The Story of Christ

St. John’s gospel starts with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (John 1: 1-2) When God contemplated the creation of man, he said, “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…” (Gen 1: 26) When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and he imposed punishment on man, God provided a hint of the salvation to come, promising that the seed of the woman will bruise the head of Satan. (Gen 3: 15).

More than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Prophet Isaiah prophesied of his coming, “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever…” (Isaiah 9; 6-7) He also hinted in Isaiah 53:5 of the ordeal Christ will pass through on earth and the price he would pay for our sins, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Prophet Zechariah prophesied of his riding into Jerusalem on an ass (Zechariah 9:9) and that he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11: 12-13) over 500 years before his birth. King David writing 1000 years before Christ, in Psalms 22 and 34: 20 alluded to his trials, the parting of his garments and casting of lots upon his vesture, but that through it all, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken”. Micah proclaimed over 700 years before his birth, concerning Bethlehem, that “…out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) God promised Abram in Gen 12:3 that “…in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

All this prophesies concerning Jesus came true! The gospel according to St. Luke traced his genealogy in Luke 3:23-38 from Joseph to David, to Abraham, to Noah and right up to Adam. Most of us are familiar with the story of the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ. The gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John with differing emphasis present details of the story of Christ-how Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary informing her that she was “highly favoured” and “blessed” among women; “And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David”; how he was born in a manger, in Bethlehem; how the wise men (shepherds) visited to worship him.

Before he commenced his ministry, Jesus was baptized in River Jordan by John the Baptist, and then the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove and a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And then he was tempted. The temptations of Christ remind us of the things Satan continues to tempt man with even to this day-feed your flesh rather than the spirit; just worship me and I will give you power, wealth and the kingdoms of the earth; and okay if I can’t get you in other ways, I can provoke you to tempt the Lord your God and try to claim glory and power for yourself. Thank God, Jesus being “full of the Holy Ghost” rebuffed him, but trust the ever-unrelenting Satan, in spite of this failure, he only departed from him “for a season”!

Jesus went on to call the twelve disciples, turn water to wine, purify the temple; he ministered all over Judea, Galilee, Capernaum, Samaria calling people to the Lord, healing all manner of sickness and disease, saving, comforting, blessing the poor, those that mourn, the meek, those who thirsted after righteousness, the merciful, poor in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness sake; he healed lepers, the blind, the lame, he cast out demons, rose up Lazarus from the dead, he fed the thousands with only seven loaves of bread and a few little fishes, he calmed the storm and stilled the winds, he blessed the little children, he taught them and revealed the deep mysteries of God through parables and scriptures, and he showed an example of service by washing the feet of his disciples.

In all that he did on earth, Jesus was driven by compassion for man, and the desire to do the will of his father. When he looked upon the multitudes, he was moved with compassion, and said “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Mathew 9: 37). After the death of John the Baptist, he retreated to a desert place but the multitudes again followed him, and when he saw a great multitude, he “was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick” (Mathew 14: 14) He himself explained it, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days…” When Jesus saw the funeral procession of the widow’s son, Luke 7: 13 records that “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not” And raised her son from the dead.

When his parents looked for him in the temple, Jesus rebuked them saying, “How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2: 49) In responding to Satan’s temptations, he relied on the will of the Father-“That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”; “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”; “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Luke 4: 1-13) He predicted his coming death and resurrection, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9: 22) but he had to do the will of the father. Even as he knew the hour was near, and he suffered in agony, yet he submitted to his Father’s will, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”

And in the end he was betrayed by Judas, denied three times by Peter, he was mocked, smitten, blindfolded, struck, blasphemed against, accused before Pilate who found no fault in him. But he had to be killed, nailed to the cross between two thieves in order that the will of his Father be done. But on the third day, as he himself had prophesied, he arose and appeared again to the disciples. And gave all Christians the injunction to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Mathew 28: 18-20)