throughout His early years growing
up. One could stand on a hillside in Nazareth and see many
of the historical landmarks, or a major highway of many
travelers passing by. Nazareth means "branch" and is
reminiscent of Jesus` lineage, a "branch" of king David.
Nazareth was a part of the tribe of Zebulun and the prophet
Isaiah foretold that the light of the messiah would dawn in
this area first.
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After the Magi had departed the Angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Jesus and his
mother into the land of Egypt until He sent word that it
would be safe to return. He warned that Herod would try to
find the child to murder him. Joseph obeyed the Lord and
took Jesus and his mother by night and departed for the
land of Egypt. This event was foretold by the prophets.
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When Herod learned that he was betrayed by the Magi and
that Jesus might have escaped he went into an outrage and
ordered the murder of all male children in Bethlehem and
along the coast. The coast would have been the most obvious
route out of the land. This event was foretold by the
prophets.
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When King Herod the Great had died an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream in Egypt and told him to go
back to the land of Israel because all those who sought to
kill Jesus were dead. Joseph obeyed the Lord and they began
the journey back to Israel.
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Joseph was apparently contemplating where to bring Jesus,
and when he learned that Archelaus was ruling in Judea he
decided to go in another direction, after being warned by
God in another dream.
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After the Magi had departed the Angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Jesus and his
mother into the land of Egypt until He sent word that it
would be safe to return. He warned that Herod would try to
find the child to murder him. Joseph obeyed the Lord and
took Jesus and his mother by night and departed for the
land of Egypt. This event was foretold by the prophets.
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List of Bible Verses that reveal the endorsement of Jesus
regarding people, places, events, doctrines, and truths
mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures.
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The moment Jesus was born there were shepherds watching
over their flocks in the hills of Judea at nighttime.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared in the glory of the
Lord shine brightly all around them. He said to them, "Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
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The Bible records that as they arrived in Bethlehem the inn
was full and there was no room for them. Mary gave birth to
Jesus in a manger, in a stable for animals, within
Bethlehem. The Bible does not record all of the details,
but the King of the universe, the creator of all things
entered our world in the most humblest of places.
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The Roman Emperor Augustus gave a decree that the whole
world would be taxed and that a census would be taken. He
ordered every Jew to return to their ancestral home for the
census. Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David, who
was from Bethlehem.
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The Bible reveals that when Mary began to show her
pregnancy Joseph became very confused. While Joseph was
contemplating divorcing her secretly the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream revealing that the child in her
womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Lord encouraged
Joseph that the child would be named Jesus, which means in
Hebrew "Jehovah is salvation" for Jesus will "save his
people from their sins". Joseph believed the Lord and
obeyed him.
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The New Testament reveals that Jesus is God. He said,
"Unless you believe that I AM you will die in your sins."
Jesus made it clear that he was God, and that is why he
received worship from the blind man after he received his
sight. What think ye of Christ? is the paramount question of
life (Matthew 22:42).
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The Bible reveals that at this time, wise men from the East
came to Jerusalem seeking the King of the Jews to worship
Him. Herod became enraged. He then told the Magi to go and
find the child and let him know where the child was so that
he can also come and worship him. But they were warned by
God in a dream not to return to Herod. They once again saw
the star which they had seen in the East and rejoiced, the
star led them to the house where Joseph and Mary and the
child were.
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After eight days from the birth of Jesus He was circumcised
and given the name Jesus according to the word of the Angel
of the Lord. Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem to
be presented before the Lord at the Temple, and to make a
sacrifice according to the law.
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List of the 27 books of the New Testament in order, with
English titles and Greek words and meanings. 27 Books and 9
Authors.
The New Testament contains 27 different books written by
nine different authors. Every author of the New Testament
was Jewish except for Luke. Three of the writers: Matthew,
Peter, and John were among the 12 disciples who walked with
Christ during his earthly ministry. Jesus promised his
disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring all things to
remembrance of what Jesus said and did.
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List of the 9 authors of the 27 books of the New Testament,
with authors names and Greek meanings. 27 Books and 9
Authors. The New Testament contains 27 different books
written by nine different authors. Every author of the New
Testament was Jewish except for Luke. Three of the writers:
Matthew, Peter, and John were among the 12 disciples who
walked with Christ during his earthly ministry. Jesus
promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring all
things to remembrance of what Jesus said and did.
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List of the chronological dates of the 27 books of the New
Testament along with historical events in the first century
AD. The list includes places where the books or letters were
written. Chronology of New Testament Books and Events.
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List of the Names and Titles of Jesus mentioned in the
Bible. The New Testament mentions many names, titles, and
characteristics of Jesus Christ. In the Bible a name or
title can reveal many things about a person, his character,
or events connected with his life.
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The New Testament mentions many of the parables spoken by
Jesus Christ. In the Bible a parable was an earthly example
with a heavenly meaning. Jesus spoke in parables to reveal
the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
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In around 5 BC during the days of King Herod the great,
there was a priest named Zacharias who had a wife named
Elizabeth. They were both descendants of Moses` brother
Aaron who was the first High-priest and the founder of the
Aaronic priesthood.
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The angel revealed to Zacharias that Elizabeth his wife
would bear a son, they were to name him John (Hebrew
Meaning "God is Gracious") and he would be great in the
sight of the Lord, and he would prepare the way for the
coming of the King.
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Elizabeth became pregnant and all her relatives rejoiced at
the miracle, and nine months later John was born, the whole
time Zacharias was unable to speak yet once his son was
born they made gestures to him about what to name his son.
He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "his name is
John."
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The Angel Gabriel came to a young virgin in the city of
Nazareth whose name was Mary. Gabriel announced the good
news to Mary that God would fulfill his promises to his
people Israel, and that she would bear the special
privilege of giving birth to the Messiah.
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Mary, upon hearing the good news immediately made
arrangements to go and visit her relative Elizabeth in the
hill country of Judea. It was quite a long journey from
Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, and travel could be
very difficult in those days. When she arrived Elizabeth
was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child lept in her
womb.
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The people came from all around to hear John`s message,
confess their sins and get baptized. The Bible says they
came from Jerusalem, Judaea, and the region of the Jordan.
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The prophecies in the Old Testament were very familiar to
John. The Scriptures foretold that the Messiah would be the
Lord Himself, the glorious King, and he would come to lay
down his life for his friends. The forerunner or messenger
was actually a Herald who would run ahead and prepare
everyone for the King`s arrival. The main Prophecies about
this messenger can be found in Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi
3:1.
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John the Baptist was born about 5 BC, and now about 26 A.D.
about the age of 30 he appears in the wilderness of Judea.
He was preaching to everyone that they should repent and
turn from wickedness and prepare themselves for the coming
of the Messiah. His message was a cry for repentance, that
the time was at hand for people to prepare for the coming
of the King.
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John stood wearing a camel`s hair garment with a leather
girdle about his loins, similar to the prophet Elijah in
the Old Testament. John had nothing whatsoever to do with
the kingdom of this world and the worldly pleasures around
him, his only focus was on the kingdom of heaven and the
very King who was about to appear. He had nothing to do
with wealth or eloquent soft clothing or elaborate meals.
His food was the food of the poorest in the land, he ate
locusts which were gathered in the desert, and wild honey
which was scooped out of the hollow part of trees. He never
cut his hair and never drank wine. Water was only drink. He
was completely devoted to his task.
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The baptism of John was different than the baptism of
Jesus. People came to the Jordan River where John was
preaching, and they were baptized with water as they
confessed their sins, in preparation for the coming of the
Messiah. John`s message was to repent and do good for the
kingdom of heaven was at hand.
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