#religion/christianity ## 1. The World Jesus Was Born Into Long before Jesus was born, there were people called Jews. They believed in God and waited for a special leader, called the Messiah, to come and help them. Jesus was born among these people.  > [!bible]- [Isaiah 53:1-12 - NIV](https://bolls.life/NIV/23/53/) > 1. Who has believed our message<br/>and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? > 2. He grew up before him like a tender shoot,<br/>and like a root out of dry ground.<br/>He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,<br/>nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. > 3. He was despised and rejected by men,<br/>a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.<br/>Like one from whom men hide their faces<br/>he was despised, and we esteemed him not. > 4. Surely he took up our infirmities<br/>and carried our sorrows,<br/>yet we considered him stricken by God,<br/>smitten by him, and afflicted. > 5. But he was pierced for our transgressions,<br/>he was crushed for our iniquities;<br/>the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,<br/>and by his wounds we are healed. > 6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,<br/>each of us has turned to his own way;<br/>and the Lord has laid on him<br/>the iniquity of us all. > 7. He was oppressed and afflicted,<br/>yet he did not open his mouth;<br/>he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,<br/>and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,<br/>so he did not open his mouth. > 8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away.<br/>And who can speak of his descendants?<br/>For he was cut off from the land of the living;<br/>for the transgression of my people he was stricken. > 9. He was assigned a grave with the wicked,<br/>and with the rich in his death,<br/>though he had done no violence,<br/>nor was any deceit in his mouth. > 10. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,<br/>and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,<br/>he will see his offspring and prolong his days,<br/>and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. > 11. After the suffering of his soul,<br/>he will see the light of life and be satisfied;<br/>by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,<br/>and he will bear their iniquities. > 12. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,<br/>and he will divide the spoils with the strong,<br/>because he poured out his life unto death,<br/>and was numbered with the transgressors.<br/>For he bore the sin of many,<br/>and made intercession for the transgressors. > [!bible]- [Luke 1:26-38 - NIV](https://bolls.life/NIV/42/1/) The Birth of Jesus Foretold > 26. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, > 27. to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. > 28. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." > 29. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. > 30. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. > 31. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. > 32. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, > 33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." > 34. "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" > 35. The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. > 36. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. > 37. For nothing is impossible with God." > 38. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. > [!bible]- [Luke 2:1-21 - NIV](https://bolls.life/NIV/42/2/) The Birth of Jesus > 1. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. > 2. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) > 3. And everyone went to his own town to register. > 4. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. > 5. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. > 6. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, > 7. and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. > 8. The Shepherds and the Angels<br/>And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. > 9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. > 10. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. > 11. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. > 12. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." > 13. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, > 14. "Glory to God in the highest,<br/>and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." > 15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." > 16. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. > 17. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, > 18. and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. > 19. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. > 20. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. > 21. Jesus Presented in the Temple<br/>On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. ## 2. When Jesus Was a Little Boy He was a little boy once, with a mom and a dad, and he learned and played like other kids. ## 3. Jesus Teaching and Helping People When Jesus became a grown-up, he started to travel around, talk to people, teach them good things, and do miracles like healing sick people. He made lots of friends called disciples. ## 4. Jesus' Big Sacrifice Something very sad but also very amazing happened to Jesus. He was hurt by some people and died, but then something incredible happened – he came back to life!  ## 5. How Everyone Learned About Jesus After Jesus went back to heaven, his friends started to tell other people about him. They traveled to different places, telling stories about Jesus, what he taught, and the amazing things he did. This part tells how more and more people began to know about Jesus and believe in him. > [!bible]- [Acts 2:1-41 - NIV](https://bolls.life/NIV/44/2/) The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost > 1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. > 2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. > 3. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. > 4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. > 5. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. > 6. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. > 7. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? > 8. Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? > 9. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, > 10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome > 11. (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” > 12. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” > 13. Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” > > Peter Addresses the Crowd > > 14. Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. > 2. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! > 3. No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: > 4. “‘In the last days, God says,<br/>I will pour out my Spirit on all people.<br/>Your sons and daughters will prophesy,<br/>your young men will see visions,<br/>your old men will dream dreams. > 5. Even on my servants, both men and women,<br/>I will pour out my Spirit in those days,<br/>and they will prophesy. > 6. I will show wonders in the heaven above<br/>and signs on the earth below,<br/>blood and fire and billows of smoke. > 7. The sun will be turned to darkness<br/>and the moon to blood<br/>before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. > 8. And everyone who calls<br/>on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ > 9. “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. > 10. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. > 11. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. > 12. David said about him:<br/>“‘I saw the Lord always before me.<br/>Because he is at my right hand,<br/>I will not be shaken. > 13. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;<br/>my body also will live in hope, > 14. because you will not abandon me to the grave,<br/>nor will you let your Holy One see decay. > 15. You have made known to me the paths of life;<br/>you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ > 16. “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. > 17. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. > 18. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. > 19. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. > 20. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. > 21. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,<br/>“‘The Lord said to my Lord:<br/>“Sit at my right hand > 22. until I make your enemies<br/>a footstool for your feet.”’ > 23. “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” > 24. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” > 25. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. > 26. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” > 27. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” > 28. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.