A Biography of Jesus

Do you want to know Jesus better? Do you long for a deeper walk and relationship with Him? Do you need a framework of his life to order his teachings, share with others and guide your life? A Biography of Jesus is written to help people order, understand and remember the life of Jesus. As a reference it contains 32 studies focused on different key events in his life. The key events are grouped around four base locations from which Jesus lived, traveled and ministered. In each study you will be asked to read passages from the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in your Bible. The passages relate to the events studied. I hope that readers of this Guide will better understand the life of Jesus and be prepared to share in dialogue Jesus effectively with friends and others. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15b). You will meet Jesus through selected key events in various settings. As you walk with him, feel his challenges, joys and concerns. We can learn from his human and divine nature. He brings God's logos (Word) to a world in need of truth. His experiences guided the daily walk of his followers then and are available to us now. Why should we focus on events? We live in an event-driven information age. Overviews or summaries are a part of our 30-minute newscasts. Often our commentators are trying to pack 20 or more stories in brief sound bites. Politicians are scheduling photo opportunities to communicate messages. Organizations hire event planners to create themes. More depth coverage of subjects is available through television documentaries on events, history and biographies. We are constantly learning from events. How people behaved, what they said and what they did, lead to impressions. We draw values or truths about the lives and goals of people from events. By ordering the events in the life of Jesus in our minds, we can know him better and have a closer relationship with him. We were "Created to become like Christ."Jesus taught in the oral tradition: clearing temples, delivering sermons on mountainsides, eating in homes, performing miracles with impact, telling parables and teaching through encounters with Jewish leaders. He wanted observers to take home and use his messages. For those who have not yet chosen to follow Jesus, my purpose is to provide an opportunity to read his life as a biography. Don't rely on what others have said; study his life, teachings and claims on your own. Consider the decision to follow him, based upon study of his life. For those who have already made a decision to follow Jesus, I pray this Guide will deepen your relationship, love and friendship with him. Three important concepts shape this Guide. The remaining pages of the Introduction expand these three concepts. A brief list of each general concept is as follows: 1. Four base locations provide order and chronology to Jesus' life and ministry. 2. Narratives help us recall events in the life of Jesus for reflection and dialog. 3. A Christ-centered simple theology helps Christians summarize our faith.