Jesus Christ - Son of God, Son of man - the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of our faith. Jesus, God Himself incarnate, entered human history when He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born as a human baby - not in a palace or other royal dwelling, but in a humble manger among animals, when his parents couldn't find place to stay at the inn at Bethlehem, Israel.
At the age of thirty He was baptised in the Jordan by John the Baptist (as an example to us), and received the Holy Spirit immediately afterwards. This started His earthly ministry which lasted approximately three years and during which He gathered many disciples, trained twelve apostles, healed countless sick people, exorcised many demons and raised a number of people from the dead.
At the age of approximately 33-34, He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, and delivered into the hands of the chief priests and elders of the nation who sought to kill Him because of their envy at His popularity and because they saw Him as a heretic, a betrayer of the Jewish faith. He was brought before the high priest, Caiaphas, who sent him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate found no fault in Him and wanted to release Him, but the mob, incited by the chief priests and pharisees, insisted He be crucified. Eventually Pilate relented and delivered Him over to be crucified. This was, however, pre-ordained by God from before the foundation of the earth, and Jesus died to pay the price for our sins - thereby reconciling man (those that believe in Jesus) with God.
Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and raised to life again on the morning of the third day by the resurrection power of God - the same power that enables all who believe in Christ to obtain eternal life in the age to come. He appeared to his disciples and many others over a period of many days after His resurrection, and then He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. Fifty days later the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples as they prayed together in an upper room in Jesrusalem. Also called the Promise of God, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Godhead, to take His place on earth and to enable His disciples to do the same things He did, and more. Even today we may receive the Holy Spirit and His giftings upon believing in Jesus, empowering us for service in the kingdom of God, until Jesus returns (as He promised) to bring this age to a close.
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