The Story of Jesus
will be a favourite for the whole family for years to come.
ISBN: 978-1-92843-782-6
www.christianmediapublishing.com
THE STORY OF JESUS
The stories about Jesus are brought to life in this beautiful book from the Classical Children’s Bible series. In the classical tradition the stories are told in a style that is true to the Bible. Each of the illustrations is a work of art that will bring great joy to the reader.
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THE STORY OF
JESUS
New Testament Jesus is born in Bethlehem
7
Wise men visit Jesus
10
Jesus in his Father’s house
15
Jesus is baptised
18
Jesus chooses twelve disciples
23
Jesus calms the storm
27
Jesus and his friends in Bethany
30
The Good Samaritan
35
Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree
38
Jesus is the good shepherd
42
The Son who came back
46
Jesus helps people who need him
51
Five loaves and two fish
54
Jesus and the children
58
A Woman anoints Jesus
62
Jesus enters Jerusalem
67
The Last supper
70
Peter disowns Jesus
75
Jesus is crucified
79
Jesus rises from the grave
82
Jesus ascends to heaven
86
The Holy Spirit comes
91
The Beginning of the church
94
Peter and John heal a beggar
99
Stephen dies because he believes in Jesus
102
A Man from Ethiopia becomes a follower
107
Saul becomes a follower of Jesus
111
Paul travels to spread the good news
115
The Lord’s Prayer
118
Prayer to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour
119
6
Jesus is born in Bethlehem
7
M
ary lived in Nazareth with her parents. She was engaged to a man named Joseph.
One day God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary. The angel told Mary, “The Lord has blessed you in a special way. He is with you.” Mary didn’t understand the angel’s words, but the angel said, “Don’t be scared! God is pleased with you. You are going to have a baby boy, and you must call him Jesus. He is the Son of God, and he will rule forever.” Mary still didn’t understand, but she said, “I serve the Lord. I’m happy to do whatever he wants.” The angel also told Joseph about the baby in a dream. He said the Holy Spirit had sent the baby, and that he would save his people from their sins. Joseph promised to look after Mary and the baby. The emperor wanted to make a list of all the people in his empire. So everyone had to go to the town where their families had always lived. Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because they belonged to the family of David. Bethlehem was full of people who had come to put their names on the emperor’s list. Joseph and Mary couldn’t find a place to stay, but in the end, someone said they could stay in their stable.
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And then the baby was born right there in the stable. Mary wrapped her little son in large strips of cloth and put him in a manger. At the same time, there were shepherds looking after their sheep in the fields near the town. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. The shepherds were terrified, but the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I have good news; news that will bring great joy for all the people. If you go to Bethlehem, you will find a baby in a manger. He is your Saviour. He is the Lord.” Then a large group of angels appeared. They praised God and said, “Glory to God in the highest heaven! And peace to those he is pleased with on earth!” When the angels left, the shepherds quickly went to Bethlehem. They wanted to see the baby in the manger. They found Mary, Joseph and the baby, just as the angel had said. They began to praise God because they were excited about everything that had happened. They also told everyone about the angels and the baby who was their Saviour. Mary quietly listened to everyone. She remembered everything that had happened on that wonderful day. Matthew 1:18–25 Luke 2:1–21
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Wise men visit Jesus
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ome time after Jesus was born, three men arrived in Jerusalem. They began to ask questions. “We are wise men from the east,” they said. “At home we saw the star of your new king in the sky. Where is he? We want to worship him.” King Herod heard about these men. He was upset. He was the king! Why were they talking about a new king? King Herod sent for the chief priests and teachers of the law. “What is this I hear about a new king?” he asked. “Is he the Messiah? The one who is going to free the Jewish people?” The chief priests and teachers told him that Micah, a Jewish prophet from long ago, had written about a new king. He was going to be the Messiah, the one chosen by God. He was going to be born in Bethlehem. King Herod told the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem. The new king is there. Go find him, and then come back and tell me all about him.” And so the wise men left Jerusalem. The star went ahead of them and stopped over the place where Jesus and his parents were. Their hearts were glad when they saw the star. They had found Jesus and his parents. The wise men bowed down and worshipped Jesus. Then they gave him the treasures they had brought.
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They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh; special gifts that were only given to kings. Frankincense was a rare, sweet-smelling perfume and myrrh was anointing oil. The wise men knew that Jesus was a special baby. They knew that God himself had sent this baby to be born in Bethlehem. He had chosen him to become his people’s Lord and King. That night God spoke to the wise men in a dream. He told them not to go back to Herod, because Herod wanted to harm Jesus. So they returned to their own country a different way. Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream. He told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Joseph and his family left the next day. They lived in Egypt until King Herod died. Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph again. He told him he could go back to the land of Israel. Joseph and his family didn’t go back to Bethlehem. They lived in Nazareth, a small village in Galilee far away from Jerusalem. In this way, God kept Jesus and his family safe from harm. Matthew 2
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14
Jesus in his Father’s house
15
E
very year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Many Jews tried to go to a feast in Jerusalem at least once a year. Children went with their parents, and everyone travelled in groups. When Jesus was 12 years old, the family went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast as usual. After the feast was over, everyone left the city to go back home. There were many people in the city, and the group in which they travelled was large. Jesus’ parents did not see him, but they thought he was somewhere in the group with his friends. At the end of the day Jesus’ parents began to look for him. They looked among their relatives and friends, but Jesus was nowhere. At last they realised he must have stayed behind and they went back to Jerusalem to look for their son. Jesus was not at the place where they had stayed. His parents could not find him anywhere. Then, after three days, they went to the temple, and there they found Jesus in the courtyard. He was with the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions. The teachers also asked him some questions and were amazed at his answers. This boy understood the scriptures very well indeed! They were all enjoying the conversation very much.
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When Mary saw her son sitting there so happily, she was upset. She said, “Son, why did you do this to us? We were so worried about you! We looked everywhere for you and we could not find you!” Jesus said, “You know how much I love my heavenly Father. You should have known I would be here in his house!” His parents did not understand his answer. But Jesus immediately got up and went with his parents. They all went back to their home in Nazareth. Jesus obeyed his parents. As he grew older, he became wiser and stronger. Everyone liked him, and God was pleased with him. Jesus’ mother was still thinking about everything that happened to Jesus. She kept it like a secret treasure in her heart. Luke 2:41–52
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Jesus is baptised
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J
esus and his cousin John were the same age. As an adult, John lived in the desert because he wanted to hear God’s voice. Then he began telling people what God told him. Many people came to hear him talk, even the teachers of the law and the leaders from Jerusalem. John told the people to turn away from their sins. When people asked John how they should live, he told them to do what was right. He baptised everyone who felt bad about their sinful lives. The people began calling him John the Baptist. People began to wonder if he was the Messiah, the ruler specially chosen by God. John told them, “I’m only here to tell you about someone who will come after me. God himself will send him. God is going to give him a lot of power, much more than he gave me. He is so far above me that I’m not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. He will know who truly obeys God and who only pretends to obey him.”
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One day, Jesus travelled from his home in Galilee to see his cousin John. John was at the Jordan River baptising people. Jesus asked John to baptise him. But John didn’t want to do it. He knew that Jesus was the one God had sent. He said, “I need to be baptised by you. So why do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Please baptise me. It’s the right thing to do, because it’s part of God’s plan for both of us.” Jesus went into the water, and John baptised him. When Jesus came out of the water, heaven opened. They saw the Spirit of God coming down on Jesus. The Spirit was like a dove flying down. Then Jesus heard God speaking to him from heaven. God said, “You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you.” After he was baptised, Jesus went into the desert. He wanted to be alone to talk to God, and prepare himself for what God wanted him to do next. Matthew 3:13–17 Mark 1:9–13 Luke 3:21–22 John 1:31–34
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Jesus chooses twelve disciples
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P
eople loved listening to Jesus. Andrew was a fisherman from Galilee. One day he went to listen to John the Baptist. John was preaching and baptising people. Then he saw Jesus going by and he said, “Jesus is the Lamb of God. He will take away the sin of the world.” Andrew decided to find out more. He followed Jesus and spent the afternoon with him. Then he told his brother Simon Peter, “I have found the Messiah, God’s chosen one.” He took him to Jesus. Philip was a friend of Andrew and Simon Peter. After he had met Jesus, Philip went to his friend Nathanael and told him about Jesus. He took Nathanael to meet Jesus. And in this way more and more people began to hear about Jesus. Some time later Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around him. Everyone wanted to hear his words. Jesus saw two boats at the edge of the water. He knew that they belonged to Simon Peter, and he got into the boat and asked him to go out a little way from the shore. Now everyone could see and hear Jesus. When he had finished speaking, Jesus told Simon Peter, “Go out into deep water. Let down the nets so you can catch some fish.” He answered, “Master, we worked all night and did not catch anything. But I will do what you ask.”
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Simon Peter did not think they would catch anything, but when he let down the nets, the nets quickly filled with fish. There were so many that their nets began to break. So Simon Peter called his friends and they came to help. They hauled the fish from the nets into the boats, and the boats were so full that they nearly sank. Simon Peter was afraid when he saw what Jesus could do, but Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be fishers of people.” Then Simon Peter and Andrew left their boats to follow Jesus. Just then Simon Peter’s friends James and John were getting their nets ready to go fishing. Jesus called them, and they left their boat with their father Zebedee and followed Jesus. Soon after this Jesus went to the mountain to pray. When he came back, he chose twelve men to be his special friends. He called these men his disciples. They were always with him and he told them all about God’s kingdom. They saw his miracles. They saw him helping people and healing them. They were with him to the end of his life. The twelve men were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Matthew 4:18–22 Mark1:14–20; 3:13–19 Luke 5:1–11, 27–28; 6:12–16
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Jesus calms the storm
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T
here were always large crowds around Jesus. They followed him everywhere. They wanted to listen to him teach. They also brought sick people to him, so that he could heal them. Jesus usually spent the whole day telling them stories about God’s kingdom and healing those who were sick. This often made him very tired. Once, when Jesus was tired, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” They got into a boat and left. Some of the disciples were fishermen. They often went out on the lake in their boats, and they knew the lake very well. Jesus soon fell asleep. Then a bad storm broke. The disciples had been on the lake during storms before. They knew how to keep the boat safe. But this storm was very bad. Waves crashed over the boat, and it quickly filled with water. The boat was going to sink! The disciples were very scared. They thought they were going to die. So they did the only thing they could. They went to Jesus and woke him. “Lord! Save us! We’re going to drown!” they cried. Jesus immediately got up. He looked at the storm. Then he spoke to it. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind died down. The waves became calm. Everything was quiet. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith yet?”
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The disciples looked at the calm water of the lake. They listened to the quietness. They knew Jesus was a man just like them. He got tired after a long day’s work and needed to rest. But he was also all-powerful. When he spoke to the wind and the waves, they obeyed him. They knew he wasn’t an ordinary person like them. The disciples were amazed and frightened. They didn’t understand that he was the Son of God. But they did know that he was with them when they were afraid, and that he could help them when they were in danger. Matthew 8:23–27 Mark 4:35–41 Luke 8:22–25
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Jesus and his friends in Bethany
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L
azarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, lived in a small village called Bethany.
They were Jesus’ friends and when Lazarus was ill, they immediately sent a message to Jesus. Jesus said, “Lazarus’ illness will glorify God!” At first Jesus did nothing, but two days later Jesus told his disciples he wanted to go to Lazarus. The disciples said, “Is that a good thing? Bethany is near Jerusalem, where you have many enemies!” Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead. We have to go to them.” The disciples went with Jesus, even though they thought Jesus would be captured and they would all die. When they arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. His sisters had already wrapped his body in linen cloths and buried him. There were many people who had come to comfort the two sisters. Martha went out to greet Jesus. “Lord,” she said, “if you could have been here earlier, Lazarus would not have died! But even so, I know that God will give you whatever you ask!” Jesus said, “Lazarus will rise again.” Martha thought he was talking about the day of judgement, but Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die. They will have everlasting life. Do you believe this?” Martha said, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Son of God.”
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Then Martha fetched her sister. Mary went to Jesus, who was still outside the village. Mary fell at his feet and said, “I wish you had been here! Then Lazarus would not have died.” She cried, and her friends were also crying. Jesus also became very sad. He wept, and the people thought it was because he loved Lazarus. “Where is Lazarus buried?” he asked. The people took him to the tomb. He asked them to take away the stone in front of the entrance. They did as he asked, and then Jesus prayed. He said, “Father, thank you for always hearing me when I speak to you.” Jesus stood in front of the tomb and said loudly, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus came out, still wrapped in linen cloths. He was alive and well. Some of the people who had seen the miracle immediately went to Jerusalem. There they told the priests what had happened. These men hated Jesus and were also afraid that everyone would soon be following Jesus. They began to make plans to kill Jesus. But many people who were in Bethany when Jesus raised Lazarus believed that Jesus was the Son of God. John 11:1–44
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The Good Samaritan
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O
ne day, a person who thought he knew the Jewish laws very well wanted to test Jesus. He wanted to see how well Jesus knew the laws.
He asked Jesus, “What must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered with a question, “What does the law say?” The man knew the answer. He said, “You must love the Lord your God, and you must love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.” Jesus answered, “You are right! Now go and do it! Then you will receive eternal life.” The man had one more question. He wanted to know who his neighbour was. Who must he love? His family? All the people in his village? Maybe everyone who was a Jew? He was sure he wasn’t supposed to love people who weren’t Jews. Jesus answered his question by telling him a story. A man was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was a lonely road that went through the mountains. Robbers attacked the man, took his clothes and beat him. Then they ran away. For a while the man lay there. He thought he was going to die. Then a priest walked past. He was an important man. He pretended not to see the wounded man and crossed to the other side of the road. Everything was quiet again. The man continued laying there, hoping for someone to help him. Then a Levite came past. He was also an important man. He also chose to pass the man without looking at him.
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And then a Samaritan came down the road. Jews and Samaritans didn’t like one another. They didn’t even speak to one another. But this Samaritan felt sorry for the wounded man. He went to him, washed his wounds with wine and put olive oil on them to soothe the pain. He bandaged the man’s wounds. Then he put him on his donkey and took him to an inn. He took care of him for the rest of the day. The next day the Samaritan had to leave. He gave the innkeeper extra money and said, “Please take care of this man until he is well. If you need more money, I’ll pay you when I come this way again.” After Jesus had told the story, he asked the man who knew the law, “Which of the three men loved his neighbour?” The man said, “The man who felt sorry for the wounded man and helped him.” Jesus told him, “That’s what you must do when you see people who need help. Everyone who needs help is your neighbour.” Luke 10:25–37
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Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree
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Z
acchaeus was a tax collector for the Romans and he was very rich. The Jews hated the tax collectors because they worked for the enemy, the Romans. Everyone also knew that the tax collectors cheated the people when they collected tax. Zacchaeus lived in Jericho, a city near Jerusalem. One day Zacchaeus noticed that a large crowd was passing through the city, and he heard that the crowd was there because of Jesus. He wanted to see this man Jesus that everyone was talking about. But he was a very short man. He could not see over the people’s heads. And he also could not get near Jesus, because everybody else was trying to get as near to him as possible. Then Zacchaeus made a clever plan. He ran ahead of the crowd to a large sycamore fig tree with large spreading branches. The tree was right next to the road. Zacchaeus quickly climbed into the tree. Now he could see everything! The crowd was getting nearer and nearer. At last Jesus was right under Zacchaeus on his tree branch. And then Jesus stopped! Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, please come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” Now everyone knew that the rich tax collector was sitting in the sycamore tree. But Zacchaeus did not care. He was just glad that Jesus had noticed him. He came down at once and welcomed Jesus into his house. He was very happy because he had a chance to get to know Jesus. The people who knew who Zacchaeus was and saw Jesus going with him to his house began to grumble among themselves. “How can Jesus do that?” they said. “Doesn’t he know Zacchaeus is a cheat and a sinner who works for the enemy? Jesus should not do that!”
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Zacchaeus knew what they were saying. He also knew that his life would never be the same again. He had met Jesus and he was going to follow him from that day on. So Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.” Jesus was also happy. He said to Zacchaeus, “Today I have come to the right house. It is my job to look for everyone who is lost, and to save them. Today I found you and saved you. From now on you are a child of God.” Luke 19:1–10
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Jesus is the good shepherd
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J
esus liked to tell stories. One day he told a story about a sheep that got lost.
Jesus said, “Shepherds have to take good care of their sheep. What happens when a shepherd has 100 sheep and finds out that one of them isn’t with the others? The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep in a safe place and goes to look for his lost sheep. He doesn’t stop looking until he finds the sheep. It doesn’t matter how far the shepherd must go. He will continue to search for his sheep even after the sun goes down and it becomes dark. When the shepherd finds his sheep, he is very happy! He lifts the sheep up and carries it home on his shoulders. Then he goes to all his friends and neighbours and tells them, ‘Let’s all be glad! My sheep was lost, but I found it and brought it home!’” On another occasion, Jesus talked about shepherds who didn’t care about their sheep. When a wild animal attacks the sheep, these bad shepherds run away. They leave the sheep to look after themselves.
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“I am not like that,” Jesus said. “I am like a good shepherd. A good shepherd knows his sheep’s names. When he calls their names, they follow him. They know that he will take them to good grazing and water. The sheep know he will protect them against thieves and wild animals. A good shepherd gives his sheep a very good life. A good shepherd will never leave his sheep. He will die for his sheep. This is what I will do. I am the good shepherd, and I have sheep all over the world. They all listen to my voice. I love them all. And I will die for them all.” Some of the people didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. They didn’t realise he was telling them that he was the Saviour, and that he was going to die on the cross. He would do this so that his followers could become friends with God again and be with him forever. Luke 15:1–7 John 10:11–18
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The Son who came back
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esus liked to tell stories to explain how much God loves us. One story was about a man and his two sons.
The elder son was happy to stay at home, but the younger son wanted to see the world. He said to his father, “Give me my share of my inheritance.” So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son took his inheritance and went to a country far away. He spent his money on wild living until he had nothing left. At that time there was a food shortage in that country. Because the son had no more money, he had to find work. He worked for a man who sent him to feed his pigs. He was so hungry that he wished he could eat the pigs’ food. But no one gave him food. Then he began to think about his life and about his father and his home. He thought, “I’m dying of hunger while my father’s servants have more than enough food. I will go back to my father. I will ask him to forgive me. And I will ask him to make me one of his servants, because I know that I don’t deserve to be his son.”
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So he got up and went back to his father. The father missed his younger son very much. Every day he looked out towards the road, hoping to see his son coming back. One day he saw his son in the distance. The father ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I don’t deserve to be called your son.” But the father said, “You are my son. We must celebrate that you have come home.” The father gave his son his best robe, new sandals for his feet and a ring for his finger. The servants prepared food. And everyone began to celebrate. The father said, “My son was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found.” When the elder son saw the celebration, he got angry. He had worked faithfully for his father while his brother wasted his money. Now his brother was welcomed back with open arms! He told his father, “Why did you never give me a party? It isn’t fair!” The father said, “I would have given you whatever you wanted. You only had to ask. Be glad that your brother has come back.” Luke 15:11–32
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Jesus helps people who need him
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J
esus always felt sorry for people who were forced to leave their communities because they were sick or disabled. Sometimes these people were forced to become beggars. Jesus often helped them. Once, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He and his disciples walked all the way from Galilee. On the way, they passed a small village where they saw ten men coming towards them. The men had a skin disease. In those days, people with this disease had to live apart from other people. They also had to warn people when they were near. Everyone stayed far away from them. The men came up to Jesus, and he didn’t walk away. They pleaded with him, “Jesus! Master! Please help us!” Jesus said, “Go to the priests. They will see that you are healed and allow you to go home.” When people were healed from a skin disease, they had to go to the priests. The priests looked at their skin to see if they were really healed. When the men turned away, they still had the disease. But they decided to go to the priests. On the way, a wonderful thing happened. They saw that they were healed. They were very excited. They immediately ran to the priest. They couldn’t wait to go home. One of the men was a Samaritan. When he saw that he was healed, he didn’t go with the others. He had something important to do first. He turned back to Jesus. 52
He praised God. Then he threw himself down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. “Ten men were healed,” Jesus said, “but only one came back to thank me and praise God. And this man isn’t even a Jew. He is an outsider.” Jesus looked around and asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Why has only one returned to give praise to God?” Jesus was glad to see this man. He told him, “Go home now. Your faith has healed you.” Then Jesus and his disciples continued their journey to Jerusalem. On their way, they went through the city of Jericho. When they arrived, a big crowd gathered around Jesus. They wanted to see his miracles. A blind beggar was sitting by the side of the road. He heard the crowd going by. The people told him that Jesus was in the crowd. The blind man began to shout, “Jesus! Help me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the people to bring the man to him. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” the man said. Jesus healed his blindness immediately. Then the man followed Jesus, praising God all the way. When the other people saw the man and heard his words, they also praised God. Luke 17:11–19, 18:35–43
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Five loaves and two fish
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he crowds continued to follow Jesus wherever he went. Sometimes Jesus and the disciples didn’t even get a chance to eat.
One day Jesus told the disciples, “Let’s go to a quiet place. You need to get some rest.” So they got into a boat to go to a place that was peaceful and quiet. But many people saw them leaving and ran along the shore in the direction they were going. When Jesus and his disciples came ashore, a large crowd was waiting for them. Jesus felt sorry for the people. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them. He also healed the sick people they brought to him. Later in the day the disciples said, “It’s getting late, and we are far from the town. It’s time to send the people away so that they can buy food in the villages and farms nearby.” But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.” Philip said, “There are thousands of people here! We will need more than half a year’s pay if we buy food for them! Is this what you want us to do?” Jesus said, “Let’s find out what we have. Go and see what you can find.”
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Andrew, Peter’s brother, brought a little boy to Jesus. He said, “Here is a boy with five small loaves of barley bread. He also has two small fish. That’s nothing for all the people who need food.” But Jesus wasn’t worried. He told the disciples to get the people to sit down on the green grass. They sat in groups of 50s and 100s. There were 5 000 men in the crowd and also many women and children. Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to his disciples to pass around to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. The people ate until they were satisfied. Jesus told the disciples, “Gather the leftover pieces. Don’t waste anything.” So they gathered the food the people hadn’t eaten. They filled twelve baskets with leftovers! The people began to say that Jesus was a great prophet. Jesus knew they wanted to make him their king, so he left quietly. Matthew 14:13–21 Mark 6:30–44 John 6:1–14
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Jesus and the children
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esus loved people. He was sad when he saw that they were unhappy. He loved joining in their celebrations. He was always helping people and healing those that were ill. And Jesus loved children. Parents brought their children to Jesus when they were ill, and Jesus healed them. He healed an official’s son in Cana without even seeing the boy, who lay sick in the town of Capernaum. When a Greek woman begged Jesus to heal her little girl, Jesus promised that she would be well when she reached her home. And that is what happened. Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. He healed a boy who had seizures and hurt himself because he did not know what he was doing. One day the disciples were walking along the road. They began to quarrel among themselves. Each one wanted to be the most important disciple. Then Jesus asked a little child to come to him. When the child was standing among all the disciples, Jesus said, “You must not try to be important. You must be like children if you want to be part of God’s kingdom. If you are willing to be like a child, you will be important in God’s kingdom. Children know that their parents love them and will give them what they need. That is how you must believe in God and trust him.” On another day parents brought their children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on their heads to bless them. The disciples did not want the children to bother Jesus. They thought he had more important things to do. They thought he had to talk to the important people, such as the religious leaders. Children were not important! So the disciples told the parents to take away their children.
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Jesus saw what they were doing, and he was angry. His disciples had forgotten that he always had time for people who were not important. Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t do that! Don’t keep children away from me! Always let them come to me. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. It belongs to people who are not important in the eyes of other people. It belongs to people who believe in me without demanding proof that I am the Son of God. It belongs to people who are humble and love my Father in heaven.” Then Jesus hugged the children. He put his hands on their heads and blessed them. Mark 10:13–16 Mark 7:24–30 Mark 9:14–27 Luke 8:40–56 Matthew 18:2–4
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A Woman anoints Jesus
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esus often visited his friends in Bethany. They all loved Jesus very much. A short while after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus visited Bethany again. He was on his way to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Simon, a man who had a skin disease, gave a special meal for Jesus. A follower of Jesus wanted to honour him. She took a jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume. Some of the people there were upset. They felt that the woman had wasted money by pouring the perfume over Jesus’ head. They said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold? Why wasn’t the money given to poor people? It was worth a year’s pay.” One of the twelve disciples, Judas Iscariot, was especially angry. But he didn’t really care about the poor. He was a thief. He wanted the money for himself. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied.
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“She did it because she loves me. She also knows that I won’t always be here. The perfume is meant for the day when I am buried. That day is coming soon. And in the future, when my followers tell other people about me, they will also tell them how this follower of mine poured perfume on my head. People will always remember her beautiful gift to me.” Then, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests. He was willing to tell them where Jesus was so that they could arrest him. They were pleased and promised to pay him well if he betrayed Jesus. Many people believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the one chosen by God to be their king. They also thought that he would make the Jews a free and independent nation again. These people were excited because they thought it would happen during the Passover feast. Matthew 26:6–13 Mark 14:3–9
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Jesus enters Jerusalem
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he day after the dinner in Bethany, Jesus and his disciples walked to Jerusalem. He sent two disciples to a village nearby.
“You will find a donkey there,” he said. “Bring it back to me. If someone asks about it, tell them the Lord needs the donkey.” The disciples found the donkey and took it to Jesus. They put their coats on the donkey’s back, and Jesus rode into the city on the donkey’s back. A large crowd that had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. The people were excited because they thought he was going to free them from the Romans. They took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They laid the branches on the road and praised God. The crowd shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”
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Jesus was sad when he saw the people. He knew that soon there would be times of great trouble for the Jews. They believed that Jesus was a great prophet, sent by God to help them against their enemies. The Pharisees and chief priests didn’t like to see the people honouring Jesus. It made them hate him even more. And Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand what was happening. Later, they realised that Jesus was their King, and that the prophets from the past had written about how Jesus would enter the city. Jesus went to the temple. The people weren’t worshipping God. They were selling animals for sacrifices. People from other countries were also exchanging foreign money for Jewish money. Jesus turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. He forced these people to leave. He said, “The temple is the house of God. It’s supposed to be a peaceful place where people come to pray. Instead you have made it a den of robbers!” Jesus healed the sick people who came to him at the temple. He taught the people, and they were amazed when they heard his words. That made the chief priests and the teachers of the law even more determined to kill Jesus. That evening, Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went back to Bethany. Matthew 21:1–17 Mark 11:1–11 Luke 19:28–46 John 12:12–18
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The Last supper
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t was the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread and time for the Passover meal.
The disciples asked Jesus, “Where do you want us to eat the Passover meal?” Jesus said, “Go to the city. You will see a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him to his house. The owner of that house has prepared a large room upstairs for the meal.” The disciples went to the city and found the house just as Jesus had said. There they prepared the Passover meal. Jesus knew that he was going back to his heavenly Father soon. This was going to be his last meal with his disciples. He had some important things to tell them. Before they began the meal, Jesus stood up. He took a bowl of water and began to wash his disciples’ feet. He told them, “You must follow my example. I am your leader, but I just did the job of a slave and washed your feet. In my kingdom, the leaders are the people who serve others.” Jesus also said, “I am going away, but I will send the Holy Spirit to you. He will help you and teach you how to follow me. Always remember to love one another. You show your love by helping and serving one another.”
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A little later, while they were eating the meal, Jesus told them, “One of you is going to betray me to my enemies.” The disciples were sad and upset. Who would do such a thing? Jesus knew it was Judas. He told him, “Go and do what you must do.” Then Judas left the room. He went out alone. Jesus took the bread. He thanked God for it and then broke it into smaller pieces. He gave each of his disciples a piece of bread and said, “Eat the bread. Every time you eat bread together, you must remember that I gave my life for you.” Then he took a cup of wine. Again, he thanked God for it and handed it to them. All of them drank from it. Jesus said, “Every time you drink wine together, you must remember that I gave my blood so that your sins can be forgiven.” Jesus was telling them why he was going to die. Today, his followers all over the world still eat bread and drink wine together to remember that Jesus gave his life so that their sins would be forgiven. After the meal, Jesus and the disciples sang songs of praise. Then they went to the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. Matthew 26:17–30 Mark 14:12–26 Luke 22:7–39 John 13:1–17
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Peter disowns Jesus
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fter Jesus was arrested, John and Peter followed the crowd from a distance. They went to the house of the high priest. John knew someone in the house and he helped Peter to get into the courtyard. They wanted to see what was happening. It was cold and everyone was standing around a fire. Peter hoped nobody would notice him, but one of the servant girls said, “I know you! You were with Jesus!” Everyone was looking at Peter. And then he said, “You are wrong! I don’t know Jesus!” Peter went out to the gate. He was trying to leave, but another servant saw him and said, “You are one of Jesus’ followers!” Peter said, “I tell you, I don’t know him!” A little while later some of the people in the courtyard said, “You know, you talk just like the people from Galilee. You must be one of them!”
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Peter said for the third time, “I do not know Jesus!” And then he heard a rooster crowing, and he realised what he had done. He remembered Jesus’ words: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me.” Peter knew that he was not as brave as he had thought. He felt terrible. Although he loved the Lord Jesus very much, he had disowned him. He went outside and he began to cry. Matthew 26:31–35, 69-75 Luke 22, John 13:31–38, John 18:15–27
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Jesus is crucified
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fter they had arrested him, the men took Jesus to the high priest’s house. His disciples were scared, so they all ran away.
At dawn the next day, the chief priests and teachers of the law got together. “Are you the Son of God?” they asked Jesus. “Yes,” Jesus said. The people were horrified, because they thought he was telling them he was like God. They wanted to have Jesus killed, so they took him to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. He was the only one who could give a death sentence. They told Pilate that Jesus was turning the people against him, although it wasn’t true. Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus and found that Jesus had done nothing wrong. But the chief priests and the teachers told the crowds in the streets that Jesus should be killed. They began to shout, “Crucify him!” During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Roman governor always freed a prisoner. So Pilate asked the crowd, “Whom shall I free? Jesus or Barabbas?” Barabbas was a murderer and a rebel. The people shouted, “Let Barabbas go!” Pilate didn’t want to have Jesus killed. He didn’t want to sentence an innocent man to death. So Pilate said he was going to have Jesus whipped. But the crowd kept on shouting, “Crucify him!”
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Eventually, Pilate gave in to the crowd. The soldiers gave Jesus a red robe and put a crown of thorns on his head. They made fun of him. Then they took the robe off him and whipped him. After that, they gave Jesus one of the heavy beams of his cross to carry, and they took him to a place called Golgotha. There they nailed him to a cross with two criminals. This was the way the Romans executed people who had committed the worst crimes. Jesus prayed for his enemies, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” Jesus’ mother stood near his cross with her friends. When Jesus saw her, he spoke to his disciple John. John was also among the group of friends. Jesus said to his mother, “Dear Mother, John will look after you like a son.” He said to John, “Please look after my mother.” And from that day, Mary lived in John’s house. Jesus hung on the cross for many hours. At noon, the sky turned dark. It stayed dark for three hours. Then Jesus cried out, “Father, I give my life to you.” And then he died. Some of Jesus’ friends were watching from a distance. They were very sad. Matthew 26–27 Mark 14–15 Luke 22–23 John 18–19
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Jesus rises from the grave
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ne of Jesus’ followers was a rich man called Joseph of Arimathea. Pilate gave him Jesus’ body.
Joseph and his friend Nicodemus took Jesus’ body to a garden near Golgotha. They wrapped his body in clean linen cloths. Then they put him in a tomb that belonged to Joseph. The tomb had never been used before. It was cut out of the rock, like a cave. Joseph rolled a big stone in front of the entrance of the tomb. The day after Jesus died was the Sabbath day, so everyone stayed home. Early the next morning, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women went to the tomb. It was still dark, but Mary could see that the stone wasn’t in front of the entrance. Someone had moved the stone! Mary was frightened and ran back to the city. She said to Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him!” Peter and John ran to the tomb. John reached the tomb first but didn’t enter. When Peter arrived, they both went in and saw that Jesus wasn’t there. They only saw strips of linen, and the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head lay carefully folded, separate from the linen. They were sad because they didn’t understand that Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter and John went home again, but Mary stayed near the tomb. She was so sad that she began to cry. Then she looked into the tomb again and saw two angels sitting on the bench where Jesus’ body had been. They asked her, “Why are you crying?”
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“I don’t know where to find Jesus,” Mary answered. Then she turned around and saw a man standing there. She thought he was the gardener. The man asked her, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” “Sir, did you carry him away?” she asked. “Tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him.” Then the man said her name, and she recognised him. It was Jesus! Jesus told her, “Go to the disciples. Tell them that I have risen from the dead, and that I am going to ascend to my Father in heaven.” Mary was very happy. She had seen Jesus. He was alive! She went back to the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said. That same evening the disciples were all together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid. Suddenly Jesus stood there with them. “May peace be with you!” he said. Then he showed them his hands and his side. It was really Jesus. And he was alive! John 20
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Jesus ascends to heaven
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esus died on the cross, but on the third day he rose from the dead. The disciples saw him often, and he showed them that he really was alive. He spoke to them about God’s kingdom, and he also explained to them that he was going to leave them again. One day they were eating together when Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem to go back to your homes in Galilee. Stay here. Do you remember that I told you that I was going to send the Holy Spirit to you? Wait here because he is going to come to you. He will help you to follow me, and he will also teach you everything you need to know.” The disciples gathered around Jesus and asked, “Lord, are you going to be Israel’s king now?” Jesus said, “You must understand that God’s kingdom is not like a kingdom in this world. His kingdom is wherever he rules in people’s hearts. You are going to be part of his kingdom. That is why you have to wait here. You will need the Holy Spirit to help you. When he comes, you will not be afraid anymore. You will tell people about me, first of all here in Jerusalem, and then further away in Judea and Samaria. Later you will travel to faraway places to tell people about me. At last, after many, many years, everybody on Earth will know about me.” Jesus led his disciples to the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven. The apostles watched until a cloud hid him from their sight. As they were looking at the sky, two men dressed in white clothing suddenly stood beside them.
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“Why do you stand here looking at the sky?” they said. “Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back in the same way you saw him go.” The disciples were full of joy. Jesus had gone to heaven, but he was going to send the Holy Spirit to them. The Holy Spirit was always going to be with them, wherever they were. The disciples worshipped Jesus and then went back to Jerusalem. They knew something very good was going to happen. Luke 24:50–53 Acts 1:1–11
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The Holy Spirit comes
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fter Jesus had gone up to heaven, his followers went back to Jerusalem. Then they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.
The disciples came together regularly to pray. The women joined them, as well as Jesus’ mother Mary and his brothers. After a while there were about 120 people who regularly came to the room to pray. Peter said, “Let us choose a disciple to take the place of Judas, who betrayed Jesus.” They asked God to show them how to choose, and then they chose a man called Matthias to be the new twelfth disciple. He had followed Jesus right from the beginning and had always been with them. Jesus had been crucified on the first day of the feast of Passover. Fifty days later was the feast of Pentecost. On that day the Jews offered the first grain of the new season to the Lord. Jews from every country came to the feast, and there were many people in Jerusalem. On the day of the feast of Pentecost Jesus’ followers were in the room where they usually met, praying together and waiting for the Holy Spirit. Suddenly they heard a sound like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw something that looked like fire in the shape of tongues. The flames separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.
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A crowd soon gathered outside the house where the believers were. They wondered what was happening there. Suddenly they heard the men who were gathered in the house speaking to them in their own languages. They were amazed. They asked, “Aren’t all these people from Galilee? And yet we understand every word they say. How can they speak in our languages? What is going on?” But some of the people in the crowd started laughing. “They drank too much wine!” they said. Then Peter stood up and spoke to the crowd. He explained that God had sent his Spirit to them. That was why they were not afraid anymore. They knew that the Holy Spirit was with them, helping them and showing them what to do and what to say. It was a wonderful day! Acts 2
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The Beginning of the church
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n the day of the feast of Pentecost, the streets were packed with people from all over the world. Jesus’ followers were together in a house, praying and praising God. Suddenly the people outside heard a sound like a strong wind inside the house. It was the Holy Spirit coming to Jesus’ followers. A crowd gathered outside the house. Soon they heard the disciples speaking about the wonders of God in many languages. Then Peter began to speak to the crowd. He said, “What is happening here is not something new. The prophets of Israel spoke about it long ago. The prophet Joel said that God was going to pour his Spirit on everyone who believed in Jesus. And everyone who believed in Jesus, would be saved.” Then Peter told them about Jesus. God had sent Jesus to live among his people and he had done many miracles through Jesus. Jesus helped many people. Then he was betrayed and the Roman governor ordered him to be crucified. Jesus died on the cross. However, that was not the end. God raised him from the dead. He appeared to the disciples and to many other people before he went to heaven to be with God. Then God had sent his Holy Spirit to the believers. That was why the disciples were not afraid anymore. The Holy Spirit was in them.
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Many people were convinced that Peter was speaking the truth. They asked, “What should we do?” Peter replied, “Turn away from your sins and believe in Jesus. Be baptised in the name of Jesus. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” About 3 000 people accepted Peter’s words and they were baptised that very day. They were the very first church. Every day the believers met together in the temple courtyard. They praised God for his goodness. Their hearts were full of joy and they listened to everything the apostles taught. They often gathered together, and they ate and prayed together. They shared everything they had. They sold property and other things they owned and gave the money to the disciples to give to those in need. Everyone was amazed at what God was doing. They saw how the disciples healed people, just as Jesus had done. Everyone respected the believers. And every day the Lord added new members to their group. And that was how the church began. Acts 2
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Peter and John heal a beggar
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he new church was growing. More and more people began to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Their hearts were joyful and they loved meeting together. They often went to the temple to praise God. One afternoon Peter and John decided to go to the temple for the time of prayer. On their way they passed a beggar. This beggar could not walk. He had been like this from the day he was born. His friends used to carry him to one of the temple’s gates, the Beautiful Gate. There he sat and begged from the people who went to the temple. In the evenings his friends fetched him and took him home. The man saw Peter and John passing him to go to the temple. He called them and asked for money. Instead of throwing him a coin and going away as quickly as possible, Peter and John stopped and looked at the man. Peter said, “Look at us!” The man looked up at them, hoping that they would give him something. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold. But I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.”
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Then Peter took him by the right hand and slowly helped him up. Suddenly the man’s feet and ankles felt strong. He could stand! First the beggar stood up straight and tall for the first time in his life, and then he began to walk. He walked all on his own into the temple courtyard. Then he got so excited that he soon began jumping up and down and praising God. Everyone saw that the happy man was the beggar who used to sit at the gate, the one who could not walk. They were amazed at what had happened to him. What a wonderful thing God had done through his followers Peter and John! Everyone came running over to see this miracle, but Peter said, “You should not be surprised. God did this. He raised his Son Jesus from the dead. He can heal a beggar, too.” Acts 3
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Stephen dies because he believes in Jesus
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oon there were so many believers that the apostles could not take care of all of them. Some people did not get their share of food every day. The apostles gathered all the believers together and asked them to choose seven men to serve as deacons. They said, “These seven men must be wise and full of the Holy Spirit. They will then make sure that everyone gets their share of the food. And we will have time to pray and teach about God to the believers.” The people chose seven men and the apostles prayed for them and put their hands on them. One of the seven men was called Stephen. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He did many miracles among the people. Many people praised God for Stephen, but others were jealous. They hated him and began to spread lies. They said, “Stephen speaks evil things against Moses and against God.” The teachers of the law arrested Stephen and found witnesses who were willing to tell lies about Stephen. They said, “This man speaks against the temple and against the law.” The teachers of the law looked at Stephen while the witnesses were speaking. They saw that his face was shining like an angel’s face. The high priest asked him, “Are these people telling the truth?”
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Stephen stood up and began to speak to the people. He told them the story of the Israelites. He told how God had led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land. He also reminded them how they had often disobeyed God. This made the priests and teachers of the law very angry. They ground their teeth. Stephen did not even look at them. He looked up to heaven and said, “Look! I see heaven. I see Jesus standing at God’s right hand. He is God’s Son.” When the Sanhedrin heard this, they began to yell at the top of their voices. They all rushed at Stephen and dragged him out of the city. They began to throw stones at him to kill him. When the people began to take off their coats, they put them at the feet of a young man named Saul. He was a very clever young Pharisee and he hated the followers of Jesus. Stephen began to pray. He said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees. He cried out, “Lord! Please forgive them their sins.” And then he died. He was the first one of Jesus’ followers who died because he believed in Jesus. Acts 7:54–60
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A Man from Ethiopia becomes a follower
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fter Stephen was killed, the other believers were also attacked and treated badly. One of the worst attackers was Saul. He went from house to house to find the believers and arrest them. Many of the believers left Jerusalem and went to other towns. Now they could tell even more people about Jesus. The apostle Philip went to a city in the area of Samaria. Many people listened to him and saw the miracles he did. Philip healed many people, and people began to believe in Jesus. The city was full of joy. Then an angel told Philip to go south and to walk on the road through the desert between Jerusalem and Gaza. Philip obeyed the angel. On the way he met a man travelling in a chariot. He was an important man from Ethiopia. He worked for the queen of that country, and he had gone to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. He was now on his way back to Ethiopia. Philip saw that the man was reading. Then he heard the Holy Spirit speaking to him. “Go to that chariot. Stay near it,” he heard. Philip ran to the chariot. He heard the man reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip asked. “No!” the man said. “I wish someone could explain it to me.” He asked Philip to sit with him in the chariot. The man was reading about a man who was treated badly and then killed. He did not know that he was reading about Jesus. The important man asked Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about?”
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Philip explained that part of scripture to him and told him that it was about Jesus. Then he told him that Jesus had died on the cross and that his heavenly Father had raised him from the dead. As Philip spoke and the man listened, he became very happy. He wanted to become a follower of Jesus. Then they came to some water and the man said, “Look! Here is water! Why don’t you baptise me right here?” They stopped, and Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptised him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official did not see him again. But he went on his way full of joy. He had become a follower of Jesus. And Philip? He was seen next at a place called Azotus. From there he travelled all around the area, telling people about Jesus. More and more people were hearing the good news and becoming believers. Acts 8:26–40
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Saul becomes a follower of Jesus
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n Jerusalem Saul wanted to arrest the Lord Jesus’ followers. He thought they did not worship God in the right way. He went to the high priest and asked permission to arrest the Lord’s followers who had gone to Damascus. He wanted to get rid of all these people! On his way to Damascus something happened that changed Saul’s life. Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice that said, “Saul! Why are you against me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus,” he heard. “I am the one you are opposing. Now get up and go into the city. There, someone will tell you what to do.” The men who were travelling with Saul just stood there. They could not say a word. They had seen the light and heard the sound, but they did not know what was happening. At last Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes, but he could not see. The others had to take his hand and lead him to Damascus.
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Saul was blind. He stayed in his room for three days. He did not eat or drink anything. One of the believers in Damascus was called Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision. “Ananias!” he said. “Yes, Lord,” Ananias answered. The Lord said, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Ask for a man called Saul. He is praying. You must put your hands on him so that he can see again.” Ananias was afraid. He said, “Lord, I know about this man. He is your enemy. They say he wants to arrest everyone who believes in you.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Don’t be afraid! I have chosen this man to work for me. He will tell people in Israel and in faraway places about me.” Then Ananias went to the house and put his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “you saw the Lord Jesus on the road. He has sent me so that you will be able to see again. You will be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Right away Saul could see again. He also believed in Jesus and he was baptised. When Saul got his strength back, he spent the days with the believers in Damascus. Soon he began to preach in the synagogues. He said that Jesus was the Son of God. Everyone was amazed to hear that Jesus’ great enemy was now his follower. Acts 9
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Paul travels to spread the good news
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aul was also known as Paul, and is called Paul in the Bible. Paul travelled to many cities and countries to spread the good news that Jesus was the Saviour. A group of friends usually travelled with him. They had many adventures. Sometimes they were treated well, and at other times they were attacked or imprisoned. Sometimes they had to flee in the middle of the night. But always the Lord was with Paul and his friends. He kept them safe. When Paul was travelling through Greece on his second journey, he visited Athens with his friends Silas and Timothy. He was upset to see how many statues of gods there were in the city. Paul went to the synagogue first to talk to the Jews and all the other people there about Jesus. He told them that Jesus was the Saviour and urged them to believe in Jesus. Paul also visited the marketplace, where there were crowds of people. He spoke to everyone he met there. The Greeks loved to argue, and they had different groups who used to debate various topics. They became interested in Paul’s words, and took him to the Areopagus, a hill where they used to meet to discuss and talk about things. They said, “Please explain the strange things that you are talking about. We have never heard anything like this before!”
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Paul began by telling them about the Lord God who made the world and everything in it. He gives life to everything on Earth and he does not live in temples. He is not a statue. He is almighty and all-powerful, but he loves people and wants them to believe in him. God also raised his Son, Jesus, from the dead. Some of the people listening to Paul believed his words and became followers of Jesus. Others did not believe at all. They laughed at Paul. Those who believed became followers of Jesus and started a church. Paul taught them about Jesus and how to follow him. Then he left and went to Corinth, another important city in Greece. This was Paul’s life, travelling from one place to the next. In every city he also worked so that he could earn enough money to keep on travelling. He was a tentmaker, and wherever he came he repaired people’s tents. He got to know many people in this way. Paul also wrote many letters to the new believers he left behind in the cities. Many of those letters were kept and became part of the New Testament. Acts 17
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The Lord’s Prayer Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9—11
Prayer to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, the one who has the power to forgive my sins. You love me so much that you died on the cross for me and for the whole world. I have sinned and done many wrong things. Please forgive me for all that I have done that has hurt you and other people. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Saviour. Please take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and for answering my prayer.
Copyright © 2023 Christian Media Publishing Christian Media Publishing P.O. Box 3228, Matieland Post Office, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa www.christianmediapublishing.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means – electronically or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the publisher. Reg no 2010/008573/07 The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-11 taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Author: Thea Brink Illustrations: Chris Venter Layout: Zelda Botha
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THE STORY OF JESUS
The stories about Jesus are brought to life in this beautiful book from the Classical Children’s Bible series. In the classical tradition the stories are told in a style that is true to the Bible. Each of the illustrations is a work of art that will bring great joy to the reader.
