Life of Jesus
Birth
The birth of Jesus is a special and significant event in Christianity for a number of reasons. Firstly, this was the moment when God was incarnationThe belief that God took human form in Jesus Christ. It is also the belief that God in Christ is active in the Church and in the world. in human form. It was also when God鈥檚 grace was revealed to humans. Lastly, it reminds Christians of the miraculous power of God, as Mary (the mother of Jesus) was able to conceive and give birth even though she was a virgin.
The Last Supper
The Last SupperThe meal that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died where he gave them bread and wine to symbolise his body and blood. was the final meal Jesus shared with his discipleA person who follows and learns from someone else., the night before his crucifixionRoman method of execution by nailing someone to a cross, often until they die of asphyxiation; used on Jesus and many others.. During the meal, Jesus predicted that one of his disciples would betray him. At the end of the meal, Jesus broke bread and shared it with his disciples, telling them to do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19).
Jesus offered wine to his disciples, saying to them:
This shows that, through the sacrifice Jesus was about to make, a new relationship would be formed between God and humanity.
The Last Supper holds a special significance for Christians as it forms the basis of the EucharistA service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, using elements of bread and wine., a key Christian church service.
The arrest and trial
Jesus was talking to some of his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas (one of Jesus鈥 disciples) arrived, leading the chief priests and their guards to Jesus. Jesus鈥 disciples wanted to defend their leader, but Jesus told them to put their swords away. Jesus was led away to the house of the High Priest.
Jesus was put on trial by the SanhedrinThe Jewish supreme court and legislative body during the Roman period. Also the name given to a section of the Talmud.. They considered Jesus鈥 claims to be the son of God blasphemySpeaking about God in a sacrilegious way. and found him guilty of this charge.
The next morning, Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate did not think that Jesus was guilty so he gave the assembled crowd a choice: he would release either Jesus or a Jewish freedom fighter, Barabbas. The crowd chose Barabbas to be released. This meant Jesus was to be crucified.