Je'sus, the
proper, as Christ is the official, name of our Lord. To distinguish him from
others so called, he is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (John 18:7),
and "Jesus the son of Joseph" (John 6:42).
This is the
Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally Hoshea (Num. 13:8,
16), but changed by Moses into Jehoshua (Num. 13:16; 1 Chr. 7:27), or Joshua.
After the Exile it assumed the form Jeshua, whence the Greek form Jesus. It was
given to our Lord to denote the object of his mission, to save (Matt. 1:21).
Christ,
meaning anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered
"Messiah" (q.v.), the official
The Messiah is
the same person as "the seed of the woman" (Gen. 3:15), "the
seed of Abraham" (Gen. 22:18), the "Prophet like unto Moses"
(Deut. 18:15), "the priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Ps.
110:4), "the rod out of the stem of Jesse" (Isa. 11:1, 10), the
"Immanuel," the virgin's son (Isa. 7:14), "the branch of
Jehovah" (Isa. 4:2), and "the messenger of the covenant" (Mal.
3:1). This is he "of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did
write." The Old Testament Scripture is full of prophetic declarations
regarding the Great Deliverer and the work he was to accomplish. Jesus the
Christ is Jesus the Great Deliverer, the Anointed One, the Saviour of men. This
name denotes that Jesus was divinely appointed, commissioned, and accredited as
the Saviour of men (Heb. 5:4; Isa. 11:2-4; 49:6; John 5:37; Acts 2:22).
To believe
that "Jesus is the Christ" is to believe that he is the Anointed, the
Messiah of the prophets, the Saviour sent of God, that he was, in a word, what
he claimed to be. This is to believe the gospel, by the faith of which alone
men can be brought unto God (Acts 4:12). That Jesus is the Christ is the
testimony of God, and the faith of this constitutes a Christian (1 Cor. 12:3; 1
John 5:1).
The life of
Jesus on earth may be divided into two great periods, (1) that of his private
life, till he was about thirty years of age; and (2) that of his public life,
which lasted about three years.
In the
"fullness of time" he was born at Bethlehem, in the reign of the
emperor Augustus, of Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter (Matt. 1:1;
Luke 3:23; comp. John 7:42). His birth was announced to the shepherds (Luke
2:8-20). Wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to see him who was born
"King of the Jews," bringing gifts with them (Matt. 2:1-12). Herod's
cruel jealousy led to Joseph's flight into Egypt with Mary and the infant
Jesus, where they tarried till the death of this king (Matt. 2:13-23), when
they returned and settled in Nazareth, in Lower Galilee (2:23; comp. Luke 4:16;
John 1:46, etc.). At the age of twelve years he went up to Jerusalem to the
Passover with his parents. There, in the temple, "in the midst of the
doctors," all that heard him were "astonished at his understanding
and answers" (Luke 2:41, etc.).
Eighteen years
pass, of which we have no record beyond this, that he returned to Nazareth and
"increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man"
(Luke 2:52).
He entered on
his public ministry when he was about thirty years of age. It is generally
reckoned to have extended to about three years. "Each of these years had
peculiar features of its own. (1.) The first year may be called the year of
obscurity, both because the records of it which we possess are very scanty, and
because he seems during it to have been only slowly emerging into public
notice. It was spent for the most part in Judea. (2.) The second year was the
year of public favour, during which the country had become thoroughly aware of
him; his activity was incessant, and his frame rang through the length and
breadth of the land. It was almost wholly passed in Galilee. (3.) The third was
the year of opposition, when the public favour ebbed away. His enemies
multiplied and assailed him with more and more pertinacity, and at last he fell
a victim to their hatred. The first six months of this final year were passed
in Galilee, and the last six in other parts of the land.", Stalker's Life
of Jesus Christ, p. 45.
The only
reliable sources of information regarding the life of Christ on earth are the
Gospels, which present in historical detail the words and the work of Christ in
so many different aspects.
Compiled by: David Ssekamwa
Sources: King James Version Bible
Gifted Divine Ministries International
P.0.BOX 28894 K’la,Uganda
Email: gifteddivine@gmail.com
www.gifteddivineministries.wordpress.com
www.gifteddivine.blogspot.com
