​The Christian Bible is made up of two parts. The first part, the Old Testament, is largely the same as the Hebrew Bible. The second part, the New Testament, is an account of the life and teachings of Jesus and of the early history of Christianity.

​The Birth of Jesus

​According to the Bible, Jesus was born in a small town called Bethlehem at the end of the first century BC. Jesus’ mother, Mary, was married to a carpenter named Joseph. But Christians believe God, not Joseph, was Jesus’ father.

​The Crucfixion

​As a teacher, Jesus drew many followers with his ideas. But at the same time, his teachings challenged the authority of political and religious leaders. According to the New Testament, they arrested Jesus while he was in Jerusalem in or around AD 30.

​Shortly after his arrest, the Romans tried and executed Jesus. He was killed by crucifixion, a type of execution in which a person was nailed to a cross.

​The Resurrection

According to Christian beliefs, Jesus rose from the dead and vanished from his tomb three days after he was crucified. Now, Christians refer to Jesus’ rise from the dead as the Resurrection.

Christians further believe that after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to some groups of his disciples , or followers. Jesus stayed with these disciples for the next 40 days, teaching them and giving them instructions about how to pass on his teachings. Then Jesus rose up into heaven.​

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​Early Christians believed that the Resurrection was a sign that Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God. Some people began to call him Jesus Christ, from the Greek word for Messiah, Christos. It is from this word that the words Christian and Christianity eventually developed.

​The Apostles

​The Apostles were 12 men whom Jesus chose to receive special teaching. During Jesus’ lifetime, they were among his closest followers and knew him very well. Jesus frequently sent the Apostles to spread his teachings. After the Resurrection, the Apostles continued this task.

​The Gospels

​Some of Jesus’ disciples wrote accounts of his life and teachings. These accounts are called the Gospels. Four Gospels are found in the New Testament of the Bible.

The Gospels were written by men known as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All the men’s accounts differ slightly from one another, but together they make up the best source we have on Jesus’ life.