2,000 years ago in Nazareth, a town in province of Galilee in northern Judea, the angel Gabriel appeared in a dream to young Jewish woman named Mary. It goes without saying that Mary was startled. She was even more startled by what Gabriel told her: that she would give birth to the Messiah, who was the son of God. She was chosen by God for this divine mission and that the Holy Spirit would make the conception possible. Thus, Christians believe that Jesus was born of the virgin mother. His birth signals the beginning of Christianity. Gabriel appeared in Mary's dream around sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. Historians believe that Jesus was born had been born when King Herod of Judea died, and they place hid death at 4 B.C. Mary was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. Joseph was a good man, but the though of his fiancee having a child by someone else was hard to accept. Shortly before Mary was going to give birth, she was going to travel to the small town of Bethlehem to register for the census. Having no other place to stay, they sought shelter in a stable. Their it was said that Mary gave birth to Jesus. According to Luke 1:31 in the New Testament, the angel Gabriel had instructed Mary to call the baby Jesus. Little is known about the childhood of Jesus. The angel Gabriel warned Joseph that King Herod the Great, who ruled all of Judea, he was determined to kill all male babies. The reason for his decision was that he knew of Jesus' birth and saw him as a threat of his own rule. Joseph and Mary heed the warning and fled to Egypt. They returned to Judea and the town of Nazareth. They traveled one day when they discovered Jesus was not with them. They were traveling in a group. Mary and Joseph looked for two days and one the third day they found Jesus they found him in the Temple. Jesus was engaging a discussion of religion with the priests there. Luke 2: 47 of the New testament states that all who heard him were "astonished at his understanding and answers." Verse 48 to 52 tell the rest of the story. Mary scolded Jesus and tried to make him understand the worry they had put him through, He answered, saying in so many words that he had to be about his "father's business." It was the first time he Jesus referred to God as his father. The New Testament doesn't mention Jesus' life after the age of twelve. He reappears in scripture, he is a 30-year old man. When Jesus of Nazareth was about 30, he began traveling through Galilee teaching and preaching. This was the beginning of his three year ministry. The word ministry refers to the "office duties, and time of service to the minister." So in many ways, Jesus was a preacher or a minister. Jesus' ministry began after he was baptized by a man called John the baptized. He lived in the wilderness of the Galilee area. He wore clothing made of camel's hair, and he ate nothing but locusts. Jesus wanted to show people that he was the son of God, so he had two purposes. One purpose was to show his love for people by helping them. The other was that through miracles, he could show people that he was truly the Son of God. The New Testament reveals that Jesus preformed 36 miracles during his short time on Earth. One of the first was when he turned water into wine at a wedding. Two more of his famous miracles was said that Jesus fed 5,000 hungry people from only 5 loaves of bread and two fish. The other is when he brought his friends Lazarus back to life after he had been dead for four days. The last act was that Jesus impressed his disciples by walking on water. This declared that they believed he was indeed the Son of God. Jesus taught the Golden Rule. Jesus told people that they would be happy if, among other things, they were righteous, meek, merciful and pure of heart. Everywhere Jesus went he attracted large crowds of people. The common people of Judea loved him. Jesus quickly made enemies however. Jewish leaders were jealous of his popularity and felt threatened by him. They heard that he was calling himself the "king of the Jews." Jesus never made such a claim. When he spoke of the kingdom of God, he was referring to heaven, not earthly kingdom. But that didn't matter to priests and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council. They were determined to get rid of him as soon as they could. The opportunity to end Jesus life came when he went to Jerusalem during the feast of the Passover. He knew it was means to be nailed on a cross and left to die. Before his crucifixion, Jesus was beaten and ridiculed. Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head and mockingly proclaimed him "King of the Jews." Then nails were driven through his hands and feet and he was suspended from a cross, situated between two common criminals who had also been crucified. While he was suffered, Roman soldiers at his feet rolled dice for his garments. It took six hours for Jesus to die. Jesus did not simply die and be buried. They believe that three days after, he rose from the dead and spent another 40 days on Earth. His return from the dead is known as Resurrection. During this time, he was supposedly see by a number of people. Mary Magdalene, a faithful follower, is believed to have been the first to see him. All eleven of the remaining apostle are also said to have seen him. ( The twelfth, Judas Iscariot hung himself in shame of Jesus' death). And some 500 people were supposed to have seen him on a mountain in Galilee. Before Jesus left the Earth, he was said to have given specific instructions for his disciples. They believe these are summarized in the 19th and 20th verses of the 28th book of Matthew. Jesus taught that compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and truth are paramount, Ordinary people are as important as the rich and powerful. Jesus also used to tell parables to pass on lessons to the people.
Classification
Christianity is monotheistic.
Key Figures
There are a lot of different key figures in Christianity. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ. However, she was a virgin and was told by the angel Gabriel that she was giving birth to the Son of God. Joseph is the Father of Jesus Christ but he didn't want to his fiance to give birth to not his child. He was given an explanation by the angel Gabriel, that his wife was giving birth to the Son of God. Adam and Eve are another key figures because they were banished from the Garden of Eden. They couldn't resist the temptation and sinned. As a result, all human being are born in sin but through the love of Jesus they can be saved from sin. Saul was a different person. He did not believe that Jesus Christ was the savior. Saul became blind and was taken to Damascus. There he was baptized by a Christian named Ananias. He immediately regained his vision. and started to preach the new religion. After his conversion, Saul took the Roman name of Paulus. He traveled the world sharing the religion and establishing different Christian communities. Paul faced oppositions and may dangers while traveling. The bible doesn't explain how Paul died but historian believe that he was be-headed by Emperor Nero. Paul also wrote a number of epistles to the churches he helped start. The book of the New Testament attributed to Paul and Romans.
Religious Authorities
Christians base their beliefs on the Bible. The Bible is their holy book. It consists of 39 chapters of the Old Testament and the 27 chapters of the New Testament. Roman Catholics recognize a third party: the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha consists of 14 books that were written in the two centuries before Jesus. It is printed in the Old Testament section of Catholic Bibles. While many Protestants recognize the Apocrypha as informative writing, they do not believe it was divinely inspired. Christians beliefs are best summarized in the Apostles' Creed. The Apostles' Creed dates from the 2nd century A.D. It is a statement of beliefs that most Christians adhere to. There are several versions of the Creed. The following is the one recognized be most Protestant Churches.
Core Beliefs
Goal for the religion.
They want to reach Heaven and become one with God. They don't want to end up in Hell.
Belief about Afterlife.
Jesus died on the cross for their sins. They believe that if they accept Jesus as savior and live a righteous life, they will go to heaven after death. Christians believe that people who do not accept Jesus as savior will spend eternity in Hell. The fate of everybody will be determined on the Day of Judgment. Christians believe, every person will have to give an account of his or her deeds.
Rules/Guild line for Everyday Life.
Their are two important Sacraments. Baptism is one of the Sacraments. It's purpose is twofold: to wash away sin and to signify the beginning of a new life. The practice of washing in water to purify oneself is not a Christian innovation. Christians trace the sacrament of baptism back to when Jesus was baptized by John. Afterward, Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize people "in the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Ghost." The method of baptism varies from church to church. In some churches , the minister or priest pours or sprinkles water on the head of the person being baptized. The other Sacrament is communion. The Eastern Orthodox Church refers to it as the Holy Eucharist. The Anglican Church in England uses term Holy Communion. In the Roman Catholic Church, both terms are used. Communion reenacts the Last Super that Jesus ate with his disciples before he was arrested and crucified. During that meal, Jesus gave his disciples bread to eat, saying "This is my body." Then he gave them wine to drink and said, "This is my blood." In doing so, Christians believe Jesus sacrificed his body and blood for people. During the communion ceremony, priests and ministers bless pieces of bread or wafers and small glasses of wine or grape juice. Typically, depending on the person, some Christians pray to Jesus and God during the morning
Concept of a higher power
In Christianity, there is only one god. God in Christianity is extreme vague, however you must swear to this God and only this God. He is nor male or female, but God is in all places at all times. He fills the universe and is always near for people who are in need. God sees everything everybody does. He is not only the God of the Jewish people, he is the God of all nations. God can do anything. God does not compel people to follow his will. Jewish people believe that God created the everything and he is the main force behind anything that happens. God punishes the bad and rewards the good. He is also merciful. God is forgiving to the people who have messed up. They see the God is three different aspects. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Key Holidays
There are many holidays and holy days in Christianity. Sunday's are the Christian day of worship on that day because they believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead on a Sunday. Therefore, like all Christian festivals, Sunday commemorates an event in the life of Jesus. Christmas is the most important Christian holidays . It celebrates the birth of Jesus. It is observed on December 25th, although no one knows fro sure when Jesus was born. In modern times, Christmas has lost some of its religious meaning. It is still the happiest times of the year for Christians. They decorate homes, decorate trees and exchange gifts. Christmas is a very exciting time for children. They're many different variations of Santa Claus. England they call him Father Christmas, German Children call him Kris Kringle. The idea of Santa Claus derives from St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a bishop who gave out presents to poor children. The second most important Christian holiday is Easter. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. This occurs sometime between March 22 and April 25.
Sites/Symbols
Christians churches come in all shapes and sizes. Some churches are large and ornate. Others are small and plain. Some have tall spires and beautiful stained-glass windows. Others may have no more than a cross and sign to identify them as churches. No one description fits all Christian churches. Many Roman Catholic churches are examples of the beautiful architecture that characterized the Middle Ages. You may have seen pictures of the Cathedral of Notre Dome in Paris or the Cathedral of Rheims, both in France. Few Christians churches, of course, are as large and imposing as the above-mentioned cathedrals. Some in rural areas may consist of only a one-room wooden buildings with a tin roof. In between are churches of varying sizes built of brick, concrete block, stone, or a combination of these materials. Regardless of what a church looks like on the outside and how many members it has, most churches on the inside are similar in some way. There is also usually an altar or communion table situated at which Jesus and his disciples ate the meal referred to as the Last Supper. Usually, there is a sermon delivered by a church official called either a priest, a minister, or a pastor. A sermon usually lasts about thirty minutes. Some symbols include the cross, the rosary and any others. The cross symbolizes Jesus's death on the cross, or Crucifixion. The rosary is a necklace type jewelry that varies in different prayers. They vary from 10 beads on each little segments to smaller numbers. It consists of helping during prayer.
Sects and/or Different Branches
Since early Christians times, differences have emerged over church leadership, in the East and West. An Emperor controlled Byzantine. He was not a priest, but controlled Church affairs and appointed the patriarch , or highest church official , in Constantinople. Byzantine Christians rejected the Pope's authority over all Christians---because in the West the Pope controlled all Christians. Further differences developed over time. Unlike priests in Western Europe, the Byzantine clergy retained their right to marry. Greek, not Latin was the official language of the Byzantine Church. During the Middle Ages the two branches/sects of Christianity drew apart. A dispute over the use of icons, or holy images, contributed to the final decision to split. Many Christians prayed to images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints. However, in the 700's AD the Byzantine Emperor outlawed praying to icon's, saying it violated God's commandments against worshiping idols. The Pope excommunicated the Emperor causing the ban to be later lifted. Therefore, in 1054 AD, these other controversies caused the schism or permanent split between the East Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches. During the Renaissance, the Roman Catholic Church increasingly came under fire. Christian at all levels of society accused the clergy of corruptions. The Pope maintains a lavish lifestyle and were patrons of the arts. To finance such projects, the Roman Catholic Church increased fees for service such as marriages and baptisms. Some clergy also promoted the sale of indulgences, or a lessening of punishment for sins. By the late 1400s, indulgences were obtained in exchange for money or gifts to the Church. Many Christians protested these practices, especially in Northern Europe. Then, John Calvin, John Knox and Martin Luther all protested against the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517 AD Martin Luther exposed the corruption of the Church which finally caused the split between between the Western Roman Catholic Church-in two. The Protestant Church was formed. In Protestant Christianity are many different denominators, such as Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian. In early Christian history, the church consisted of the small number of people who believed in and followed the teachings of Jesus. They had no denominational name and they did not meet in any designated building. Buildings constructed to serve as churches did not appear until after A.D. 313. In the year, the Roman Emperor, Constantine, made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Until that time, Christians worshiped in one another's homes. The first church at first was comprised of groups or communities of people. Even when it became well organized , the church was the Christians Church. Not until A.D. 1054, when it split into the Roman Catholic Church in the west and the Greek Orthodox Church in the east, were distinctive names used. Protestant churches did not come into existence until 500 years after that. You will read more about these development. Some Christians associate the beginning of the church with Pentecost. Pentecost comes from a Greek word meaning fifty.