Biography is a systematic account of someone’s life history which is written down in a book. Biographies present various important aspects in a person’s life. Some of these aspects may include tangible evidences about his experience in life and the circumstances he went through. Biographies are normally non-fiction stories about an individual written in a book. It may contain information such as place of birth, work experience, relationships and death in a systematical order. In the New Testament Gospel books, the dominant story is all about the life of Jesus. The gospels give a clear picture of the life of Jesus form his birth to death. The history of Jesus that is confined in these books makes them to be referred as the biographies of Jesus. This paper shall therefore coherently and comprehensively discuss the reasons why the books are best understood as the biographies of Jesus. The paper shall present a systematic account of the life history of Jesus in relation to the gospels.
Just like biography books give a detail account of someone’s life, so does the gospels of the New Testament about the life of Jesus. The gospels are full of information about Jesus. His life, work experience and his eventual books are confined within the gospels. His life account is described in detailed and therefore it worth referring them as biographies of Jesus. The gospels relate the life of Jesus from birth through his life ministry and message, to his resurrection in a way that a classic biography would describe them, since every biography deals with a systematic account of someone’s life as written in a book. To validate the authenticity of the title, the paper shall vividly give systematic detailed account about Jesus as found in the gospels. In the next paragraph, the paper shall give a coherent and comprehensive account about the birth of Jesus while specifying the verses where in the bible where such account can be obtained. Description of the birth of Jesus is crucial as it was to be through the Holy Spirit.
The story about the birth of Jesus is available both in the gospel according to Luke from chapter 2 verse one and the gospel according to Mathew in chapter one verse eighteen to 25. Both the chapters describe how the birth of Jesus took place. For instance, Luke chapter two puts it as follows “during that time, censors were to be taken. Each and every citizen had gone to his/her own hometown to register. It is while in Nazareth that Mary gave birth to a son. It had been predicted that Mary was to bore a son whom will be called Jesus and who was to be the Messiah. Jesus was born in a manger a place where animals do sleep on, this was extraordinary and it symbolized how simple his life was going to be.
The gospels therefore give a clear account on how the birth of Jesus took place. The books continue ad narrate what happened about Jesus after he was born. For instance the books tell us that after a week. Luke 2:21 that. The baby was named Jesus a name that was given to him by Angel before he was born. Actually, the gospels present a clear picture in a systematic order of what culminated during the birth of Jesus hence can be termed as biographies of Jesus. The following paragraph shall critically discuss the life of Jesus. The paper is interested in the life of Jesus because of its relation with his work. This thesis is interested in the baptism of Jesus, because unlike other baptism, the baptism of Jesus was to be through the Holy Spirit. He was to be baptized by John the Baptist, a servant of the Lord.
The gospels describe the baptism of Jesus. This story is available in Luke, Mathew and Mark. Mathew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11. For instance in Luke chapter 3 from verse 21, we are told that the baptism of Jesus took place after all the other people who were present have been baptized. The story describes the happenings that were seen during the baptism of Jesus. For instance, during that time the heaven opened and a voice from heaven was heard. The next paragraph will look at temptations of Jesus since it marked a very important chapter in his life. His faith was being tested by the devil. This was a great experience which Jesus encountered in his life and mission. It is a symbolic gesture since it was being used to test Jesus faith and to see whether he was ready to accomplish his mission as a Messiah.
The gospels of Luke, Mark and Mathew present how Jesus was tempted. This story can be found in Mathew 4:1-11, Mark 1:2-3. The story is also available in the gospel of look from chapter 4 onwards. The chapters describe how Jesus was tempted after he has returned from Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led to the desert where Satan tempted Jesus for several days. Here we are told about the circumstances that surrounded his suffering. The books reveal that Jesus was tempted for forty days while in the desert. The devil wanted to test the faith of Jesus whether he could bow down to his demands. Despite being tested three times while in the desert, Jesus never accepted Satan offers. The next paragraph shall describe the works of Jesus. Actually the gospels are true biographies of Jesus.
The gospels tell us where Jesus begins his ministerial work. Mathew 4:12-17, Mark 1:14-5. These books tell us more about where Jesus began his major ministerial work which was preaching the gospel. The books also tell us more about the opposition that Jesus faced while in his mission of preaching the gospel. Luke 4:15 tell us that Jesus taught in the synagogue in Galilee where he was praised by everyone. It was during his preaching mission that he encountered opposition from the Jews.
It was during his mission, that he encountered rejection from the Pharisees. Stories about his rejection are available in Mathew 13:53-58. Mark 6:1-6. The books give comprehensive information on how Jesus was rejected while in his mission of spreading the gospel. The books tell us more about the incidences that surrounded the rejection of Jesus in his own home country Nazareth. The books also give us the reasons why Jesus was rejected while preaching the good news to the people of Nazareth. The next paragraphs shall describe the life history of Jesus in relation to the major works he did while still alive. The paper is interested in his work because most of them were amazing. For instance, Jesus was able to raise the dead to life. He healed several diseases which many people considered incurable.
After Jesus had been rejected, he went to Capernaum a town in Galilee where he healed a man who had been possessed with an evil spirit. This was after he had conducted a preaching service that sent each individual present a stray due to his extraordinary style of teaching. It was during the preaching service that he healed a man who was possessed by demons after commanding the demons to keep quiet and come out of the man. Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-35. Jesus also healed Simon’s mother who was suffering from fever after he ordered the fever to depart Mathew 8:14-17. Mark 1; 29-34. This was also a major land mark in his ministry. He called the first disciple while he was preaching at the shore of Lake Gennesaret. The disciples were important in his mission since they were to help him in his mission of spreading the gospel to the people. The first disciples he called were important in his life ministry because they were to help him in spreading the gospel to the people.
Jesus revealed variety of information about what was going to happen to him in future. These predictions later came to be true. For instance, he said that Peter, his close disciple was denied him three times. It was the first time that he spoke about his suffering . The next important event in the life of Jesus was transfiguration. Transfiguration marked a very important event in the life and ministry of Jesus. It took place while he was praying in a hill in a company of James, John and Peter. His appearance changed and his clothes were dazzling white. The cloud appeared and covered him with its shadow. This was a prediction of what was to come later in his life. This was to fulfill God’s purpose of his death which was going to occur in Jerusalem. It was after transfiguration that Jesus then embarked on his mission and talked about the importance of prayer
Jesus taught about the importance of prayer. This was another important message from Jesus not only to his disciples’ but also to other people. Jesus taught on how the prayer should be conducted. Mathew 6:9-13. Luke 11:1-5. He used different parables to pass his message to the people. For instance, the parable of the narrow door. He told them that the kingdom of God was like a narrow door which only a few people could get in at a time. He also used the parables to teach his followers about the importance of humility and hospitality and the importance of trusting in God. The parables were being used by him to convey important messages to his followers and to condemn those who were oppressing the poor. He also used the parables to make the people believe in God by discouraging them not to depend too much on their earthly wealth but to be rich in God’s words. For example the parable of the rich fool who had believed so much on his wealth and forgetting God.
The gospels tell us more about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Signs of crucifixion is said to have began when he made a triumphant entry to Jerusalem a town where his death was to occur. During his triumphant entry to Jerusalem he lamented for the city and prophesized its destruction. It was while he was in Jerusalem that he predicted his denial by one of his disciples’ Peter. Jesus went to pray as he used to do and went back to his disciples and found them asleep. He was still talking to the people when the chief priest came for his arrest after being betrayed by one of his disciples as predicted earlier. The gospels describe the events that surrounded Jesus crucifixion and eventually his death. In Mathew 26:67-68, Mark14:65 we are told how Jesus was mocked and beaten and eventually taken before the councils after which he was sentenced to death.
In Mathew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15, John 18 and Luke 23:13, Jesus is sentenced to death after Pilate called the high priests, the leaders and the people and explained to them that Jesus had no mistake to warrant him being sentenced to death. However, it was after the crowd shouted to him that Jesus was to be sentenced to death .With this he granted the crowd their wish to take the man and do what they wished to do for him. It is out of these events that led to Jesus crucifixion and eventually death. Mathew 27:32-44, Mark 15:21-32, Luke 23:36describe the events that surrounded Jesus crucifixion and his eventual death. From the chapters named above, we realize that after Pilate had allowed the crowd to take Jesus and do to him what they wished. The soldiers took Jesus and finally he was crucified on the cross together with other two people whom were considered to be thieves. This was to fulfill the prophecies made earlier by the prophets in the Old Testament. Mathew 27:45-56 and Mark 15:33-41, John 19:28-30 and Luke 23:44describe the events which culminated during the death of Jesus. For instance Luke 23:44 say that it happened around twelve o’clock. During that time the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o’clock; the curtain hanging in the temple was torn into two. Mathew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, John 19:38-42 and Luke 23:50describe the events that surrounded the burial of Jesus. The two gospel books explain further the events that culminated during the death of Jesus. It gives out a clear picture on how Jesus was buried and raised again after three days. The gospels also tell us more about the person who took the body of Jesus for burial.
Mathew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8 John 20:1-10 and Luke 24:1Describes the events that surrounded the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died and he was buried in the Tomb. However, a day after he was buried, the women who had went to see the body failed to find the body. What they saw was a stone that rolled from the entrance of the Tomb. Jesus then appeared to his disciples on their way to Emmaus. Such biographies of Jesus are available in the following verses of the Gospel books: Mathew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-48 and Luke 24:36. After Jesus had appeared to his disciples, he was taken up to heaven. Mark 16:19-20.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the gospel books of the New Testament can best be understood as biographies of Jesus. This is because; they contain the life of Jesus right from birth, through his life, ministry, and message to his resurrection. The gospels present in a systematic and coherent manner the events that culminated in the life of Jesus just like a typical biography would describe it; the gospels describe various land mark in the life and history of Jesus. It is there in order to say that the Gospels can be termed as biographies of Jesus. Unlike other books in the New Testament, the gospels have explained into detail the life of Jesus from birth to death. The remaining books just talk about followers of Jesus and those who spread the gospel after his death. The gospels have given as a systematic account of the life of Jesus. They tell as the early life of Jesus, his work and experience, his relationship with People and then finally his death. These events are available in various verses of the Gospel books hence can be referred to as the biographies of Jesus because they present a systematic description of the life of Jesus from birth to death.
Work cited
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