Jesus and his early ministry by Scandinavia

JESUS

and His Early Ministry

Contemporary Bible Series

JESUS and His Early Ministry Retold by Joy Melissa Jensen Published by Scandinavia Publishing House 2010 Drejervej 15,3 DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark E-mail: info@scanpublishing.dk Web: www.scanpublishing.dk Text copyright © Scandinavia Publishing House Illustrations copyright © Gustavo Mazali Design by Ben Alex Printed in China ISBN 978 87 7247 579 0 All rights reserved

JESUS

and His Early Ministry Retold for Children by Joy Melissa Jensen

scandinavia

Contents An Angel Visits Zechariah

Fishers of Men

6 Mary and Elizabeth 8 Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream 10 Jesus Is Born 12 The Shepherds 14 An Angel Visits Mary

Jesus Turns Water into Wine

40 Jesus and Nicodemus 42 The Water of Life 44 Believers in Jesus 46

28 30

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael

A Crippled Man Gets to Jesus

John Speaks About Jesus

The First Disciples

Jesus Heals an Officialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Son

50 The Son Speaks for God 52

20 Jesus in the Temple 22 John the Baptist 24

The Devil Tempts Jesus

The Power of the Son

Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus Is Baptized

Jesus Visits the Temple

King Herod Hears about Jesus The Three Wise Men

Jesus Will Return to the Father

Nicodemus Stands up for Jesus

Levi and the Dinner Guests

An Angel Visits Zechariah Luke 1:5-25

Zechariah was a priest from Judea. His wife was Elizabeth. They were both growing old, and the Lord had not given them any children. One day Zechariah was in the temple when he heard a voice say, “Don’t be afraid!” Zechariah looked up and saw an angel standing by the altar. “Your wife is going to have a son. He will be a special person. God is going to use his life to help people see the truth. Your son will also make parents more loving toward their children. Name him John.” Zechariah did not know what to think. “How can this be true? My wife and I are much too old to have any children,” he said to the angel.

“I am the angel Gabriel, and I speak the truth. I know you don’t believe me. But just wait and you’ll see the wonderful blessing God has in store for you.” Zechariah didn’t know what to think. He went home to his wife Elizabeth and told her about the angel. Elizabeth had no doubt that God would keep His promise. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said to herself. “I will finally get to be a mother.”

An Angel Visits Mary Luke 1:26-38

Then Gabriel went to the town of Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman named Mary. “Greetings,” he told her. “You are truly blessed!” But Mary was frightened. She didn’t know what the angel was talking about. “Don’t be afraid. The Lord is with you,” the angel said. “He has sent me to tell you that you will give birth to a son. He will be called the Son of God. And God will make him a king, just like his ancestor David. But his kingdom will never end.” “How can I have a child?” Mary asked him. “I’m not married.” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will give you your child. That’s why he will be called the Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is going to have a child. She thought she was too old. Nothing is impossible for God!” “I am God’s servant,” Mary said. “I will do whatever he wants.” Then the angel Gabriel left her.

Mary and Elizabeth Luke 1:39-45

Mary was excited. She ran all the way to Judea to find her relative Elizabeth. “I have heard the news! The Lord is blessing you with a baby,” Mary told her. “And the angel of the Lord has told me I will have a son, too. He will be the Son of God and his name will be Jesus.” At that moment Elizabeth felt her baby kick inside of her.

“My baby is moving—he’s rejoicing!” Elizabeth said. “He knows that God has blessed you and your son. You have been given a gift greater than any other woman.” Mary beamed with happiness. Elizabeth saw that Mary trusted in the Lord completely. “The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise. He knows that your faith is strong. I am thrilled that you have come to tell me this great news.”

Joseph’s Dream

That night while Joseph was in bed an angel came and spoke Mary was engaged to a carpenter to him. “Joseph,” the angel said, “it’s true that Mary’s baby will named Joseph. He was a good be the Son of God. But don’t call man, and she loved him very off your wedding. Marry her and much. But after the angel had raise the child together. His name told her about Jesus, she wasn’t will be Jesus, and he will save sure if they should marry each people from their sins.” other anymore. She talked it Joseph woke up and felt joy over with him, and they decided in his heart. He remembered to call off the wedding. Joseph his dream and told Mary. They didn’t want her to be unfaithful married each other with God’s in the eyes of God. blessing. Matthew 1:18-24

Jesus Is Born Luke 2:1-7

The Emperor of Rome had made a rule that everyone must list their families in record books. People had to register from their hometown. So Joseph left Nazareth and went to Bethlehem, the hometown of his ancestor King David. Mary came with him, and she was almost ready to have her baby.

By the time they arrived, it was dark, and they were tired. They went to the inn, but there was no room. So Joseph and Mary had to stay in a barn. It was a cozy place with animals and soft hay. That night Mary gave birth to Jesus. She wrapped him in cloths so he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be cold. Then she made a little bed of hay and laid Jesus down on it. Mary and Joseph admired him as he fell asleep. He was a beautiful child.

The Shepherds Luke 2:8-20

That night a few shepherds were out in the fields with their sheep. Suddenly the angel of the Lord came and showered them with light. They were frightened and hid their faces. “Don’t be afraid,” the angel said. “I have brought good news. Today in King David’s town a little baby has been born. He is Christ the Lord. Go and praise him. You’ll find him asleep on a bed of hay.” Then the angel of the Lord was joined by other angels all singing praises to God. “Peace on earth,” they sang. “Praise God in heaven!” Then they left and went back up to God.

The shepherds were left alone in the dark night. But the light still twinkled in their eyes. “Let’s go and see what the angel was talking about,” they said to each other. They went to Bethlehem and found Jesus asleep on the hay. “The angel said he is Christ the Lord,” the shepherds told Mary. Then they bowed down and worshiped the child. Mary listened to the shepherds and stored up their words like treasures in her heart. Then the shepherds left, but the whole way home they kept praising the Lord.

King Herod Hears about Jesus Matthew 2:1-6

The good news of Jesus’ birth spread into distant lands. Three wise men from the east traveled a long way to see him. They didn’t know where he was so they went to King Herod in Jerusalem. “Where can we find the child they call the king of the Jews?” they asked. “We are following his star and have come to worship him.” King Herod had never heard of Jesus before. But he started to worry. “So they call him a king,” he said to himself. “I thought I was the king.”

Then he called in his priests and holy men. “Where will the Messiah be born?” he asked them. “Your Majesty,” they answered, “the prophets wrote that he would be born in Bethlehem. They say that he will be a leader of Israel and lead the people like a shepherd to his flock.”

The Three Wise Men Matthew 2:7-12

King Herod sent for the three wise men. He told them, “Go to Bethlehem. Search for the child, and when you find him, come back and tell me. I want to go and worship him too.” The wise men agreed and left for Bethlehem. They followed the bright star until it stopped over the place where Jesus lived with Mary and Joseph. “Now we’ve finally arrived,” the wise men said. They were glad because they had been traveling a long time. When the wise men saw baby Jesus, they knelt down and laid gifts at his feet. They had brought gold, frankincense

and myrrh from their country in the east. They adored him and showered Jesus with their praises. That night while the three wise men were asleep, a voice spoke to them in their dreams. The voice told them not to go back to King Herod. So the three wise men returned home by a different road.

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