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A frequent question that is asked by people who are not sufficiently churched, but who are interested in earthly life - why was Jesus Christ crucified?
The Lord is great Power and great Love, you only need to believe - and therefore trust Him with your life and your soul. Christ is not even a soldier who in battle lay down on the embrasure for the sake of his fellow soldiers, His feat is higher: being the Almighty, he voluntarily, in order to erase the past and future sins of mankind from the history of the universe, went to humiliation, torture and terrible suffering on the Cross from those whose He created the ancestors.

The Death of Jesus Christ in the Gospel and in History

The meaning of death, burial and Resurrection Jesus Christ Himself told people. His words and actions remained in the Gospel, in the interpretations of the apostles - their Epistles from the New Testament, and in the interpretations of the holy fathers - teachers of the Church. Everyone can learn more about this from a conversation with a priest, at church courses. We will briefly talk about last days earthly life of the Lord, His Crucifixion and Resurrection, as well as the significance of these events for Orthodox Christian and feasts of the Church.

The most important thing about His voluntary Sacrifice for the people - and the Lord allowed Him to be crucified - Christ told the apostles at the Last Supper. The day before, He solemnly entered Jerusalem - this holiday is celebrated as Palm Sunday.

The Lord enters Jerusalem, where the inhabitants are waiting for Him for worldly accession, wishing to support Him as a military leader in the struggle against Roman domination. But He enters the city meekly, on a donkey. People greet him with shouts of "Hosanna" and palm branches - but the same people after five hos will shout "Crucify Him!" - because Jesus Christ did not justify their hopes as a worldly power. Therefore, this holiday is sad. All believers in Slavic countries come to churches with palm branches - this is the first tree that begins to bud in early spring - and in southern countries people come to churches with flowers and the same palm branches. They mean that Orthodox people truly hail Christ as Heavenly King, but also remind us to pray for our spiritual victories, not worldly success. After Palm Sunday the strict fast of Holy Week and preparation for Easter begins.

During the Last Supper, the Lord gave the last instructions to the apostles, again reminded that He must leave them, having died terrible death. Christ calls the disciples children—as never before—and calls them to love one another as God Himself loves them. For the sake of strengthening their faith and the birth of the Church, fastened by the Body of Christ Himself, the Lord performs and establishes forever the greatest Sacrament, which fastened New Testament between God and man is the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Greek thanksgiving), in Russian usually called the Sacrament of Communion.

Supper in Russian means supper. It was secret because at that moment the Pharisees were already looking for Christ, expecting the betrayal of Judas, for the sake of committing the Lord to death. Christ, as the Omniscient God, knew that this supper was the last, and he made it in secret so that the important meal would not be interrupted. He chose a place in Jerusalem, which is now called the Upper Room of Zion, as its place.

This evening became a turning point in the history of the Church and of all mankind. All the days of the end of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ - the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection - were filled with a mysterious theological meaning, events that created further history.

Christ took bread into His hands and, blessing with a sign, broke it, then poured out wine and distributed everything to the disciples, saying: “Take and eat: this is My Body and My Blood.” With these words, priests to this day bless wine and bread at the Liturgy, when they are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ.

The meal was served in the evening, since Christ followed one of the Jewish traditions of the Old (Old) Testament, on the basis of which he established the traditions of the New Testament without destroying the former ones. So, on that day, the feast of Passover was celebrated, the memory of the exodus of the ancestors of the Jews from Egypt at night. On that ancient day, every Jewish family had to slaughter a lamb and make a mark with its blood on the doors so that the Lord would not direct his wrath on them. It was the sign of the selection of the Jews. God the Father on that day punished the Egyptians for keeping the Jews in slavery by the death of their firstborn. Only after this terrible execution, the pharaoh released the tribe of Jews, led by the prophet Moses, to the Promised Land of God.

Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, remembering this feast, establishes a new one: God no longer needs the sacrificial killing of animals and sacrificial blood, because the only Sacrificial Lamb, the Lamb, remains the Son of God Himself, Who dies so that the wrath of God for every sin passes away the person who believes in Christ who partake of Him.

After the words of Christ: "Take and eat: this is My Body and My Blood," - by the grace of the Savior, bread and wine, having their former appearance ceased then and cease now at every Liturgy to be earthly things. They become, according to the Gospel word, bread, that is, the food of life - the Flesh of Christ, which He gives for the forgiveness of all human sins.

Then the Lord went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane with the disciples. According to the evangelists, Christ prayed three times, until he sweated blood. In the first prayer, He asked God the Father not to drink the Cup of suffering, saying at the same time that it should be done as God wanted it to be. Christ expressed his fear, longing for torment. Then He prayed with complete submission to the will of God and the understanding that He would not escape torment. The Evangelist Luke writes that at that time God the Father sent Him an Angel who supported Christ. For the third time, the Lord repeated the words of His acceptance of the will of God and turned to the disciples, waking them up and saying that a traitor was approaching, who would deliver Him into the hands of sinners. He even urged the disciples to go with Him in order to surrender to the guards Himself.

At that moment, Judas approached Him with the guards, pointing them to the Lord.

Where and who crucified Jesus Christ?

Christ was condemned by Pilate at the request of the same people who had recently loved and welcomed Him. And after being condemned to death, the Lord was Crucified on the Cross, like the last robber, with the usual robbers nearby, on Golgotha ​​- the place of execution, the place of execution of criminals, outside the walls of Jerusalem. The apostles left Him, afraid of death, and only Holy Mother of God with the Apostle John the Theologian remained at the Cross. Therefore, we can say that they crucified Christ on slander - the Roman authorities for His non-existent crime, but in fact He aroused the hatred of the Pharisees.

When the Lord gave up his spirit, the disciples - not the apostles, but simply the disciples of Christ Joseph and Nicodemus - asked to give them the Body of the Lord for burial. They left him in the garden, where Nicodemus himself bought a place for his future burial. However, Christ resurrected a day later, appearing to the holy myrrh-bearing women. They received the name “myrrh-bearing women” thanks to their main feat of fearlessness - they brought the precious myrrh to the Holy Sepulcher in order to complete the burial of Christ, despite the danger from the Roman guards. All the Gospels tell us that Christ was one of the first to appear to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection. Together with Maria Cleopova, Salome, Maria Jacobleva, Susanna and Joanna (the exact number of myrrh-bearing women is unknown), she wanted to go to the tomb of Christ, but she came first, and it was to her after His Resurrection that He appeared alone. At first she mistook Him for a gardener, apparently not recognizing him after the Resurrection, but then she fell on her knees and exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” realizing that Christ is before her.

Interestingly, the apostles, actually the closest disciples of Christ, for a long time did not believe the myrrh-bearing women that Christ had risen until He Himself appeared to them. Only after the Resurrection did the apostles believe in the Divine will about the Crucifixion, death and the Kingdom of the Lord, they understood this to the end.

On the 40th day after the Resurrection, Christ called the apostles to the Mount of Olives, blessed them and ascended into heaven on a cloud, that is, he began to rise higher and higher until he disappeared from sight. At the Ascension, the apostles received a blessing from the Lord to go and teach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity: God the Father - Sabaoth, God the Son - Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit - the invisible Lord, who visibly dwells in human history only in the form of fire, smoke or dove.
This day, the Ascension of the Lord, is celebrated today on the 40th day after Easter, the Resurrection of Christ.

The meaning of the Resurrection, Easter of Christ for all

The teaching of the Lord Jesus is a call to repentance, to the love of all people for all people, compassion and pity even for terrible sinners. In response to sincere prayer, first of all, peace, clarity and tranquility will appear in the soul, according to the testimony of many people - and this is truly a miracle that happens to every believer. Try also to talk with the priest if you have life's difficulties and spiritual anxiety.

Often we ourselves do not know that we are praying, asking: “If only I could be saved, if only I could avoid danger”, “Heaven, help!” - all these are prayers to our Great God. And He responded to your requests, expressed and not expressed - remember happy meetings, suddenly successful exams, unexpected happy pregnancy, Good work… It seems to us that all these are cases — but the Lord really manages our lives for the better, showing our capabilities, leading to gratitude to God for everything. Humility in the face of difficulties, turning to God with prayer at this time is the key to our salvation and upbringing of the soul, personal growth. Not a single psychologist is able to change, to make the soul happy in such a moment, as the Lord does.

But we ourselves must strive for a life pleasing to God, visit the temple, pray at the service, help people, forgive the sins and mistakes of our neighbors, and behave calmly in conflicts.

The Power of God and the Lord Jesus Christ

The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is the Almighty, the King of all things. The title of the Almighty or Pantocrator (literal translation - Omnipotent, Ruler of all) is written on the icons next to the name of Jesus Christ. This is the first visual theological element of the icon: such a title signifies the fullness of the Incarnation. The Lord, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, is the Head of the spiritual and earthly world, the Almighty God, the Ruler of the world, who has the ability to create and change absolutely everything.

AT Orthodox tradition iconography of Byzantium, the icon of Christ the Almighty was still present on the frescoes of the early Christians, created secretly - in the Roman catacombs; Christ on the throne and with the Book appears on icons in the 4th-6th centuries. The oldest icon of the Almighty that has come down to us is the Sinai Christ of the middle of the 6th century, created in the monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai.

This image is the most important in the iconography of Christ (including such types of images as the Savior Emmanuel, the Savior Not Made by Hands, the Crucifixion and others). It is found in single icons, in “shoulder” (up to the beginning of the chest, on the shoulders) and waist compositions, in iconostases and separate triptychs (folding of three icons, including the image of the Lord, the Mother of God and the revered saint), on frescoes and wall mosaics: namely The Almighty Savior is a traditional image of God, which resides under the central dome of an Orthodox church.

There is also an unusual icon of the Savior in Power, which is placed in the center of each iconostasis. It means that at the end of time, the Lord Jesus Christ will appear before people of all ages as a strong and glorious Almighty, surrounded by Heavenly Powers, that is, by various members Angelic hierarchy: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions ... On the icon around Christ, a number of symbols are also depicted, covering earthly history, people and animals - just as, in accordance with the Divine Plan, the world after Doomsday will again acquire the features of paradise when everything earthly and heavenly is united under the rule of Christ. The word Spas is an abbreviation for the word Savior, which means that the Lord saved all people from the slavery of sin.

How to Pray to Jesus Christ

If you do not know how and what to ask God, say briefly: “Lord, grant me and my family everything that is useful to us, bless our lives”

You can also read "Our Father", the words of which all our ancestors knew (there was even an expression "to know as our Father") and which every believer should teach his children. If you don’t know her words, learn them by heart, you can also read the prayer “Our Father” in Russian:

“Our Father who is in Heaven! May your name be holy and glorified, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Give us the bread we need today; and forgive us our debts, which we forgive our debtors; and may we not have the temptations of the devil, but deliver us from the influences of the evil one. For Yours in heaven and earth is the Kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen".

“Seeing the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the Only Sinless One! We worship Your Cross, Lord Christ, and we sing and glorify Your Holy Resurrection! You are our God, we have no other gods besides You, We magnify Your Name! Come, all believers, let us worship the Holy Christ's Resurrection- after all, joy came to the whole world through the Cross of Christ! Always blessing the Lord, we sing of His Resurrection, because He Himself suffered the crucifixion and conquered death by death!”

Turning to God Himself essential prayer. Pray to the Lord Almighty at any moment of life:

• Ask the Lord for help in any business, everyday difficulties and troubles,
• Pray in danger
• Ask for help in the needs of your loved ones and friends,
• Repent before God of your sins, asking to forgive them, to let you see your mistakes and vices and correct yourself,
• Praying for healing in sickness
• Turning to Him in sudden danger,
• When you have anxiety, despondency, sadness in your soul,
• Thank Him for joys, successes, happiness and health.

The Power of the Crucifixion and the Cross of the Lord

It is known that in the first centuries after the birth of Christ - they are also called the early Christian times - many thousands of people gave their lives for Christ, refusing to renounce him, and became martyrs. The fact is that the emperors of Rome at that time professed paganism, and most importantly, the emperor himself was always in the host of pagan gods, prayers were offered to him (although how could he hear them?) and sacrifices were made. Moreover, the emperor was declared a god by the right of the throne: it does not matter what the level of his morality was, whether his life was righteous and whether he was fair. On the contrary, from history we know about murderous emperors, lechers, traitors. But the emperor could not be overthrown - only killed. So, the disciples of Christ refused to worship the gods, calling God One Christ, for this they, as disobedient to the emperor-god, were tortured and killed.

But one day, having heard the sermon of the disciples of Christ, the mother of Emperor Constantine the First, Empress Elena, was baptized. She raised her royal son to be an honest and righteous man. After Baptism, Elena wanted to find the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and which was buried on Mount Golgotha. She understood that the Cross would unite Christians and become the first great shrine of Christianity. Over time, Constantine the Great adopted Christianity.

The Cross of Christ was found in 326 by Empress Helen, who was looking for it together with priests and bishops, among other crosses - instruments of execution - on Mount Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified. As soon as the Cross was raised from the ground, the deceased was resurrected, who was carried past in a funeral procession: therefore, the Cross of Christ immediately began to be called Life-Giving. It is with such a large cross that Queen Elena is depicted on the icons.

Throughout her later life, she helped Emperor Constantine in spreading and preaching Christianity throughout the Roman Empire: she erected temples, helped those in need, talked about the teachings of Christ.

Church tradition says that the icon of the Feast of the Exaltation Life-Giving Cross was written by Byzantine icon painters back in the 4th century, when one of the greatest miracles in history happened: the emperor of Byzantium, Constantine, learned about Christianity and, unlike his royal predecessors, did not start persecuting the disciples of Christ, but turned in his heart to the Lord Jesus. And before one of the terrible battles, after a sacred prayer, the emperor saw a shining Cross in the sky above the battlefield and heard God's voice: "By this, conquer!" - that is, "you will overcome with the help of this sign." So the Cross became the military banner of the whole Empire, and under the sign of the Cross, Byzantium flourished for many centuries. Constantine, on the other hand, was called the Great and, after his death, was canonized as a holy king equal to the apostles - for his deeds and for his faith.

The celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross is one of the great (twelfth, that is, the main twelve) holidays Orthodox Church and is commemorated annually on September 27th. At the same time, the Holy Church reminds the faithful not only of the finding of the Cross by the holy Empress Helen in Jerusalem, but also of the return of the Life-Giving Cross from captivity in the 7th century by Emperor Heraclius: the shrine was captured by the Persians, and then returned by the Christians.

On this day, we also remember the death of the Lord on the Cross and, as a sign of honoring the sufferings of Christ, believers keep a strict fast (without food of animal origin: meat, milk, eggs, fish). If you want to honor this holy day, but have never fasted, you should at least abstain from meat and delicious delicacies, sweets, and delicacies.

During the divine service on this day, a large Cross is brought to the middle of the temple, to which the faithful venerate.

Turning to the power of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is a great defense for every person. It is known that sign of the cross the demonic influence stops: the devil and his servants cannot endure the correct cross, therefore they often try to mock him (this is the origin satanic symbols inverted cross).

Particles of the Life-Giving Cross are today found in many churches around the world. Perhaps in your city there is a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, and you can venerate this great shrine. The cross is called Life-giving - creating and giving life, that is, having great power.

In the morning and evening prayers located in each Orthodox prayer book there are prayers that invoke the power of God, which proceeds from the Cross of the Lord. Orthodox Christians thus protect themselves for every day and every night with the power of the Cross of the Lord.

Turn with a prayer to the Lord, protect yourself with the banner of the cross - cross yourself correctly - and sincere faith in God. You will see how your life will change.

Protect me, Lord, with the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross and save me from evil. Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy Church, giving victory to Orthodox Christians against enemies and Thy keeping the believers with Thy cross.

By the power of His Cross, may the Lord keep you!

This river is a symbolic image of the spiritual depth and greatness of the content of the Holy Gospel.

The Holy Fathers saw another symbol for the four Gospels in the mysterious chariot that the prophet Ezekiel saw at the river Khovar. It consisted of four animals, each of which had four faces: a man, a lion, a calf and an eagle. These animal faces, taken individually, became symbols for each of the evangelists.

Christian art, starting from the fifth century, depicts Matthew with a man or an angel, since ap. Matthew in his Gospel speaks more about the human and messianic character of Christ.

The Evangelist Mark is depicted in iconography with a lion, since St. Mark in his Gospel tells mainly about the omnipotence and royal dignity of Jesus Christ (the lion is the king of animals). Evangelist Luke is depicted with a calf, because St. Luke speaks primarily of the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ (calf is a sacrificial animal).

And, finally, the Evangelist John is depicted with an eagle, for just as an eagle rises high above the earth and penetrates deep distances with its sharp gaze, so St. John the Theologian, spiritually rising above everything earthly and human, mainly speaks in his Gospel about Christ as God the Word, the Second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity.

Gospel of Matthew

Matthew, the son of Alpheus, was one of the twelve Apostles called by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel. He also bore the name Levi, and before being called by the Lord, he was a publican, that is, a tax collector, in Capernaum.

A faithful disciple of Christ, Matthew was an eyewitness to many miracles performed by the Savior and a constant listener to His instructions. After the ascension of Jesus Christ, he preached the good news to the Jews in Palestine and wrote the Gospel for them in Hebrew, more precisely, Aramaic. This is evidenced by Papias, ep. Hierapolsky, student of St. John the Theologian.

But the original Aramaic text of the Gospel of Matthew has been lost, and only a very ancient Greek translation has come down to us. Scientists speculate that Greek language from the Aramaic language, the Gospel was translated by the evangelist Matthew himself.

The main goal of the evangelist is to show the Jews that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, promised by God chosen people. To this end, he cites many prophecies about the Messiah from the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament and says that they were all fulfilled in Jesus. Therefore, ap. Matthew more often than other evangelists, there is an expression: "May the prophet speak come true ...".

The Jews looked forward to the coming of a Messiah who would establish a mighty kingdom on earth and make the Jews a nation that would rule the world. In contrast to this narrowly earthly understanding of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, the Evangelist Matthew preached to his fellow tribesmen the true Kingdom of Christ, a spiritual, supernatural Kingdom, laying its foundation on earth and ending in heaven. The Gospel of Matthew was written about 50 years. It contains 28 chapters, begins with a presentation of the genealogy of Christ from Abraham and ends with the farewell conversation of the Savior with the apostles on one of the mountains of Galilee.

Gospel of Mark

The Evangelist Mark did not belong to the twelve Apostles of Christ and did not follow the Savior. He was originally from Jerusalem and had two names: in Roman he was nicknamed Mark, and his Hebrew name was John. App was converted to. Peter, who calls him his spiritual son ().

Burning with a desire to spread the faith of Christ among the pagans, St. Mark in 45, together with the apostles Paul and Barnabas, his uncle, travels to Asia Minor, but in Pamphylia he was forced to say goodbye to the apostles and returned to Jerusalem ().

Evangelist Mark from a young age becomes a devoted disciple of St. Peter, is a constant companion in his preaching work and does not part with his teacher until his death in Rome. From the year 62 to the 67th year, St. Mark along with App. Peter is in Rome. Roman Christians even at their first visit to St. Peter asked him to write them a book about the life and teachings of the Savior. In response to this request, St. Mark stated everything that he heard from ap. Peter about the earthly life of Christ, in writing, very clearly and vividly. This is evidenced by St. Clement, Ep. Alexandrian, as follows: "While the Apostle Peter was preaching the gospel in Rome, Mark, his companion, ... wrote ... the Gospel, called the Gospel of Mark." And St. Papias, Ep. Hierapolsky, says: "Mark, the interpreter of the Apostle Peter, wrote down the words and deeds of Jesus with accuracy, but not in order." These testimonies, going back to the second century, are enough to leave no doubt about the belonging of the second gospel of St. Mark.

In all likelihood, St. Mark wrote the Gospel for Christians converted from paganism and little acquainted with history and life Jewish people. Therefore, in the Gospel there are very few references to, but various Jewish customs are often explained, the geography of Palestine is described, Aramaic expressions incomprehensible to Roman Christians are explained.

The main goal of the gospel is to establish in the converted pagans faith in the divinity of the Savior and to show them the divine power of Christ, the Son of God, over all creation.

Gospel of St. The stamp consists of 16 chapters. It begins with the call of St. John the Baptist to repentance and ends with the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven and the preaching of St. apostles. We do not have data to accurately determine the time of writing the Gospel of Mark. In any case, it was written later than the Aramaic Gospel of St. Matthew and, in all likelihood, in the fifties, when St. Peter visited the Roman Christians for the first time.

According to ancient tradition, the Evangelist Mark was the first bishop of the Church of Alexandria and died a martyr.

Gospel of Luke

The ancient unanimously names the Apostle Luke as the author of the third Gospel. According to the historian Eusebius (4th century). Luke came from a pagan family native to Syrian Antioch. He received a good Greek education and was a doctor by profession.

Believing in Christ, St. Luke becomes a zealous student and constant companion of St. Paul in his apostolic travels. He relentlessly follows his teacher, shares with him the labors of the second and third apostolic journey () and remains with him during the stay of the apostle. Paul in custody in Caesarea and in Rome (; ). “Luke, the beloved doctor,” says St. Paul is among his companions, who were his consolation during the time of Roman bonds ().

Influenced by the preaching of St. Paul of St. Luke writes the Gospel, addressing it to Theophilus (), a man of high social status, converted from pagans, and in his person to the Christian communities founded by St. Paul, apostle of tongues.

Wishing to give Christians from the Gentiles a solid foundation for the teaching in which they were instructed by St. Paul, St. Luke sets himself the goal: 1) to convey to those who believed, "by careful study" and "in order", the words and deeds of the Savior and 2) to strengthen faith in the Savior of the world by this narrative.

Sources for writing the Gospel of St. Luke was served, as he himself says, by the stories of living persons "who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word from the very beginning" (). He met with them in the company of St. Paul - both in Jerusalem and in Caesarea. At the heart of the gospel narrative about the birth and childhood of Jesus Christ (Ch. 1 and 2) lies, apparently, the Holy Tradition written in Aramaic, in which the voice of the Virgin Mary herself is still heard. But there is another tradition that says that St. Luke himself met with the Mother of God, heard from Her stories about the Lord and painted the first icon of the Holy Virgin with the Infant Jesus in her arms.

In addition, when writing his gospel, St. Luke also used the previously written Gospels of Matthew and Mark.

In addition to the Gospel, Saint Luke also wrote the book Acts of the Holy Apostles. In both of these creations, the talented hand of the historian is revealed, who, despite the extraordinary accuracy and conciseness of the narrative, was able to give a picturesque and, moreover, historically substantiated narrative. But we must not forget that on the whole narrative of Luke and on his very language lies the imprint of the thought and speech of St. Paul.

Gospel of St. Luke has 24 chapters. It begins with the events that preceded the birth of Jesus Christ and ends with the ascension of the Lord into heaven.

Gospel of John

Apostle John the Evangelist, younger brother app. Jacob, was the son of Zebedee the fisherman and Solomia. John was born on the shores of the Lake of Galilee. In his youth, he helped his father to fish, but then he went to the Jordan to St. John the Baptist and became his disciple. When the Savior appeared on the banks of the Jordan, John fell in love with the Messiah with all his heart, became His faithful and beloved disciple, and never parted with Him until the day of His ascension to heaven. After the death of the Savior, St. the apostle accepted Mother of God to his house and took care of her until her death. Then, probably after the death of St. Paul, John the Theologian moved to the city of Ephesus for a preaching purpose, which, after the destruction of Jerusalem, became the center of Christian Church in the East. There he raised future bishops: Papias of Hierapolis, Polycarp of Smyrna.

Under the emperor Domitian, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where in visions the Lord showed him the future fate of the world. He recorded all these visions in a book called "Revelation", or "Apocalypse". Only under Emperor Nerva, St. the apostle was able to return from exile to Ephesus.

Having in person ap. John, one of the closest witnesses and eyewitnesses of the "ministry of the Word", the Christians of Ephesus began to ask him to describe to them the earthly life of Christ the Savior. When they brought the books of the first three evangelists to John, he approved of these books and praised the evangelists for their sincerity and truthfulness of the story. But at the same time, he noticed that the three evangelists pay more attention to the human nature of Christ. The Apostle John told his followers that when talking about Christ who came into the world in the flesh, it is necessary to talk more about His Divinity, because otherwise people over time will begin to judge and think about Christ only by what He appeared in earthly life.

Therefore app. John does not begin his gospel by recounting the events of human life Christ, and above all points to His pre-eternal existence with God the Father. The incarnate Christ is the Second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, the Divine Word (Logos), through which everything that exists () happened.

Thus, the goal of writing the Gospel can be expressed in the words of the evangelist himself, addressed to the Ephesian Christians: “These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”() By this, the evangelist wishes to protect Christians from heresies spreading in Asia Minor (Kerinth, Ebionites, Nicolaitans), who denied the Divine nature of the Savior.

Complementing the weather forecasters, St. John describes mainly the activities of Christ in Judea, tells in detail about His visits to Jerusalem on major holidays. The Gospel was written in the nineties of the first century, shortly before the death of St. apostle. Gospel of St. John the Evangelist consists of 21 chapters. It ends with a story about the appearance of the resurrected Lord to the disciples on the Lake of Galilee.

2. Gospel - Book of Life

When embarking on the study of Gospel history, one must remember that knowledge of Sacred History is necessary for every Christian, but even more so for the pastor of the Church of Christ, for whom the Word of God and serving Him is his life.

We must know that Christ is not a mythological, but a very real, historical Person who accomplished on earth the great work of the Redemption of the human race, which no mortal could do either before Him or after Him.

He lived among people, walked this earth, had his followers, visited the cities and villages of Palestine with a sermon, was persecuted by enemies, suffered on the cross, died a shameful death, rose again in glory, ascended to heaven and remains in His Church - "all the days until the end of time" ().

We must know well the geography of Palestine, the historical situation of the time when Christ lived, be interested in archaeological finds confirming the truth of the Gospel narrative - all this is necessary for a future theologian to know, since the Gospel history is the background against which theology is studied.

But by studying sacred history extremes must be avoided, it must be remembered that bare historical knowledge alone is of no essential importance in the matter of faith, in the matter of our salvation. If, for example, we are carried away only by clarifying the date of the birth of Christ and the details of His earthly life, but without faith in Christ, then we, of course, will acquire a lot of historical information, but our heart will remain indifferent to salvation. Isn't that what atheists do? What then is the difference between a so-called me who is interested in the life of Christ without believing in Him, and an atheist who studies Christianity? Of course, none.

Evangelical historical events are essential for us only if they are perceived through a believing heart, through faith in Christ as the God-man, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Only in this way, only through faith in Christ, or, to put it better, in the light of Christ, should we perceive the Sacred Gospel History.

Every Gospel word, every sacred event must be perceived and realized by our mind through the basic meaning of the Gospel, through the "crucible of our faith." Then gospel events live in our heart. Then the image of Christ will become close and dear to our spirit, then holy gospel will become for us the Book of Life, leading us to salvation.

And indeed, no book on earth in its content and effect on the human soul can be compared with the Gospel, much less replace it. As Spourgeon said, “The gospel is the Word, which surpasses all human speech. The Scriptures are above all works of the pen, the inimitable creation of the Holy Spirit; it is suitable for all places, times and countries, for all nationalities, classes and persons. The gospel is a book of books, a source eternal life(), salvation (; ) and consolation for the unfortunate and suffering. This is a book that has no equal on earth, the content of which, like the gaze of God Himself, would penetrate into the depths of the soul of every person, which would contain the truth in everything to a single word, would be wiser than all codes of laws, more instructive than all teachings, more beautiful than poetry. the whole world, and would touch the human heart like the gentle voice of a loving mother. The gospel is a wondrous unearthly light that illuminates our spiritual being stronger than the sun (); this is the breath of the Eternal, awakening in the soul of a happy person, among all earthly pleasures, a sigh for the best and higher, longing for his heavenly homeland; this is the breath of the Holy Spirit - the Comforter, filling the soul of the sufferer with indescribable bliss in the midst of hard life's adversities.

But in order for the Gospel to act gracefully on our minds and hearts, for this blessed living Book of the living God to help us fight evil in this world, we need to love it and have deep reverence for this shrine.

We must make the reading of the Holy Gospel our daily need. But one must read with a prayerful mood, for to read the Gospel means to converse with God.

Do not read the Gospel... in order to subject it to dry criticism of our limited mind, do not read it with poetic imagination, but read it with your conscience, seeking to see the infallible holy truth, so that the gospel commandments would spiritualize your whole being. The Gospel is the Book of Life, and it must be read in deeds. Later, you can apply to the Gospel a measure of sound criticism... But in the name of this Holy Book, which has no equal among the books of the whole world - the works of mankind, in the name of its immeasurable spiritual height and divine wisdom which blows at you from every page of it, we ask you to read the Gospel at first only with a simple mind and conscience. Read in this way, the Book of "Verbs of Eternal Life" will make your conscience tremble before the good, before the lofty beautiful morality of the Gospel; you will obey the spirit that lives in the Gospel, touch the living Christ and feel the grace-filled "power emanating" from the holy lines and healing, as the bleeding robe of the Lord healed, your spiritual wounds. This Book will evoke in you a cry of delight and tears of joy, and you will close it, touched and delighted...

May this sacred book be your unchanging companion everywhere and always.

May this book of salvation

Gives you comfort

During the years of struggle and labor.

In the sadness of the earthly vale.

Let them pour into your heart -

And the skies match

With your pure soul.

K. R. (Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov)

Christ Jesus is the founder of one of the greatest world religions - Christianity, the central character of the Christian religious-mythological and dogmatic system and the object of the Christian religious cult.

The main version of the life and work of Jesus Christ came from the depths of Christianity itself. It is set forth primarily in original testimonies about Jesus Christ - a special genre of early Christian literature, called the "gospels" ("good news"). Some of them (the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are recognized by the official church as authentic (canonical), and therefore they form the core of the New Testament; others (the Gospels of Nicodemus, Peter, Thomas, the First Gospel of James, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of Childhood) are classified as apocrypha (“secret texts”), i.e. inauthentic. The name "Jesus Christ" reflects the essence of its bearer. "Jesus" is the Greek variant of the common Hebrew name "Yeshua" ("Joshua"), which means "God help/salvation". "Christ" is a translation into Greek of the Aramaic word "meshiya" (messiah, i.e. "anointed one").

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Christ Jesus

The gospels present Jesus Christ as an extraordinary person throughout his life path- from the miraculous birth to the amazing end of his earthly life. Jesus Christ is born (Christmas) during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (30 BC - 14 AD) in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the family of Joseph the Carpenter, a descendant of King David, and his wife Mary. This corresponded to the Old Testament prophecies about the birth of the coming Messianic king from the lineage of David and in the "city of David" (Bethlehem). The appearance of Jesus Christ was predicted by the angel of the Lord to his mother (Annunciation) and her husband Joseph.

A child is born miraculously - not as a result of the carnal union of Mary with Joseph, but due to the descent of the Holy Spirit on her ( immaculate conception). The atmosphere of the birth emphasizes the exclusivity of this event - the baby Jesus, born in a stable, is glorified by a host of angels, and a bright star lights up in the east. Shepherds come to bow to him; the wise men, whose path to his dwelling is indicated by the Bethlehem star moving across the sky, bring him gifts.

Eight days after the birth, Jesus undergoes the rite of circumcision (Circumcision of the Lord), and on the fortieth day in Jerusalem temple- a rite of purification and dedication to God, during which the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna (Meeting of the Lord) glorify him. Having learned about the appearance of the messiah, the wicked Jewish king Herod the Great, in fear for his power, orders the extermination of all babies in Bethlehem and its environs, but Joseph and Mary, warned by an angel, flee with Jesus to Egypt. Apocrypha tells of numerous miracles performed by the two-year-old Jesus Christ on the way to Egypt.

After a three-year stay in Egypt, Joseph and Mary, upon learning of the death of Herod, return to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee (Northern Palestine). Then, according to the apocrypha, for seven years the parents of Jesus moved with him from city to city, and everywhere behind him stretches the glory of the miracles he performed: according to his word, people were healed, died and were resurrected, inanimate objects came to life, wild animals humbled themselves, water The Jordan parted. The child, showing extraordinary wisdom, confounds his mentors. As a twelve-year-old boy, he strikes with unusually deep questions and answers of the teachers of the Law (the laws of Moses), with whom he enters into conversation in the Jerusalem temple. However, then, as the Arabic gospel of childhood reports (“He began to hide His miracles, His secrets and sacraments, until He was thirtieth year old.”

When Jesus Christ reaches this age, he is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Luke relates this event to the "fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius", i.e. to 30 AD), and the Holy Spirit descends on him, which leads him to the desert. There, for forty days, he fights with the devil, rejecting three temptations one after another - hunger, power and faith. Upon returning from the wilderness, Jesus Christ begins his preaching work. He calls his disciples to him and, wandering with them through Palestine, proclaims his teaching, interprets the Old Testament Law and performs miracles. The activity of Jesus Christ unfolds mainly in the territory of Galilee, in the vicinity of the Gennesaret (Tiberias) Lake, but every Easter he goes to Jerusalem.

The meaning of the preaching of Jesus Christ is the good news about the Kingdom of God, which is already near and which is already being realized among people through the activity of the messiah. The acquisition of the Kingdom of God is salvation, which became possible with the coming to earth of Christ. The path to salvation is open to all who reject earthly blessings for the sake of spiritual ones and who love God more than themselves. The preaching activity of Jesus Christ takes place in constant disputes and conflicts with representatives of the Jewish religious elite - the Pharisees, Sadducees, "teachers of the Law", during which the messiah rebels against a literal understanding of the Old Testament moral and religious precepts and calls to comprehend their true spirit.

Be wise as serpents and simple as doves.

Christ Jesus

The glory of Jesus Christ grows not only because of the sermons, but also because of the miracles performed by him. In addition to numerous healings and even resurrections of the dead (the son of a widow in Nain, the daughter of Jairus in Capernaum, Lazarus in Bethany), this is the transformation of water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, miraculous fishing and taming a storm on Lake Gennesaret, feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread. a person, walking on water, feeding four thousand people with seven loaves, discovering the divine essence of Jesus during prayer on Mount Tabor (the Transfiguration of the Lord), etc.

At that time, the Roman governor Augustus ordered a census of all the Judean lands. Any Jew had to register where he was born. For this reason, Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Joseph's ancestors had once lived, where he was still listed as a resident. The road was difficult, since Mary was soon obliged to give birth. They reached Bethlehem late in the evening, but due to a large crowd of people they were unable to stay either in hotels or in the houses of residents, for this reason they stopped in a cave close to the city. Shepherds drove cattle into this cave in bad weather.

At night, the Virgin Mary gave birth to a son. The newborn was swaddled and laid on straw in a manger where they put fodder for livestock. The first to know about the birth of Jesus were the Bethlehem shepherds. Not far from the cave, they were grazing cattle in a field when an angel suddenly appeared before them. The shepherds were very frightened, but the angel reassured them: “Do not be afraid! I announce to you great happiness, which will be not only for you, but also for all people: now the Savior, who is Christ God, has come into the world. And here is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

When the angel returned to Heaven, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem. Soon they found a cave and saw a newborn lying in a manger. They told Mary and Joseph what they saw and heard, and then returned to their own flocks, rejoicing at the birth of the Son of God.

On the 8th day after the birth of the newborn, Joseph and Mary gave him the name Jesus, which means "the Lord saves" or "savior."

A few weeks later, the baby got stronger and, according to custom, the whole family went to Jerusalem, to the Temple, to bring a sacrifice to God in Solomon's Temple. There was so little money in the wallet after all the adventures that the victim was the cheapest - two chicks. Elder Simeon approached Mary - even the priests knew and revered this resident of the capital for righteousness and piety; people said that Simeon was so sure of the imminent coming of the Savior that he thought he would see the Messiah during his lifetime. The Elder asked to hold the Child and, overwhelmed with joy, prayed, thanking God for seeing the Savior of all peoples. And again, Mary and Joseph did not shout about what had happened and returned from whence they came; Simeon was also silent.

At this time, Magi arrived in Jerusalem from a distant country (from Persia or Babylonia) - researchers, people who were engaged in observing the stars. They saw how a new bright star was formed in Heaven, and they realized that the expected Messiah - the future ruler of Judah - had come into the world. The wise men hurried to Jerusalem to find out where the ruler was born and bow to him. They carried gifts with them: gold, which was intended for him as a king (in the form of tribute), incense - as God (since incense is used in worship) and myrrh - as a person who is obliged to die (the dead were rubbed at that time with fragrant oils).

The Magi asked everyone: "Where new ruler Jewish? We want to see him and bring him our gifts. "This news excited all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but Herod was especially alarmed. He was afraid that they would take away his power, because he was not a Jew, he killed his own three children, suspecting them of rivals. The insidious and suspicious ruler decided to kill the newborn, and since he did not know which child would be the future king, he ordered the killing of all children under two years old in Bethlehem and the surrounding villages.

The Magi went to Bethlehem, and again the very star they saw walked in front of them, showing the way. In Bethlehem, the star stopped over the place where the newly born Jesus was located.

At this time, Joseph and Mary had already moved from the cave to the city, as the people began to disperse after the census. The Magi entered the house and saw the newborn with his mother. They bowed to Jesus to the ground and offered him their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This is the gospel story of the birth of Christ.

The topic of the birth of Jesus Christ to this day causes a lot of controversy, both domestic and academic.. These disputes are conducted both on the topic of the very fact of the existence of this person and his life, and on the topic of the ideas that he preached. Modern theologians advance the description of the Son of God as an incredibly charismatic leader, wise man on the journey, and founder of a religious movement.

Mysteries of the identity of the Savior

Jesus Christ (or Jesus of Nazareth) is the central person Christian religion, as well as the Messiah prophesied in Old Testament. He was baptized at the age of 30 and allegedly became the sacrifice that made it possible to atone for human sins. The name Christ from Greek letters means "anointed one".

The canonical sources of information about Christ, his person, teaching and life are the books of the New Testament and the Gospel. In addition, some historical evidence about him has been preserved by non-Christian authors (approximately the first or second centuries).

According to the Constantinople Christian Creed, Jesus of Nazareth is the son of the Old Testament God, who has the same essence and nature with him, but at the same time he is embodied in ordinary human flesh. The same Creed states that Jesus died in order to atone for the sins of the people, and three days after the burial he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. In addition, it is stated that he will come to earth a second time to execute judgment on all the living and the dead.

According to Afanasiev's Creed, Jesus is the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity (second person). Other Christian beliefs include factors such as:

• the immaculate conception of the Messiah;
• walking on water;
• turning water into wine;
• magical healing;
• resurrection from the dead;
• ascension to heaven.

Although most denominations of Christianity accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, some groups still reject it either partially or completely, considering it unbiblical. Orthodox Judaism does not at all recognize Christ either as the Messiah or as a Prophet.

In Islam, Jesus (Isa ibn Maryam al-Masih - Jesus is the son of Mary) is considered a miracle worker and the messenger of Allah (one of the prophets), who brought the Scripture. He is also called the Messiah (Masih), but Islam does not teach him divinity. Islam teaches that Jesus' ascension to heaven was bodily, without any crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, which is definitely at odds with traditional Christian beliefs.

The birth of the Son of God

Experts in the field of religious studies say that Jesus of Nazareth is not a myth at all, but a real one. historical figure. They hold the view that approximately in the period from the twelfth year to the fourth year BC was the time when Jesus Christ was born. The date and time are still unknown. And he died in the period from the twenty-sixth to the thirty-sixth year of our era (someone claims that April 3, 30-33).

In the doctrine of Christians it is said that the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the ancient Old Testament prophecy about the appearance of the Son of God - the Messiah. The Savior is said to have been born from the immaculate union of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. And the place where Jesus Christ was born is a city called Bethlehem, in which three wise men came to bow to him, as the future king of the Jews. 7 days after the baby was born, he was circumcised.

Soon after the birth of little Jesus, his parents took him to Egypt in order to hide him from King Herod and the decree on beating babies given by this king. After Herod died, Jesus returned with his parents to Nazareth.

Alternative birth options

Although it is impossible to say exactly how many years ago Jesus Christ was born, many explanations have been offered at various times for the story of the Savior's appearance in this world. For example, the prediction of the prophet Isaiah, according to which the Messiah should give birth to a virgin, was disputed. The Jewish interpretation usually states that Isaiah's prophecy has nothing to do with the birth of the future Messiah and points to events that were contemporary at the time of the prophecy. Some secular Bible scholars agree with this view.

In the period of antiquity and later in the disputes about the Messiah and the anti-Christian controversy in general, the opinion was more than once expressed about the birth of Christ from an extramarital affair. This opinion is rejected by Christians as contradicting a certain series of events, for example, the New Testament narrative that Jesus and his family regularly visited the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the description of how Jesus, twelve years old, sits with teachers in the Temple, listens them and ask questions.

All this, however, did not at all prevent various critics from doubting the authenticity of the New Testament, even despite the fact that the Gospels were written during the lifetime of eyewitnesses of all the events that took place, and two authors (John and Matthew) were disciples of Christ, who were next to him on over a huge amount of time.

The Immaculate Conception and the Flight into Egypt

Most of the denominations in Christianity profess the virgin birth of Jesus. Some attribute to supernatural forces not only the conception of a child, but also his very birth, which allegedly passed completely painlessly, in which Mary's virginity was not violated.

In this way, an Orthodox merit says that the baby will pass from Mary's side, as if through closed doors. This was depicted on the icon "Nativity" by Andrei Rublev, on which the Virgin Mary humbly looks away, bowing her head.

As for the date of the birth of the Messiah, it is determined rather inaccurately. The earliest is considered the year twelfth BC. This is the year of the passage of a comet called Halley, which some have suggested may have been the so-called Star of Bethlehem. The latest year in which Jesus could have been born is the fourth year BC. In the same year Herod the Great died.

The Lord sent down an angel who was instructed almost immediately after Jesus was born to take him to Egypt, which was done by his family in the person of Mary and Joseph. This chapter in the life of Christ is called the flight into Egypt. The reason for this escape was the plan of the king of the Jews, Herod the Great, to kill the Bethlehem babies in order to prevent the appearance of the future king of the Jews from the prophecy. In Egypt, the parents of Jesus Christ Mary and Joseph did not stay long with the baby and returned to their homeland after the death of King Herod the Great. At that time the Savior was still an infant.

Controversy over the nationality of Jesus

Many still argue about the belonging of Christ to a particular ethnic group. Christians say that he was born and grew up in Bethlehem, and the largest period of his life was spent in Galilee, in which the population was mixed. For this reason, some critics of Christian beliefs may suggest that the Messiah may well not have been a Jew by ethnicity.

However, the Gospel of Matthew says that the parents of Christ were from Jewish Bethlehem and only after the birth of their son they migrated to Nazareth.

The statement that Galilee was outside the borders of Judea was a clear exaggeration, since both were Roman tributaries and, moreover, had a common culture among themselves and belonged to the community of the temples of Jerusalem.

Herod the Great ruled over many territories of ancient Palestine, among which were:

• Judea;
• Idumea;
• Galileo;
• Samaria;
• Perea;
• Gavlonitida;
• Trachonis;
• Bataneya;
• Iturea.

Herod died in the fourth year BC. After that, the whole country was transferred to several regions:

When a resident of Samaria asked Jesus about how, being a Jew, he could ask for a drink from her, a Samaritan woman, he did not deny his belonging to the nation of Jews. In addition, the Gospels of Luke and Matthew try to prove all the same Jewish origin Messiah. According to the genealogies, he was a Jew, an Israelite and a Semite.

The Gospel of Luke says that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a relative of Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) and a Jewess. Elizabeth herself was from Aaron's family. This was the main Levitical line of priests.

The reliable fact is that the entrance to the temple of Jerusalem, where Christ preached, was forbidden for all non-Jews. Violation of this prohibition was punishable by death. Thus, it can be argued that Jesus of Nazareth was still a Jew, otherwise he simply could not have preached in that temple, on the walls of which it was written that not a single foreigner would dare to enter the sanctuary, otherwise he himself would become the culprit in his own of death.

Image of the Virgin Mary

Mother of God's parents were childless for a long time. Then it was considered a sin and such a union allegedly testified to the wrath of God. Anna and Joachim lived in Nazareth, believed and constantly prayed that they would finally have a child.

An angel with good news appeared to this married couple only decades later. According to legend, Mary was born on the twenty-first of September. The parents were happy and took an oath that this child would belong to God. The Virgin Mary lived and was brought up in the temple until she was fourteen years old. She saw angels from a young age. The legend says that Mary was constantly under the protection of the archangel Gabriel.

By the time Mary needed to leave the church, her parents had already died. Although keeping her in the temple was no longer possible, the priests did not want to let the orphaned girl go just like that, so they betrothed her to an ordinary carpenter - Joseph, who was more likely Mary's guardian than her husband. So the virginity of the Virgin Mary was not touched.

As for the nationality of Mary, there is a version that her parents were natives of the country of Galilee. It follows from this that the Mother of God was a Galilean, not a Jew. On the basis of her confession, she belonged to the Mosaic law, and her life inside the temple also indicates that she was brought up precisely under the bosom of this faith.

As a result, the question of what is the true nationality of Jesus Christ remains open, since the exact belonging of his mother, who lived in pagan Galilee, to any nationality remains unknown. In a rather strongly mixed population of the region, there was a predominance of the Scythians. It is likely that Jesus Christ inherited his earthly appearance from his mother.

Searching for the Truth About the Father of the Messiah

Many theologians have been arguing for a very long time about whether Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary, should still be considered the biological father of Jesus of Nazareth. It is traditionally accepted that Joseph himself treated Mary in a purely paternal way, as a guardian, that he knew about her innocence and protected her. For this reason, the news that she was pregnant shocked him to the core. The law of Moses severely punished women for adultery in any form.

According to this law, Joseph was supposed to stone Mary, but he spent a long time in prayer and eventually decided to stop keeping his young wife near him and let him go. But an angel came down to the carpenter, who briefly announced a prophecy from ancient times. At that moment, Joseph realized how great a responsibility lies on him to ensure that her mother and child are safe and sound.

However, there are many different versions and interpretations of the events of such ancient times, which certainly entails a bunch of very different questions. For example, can the carpenter Joseph (who was a Jew by nationality) be considered his biological father. And the question of who gave birth to Jesus is still open.

In addition, there is a possibility that the Messiah was of Aramaic origin. It is connected with the fact that Christ preached in Aramaic, but in those ancient times this language was very common throughout the Middle East.

There is another version about the biological father of the Savior. It lies in the fact that he was a soldier of the Roman army, whose name was Pantira. The Jews of Jerusalem had no doubt that somewhere there was a completely real and not at all supernatural father of Jesus of Nazareth. And yet all versions are rather doubtful in order to claim any truth.