“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). He also created light and darkness, land and sea, plants and animals, the moon and the stars, and the first man and woman. God planted a garden in Eden and put the man in the garden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18). God put Adam into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs and made it into a woman, and gave her to Adam.
One day, a serpent deceived Eve, and she ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7). When God found out they ate fruit from the forbidden tree, they were kicked out of the garden, and separated from God. As a result, God cursed the serpent, “So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:14-15 NKJV). Life was no longer easy for Adam and Eve, and they had to work for everything they had. Sin entered the world, and all people born from this point on would have a sin nature. But this was not the end; God had a plan for all people to be saved and returned to him. One day, God would send us a savior, his only begotten Son, to save all people from eternal death.
Jesus came in the flesh and was born the natural way, but not by a man’s seed, but through the holy spirit. His mother was a virgin when she conceived him, which means he was not born into a sin nature but of the spirit. There was a man named John the Baptist who went around preaching a baptism of repentance through the remission of sins and baptizing those who came to him. John also prophesied about the coming of Jesus, “And he preached, saying, There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7-8 NKJV). Jesus was also baptised by John in the Jordan River (Mark 1:9).
Jesus began his ministry and went from town to town, preaching, teaching, and healing many who came to him. He chose 12 disciples and gave them the power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He also charged them to go and preach the gospel all through the Earth. During this time, many Jewish religious leaders rejected his teachings and saw him as a threat to their authority and traditions. Shortly after Jesus revealed to his disciples that he was the Son of God, he predicted his death and resurrection. Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, would soon betray Jesus and deliver him to the chief priests, who plotted to kill him. On the day before the Passover, Jesus was arrested and delivered to the Hight Preist to be questioned and then to Pilate, the governor of Rome, to determine what punishment he would suffer. The governor found no fault in Jesus, but the unbelieving jews had no mercy on him and pleaded that he be crucified. Pilate delivered Jesus to the jews, and they took him away and crucified him. After his death, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body to a nearby tomb. Joseph wrapped his body in linen, laid it in the tomb, and sealed it with a stone. Three days later, a few of the women who were followers of Jesus visited the tomb, but it was empty, and two angels stood by it. The women were afraid, “But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Matthew 28:5-6 NKJV).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17 NKJV). Jesus died for the sins of all people. Everyone has the choice to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and to live a life pleasing to God. We may not always get it right, but we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into God’s perfect plan for our lives.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NKJV). Eternal life comes through accepting Jesus and living a life that glorifies God. God’s plan was never to force Jesus on us but to send Jesus to save us from our sins. Everyone has a choice(free will) to accept or reject this free gift. Accepting Jesus does not make us perfect again, but it cleanses us of our sins through repentance and a surrendered life. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are no longer slaves to sin, but have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Thank you so much for reading! I encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and study the life of Jesus and all the things he did during his time on Earth.
- Scriptures to reference for later:
- Creation: Genesis chapter 1
- The temptation and fall of Man: Genesis 2-3
- Mary’s visit from an Angel: Luke 1:26-38 (Or read the whole chapter because a lot is discussed here)
- Birth of Christ: Luke 2:1-20
- Jesus’ death and resurrection: Matthew 27 & 28
- John the Baptist: Mark 1:1-9
- The chosen 12: Luke 6:12-16