The story of Jesus Christ for children to read. Gospel stories for children

crucifixion

Evil people crucified Jesus on the Cross. They nailed His hands and feet. So only terrible robbers were punished. Jesus Christ was the best on earth, but many did not understand this, because they were jealous of Him. After all, everyone loved Him, but they did not.

Jesus Christ died on the Cross. The sky darkened, the sun stopped shining, and the earth shook. Trees and stones wept for the dead Lord.

One rich man, named Joseph, removed the body of Jesus from the Cross, wrapped it in a white cloth and laid it in a cave, in a stone coffin carved into the rock. The cave was in a large and beautiful garden. The entrance to the cave was covered with a huge stone so that no one could enter.

Joseph was a disciple of the Savior, but no one knew about it before. He was not afraid of anyone and he himself arranged Christ's burial.

Resurrection of Christ

The disciple of Christ Mary Magdalene came to the cave where Jesus lay. It was early morning. It was quiet. Someone had already moved the heavy stone away from the entrance. Maria went inside. But the cave was empty. Where is the Lord, beloved Teacher? He is not here.

Maria cried. And suddenly I saw two young men in white clothes. These were the Angels. They were sitting where the body of Jesus used to be.

Why are you crying? the Angels asked.

Someone took him away, and I don’t even know where, ”Maria answered, wiping her tears. She did not think that she was talking with Angels, because she had never seen them before.

Then Maria turned around and saw the Man. It was Christ, but Mary did not recognize Him. She thought it was the gardener.

Did you take it? Tell me where you put it.

Jesus said:

And she suddenly recognized him. The teacher stood in front of her alive. So he didn't die?

Go and tell all My friends and brothers what you have seen, the Lord commanded her.

Mary Magdalene ran into the city. The disciples of Jesus sat at home and wept bitterly. They thought they would never see Him again. Mary entered and said:

Do not Cry. Christ is risen!

But the students didn't really believe her. Because it is hard to believe that a person could be resurrected after death.

wonderful catch

Peter got hungry and said: - I'll go fishing.

And we are with you, - said the other apostles. They fished all night, but caught nothing. In the morning they swam ashore and saw the Man. He stood on the beach and waited for them. The apostles did not understand that it was Christ. Jesus asked them: - Children! How many fish did you catch per night?

They answered: - None. - Throw a net on the right side of the boat, and you'll catch it. They threw the net on the right side and could no longer drag it into the boat - so many fish got caught there. “It is the Lord,” whispered John. He guessed. Then Peter threw himself from the boat into the sea and swam.

He wanted to be close to the Teacher as soon as possible. The rest of the disciples swam to the shore in a boat and soon came to land. A fire was burning on the shore and dinner was being prepared. Peter pulled the net with the fish out of the boat. There were a lot of fish - one hundred and fifty three.

He remembered that this had already happened once, three years ago, when the Lord called them and their brother to follow Him. Only then the network broke, but this time it remained intact. “Go to dinner,” Christ said to the apostles. He gave them baked fish and bread. And he ate with them. Nobody asked Him who He was. Everyone understood that it was the Lord.

This happened after Jesus rose from the dead. And then for forty days He appeared to the apostles and His other disciples and disciples. The Lord wanted them to believe that He really had risen from the dead and tell everyone about it.

Distrustful Foma

Thomas was also a disciple of Jesus. He followed Him, listened to His words, and loved Him very much. But not everything that Christ said, Thomas could believe. He often doubted, his thoughts were doubled, and the apostles called him "Twin". When the Risen Lord appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem, Thomas was not in the city. But then the Gemini returned, and the apostles immediately told him that the Lord had risen and blessed them, passing through the locked doors.

But Foma just shook his head: - It can't be. Are they resurrected from the dead? Is it possible to go through a locked door? You just imagined it. Eight days passed, and Jesus again appeared to the disciples. He again went through the locked doors, stood among the apostles and said: "Peace be with you!" This time Foma was also with them. - Come and put your fingers in My wounds, look at My hands and the marks of the nails. And be faithful, said the Lord.

But Thomas didn't move. He felt ashamed. Christ saw his heart and knew that he did not believe in the resurrection. - My Lord and my God! Thomas exclaimed. Since then he has become one of the most faithful disciples of Christ.

CHRISTIAN FILMS

1 John 3:1 "See what love the Father has given us, that we may be called and be children of God...".

In this section you can see interesting Christian films and cartoons.

To watch, just press the PLAY button on the SCREEN.

The story of Jesus Christ for children

Synopsis: Kids want to know who the real Jesus of Nazareth is? Is it really the one about whom the prophets wrote, and whom the people of Israel are waiting for?

Jesus, He lived among us. Cartoon

Description: "The Voice of the Martyrs" offers a new 90-minute animated film "Jesus: He Lived Among Us", created to inspire those who suffer for the name of Christ in countries hostile to Christianity, and those who live in the free countries of the world. Also, the cartoon is a great tool for witnessing about Christ to others. Even as a child, they tried to kill Him. His closest followers were martyred. Except for one thing... The Apostle John endured imprisonment, torture and attempts on his life before being exiled to the island of Patmos.
This film will give the viewer the opportunity to look at the life of Christ through the eyes of His disciple. Journey with John and witness the miracles, ministry, and danger endured by Christ and those who followed Jesus. This film is sure to encourage and inspire you by offering a fresh perspective on the person of Jesus Christ, the One who lived among us.

Cartoon 10 Commandments 2007 USA

little shepherd boy

The Little Shepherd is a stunningly entertaining cartoon that carries a message that will captivate the whole family. Under the cover of night, the fields surrounding Bethlehem languish in anticipation. Shepherds carefully guard their flocks from wolves, as well as with them a little shepherd - Joel, and his family. Everything is as usual and what is about to happen, no one expects. Since this is Joel's first watch, he is afraid of the dangers of the night and wolves. But he discovers that he must not face these dangers alone. An unexpected event will lead to the discovery that God delivers from fear and provides salvation in any situation.

"Little Shepherd" is endless story Christmas with an original storyline. Follow Joel and his pet lamb, Blackberry, on a fun adventure. Laugh heartily when you hear Sister Sarah's jokes. Be attentive to grandpa's stories planting seeds of faith.

Red boots for christmas

In the small northern town of Friedersdorf lives a very greedy and not friendly shoemaker Hans.

"They didn't give me anything from my family, why should I give away my goodness for free!" - so he says.

But just before Christmas, Hans suddenly realized what friendship and selfless help are. And for the first time in his life he gives people a gift, when he himself understands what a great gift he received from God.

Jewish lion

The lamb with the heart of a lion intends to save the world, but on the eve of Passover it is taken to Jerusalem to be sacrificed to God. In the barnyard, where the baby Jesus was born 33 years ago, a rooster gets into a box with a lamb, and then, in order to save their friends, the animals go to the city, where they witness the execution and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Test of Faith

Synopsis: Stefan has trouble with his peers at school because of his faith in Christ. The First-Martyr Stephen appears to him in a dream and shows him the sufferings of Christians for their faith in all ages.

Letters to God

Synopsis: Young Tyler Doherty writes letters to God every day. The boy is seriously ill and only faith gives him the courage to fight a terrible disease. The astonished postman Brady McDaniels, of course, will not deliver the letter to the addressee. But after reading them, he will be inspired by the courage of the child and will be able to find the strength in himself to fight his alcohol addiction ...

The Pilgrim's Progress

Cartoon based on the book by John Bunyan "Pilgrim's Progress to the Heavenly Country". Having learned from the Book that his life, as well as the life of the people around him, is wrong, Pilgrim sets off on his journey, despite the criticism of his neighbors. Many try to go with the Pilgrim, but no one can stay on the narrow path - after all, you still need to protect yourself from the wiles of the evil one! A classic allegory for children and their parents.

miracle worker

Puppet animation created by Russian and British animators recreates the life of the Jewish people in those distant times to the smallest detail. Two thousand years ago there lived a man who worked the greatest miracles this cartoon about Him, His name is Jesus Christ.

Cartoon Wonderworker tells about Jesus Christ, a carpenter from the city of Nazareth, but was He an ordinary carpenter. Jesus performed miracles that amazed crowds of people, healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, commanded the weather, you can’t list all the miracles.

Name: Jesus Christ (Jesus of Nazareth)

Date of Birth: 4 BC e.

Age: 40 years

Date of death: 36

Activity: the central figure in Christianity, the Messiah

Jesus Christ: biography

The life of Jesus Christ is still the subject of contemplation and gossip. Atheists claim that his existence is a myth, while Christians are convinced of the opposite. In the 20th century, scholars intervened in the study of the biography of Christ, who made strong arguments in favor of the New Testament.

Birth and childhood

Mary, the future mother of the holy child, was the daughter of Anna and Joachim. They gave their three-year-old daughter to Jerusalem monastery like God's bride. Thus, the girls atoned for the sins of their parents. But, although Mary swore an oath of eternal fidelity to the Lord, she had the right to live in the temple only until the age of 14, and after that she was obliged to marry. When the time came, Bishop Zachary (confessor) gave the girl as a wife to the eighty-year-old old man Joseph, so that she would not violate her own vow with carnal pleasures.

Joseph was upset by this turn of events, but did not dare to disobey the clergyman. The new family began to live in Nazareth. One night, the couple had a dream in which the Archangel Gabriel appeared to them, warning that the Virgin Mary would soon become pregnant. The angel also warned the girl about the Holy Spirit, who would descend for conception. On the same night, Joseph learned that the birth of a holy baby would save the human race from hellish torments.

When Mary was carrying a child, Herod (the king of Judea) ordered a census, so the subjects had to appear at the place of birth. Since Joseph was born in Bethlehem, the couple went there. The young wife endured the journey hard, as she was already eight months pregnant. Due to the accumulation of people in the city, they did not find a place for themselves, so they were forced to go outside the city walls. Nearby there was only a barn built by shepherds.

At night, Mary is relieved of her burden by her son, whom she calls Jesus. The birthplace of Christ is the city of Bethlehem, located near Jerusalem. Things are not clear with the date of birth, as sources indicate conflicting figures. If we compare the reign of Herod and Caesar Rome Augustus, then this happened in the 5th-6th century.

The Bible says that the baby was born on the night when the brightest star lit up in the sky. Scientists believe that such a star was a comet that flew over the Earth in the period from 12 BC to 4 BC. Of course, 8 years is not a small spread, but due to the prescription of years and conflicting interpretations of the Gospel, even such an assumption is considered a hit on the target.

An Orthodox xmas is celebrated on January 7, and Catholic - on December 26. But, according to religious apocrypha, both dates are incorrect, since the birth of Jesus fell on March 25-27. At the same time, the pagan day of the Sun was celebrated on December 26, so the Orthodox Church moved Christmas to January 7. The confessors wanted to wean the parishioners from the "bad" holiday of the Sun, legalizing new date. This is not disputed by the modern church.

Eastern sages knew in advance that the Earth would soon descend spiritual teacher. Therefore, seeing the Star in the sky, they followed the glow and came to the cave, where they found the holy baby. Entering inside, the wise men bowed to the newborn, as to a king, and presented gifts - myrrh, gold and incense.

Immediately, rumors about the newly-appeared King reached Herod, who, angry, ordered the destruction of all the babies of Bethlehem. In works ancient historian Josephus Flavius found information that two thousand babies were killed on a bloody night, and this is by no means a myth. The tyrant was so afraid for the throne that he even killed his own sons, to say nothing of other people's children.

From the wrath of the ruler, the holy family managed to escape to Egypt, where they lived for 3 years. Only after the death of the tyrant, the spouses with the child returned to Bethlehem. When Jesus grew up, he began to help his betrothed father in the carpentry business, which later earned him a living.

At the age of 12, Jesus arrives with his parents for Easter in Jerusalem, where for 3-4 days he conducts spiritual conversations with scribes who interpreted holy scripture. The boy amazes his mentors with his knowledge of the Laws of Moses, and his questions baffle more than one teacher. Then, according to the Arabic Gospel, the boy withdraws into himself and hides his own miracles. Evangelists don't even write about later life child, explaining this by the fact that zemstvo events should not affect the spiritual life.

Personal life

Since the Middle Ages, disputes about the personal life of Jesus have not subsided. Many were worried - whether he was married, whether he left behind descendants. But the clergy tried to keep these conversations to a minimum, since the son of God could not become addicted to earthly things. Previously, there were many gospels, each of which was interpreted in its own way. But the clergy tried to get rid of the "wrong" books. There is even a version that references to the family life of Christ are not included in New Testament specially.

Other gospels mention the wife of Christ. Historians agree that his wife was Mary Magdalene. And in the Gospel of Philip there are even lines about how the disciples of Christ were jealous of the teacher for Mary for a kiss on the lips. Although in the New Testament this girl is described as a harlot who took the path of correction and followed Christ from Galilee to Judea.

While unmarried girl she had no right to accompany a group of wanderers, unlike the wife of one of them. If we remember that the resurrected Lord first appeared not to the disciples, but to Magdalene, then everything falls into place. In the Apocrypha there are indications of the marriage of Jesus, when he performed the first miracle, turning water into wine. Otherwise, why would he and Our Lady worry about food and wine at the wedding feast in Cana?

In the time of Jesus, unmarried men were considered a strange phenomenon and even ungodly, so a single prophet would not have become a Teacher in any way. If Mary Magdalene is the wife of Jesus, then the question arises as to why he chose her as his betrothed. There are probably political influences at play here.

Jesus could not become a pretender to the throne of Jerusalem, being a stranger. Having taken as his wife a local girl belonging to the princely family of the Benjamin tribe, he already became his own. A child born to a couple would become a prominent political figure and a clear contender for the throne. Perhaps that is why there was persecution, and subsequently the murder of Jesus. But the clergy present the son of God in a different light.

Historians believe that this was the reason for the 18-year gap in his life. The Church tried to eradicate heresy, although a layer of circumstantial evidence remained on the surface.

This version is also confirmed by a papyrus published by Karin King, a professor at Harvard University, in which the phrase is clearly written: “ Jesus said to them, "My wife..."

Baptism

God appeared to the prophet John the Baptist, who lived in the desert, and ordered him to preach among sinners, and those who wanted to be cleansed from sin should be baptized in the Jordan.

Until the age of 30, Jesus lived with his parents and helped them in every possible way, and after that he was enlightened. He strongly desired to become a preacher, telling people about divine phenomena and the meaning of religion. Therefore, he goes to the Jordan River, where he is baptized by John the Baptist. John immediately realized that before him was the same youth - the son of the Lord, and, perplexed, objected:

“I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”

Then Jesus went into the wilderness, where he wandered for 40 days. Thus, he prepared himself for the mission to atone for the sin of the human race through an act of self-sacrifice.

At this time, Satan is trying to prevent him through temptations, which each time became more sophisticated.

1. Hunger. When Christ was hungry, the tempter said:

"If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread."

2. Pride. The devil lifted the man to the top of the temple and said:

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because the angels of God will support you and you will not stumble on stones.”

Christ denied this too, saying that he did not intend to test the power of God for his own whim.

3. Temptation Faith and wealth.

“I will give you power over the kingdoms of the earth that is devoted to me, if you bow down to me,” Satan promised. Jesus answered: "Get away from me, Satan, for it is written: God must be worshiped and only he must be served."

The Son of God did not give up and was not tempted by the gifts of Satan. The rite of Baptism gave him strength to fight the sinful parting words of the tempter.

12 apostles of Jesus

After wandering in the desert and fighting the devil, Jesus finds 12 followers and gives them a piece of his own gift. Traveling with his disciples, he brings the word of God to the people and performs miracles so that people would believe.

Wonders

Turning water into fine wine.
Healing the paralyzed.
Miraculous resurrection of the daughter of Jairus.
Resurrection of the son of Nain's widow.
Calming the storm on the lake of Galilee.
Healing of the demon-possessed Gadaria.
Miraculous nourishment of the people with five loaves.
Walking of Jesus Christ on the water surface.
Healing of the daughter of the Canaanite.
Healing of ten lepers.
The miracle at Lake Gennesaret is the filling of empty nets with fish.

The Son of God instructed people and explained each of his commandments, incline to God's teaching.

The popularity of the Lord grew every day and masses of people hurried to see the miraculous preacher. Jesus bequeathed the commandments, which later became the foundations of Christianity.

Love and honor the Lord God.
Don't worship idols.
Do not use the name of the Lord in empty talk.
Work six days, and pray on the seventh.
Respect and honor your parents.
Do not kill another or yourself.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal or embezzle someone else's property.
Don't lie and don't be jealous.

But the more Jesus won people's love, the more the people of Jerusalem hated him. The nobles were afraid that their power would be shaken and conspired to kill the messenger of God. Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem on a donkey, thereby reproducing the legend of the Jews about the solemn coming of the Messiah. The people enthusiastically welcome the New Tsar, throwing palm branches and their own clothes at his feet. People expect the age of tyranny and humiliation to end soon. With such a pandemonium, the Pharisees were afraid to arrest Christ and took a waiting position.

The Jews expect from Him victory over evil, peace, prosperity and stability, but Jesus, on the contrary, invites them to give up everything worldly, to become homeless wanderers who will preach the word of God. Realizing that nothing would change in power, people hated God and considered him a deceiver who destroyed their dreams and hopes. An important role was also played by the Pharisees, who incited a rebellion against the "false prophet". The environment is getting more and more tense, and Jesus is step by step closer to the loneliness of Gethsemane.

Passion of Christ

According to the Gospel, it is customary to call the passions of Christ the torments endured by Jesus in last days his earthly life. The clergy compiled a list of the order of the passions:

The Entry of the Lord into the Jerusalem Gates
Supper in Bethany, when a sinner washes Christ's feet with peace and her own tears, and wipes her with her hair.
Washing the feet of your disciples God's son. When He and the Apostles came to the house where it was necessary to eat the Passover, there were no servants to wash the guests' feet. Then Jesus himself washed the feet of his disciples, thereby teaching them a lesson in humility.

The Last Supper. It was here that Christ predicted that the disciples would reject him and betray him. Shortly after this conversation, Judas left the supper.
The road to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayer to the Father. At the Mount of Olives, he appeals to the Creator and asks for deliverance from the threatening fate, but does not receive an answer. In deep sadness Jesus is coming to say goodbye to their students, expecting earthly torments.

Judgment and crucifixion

Having descended from the mountain in the dead of night, he informs them that the traitor is already close and asks his followers not to leave. However, at the moment when Judas arrived with a crowd of Roman soldiers, all the apostles were already fast asleep. The traitor kisses Jesus, supposedly welcoming, but thereby showing the guards the true prophet. And they shackle Him and take Him to the Sanhedrin to do justice.

According to the Gospel, this happened on the night from Thursday to Friday of the week before Easter. Anna, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, was the first to interrogate Christ. He expected to hear about witchcraft and magic, thanks to which crowds of people follow the prophet and worship him like a deity. Having achieved nothing, Anna sent the captive to Caiaphas, who had already gathered elders and religious fanatics.

Caiaphas accused the prophet of blasphemy because he called himself the son of God and sent him to the prefect Pontius. Pilate was a just man and tried to dissuade the audience from killing a righteous man. But the judges and confessors began to demand that the guilty be crucified. Then Pontius offered to decide the fate of the righteous man to the people gathered in the square. He announced: "I consider this man innocent, choose for yourself, life or death." But at that moment, only the opponents of the prophet gathered near the court, shouting about the crucifixion.

Before the execution of Jesus, 2 executioners were beaten with whips for a long time, torturing his body and breaking the bridge of his nose. After the public punishment, he was put on a white shirt, which was immediately saturated with blood. A wreath of thorns was placed on the head, and a sign with the inscription: “I am God” in 4 languages on the neck. The New Testament says that the inscription read: “Jesus of Nazareth is the King of the Jews,” but such a text would hardly fit on a small board, and even in 4 dialects. Later, the Roman priests rewrote the Bible, trying to keep silent about the shameful fact.

After the execution, which the righteous endured without uttering a sound, he had to carry a heavy cross to Golgotha. Here the hands and feet of the martyr were nailed to a cross, which was dug into the ground. The guards tore off his clothes, leaving only a loincloth. Simultaneously with Jesus, two criminals were punished, who were hanged on both sides of the sloping crossbar of the crucifix. In the morning they were released, and only Jesus remained on the cross.

At the hour of Christ's death, the earth trembled, as if nature itself rebelled against a cruel execution. The deceased was buried in a tomb, thanks to Pontius Pilate, who was very sympathetic to the innocent-executed.

resurrection

On the third day after his death, the martyr rose from the dead and appeared in the flesh to his disciples. He gave them final instructions before his ascension to heaven. When the guards came to check whether the deceased was still there, they found only an open cave and a bloody shroud.

It was announced to all believers that the body of Jesus had been stolen by his disciples. The pagans hastily covered Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher with earth.

Evidence for the Existence of Jesus

Having become acquainted with the bibles, primary sources and archaeological finds, one can find real evidence of the existence of the Messiah on earth.

In the 20th century, during excavations in Egypt, an ancient papyrus containing verses from the Gospel was discovered. Scientists have proven that the manuscript dates back to 125-130 years.
In 1947 on the coast Dead Sea found the oldest scrolls of biblical texts. This find proved that parts of the original Bible are closest to its modern sound.
In 1968, during archaeological research in the north of Jerusalem, the body of a man crucified on the cross, John (son of Kaggol), was discovered. This proves that then criminals were executed in this way, and the truth is described in the Bible.
In 1990, a vessel with the remains of the deceased was found in Jerusalem. On the wall of the vessel, an inscription was engraved in Aramaic, which reads: "Joseph, son of Caiaphas." Perhaps this is the son of the same high priest who subjected Jesus to persecution and judgment.
In Caesarea in 1961, an inscription on a stone was discovered, associated with the name of Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea. He was called precisely the prefect, and not the procurator, like all subsequent successors. The same record is in the Gospels, which proves the reality of biblical events.

Science has been able to confirm the existence of Jesus by corroborating the testament stories with facts. And even a famous scientist in 1873 said:

“It is extremely difficult to imagine that this vast and wonderful universe, just like man, arose by chance; this seems to me the main argument for the existence of God.”

New religion

He also predicted that at the turn of the century a New Religion would arise, bringing light and positive. And so his words began to come true. The new spiritual group was born quite recently and has not yet received public recognition. The term NRM was introduced into scientific use as a contrast to the words sect or cult, which obviously carry a negative connotation. In 2017, there are more than 300 thousand people in the Russian Federation who are attached to any religious movement.

Psychologist Margaret Theler compiled a classification of the NRM, consisting of a dozen subgroups (religious, oriental, interest, psychological, and even political). New religious trends are dangerous because the goals of the leaders of these groups are not known for certain. And also the bulk of the groups of the new religion is directed against the Russian Orthodox Church and carries a hidden threat to the Christian world.

How to tell a child about the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ - such questions are often asked by parents. How to tell simply and how to tell about the essence? One of the best answers to this question is chapters from Maya Kucherskaya's book Gospel Stories for Children. With the kind permission of the author, we publish chapters of the book.

crucifixion

Jesus Christ died on the Cross. The sky darkened, the sun stopped shining, and the earth shook. Trees and stones wept for the dead Lord.

One man, named Joseph, removed the body of Jesus from the Cross, wrapped it in a white cloth and laid it in a cave, in a stone coffin carved into the rock. The cave was in a large garden. The entrance to the cave was covered with a huge stone so that no one could enter.

Joseph was a disciple of the Savior, but no one knew about it before. He was not afraid of anyone and he himself arranged Christ's burial.

Resurrection of Christ

Mary Magdalene came to the cave where Jesus lay. It was early morning. It was quiet. Someone had already moved the heavy stone away from the entrance. Maria went inside. But the cave was empty. Where is the Lord?

Maria cried. And suddenly I saw two young men in white clothes. These were the Angels. They were sitting where the body of Jesus used to be.

- Why are you crying? the Angels asked.

“Someone took him away, and I don’t even know where,” Maria answered, wiping away her tears. She did not think that she was talking with Angels, because she had never seen them before.

Then Maria turned around and saw the Man. It was Christ, but Mary did not recognize Him. She thought it was the gardener.

- Did you take him? Tell me where you put it.

Jesus said:

And she suddenly recognized him. The teacher stood in front of her alive. So he didn't die?

“Go and tell all My friends and brothers what you have seen,” the Lord commanded her.

Mary Magdalene ran into the city. The disciples of Jesus sat at home and wept bitterly. They thought they would never see Him again. Mary entered and said:

- Do not Cry. Christ is risen!

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”(John 3:16).

Jesus Christ– The Son of God, God, who appeared in the flesh, took upon Himself the sin of man, made his salvation possible with His sacrificial death. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is referred to as Christ, or Messiah (χριστός, μεσσίίς), son (ἱόςἱός), the son of God (ἱὸςἱὸς θεῦῦ), the son of human (ἱὸςἱὸς ἀνθρώπου), Lamb (ἀμνός, ἀρνίον), Lord (ύύύιςς), Life's Logue ( παῖς Θεοῦ), Son of David (υἱὸς Δαυίδ), Savior (Σωτήρ), etc.

Testimonies of the Life of Jesus Christ:

canonical gospels ( )
individual sayings of Jesus Christ that were not included in the canonical Gospels, but are preserved in other New Testament books (Acts and Epistles of the Apostles), as well as in the writings of ancient Christian writers.
a number of texts of Gnostic and non-Christian origin.

By the will of God the Father and out of pity for us, sinful people, Jesus Christ came into the world and became a man. By His word and example, Jesus Christ taught people how to believe and live in order to become righteous and be worthy of the title of children of God, participants in His immortal and blessed life. To cleanse our sins and overcome, Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again on the third day. Now, as the God-man, He is in heaven with His Father. Jesus Christ is the head of the Kingdom of God founded by Him, called the Church, in which believers are saved, guided and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Before the end of the world, Jesus Christ will come to earth again to judge the living and the dead. After that, His Kingdom of Glory will come, a paradise in which the saved will rejoice forever. So it is foretold, and we believe it will be so.

How we waited for the coming of Jesus Christ

V The greatest event in the life of mankind is the coming to earth of the Son of God. God has been preparing people for it, especially the Jewish people, for many millennia. From Wednesday Jewish people God put forward prophets who predicted the coming of the Savior of the world - the Messiah, and by this laid the foundation of faith in Him. In addition, God for many generations, starting from Noah, then - Abraham, David and other righteous people, pre-cleansed that bodily vessel from which the Messiah was to take flesh. So, finally, the Virgin Mary was born, Who was worthy to become the Mother of Jesus Christ.

At the same time, God and political events ancient world directed to ensure that the coming of the Messiah was successful and that His grace-filled Kingdom spread widely among people.

So, by the time of the coming of the Messiah, many pagan peoples became part of a single state - the Roman Empire. This circumstance made it possible for the disciples of Christ to travel freely throughout all the countries of the vast Roman Empire. The widespread use of one common Greek language helped Christian communities scattered over great distances to maintain contact with each other. On the Greek Gospels and apostolic letters were written. As a result of the rapprochement of cultures various peoples, as well as the dissemination of science and philosophy of belief in pagan gods were severely undermined. People began to yearn for satisfactory answers to their religious questions. Thinking people of the pagan world understood that society was reaching a hopeless dead end and began to express the hope that the Transformer and Savior of mankind would come.

The earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ

D For the birth of the Messiah, God chose the pure virgin Mary, from the family of King David. Mary was an orphan and was cared for by Her distant relative, the elderly Joseph, who lived in Nazareth, one of the small towns in the northern part of the Holy Land. The Archangel Gabriel, having appeared, announced to the Virgin Mary that She had been chosen by God to become the Mother of His Son. When the Virgin Mary humbly agreed, the Holy Spirit descended on Her, and She conceived the Son of God. The subsequent birth of Jesus Christ took place in the small Jewish town of Bethlehem, in which King David, the ancestor of Christ, had previously been born. (Historians attribute the time of the birth of Jesus Christ to 749-754 years from the founding of Rome. The accepted chronology “from the Nativity of Christ” begins from 754 years from the founding of Rome).

The life, miracles and conversations of the Lord Jesus Christ are described in four books called the Gospels. The first three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, describe the events of His life, which took place mainly in Galilee - in the northern part of the Holy Land. The Evangelist John, on the other hand, supplements their narratives by describing the events and conversations of Christ, which took place mainly in Jerusalem.

Film “CHRISTMAS”

Until the age of thirty, Jesus Christ lived with His Mother, the Virgin Mary, in Nazareth, in the house of Joseph. When He was 12 years old, He went with His parents to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover and stayed in the temple for three days, talking with the scribes. Nothing is known about other details of the Savior's life in Nazareth, except that He helped Joseph carpentry. As a man, Jesus Christ grew and developed naturally, like all people.

In the 30th year of his life, Jesus Christ received from the prophets. John's baptism in the Jordan River. Before beginning His public ministry, Jesus Christ went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days, being tempted by Satan. public service Jesus began in Galilee by choosing 12 apostles. The miraculous transformation of water into wine, performed by Jesus Christ at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, strengthened the faith of His disciples. After that, after spending some time in Capernaum, Jesus Christ went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. Here, for the first time, He aroused the enmity of the elders of the Jews, and especially of the Pharisees, by driving the merchants out of the temple. After Easter, Jesus Christ called His apostles together, gave them the necessary instruction, and sent them to preach the approach of the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ himself also traveled the Holy Land, preaching, gathering disciples and spreading the doctrine of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ revealed His divine mission to many miracles and prophecies. Soulless nature unconditionally obeyed Him. So, for example, at His word the storm stopped; Jesus Christ walked on water as on dry land; having multiplied five loaves and several fishes, He fed a crowd of many thousands; He once turned water into wine. He raised the dead, cast out demons, and healed countless sick people. At the same time, Jesus Christ avoided human glory in every possible way. For His need, Jesus Christ never resorted to His almighty power. All His miracles are imbued with deep compassion to people. The greatest miracle of the Savior was His own resurrection from the dead. This resurrection He defeated the power of death over people and initiated our resurrection from the dead, which will take place at the end of the world.

Evangelists wrote down many predictions Jesus Christ. Some of them were already fulfilled during the life of the Apostles and their successors. Among them: predictions about the denial of Peter and the betrayal of Judas, about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, about the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, about the miracles that the apostles will perform, about persecution for the faith, about the destruction of Jerusalem, etc. Some prophecies of Christ related to the last times are beginning to be fulfilled, for example: about the spread of the Gospel throughout the world, about the corruption of people and about the cooling of faith, about terrible wars, earthquakes, etc. Finally, some prophecies, such as about general resurrection dead, about the second coming of Christ, about the end of the world and about doomsday- is yet to be fulfilled.

By His power over nature and His foresight of the future, the Lord Jesus Christ testified to the truth of His teaching and that He really is the Only Begotten Son of God.

The public ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ continued for more than three years. The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees did not accept His teaching and, envious of His miracles and success, looked for an opportunity to kill Him. Finally such an opportunity presented itself. After the resurrection by the Savior four-day Lazarus, six days before Easter, Jesus Christ, surrounded by the people, solemnly, as the son of David and the king of Israel, entered Jerusalem. The people gave Him royal honors. Jesus Christ went straight to the temple, but when he saw that the high priests had turned the house of prayer into a “den of thieves,” he expelled all the merchants and money changers from there. This aroused the wrath of the Pharisees and the chief priests, and at their meeting they decided to destroy Him. Meanwhile, Jesus Christ spent whole days teaching the people in the temple. On Wednesday, one of His twelve disciples, Judas Iscariot, invited the members of the Sanhedrin to secretly betray their Master for thirty pieces of silver. The chief priests happily agreed.

On Thursday, Jesus Christ, wishing to celebrate the Passover with His disciples, went from Bethany to Jerusalem, where His disciples Peter and John prepared for Him big room. Appearing here in the evening, Jesus Christ showed His disciples greatest example humility, washing their feet, which the servants used to do among the Jews. Then, lying down with them, he made Old Testament Easter. After the supper, Jesus Christ established the New Testament Pascha - the sacrament of the Eucharist or Communion. Taking the bread, He blessed it, broke it, and, giving it to the disciples, said: Take, eat (eat): this is my body, which is given for you,” then, taking the cup and giving thanks, gave it to them and said: “ Drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.” After that, Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples for the last time about the Kingdom of God. Then He went to the suburban garden of Gethsemane and, accompanied by three disciples - Peter, James and John, went deep into the garden and, falling to the ground, prayed to His Father until bloody sweat that the cup of suffering that was coming to Him would pass.

At this time, a crowd of armed servants of the high priest, led by Judas, burst into the garden. Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. While the high priest Caiaphas was calling the members of the Sanhedrin, the soldiers took Jesus to the palace of Annas (Ananas); From there He was led to Caiaphas, where His judgment was already held late at night. Although many false witnesses were called, no one could point to such a crime for which Jesus Christ could be sentenced to death. However, the death sentence took place only after Jesus Christ recognized himself as the Son of God and the Messiah. For this, Christ was formally accused of blasphemy, for which, according to the law, the death penalty followed.

On Friday morning, the high priest went with the members of the Sanhedrin to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, to confirm the verdict. But Pilate at first did not agree to do this, not seeing in Jesus a guilt worthy of death. Then the Jews began to threaten Pilate with a denunciation of him to Rome, and Pilate approved the death sentence. Jesus Christ was given to the Roman soldiers. Around 12 noon, along with two thieves, Jesus was taken to Calvary - a small hill on the western side of the Jerusalem wall - and there he was crucified on the cross. Jesus Christ meekly accepted this execution. It was noon. Suddenly the sun went dark, and darkness spread over the earth for three whole hours. After that, Jesus Christ loudly called out to the Father: “My God, My God, why did You leave Me!” Then, seeing that everything was fulfilled according to Old Testament prophecies He exclaimed: “ Done! My Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! and, bowing His head, gave up his spirit. Terrible signs followed: the veil in the temple was torn in two, the earth shook, the stones disintegrated. Seeing this, even a pagan - a Roman centurion - exclaimed: Truly He was the Son of God.“No one doubted the death of Jesus Christ. Two members of the Sanhedrin, Joseph and Nicodemus, secret disciples of Jesus Christ, received permission from Pilate to remove His body from the cross and buried Joseph in the tomb near Golgotha, in the garden. The members of the Sanhedrin ensured that the body of Jesus Christ was not stolen by His disciples, sealed the entrance and set up guards. Everything was done hastily, since the Easter holiday began in the evening of that day.

On Sunday (probably April 8th), the third day after His death on the cross, Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead and left the tomb. After that, an angel descended from heaven rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. The first witnesses of this event were the soldiers guarding the tomb of Christ. Although the soldiers did not see Jesus Christ risen from the dead, they were eyewitnesses to the fact that when the Angel rolled away the stone, the tomb was already empty. Frightened by the Angel, the soldiers fled. Mary Magdalene and other myrrh-bearing women, who went to the tomb of Jesus Christ before dawn to anoint the body of their Lord and Teacher, found the tomb empty and were honored to see the Resurrected Himself and hear from Him a greeting: “ Rejoice!” In addition to Mary Magdalene, Jesus Christ appeared to many of His disciples in different time. Some of them even got to feel His body and make sure that He is not a ghost. For forty days, Jesus Christ talked several times with His disciples, giving them final instructions.

On the fortieth day, Jesus Christ, in view of all His disciples, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives. As we believe, Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father, that is, he has one authority with Him. Secondly, He will come to earth before the end of the world, so that judge the living and the dead, after which His glorious and eternal Kingdom will begin, in which the righteous will shine like the sun.

About the Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Saints the apostles, writing about the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, did not mention anything about His appearance. For them, the main thing was to capture His spiritual appearance and teaching.

V eastern church there is a legend about miraculous image" Savior. According to him, the artist sent by the King of Edessa Abgar several times unsuccessfully tried to sketch the face of the Savior. When Christ, having called the artist, applied his canvas to His face, His face was imprinted on the canvas. Having received this image from his artist, King Abgar was healed of leprosy. Since then, this miraculous image of the Savior has been well known in the Eastern Church, and copies-icons have been made from it. The ancient Armenian historian Moses of Khorensky, the Greek historian Evargy and St. John of Damascus.

V western church There is a legend about the image of St. Veronica, who gave the Savior going to Calvary a towel to wipe His face. An imprint of His face was left on the towel, which later fell to the west.

V Orthodox Church It is customary to depict the Savior on icons and frescoes. These images do not seek to convey exactly His appearance. They are more like reminders symbols, raising our thought to the One Who is depicted on them. Looking at the images of the Savior, we remember His life, His love and compassion, His miracles and teachings; we remember that He, as omnipresent, abides with us, sees our difficulties and helps us. This sets us up to pray to Him: “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!”

The face of the Savior and His whole body were also imprinted on the so-called “,” – a long canvas, in which, according to legend, the body of the Savior taken down from the cross was wrapped. The image on the shroud was seen only relatively recently with the help of photography, special filters and a computer. Reproductions of the face of the Savior, made according to the Shroud of Turin, have a striking resemblance to some ancient Byzantine icons (sometimes coinciding at 45 or 60 points, which, according to experts, cannot be accidental). studying Shroud of Turin, experts came to the conclusion that a man of about 30 was imprinted on it, 5 feet, 11 inches tall (181 cm - much taller than his contemporaries), slender and strong build.

Bishop Alexander Mileant

What Jesus Christ taught

From the book of Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev “Tradition. Dogma. Rite."

Christ did not perceive Himself as merely a Teacher. Such a Teacher who bequeaths to people a certain "Teaching" that can be carried around the world and through the ages. He not so much "teaches" as "saves". And all of His words are related to how exactly this “salvation” event is related to the mystery of His own Life.

Everything that is new in the teaching of Jesus Christ is connected only with the mystery of His Own Being. One God has already been preached by the prophets, and monotheism has long been established. Can it be said about the relationship between God and man in words higher than the prophet Micah did: “Man! told you what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love works of mercy, and to walk humbly before your God” (Micah 6:8)? In the moral preaching of Jesus, practically any of its positions can be referred to as "parallel passages" from the books of the Old Testament. He gives them great aphorism, accompanies them with amazing and surprising examples and parables - but in His moral teaching there is nothing that would not be contained in the Law and the Prophets.

If we carefully read the Gospels, we will see that the main subject of Christ's preaching is not calls for mercy, for love, or for repentance. The main object of Christ's preaching is Himself. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), “Believe in God, and believe in Me” (John 14:1). “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). “No one comes to the Father, only by Me” (John 14:6); “Search the Scriptures; they testify of Me” (John 5:39).

What place in the ancient scriptures does Jesus choose to preach in the synagogue? “Not prophetic calls for love and purity. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1-2).

Here is the most disputed passage in the Gospel: “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38). It does not say here - "for the sake of truth" or "for the sake of Eternity" or "for the sake of the Way". "For me".

And this is by no means an ordinary relationship between a teacher and a student. No teacher claimed so completely to power over the souls and destinies of his students: “He who saves his soul will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it” (Matthew 10:39).

Even at the Last Judgment, the division is made according to people's attitude towards Christ, and not just according to their degree of observance of the Law. “What have they done to me…” - To me, not to God. And the judge is Christ. In relation to Him there is a division. He doesn't say, "You were merciful and therefore blessed," but, "I was hungry and you gave Me food."

Justification at the Judgment will require, in particular, not only an internal, but also an external, public appeal to Jesus. Without the visibility of this connection with Jesus, salvation is impossible: but whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Confessing Christ before people can be dangerous. And the danger will not be for preaching love or repentance, but for preaching about Christ Himself. “Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way for me(Matthew 5:11). “And they will lead you to rulers and kings for me” (Mt 10:18). “And you will be hated by all for my name; whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22).

And the reverse: “Whoever receives one such child in my name he receives me” (Mt 18:5). It doesn't say "in the name of the Father" or "for the sake of God." In the same way, Christ promises His presence and help to those who will gather not in the name of the “Great Unknowable”, but in His name: “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).

Moreover, the Savior clearly indicates that this is precisely what is new. religious life brought by him: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24).

And in the last phrase of the Bible there is an appeal: “Hey! come, Lord Jesus!” Not "Come, Truth" and not "Overshadow us, Spirit!", but - "Come, Jesus."

Christ asks the disciples not about what people think about His sermons, but about “Whom do people say I am?” Here it is not a matter of accepting a system, a teaching, but of accepting a Personality. The gospel of Christ reveals itself as the gospel of Christ, it carries the Message of a Person, not a concept. In terms of current philosophy, we can say that the gospel is the word of personalism, not conceptualism. Christ did nothing that could be spoken of, distinguishing and separating it from His Self.

The founders of other religions acted not as an object of faith, but as its intermediaries. Not the person of Buddha, Mohammed or Moses was the real content new faith and their teaching. In each case it was possible to separate their teaching from themselves. But - "Blessed is he who is not tempted about me” (Mt 11:6).

That most important commandment of Christ, which He Himself called “new,” also speaks of Himself: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” How He loved us - we know: to the Cross.

There is another fundamental explanation of this commandment. It turns out that the hallmark of a Christian is not love for those who love him (“for don’t the Gentiles do the same?”), but love for enemies. But is it possible to love the enemy? An enemy is a person whom I, by definition, to put it mildly, do not like. Will I be able to love him on someone's orders? If a guru or a preacher says to his flock: tomorrow at eight o'clock in the morning start loving your enemies - is it really the feeling of love that will be found in the hearts of his disciples at ten minutes past eight? Meditation and training of the will and feelings can teach one to treat enemies indifferently, without affect. But to rejoice at their successes as one's own person is unaccommodating. Even the grief of a stranger is easier to share with him. And it is impossible to share the joy of someone else ... If I love someone, any news about him makes me happy, I rejoice at the thought of meeting with my loved one soon ... My wife rejoices at her husband's success at work. Will she be able to meet the news of the promotion of someone she considers her enemy with the same joy? Christ performed the first miracle on wedding feast. Speaking about the fact that the Savior took our sufferings upon Himself, we often forget that He was in solidarity with people and in our joys...

So what if the commandment to love our enemies is incomprehensible to us - why does Christ give it to us? Or does He not know human nature well? Or does He just want to destroy us all with His rigorism? After all, as the apostle confirms, the violator of one commandment becomes guilty of the destruction of the whole law. If I violated one paragraph of the law (for example, I was engaged in extortion), references to the fact that I have never been involved in horse theft will not help me in court. If I do not fulfill the commandments about loving enemies, what good is it for me to distribute property, move mountains, and even give the body to be burned? I am doomed. And doomed because the Old Testament turned out to be more merciful to me than the New Testament, which offered such a “ new commandment”, which subjected to its judgment not only the Jews under the law, but all of humanity.

How can I fulfill it, will I find the strength in myself to obey the Teacher? No. But - "It is impossible for people, but it is possible for God ... Abide in My love ... Abide in Me, and I - in you." Knowing to love enemies human strength impossible, the Savior unites the faithful with Himself, as the branches are united with the vine, so that His love opens and acts in them. “God is Love… Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden…” “The Law obligated to that which it did not give. Grace gives what it obliges” (B. Pascal)

This means that this commandment of Christ is inconceivable without participation in His Mystery. The morality of the gospel cannot be separated from its mysticism. The teaching of Christ is inseparable from church Christology. Only direct union with Christ, literally communion with Him, makes it possible to fulfill His new commandments.

The ordinary ethical and religious system is the way that people follow to reach a certain goal. Christ begins with this goal. He speaks of life flowing from God to us, not of our efforts to lift us up to God. What others work for, He gives. Other teachers begin with a demand, this one with the Gift: "The kingdom of heaven has come upon you." But that is precisely why the Sermon on the Mount does not proclaim a new morality or a new law. She heralds the entry into some completely new horizon life. The Sermon on the Mount not so much expounds a new moral system as it reveals a new state of affairs. People are given a gift. And it says under what conditions they can not drop it. Bliss is not a reward for deeds, the Kingdom of God will not follow spiritual poverty, but will be co-dissolved with it. The link between state and promise is Christ Himself, not human effort or law.

Already in Old Testament it was quite clearly proclaimed that only the coming of God into a man's heart could make him forget all past misfortunes: “Thou hast prepared, by thy goodness, O God, for the poor to come thy coming into his heart” (Ps. 67:11). Actually, God has only two dwelling places: “I live in the heights of heaven, and also with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the hearts of the contrite” (Is. 57, 15). And yet it is one thing - the comforting anointing of the Spirit, which is felt in the depths of a contrite heart, and another - the messianic time, when the world is no longer separated from God ... Therefore, “blessed are the poor”: the Kingdom of Heaven is already theirs. Not “will be yours”, but “your is”. Not because you found it or earned it, but because It itself is active, It itself found you and overtook you.

And another gospel verse, which is usually seen as the quintessence of the gospel, also speaks not so much about good relations between people, how much about the need to recognize Christ: “By this everyone will know if you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” So what is the first sign of a Christian? – No, not “to have love”, but “to be My disciple”. “Because everyone will know that you are students, that you have a student card.” What is your main attribute here - the possession of a student card or the very fact of being a student? The most important thing for others is to understand that you are Mine! And here is my seal. I chose you. My Spirit is on you. My love abides in you.

So, “the Lord, having bodily appeared to people, first of all demanded from us the knowledge of Himself and taught this, and immediately attracted us to this; even more: for the sake of this feeling He came and for this He did everything: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). And since He Himself was the truth, he almost did not say: “Let me show Myself” (St. Nicholas Cabasilas). The main work of Jesus was not His word, but His being: Being-with-people; being-on-the-cross.

And the disciples of Christ - the apostles - in their sermon do not retell the "teachings of Christ." When they come out to preach about Christ, they do not retell Sermon on the Mount. There are no references to the Sermon on the Mount either in Peter's speech on the day of Pentecost, or in Stephen's sermon on the day of his martyrdom. In general, the apostles do not use the traditional student formula: "As instructed by the Teacher."

Moreover, even about the life of Christ, the apostles speak very sparingly. The light of Easter is so bright for them that their vision does not extend to the decades preceding the procession to Golgotha. And even about the event of Christ's resurrection, the Apostles preach not only as a fact of His life, but as an event in the life of those who accepted the Paschal gospel - because "the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you" (Rom. 8, eleven); “And if we knew Christ according to the flesh, now we know it no more” (2 Corinthians 5:16)

The apostles say one thing: He died for our sins and rose again, and in His resurrection is the hope of our life. Never referring to the teaching of Christ, the apostles speak of the fact of Christ and His Sacrifice and of His influence on man. Christians do not believe in Christianity, but in Christ. The apostles do not preach Christ the Teaching, but Christ the Crucified - a temptation to moralists and madness to Theosophists.

We can imagine that all the evangelists would have been killed along with St. Stefan. Even in our New Testament, more than half of the books were written by one ap. Pavel. Let's set up a thought experiment. Suppose all 12 apostles are killed. There are no close witnesses to the life and preaching of Christ. But the risen Christ appears to Saul and makes him his only apostle. Paul then writes the entire New Testament. Who would we be then? Christians or peacocks? Could Paul be called the Savior in this case? Paul, as if foreseeing such a situation, answers quite sharply: why “you say: “I am Pavlov”, “I am Apollos”, “I am Cyphus”, “and I am Christ's”? was Paul crucified for you?” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13).

This apostolic focus on the mystery of Christ himself was inherited by the ancient Church. The main theological theme of the 1st millennium is not disputes about the “doctrine of Christ”, but disputes about the phenomenon of Christ: Who came to us?

And at her Liturgies, the ancient Church thanks Christ not at all for what modern textbooks on the history of ethics are ready to render Him reverence for. In ancient prayers, we will not find praise like: “We thank You for the law that You reminded us of”? “We thank You for the sermons and beautiful parables, for wisdom and instructions”? “We thank You for the universal moral and spiritual values preached by You.”

Here, for example, the “Apostolic Ordinances” is a monument dating back to the 2nd century: “We give thanks, our Father, for the life that You revealed to us by Jesus, Your servant, for Your Servant, whom you sent for our salvation as a man, whom you also deigned suffer and die. We also give thanks, Our Father, for the honest blood of Jesus Christ, shed for us and for the honest body, instead of the images of which we offer, as He appointed us to proclaim His death.

Here is the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolyta: “We give thanks to Thee, O God, through Thy beloved Servant Jesus Christ, whom in end times You sent us a Savior, Redeemer and Messenger of Your will, Who is Your Word, inseparable from You, Who created everything according to Your desire, Whom You sent from heaven into the womb of the Virgin. Fulfilling Your will, He stretched out His hands to free those who believe in You from suffering… So, remembering His death and resurrection, we bring You bread and a cup, giving thanks to You for deigning us to stand before You and serve You.” …

And in all subsequent Liturgies - up to the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, which is still celebrated in our churches, thanksgiving is sent for the Sacrifice of the Cross of the Son of God - and not for the wisdom of preaching.

And in the celebration of the other greatest Sacrament of the Church - Baptism, we receive a similar witness. When the Church entered into her most terrible battle - into a face-to-face confrontation with the spirit of darkness, she called on her Lord for help. But - again - How did she see Him at that moment? The prayers of ancient exorcists have come down to us. Due to their ontological seriousness, they have hardly changed over the millennia. Coming to the sacrament of Baptism, the priest reads a unique prayer - the only church prayer turned not to God, but to Satan. He commands the spirit of opposition to leave the new Christian and no longer touch him, who has become a member of the Body of Christ. So what kind of God does the priest of the devil conjure? - “Forbids you, devil, the Lord who came into the world, dwelling in people, may he destroy your torment and crush people, Even on the tree, conquer the opposing forces, Even destroy death by death and abolish the one who has the power of death, that is to say to you, the devil ... ". And for some reason there is no call here: “Fear the Teacher, who commanded us not to resist evil by force” ...

Thus, Christianity is a community of people who have been struck not so much by some parable or Christ's lofty moral demand, but as a collection of people who have sensed the mystery of Golgotha. In particular, this is why the Church is so calm about “biblical criticism,” which finds insertions, typos, or distortions in biblical books. Criticism of the biblical text may seem dangerous to Christianity only if Christianity is perceived in the Islamic manner - as the "religion of the Book." “Biblical criticism” of the 19th century was able to give rise to anti-church triumphalism only under the condition that criteria important for Islam and, to some extent, Judaism were transferred to Christianity. But after all, even the religion of Ancient Israel was built not so much on some kind of teaching inspired from Above, but on historical event Testament. Christianity, all the more so, is not faith in a book that fell from heaven, but in a Person, in what she said, did, and experienced.

For the Church, it is not so much the authenticity of the retelling of the Founder's words that is important, but rather His life, which cannot be faked. No matter how many insertions, omissions or defects crept into the written sources of Christianity - for him it is not fatal, because it is built not on a book, but on the Cross.

So, has the Church changed the “teachings of Jesus”, transferring all its attention and hope from the “commandments of Christ” to the very person of the Savior and the Mystery of His Existence? Protestant liberal theologian A. Harnack believes that - yes, she did. In support of his idea that ethics is more important in the preaching of Christ than the Person of Christ, he cites the logic of Jesus: “If you love Me, keep My commandments”, and from it he concludes: “To make Christology the main content of the Gospel is a perversion, this is clear speaks the sermon of Jesus Christ, which in its main features is very simple and puts everyone directly before God.” But love me, and the commandments are also mine...

Christocentrism historical Christianity, which is so obviously different from the moralistic reading of the Gospel by people of little religion, is not liked by many of our contemporaries. But, as in the 1st century, Christianity is now ready to arouse antipathy among the pagans with a clear and unambiguous evidence of their faith in the One Lord, Incarnate, Crucified and Resurrected - “for us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation”.

Christ is not only a means of revelation through which God speaks to people. Since He is the God-Man, He is also the subject of Revelation. And more than that, He turns out to be the content of Revelation. Christ is the One who enters into communication with man, and the One about whom this communication speaks.

God did not just tell us from afar certain truths that He considered necessary for our enlightenment. He Himself became a man. He spoke about His new unheard-of closeness with people with each of His earthly sermons.

If an Angel had flown in from Heaven and announced some message to us, then the consequences of his visit could well have been contained in these words and in their written fixation. The one who accurately remembered the angelic words, understood their meaning and passed them on to his neighbor, would exactly repeat the ministry of this Messenger. The messenger is identical to his commission. But can we say that the commission of Christ was reduced to words, to the announcement of certain truths? Can we say that the Only Begotten Son of God performed the ministry that any of the angels and any of the prophets could have performed with equal success?

- Not. The ministry of Christ is not limited to the words of Christ. The ministry of Christ is not identical with the teaching of Christ. He is not only a prophet. He is also a Priest. The office of a prophet can be wholly recorded in books. The ministry of the Priest is not words, but action.

This is the question of Tradition and Scripture. Scripture is a clear record of the words of Christ. But if the ministry of Christ is not identical to His words, then the fruit of His ministry cannot be identical to the gospel record of His sermons. If His teaching is only one of the fruits of His ministry, then what are the others? And how can people become heirs of these fruits? It is clear how the teaching is transmitted, how it is fixed and stored. But - the rest? That which was super-verbal in Christ's ministry cannot be conveyed in words. This means that there must be another way of participation in the ministry of Christ, in addition to Scripture.

This is Tradition.

1 Let me remind you that according to the interpretation of Clement of Alexandria in this word of Christ we are talking about being ready to refuse to follow social prejudices (naturally, even if these prejudices induce parents to raise their son in a spirit of opposition to the gospel).
“The miracles of Christ could be apocryphal or legendary. The only and main miracle, and, moreover, already completely indisputable, is He Himself. To invent such a Person is just as difficult and unbelievable, and it would be wonderful, as to be such a Person” (V. Rozanov. Religion and culture. vol. 1. M., 1990, p. 353).
3 For a more detailed analysis of the Christocentric passages of the Gospel, see the chapter “What Christ Preached” in the second volume of my book “Satanism for the Intelligentsia”.

Christianity is not made by hands, it is the creation of God.

From the book "The Un-American Missionary"

If we affirm that Christ is God, that He is sinless, and human nature- sinful, then how could He be incarnated, was it possible?

Man is not sinful from the very beginning. Man and sin are not synonyms. Yes, God's world people have remade into the familiar world-catastrophe. But still the world, the flesh, humanity in themselves are not something evil. And the fullness of love lies in coming not to the one who feels good, but to the one who feels bad. To believe that the incarnation will defile God is like saying: “Here is a dirty hut, there is a disease, an infection, ulcers; how can a doctor risk going there, he can get infected?!”. Christ is the Physician who came into a sick world.

The holy fathers gave another example: when the sun illuminates the earth, it illuminates not only beautiful roses and flowering meadows, but also puddles and sewage. But the sun is not defiled because its beam fell on something dirty and unsightly. So the Lord did not become less pure, less Divine because he touched a man on earth, clothed himself in his flesh.

How could a sinless God die?

The death of God is indeed a contradiction. “The Son of God died - this is unthinkable, and therefore worthy of faith,” Tertullian wrote in the 3rd century, and it was this saying that subsequently served as the basis for the thesis “I believe, because it is absurd.” Christianity is indeed a world of contradictions, but they arise as a trace from the touch of the Divine hand. If Christianity were created by people, it would be quite straightforward, rational, rational. Because when smart and talented people they create something, their product turns out to be quite consistent, logically of high quality.

Undoubtedly, very talented and intelligent people stood at the origins of Christianity. It is equally certain that Christian faith nevertheless, it turned out to be full of contradictions (antinomies) and paradoxes. How to combine it? For me, this is a “certificate of quality”, a sign that Christianity is not made by hands, that it is God's creation.

From a theological point of view, Christ as God did not die. The human part of His “composition” passed through death. Death happened “with” God (with what He perceived at the earthly Nativity), but not “in” God, not in His Divine nature.

Many people easily agree with the idea of the existence of a single God, the Most High, the Absolute, the Higher Mind, but categorically reject the worship of Christ as God, considering it a kind of pagan relic, the worship of a semi-pagan anthropomorphic, that is, human-like, deity. Aren't they right?

For me, the word “anthropomorphism” is not a dirty word at all. When I hear an accusation like “your Christian God is anthropomorphic,” I ask that the “accusation” be translated into understandable Russian. Then everything immediately falls into place. I say: “Excuse me, what are you accusing us of? Is it that our idea of God is human-like, human-like? Can you create for yourself some other idea of God? Which? Giraffe-like, amoeba-like, Martian-like?”

We are people. And therefore, whatever we think about - about a blade of grass, about the cosmos, about an atom or about the Divine - we think about it humanly, based on our own ideas. One way or another, we endow everything with human qualities.

Another thing is that anthropomorphism is different. It can be primitive: when a person simply transfers all his feelings, passions to nature and to God, not understanding this act of his. Then the pagan myth turns out.

But Christian anthropomorphism knows about itself, it is noticed by Christians, thought out and realized. And at the same time, it is experienced not as an inevitability, but as gift. Yes, I, a human being, have no right to think about the Incomprehensible God, I cannot claim to know Him, and even more so to express it in my terrible short language. But the Lord, in His love, condescends to the point that He clothes Himself in the images of human speech. God speaks in words that are understandable to the nomadic nomads of the 2nd millennium BC (which were the Hebrew forefathers Moses, Abraham...). And in the end, even God Himself becomes a Man.

Christian thought begins with the recognition of the incomprehensibility of God. But if we stop there, then religion, as a union with Him, is simply impossible. She falls into a desperate silence. Religion acquires the right to exist only if the Incomprehensible Himself gives it this right. If He Himself declares His desire to be found nevertheless. Only when the Lord Himself goes beyond the boundaries of His incomprehensibility, when He comes to people, only then can the planet of people acquire a religion with an anthropomorphism inherent in it. Only Love can cross all the boundaries of apophatic decency.

If there is Love, then there is Revelation, an outpouring of this Love. This Revelation is given to the world of people, beings that are rather aggressive and slow-witted. So, it is necessary to protect the rights of God in the world of human willfulness. This is what dogmas are for. Dogma is a wall, but not a prison one, but a fortress one. She keeps gift from barbarian raids. Over time, the barbarians will become the guardians of this gift. But for starters gift have to be protected from them.

And that means that all the dogmas of Christianity are possible only because God is Love.

Christianity claims that the head of the Church is Christ Himself. He is present in the Church and leads it. Where does such confidence come from and can the Church prove it?

The best proof is that the Church is still alive. Boccaccio's Decameron contains this evidence (it was planted on Russian cultural soil in Nikolai Berdyaev's well-known work On the Dignity of Christianity and the Unworthiness of Christians). The plot, let me remind you, is the following.

A French Christian was friends with a Jew. They had good human relations, but at the same time the Christian could not come to terms with the fact that his friend did not accept the Gospel, and he spent many evenings with him in discussions on religious themes. In the end, the Jew succumbed to his preaching and expressed a desire to be baptized, but before Baptism he wished to visit Rome in order to look at the pope.

The Frenchman perfectly imagined what Renaissance Rome was, and in every possible way opposed the departure of his friend there, but he nevertheless went. The Frenchman met him without any hope, realizing that not a single sane person, having seen the papal court, would wish to become a Christian.

But, having met with his friend, the Jew himself suddenly started a conversation that he needed to be baptized as soon as possible. The Frenchman could not believe his ears and asked him:

Have you been to Rome?

Yes, he was, - the Jew answers.

Did you see dad?

Have you seen how the pope and the cardinals live?

Of course I saw it.

And then you want to be baptized? - asks even more surprised Frenchman.

Yes, - replies the Jew, - just after everything I have seen, I want to be baptized. After all, these people are doing everything in their power to destroy the Church, but if, nevertheless, she lives, it turns out that the Church is still not from people, she is from God.

In general, you know, every Christian can tell how the Lord controls his life. Each of us can give a lot of examples of how invisibly God leads him through this life, and even more so it is obvious in the management of the life of the Church. However, here we come to the problem of Divine Providence. There is a good one on this subject. piece of art It's called "The Lord of the Rings". This work tells how the invisible Lord (of course, He is outside the plot) builds the whole course of events so that they turn to the triumph of good and the defeat of Sauron, who personifies evil. Tolkien himself clearly stated this in the comments to the book.