[b]Jesus was born, Luke's Gospel tells us, at the time when Roman Emperor Augustus has ordered a census throughout the empire. It was near the end of King Herod the Great. Although Mary, His mother, and Joseph came from Nazareth, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the birthplace of His illustrious ancestor, King David.
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The Gospels make it plain that this Baby, born into an ordinary family, was the Messiah, or Christ - the One God has longed promised would saved His people. Many Jews were ready and waiting for Him - though He was not to be the kind of king they imagined.
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Jesus' infant years were spent in Egypt, out of reach of cruel King Herod. On the king's death, the family returned to Nazareth and a quiet life whose annual highlight was the visit to Jerusalem for Passover. When Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph took Him with them for the first time.
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A PUBLIC FIGURE
It was about AD 27, in the 15th year of Emperor Tiberius, that Jesus' public work began. He joined the crowd that flocked to John the Baptist beside the River Jordan and, despite having no sin to confess, was baptized by John, identifying Himself with His people.
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Forty days of fasting and testing in the desert prepared Jesus for his return to Galilee and start of a new life as a travelling Teacher. Quickly gathering a following of His own, Jesus soon chose 12 to go with Him on His travels. From this time until His death (probably about 3 years later), Jesus was a public figure.
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Much of His time was spent in area around Lake Galilee. But there were frequent visit to Jerusalem, especially for major festivals. Once at least He chose to go through (rather than around) Samaritan country. And He travelled to the far north, to the district of Caesarea Philipi, close under Mt Hermon. The Gospels name many of the places Jesus went to, although it is not possible to work out a precise sequence...#more loading# stay glued[/b]

[b]THE LAST WEEK
Probably in the spring of AD 30, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the last time, to celebrate Passover with His 12 friends. He had made a name for Himself as a great teacher, One who cared about ordinary people, and He constantly astonished the crowd with miracles of healing. His 12 friends watched and listened. 3 of the saw Him transfigured with glory on a mountain in Galilee. The became convinced that Jesus truly was God's Messiah.
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But there was opposition which grew stronger. Jesus offended the religious teachers by His plain speaking. They realised that His claims went far beyond those of a great teacher: Jesus was making Himself to be God. Didn't He claim to forgive sin? Hadn't He said tha2 He and His Father were One?
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In Jerusalem that week, opposition came to a head and boiled over. Judas, one of His 12 friends, arranged to betray Him. He was arrested at night and tried by the Jewish Council, with false charges laid by ''witnesses''. First thing in the morning, the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate was brow-beaten by threat of revolt into gratifying the sentence of death.
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On a hill outside the city wall, Jesus died as a common criminal on the cross (like the 2 who died with Him.
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A hasty burial followed, in order not break the Sabbath laws.
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But at daybreak on Sunday morning, women coming to observe the last rites found the tomb EMPTY, the body gone. And before the day was out, may of Jesus' followers had seen Him alive.
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After 40 days of with His friends, He ascended into Glory, promised to come back for His OWN[/b]