Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, the Old Testament of the Bible recorded the words of the prophets of Israel predicting His coming. The Old Testament, written by many people over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 prophecies describing His appearance. All of these details came true, including his miraculous birth, His sinless life, His many miracles, His death and His resurrection. The life Jesus led, the miracles He did, the words He spoke, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His ascent to heaven - all point to the fact that He was not merely man, but more than man. Jesus claimed, I and the Father are one (John 10:30), He who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9), and I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6). As we study Scripture and the life of Jesus, we realize that his life purpose and message change. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the south of Palestine. He grew up in a very ordinary town, named Nazareth, located in Galilee, which was in the north of Palestine. Jesus was a carpenter, but at the age of 30, He became a religious teacher, moving from town to town. In Luke 4:14-22, we read what happened when Jesus began teaching. He went to the synagogue, which was the local place of worship. Although He probably had no more religious education than the average Jewish man, people wanted to hear Him. He was asked to speak at the synagogue in Looking at the life and influence of Jesus of Nazareth throughout history and you will see that Jesus Christ was in fact the living Son of God. Jesus and His message always produce great changes in the lives of men and of nations. Wherever His teachings and influence have gone, the holiness has flowed. He has been a major influence in my life. Through my personal relationship with Jesus, I have been able to change my life for the better. I talk with him on a normal basis.
