ENGLISH ESSAY CLASS 9

Jesus Christ is worshipped by the Christians who regard him as "Christ", meaning king or Messiah. Jesus was born almost 2000 years ago, between 2 and 6 BCE at Bethlehem, in Judea (part of the present-day West Bank) in Israel. Modern civilization marks the birth of Jesus by dividing time into B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - or the year of our Lord). 25 December, his birthday, is celebrated elaborately all over the world as Christmas.

Early life
Jesus was born in 4 BCE in one cold winter night in a manger, to Mary who was a virgin betrothed to Joseph, a local carpenter. According to the Christians the birth of Jesus was the result of Immaculate Conception, a work of the Holy Spirit. It is believed that when Jesus was born three wise men came from the east to meet him with gifts, which included gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Jesus Christ was born during the rule of Herod the great. When King Herod came to know from the wise men about the birth of Jesus, the King of kings, he ordered the execution of all children in that area, below the age of two. However, an angel of God warned Joseph and Mary about this danger and instructed them to take shelter in Egypt with the new born baby. After the death of King Herod, Joseph and Mary returned to Israel and took shelter in a small village named Nazareth in Galilee.

Later Life
It is believed that during his teenage years Jesus used to help his father in their family carpentry work. The ministry of Jesus as Christ began at the age of 30. Jesus encountered and was baptized (a religious ritual after a child is born) by John the Baptist, his cousin, at the river Jordan. After his baptism Jesus went into the desert to fast for 40 days and 40 nights. This is known as the "Temptation of Christ" in the Christian scripture.

Jesus appointed 12 apostles who assisted and accompanied him in teaching about God to different regions in Israel. For three years he preached, performed several miracles and called the people for repentance. During this period the Jewish religious leaders came to know about Jesus Christ and begin to view him as a threat to their interests. He proclaimed himself as the Son of God, which according to the Jewish religious leaders was a violation of the Jewish law. The Jewish leaders fabricated false allegations against Jesus and managed to convince Pilate, the governor of the Southern province of Israel, to crucify Jesus.

Jesus Christ was cruelly tormented and hung on a cross by the Roman soldiers. He died, in c 29 CE, within three hours. This day is now known as Good Friday. However, according to his disciples Jesus resurrected from dead after three days of his crucifixion. It is believed by Christians that he appeared to his disciples for forty days, before going back to Jerusalem from where he rose up into the sky with his physical body.