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posted on Mar, 8 2005 @ 04:18 AM
Text describing over all goal/s of project.
To prove that jesus was either a man, or, god manifested. That he was crucified, when and where he was crucified? Why he called himself the son of man, and not the son of God? If he rose up 3 days after his death? What was the star of Bethlehem? Was he born of a virgin birth? Was he really born in a stable? If he will return again and when he will return? I will attempt to answer these questions and more.

Reason/s and intention/s of project.

This is my first time doing this as Team Leader, so bare with me.
Most Important questions.
1.Who was Jesus?
2 Background--Gather all the background you can find on Jesus and try to prove or disprove it.
3. Set out all the known knowledge known about Jesus and what he did in chronological order!
4. Try to find out where he was at during the missing years!
5. Find out how many things Jesus said, have come to pass, and have not.
6. Do research to see if Jesus was a man, or God?
7. Find out if he indeed was the one crucified on the cross.
8. Find out about his brothers and sisters.
9 Find out if he will come again as foretold, or, evidence that he won't.
10. Find all the parrables Jesus has said, and understand what they say.
11. Find out if Jesus had a relationship with Mary Magdeline. or not.

Anything else you can come up with will be great. A team leader, I am looking for members to help me out with this research project,

Shaylene -TL
mindwalker -
Croat56 -

[edit on 10-3-2005 by ADVISOR]

posted on Mar, 8 2005 @ 02:27 PM
I am very thrilled to start this research. I hope to prove or make some headway into the mystery that surrounds who Jesus was, where he came from, did he die for us, and will he come again. I hope to do this through evidence, using my knowledge and the scriptures, and the help of the members involved in this project!

Every man woman and child has heard of Jesus Christ and God, whether it be in a church, or reading about him/them from the bible.Many people are skeptical of Jesus and the virgin birth. This project is to help you and I understand the life of Jesus, and increase our knowledge on the subject of whether he was a man, or, a God, or both! This project is to help you understand the questions you may have about Jesus and God.

The Jesus Project!


~To help give others information that will help them with their questions about who Jesus really was, the virgin birth, if Jesus was a man, a God, or both.
~If he was the one who was actually crucified for all of us and if he will return again and to inform you about Jesus and the missing years.


~Was Jesus a Man?

~Was he God,Jesus and man?

- We will attempt to examine all documents about Jesus, his teachings, and his life..

- The Pro and Con of this project.

- We will try to give you witnessess who have seen Jesus in the flesh, when he first came, and the miracles he performed.

~ We will try to re-enact his crucification.

` Where the star of Bethlehem is located, and what it had to do with His birth.

~ To make discoveries about who his brothers and sisters were.

~ To create a timeline of the life of Jesus.

~ We will explore why Christians believe in 3 Gods.

~ Why are the manuscripts of the New Testament in Greek when Jesus spoke Aramaic?

~ We will try to establish on what day Jesus was really born.

~We will determine at the end of this project if Jesus is really a God, or, a myth.

Anyone who wants to participate in this research project should U2U ADVISOR to recieve a "scholar" status if you do not have one already. If you have one, U2U me and I will assign you a task to do. Do not add on to this research project without U2U'ing me first.

[edit on 8-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 01:33 AM

Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?

Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic--or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If he were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? He said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.

Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.




He claimed to live a sinless life

Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God's nature and ask, "Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?" Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus.




He claimed to be the ONLY way to God

Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.





He claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven



This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.


He claimed to be able to forgive sins

One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people's sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.




He claimed to be a Heavenly king

Luke 22:69 "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."




He claimed to be able to give everlasting life

He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.






He claimed that he would die and come back to life


John 12:32-33 "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."




He claimed that he would return again to judge the world

Matthew 24:27-30 "So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."


Mark 14:61-62 "Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"

Jesus clearly claimed to be both God and Messiah.

[edit on 9-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

[edit on 9-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 01:47 AM
Jesus had various credentials to support His claims to being Messiah, God's son. One credential often overlooked, one of the most profound, is the fulfillment of prophecy in His life.Over and over again Jesus appealed to the prophecies of the Old Testament to substantiate His claims as the Messiah. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law." Here we have reference to the prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to them,
"These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44). He said, "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me" (John 5:46). He also said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day" (John 8:56).
The apostles, the New Testament writers, etc., constantly appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate the claims of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah.
But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled (Acts 3:18).
And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures [meaning the Old Testaments], explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" (Acts 17:2,3).
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures [in other words, Christ's death was prophesied in the Old Testament], and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
In the Old Testament there are sixty major messianic prophecies and approximately 270 ramifications that were fulfilled in one person, Jesus Christ. It is helpful to look at all these predictions fulfilled in Christ as His "address." You've probably never realized how important the details of you r name and address are -and yet these details set you apart from the five billion other people who also inhabit this planet.
An Address in History
With even greater detail, God wrote an address in history to single out His Son, the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, from anyone who has ever lived in history -past, present, or future. The specifics of this address can be found in the Old Testament, a document written over a period of a thousand years, which contains more than three hundred references to His coming. Using the science of probability, we find the chances of just forty-eight of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person to be right at one in 10157 (a one followed by 157 zeros!).
The task of matching up God's address with one man is further complicated by the fact that all the prophecies of the Messiah were made at least 400 years before He was to appear. Some might disagree and say that these prophecies were written down after the time of Christ and fabricated to coincide with His life. This might sound feasible until you realize that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, was translated around 150-200 B.C. This Greek translation shows that there was at least a two-hundred-year gap between the prophecies being recorded and their fulfillment in Christ.
Certainly God was writing an address in history that only the Messiah could fulfill. Approximately forty major claims to be the Jewish Messiah have been made by men. Only one-Jesus Christ-appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate His claims, and only His credentials back up those claims.
To begin, we need to go way back to Genesis 3:15. Here we have the first messianic prophecy. In all of Scripture, only one man was "born of the seed of a woman" -all others are born of the seed of a man. Here is the one who will come into the world and undo the works of Satan ("bruise His head").
In Genesis 9 and 10 God narrowed the address down further. Noah had three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham. Today all of the nations of the world can be traced back to these three men. But in this passage, God effectively eliminated two-thirds of them from the line of Messiahship. The Messiah will come through the lineage of Shem.
Continuing on to the year 2000 B.C., we find God calling a man named Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. With Abraham, God became still more specific, stating that the Messiah will be one of his descendants (Genesis 12; 17; 22). All the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, but many of his descendants were eliminated when God selected his second son, Isaac (Genesis 17;21).
Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau, and God chose the line of Jacob (Genesis 28; 35:10-12; Numbers 24:17). Jacob had twelve sons, out of whom developed the twelve tribes of Israel. God singled out the tribe of Judah for Messiahship and eliminated 11/12ths of the Israelite tribes. And of all the family lines within Judah's tribe, the line of Jesse was the divine choice (Isaiah 11:1-5). One can see the probability of Jesus being the Messiah building.
Jesse had eight children and in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Jeremiah 23:5 God eliminated 7/8ths of Jesse's family line: We read that God's man will not only be of the seed of a woman, the lineage of Shem, the race of the Jews, the line of Isaac, the line of Jacob, the tribe of Judah, but that He will also be of the house of David.
A prophecy dating 1012 B.C. (Psalm 22:6-18; cf. Zechariah 12:10 and Galatians 3:13) also predicts that this man's hands and feet will be pierced (i.e., He will be crucified). This description was written eight hundred years before crucifixion began to be practiced by the Romans.
Isaiah 7:14 adds that this man will be born of a virgin -a natural birth of unnatural conception, a criterion beyond human planning and control. Several prophecies recorded in Isaiah and the psalms describe the social climate and response that God's man will encounter: His own people, the Jews, will reject Him and the Gentiles will believe in Him (Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; 49:6; 50:6; 52:53; 60:3; Psalms 22:7,8; 118:22). There will be a forerunner for Him (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1), a voice in the wilderness, one preparing the way before the Lord, a John the Baptist.
Thirty Pieces of Silver
Notice, too, the seven ramifications of a prophecy (Zechariah 11:11-13; cf. Psalm 41, Jeremiah 32:6-15, and Matthew 27:3-10) that narrows the drama down even further. Here God indicates the Messiah will be (1) betrayed, (2) by a friend, (3) for thirty pieces, (4) of silver, that will be (5) cast onto the floor, (6) of the Temple, and (7) used to buy a potter's field.
In Micah 5:2 God eliminated all the cities of the world and selected Bethlehem, with a population of less than a thousand, as the Messiah's birthplace.
Then through a series of prophecies He even defined the time sequence that would set His man apart. For example, Malachi 3:1 and four other Old Testament verses (Psalm 118:26; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 11:13; Haggai 2:7-9) require the Messiah to come while the Temple of Jerusalem is still standing. This is of great significance when we realize that the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and has not since been rebuilt.
The precise lineage; the place, time, and manner of birth; people's reactions; the betrayal; the manner of death. These are just a fraction of the hundreds of details that made up the address to identify God's Son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Objection: Such Fulfilled Prophecy Was Coincidental
"Why, you could find some of these prophecies fulfilled in Kennedy'. King, Nassar, etc." replies a critic. Yes, one could possibly find one or two prophecies fulfilled in other men, but not all 60 major prophecies and 270 ramifications. H. Harold Artzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, in the foreword of a book by Peter W. Stoner writes:
Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 17 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
Objection: Jesus Tried to Fulfill Prophecies

"Where is the Christ to be born?" "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet" (Matthew 2:5). The time of His coming. The manner of His birth. Betrayal by Judas and the betrayal price. The manner of His death. The people's reaction. The mocking and spitting, the staring. The casting of dice for His clothes. The non-tearing of His garment, etc. Half the prophecies are beyond His fulfillment. He couldn't work it out to be born of the seed of the woman, the lineage of Shem, the descendants of Abraham, etc. No wonder Jesus and the apostles appealed to fulfilled prophecy to substantiate His claim.
Why did God go to all this trouble? I believe He wanted Jesus Christ to have all the credentials He needed when He came into the world. Yet the most exciting thing about Jesus Christ is that He came to change lives. He alone proved the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that described His coming to be correct. He alone can fulfill the greatest prophecy of all for those who will accept it -the promise of new life: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:25-27). "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
What were people saying before he was born? Long before Jesus was born the Bible predicted his life and death.

What were people saying before he was born?

The Old Testament (the part of the Bible written before Jesus' birth) was completed in 450 B.C., hundreds of years before Jesus was born. A large number of prophecies were made in astonishing detail by many people throughout these books. In fact, fulfilled prophecy is one of the distinguishing marks of the Bible, authenticating it's claim to be the inspired Word of God.
For instance, the Old Testament indicated Jesus would be betrayed by someone he trusted, "Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who has shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9). The New Testament, which records Jesus' life and resurrection, reveals that one of the 12 people Jesus chose to be part of his inner circle betrayed him, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them" (Mark 14:10).
More than 300 Messianic prophecies like this were made in the Old Testament and then fulfilled through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The chances of one person fulfilling a mere 8 of these prophecies are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. For one person to fulfill 48 of these prophecies, the number becomes staggering--1 chance in 10 to the 157th power (1 with 157 zeros after it). Add to that the 250 other prophecies and it becomes impossible for any other person except Jesus to ever fit that particular sequence of time and events. (For a more thorough discussion of Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, click here.)

~ So, long before Jesus Christ was born, his birth, and death were spoken of in the bible! Long before he was born. miracles Jesus would perform, were spoken of, written down, and done when Jesus came and walked on the earth and stood as a man.~


Descendant of Abraham
Genesis 18:18 "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." Acts 3:25 "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'"

Descendant of Isaac
Genesis 17:19 "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'" Matthew 1:2 "Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Descendant of Jacob
Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." Luke 3:34 "The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor."

Will descend from the tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." Luke 3:33 "The son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah."

Place of birth to be Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Matthew 2:1 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod..."

Will be born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Matthew 1:18 "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."

Infants will be slaughtered
Jeremiah 31:15 "This is what the Lord says: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.'" Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."

Will escape into Egypt as a child
Hoseah 11:1 "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." Matthew 2:14 "So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt."

Will minister in Galilee and along the Jordan River
Isaiah 9:1-2 "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan--The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:12-16 "Jesus...returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

He will be rejected by the Jewish people
Isaiah 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." John 1:11 "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."

Character of wisdom and understanding
Isaiah 11:2 "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Luke 2:52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

He will enter triumphantly into Jerusalem on a young donkey
Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." John 12:13-14 "They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna!' 'Blessed is the King of Israel!' Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written."

The time of his entry prophesied to the very day
Daniel 9:25-26 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Annointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two 'sevens' the Annointed One will be cut off and will have nothing." This prophesy refers to weeks of years, or 483 biblical years. Beginning with the exact day on which Persian King Artaxerxes gave the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (March 5, 444BC), exactly 173,880 days later--Palm Sunday, March 30, AD33--Christ rode into Jerusalem the week before he was 'cut off' (crucified). This is the precise number of days spanning 483 biblical years, which were then measured as 12 months of 30 days each.1

Betrayed by a close friend
Psalm 41:9 "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." Mark 14:10 "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them."

He will be sold for thirty pieces of silver
Zechariah 11:12 "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.' So they paid me thirty pieces of silver." Matthew 26:15 "And asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver."

Money returned and used to buy potter's field
Zechariah 11:13 "And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter." Matthew 27:6-7 "The chief priests picked up the coins and said, 'It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners."

Silent when accused during his trial
Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Matthew 26:62-63 "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.'"

He will suffer for others
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Matthew 8:16-17 "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.'"

He will be crucified with sinners
Isaiah 53:12 "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Matthew 27:38 "Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left."

His hands and feet will be pierced
Psalm 22:16 "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." John 20:27 "Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'"

Will be mocked and insulted by the people
Psalm 22:6-8 "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 'He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'" Matthew 27:39-40 "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'"

Will be given gall and vinegar to drink
Psalm 69:21 "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." John 19:29 "A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips."

His side will be pierced with a spear
Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." John 19:34 "Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water."

Soldiers will cast lots for his clothing
Psalm 22:18 "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." Mark 15:24 "And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get."

Not a bone of his body will be broken
Psalm 34: 20 "He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." John 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs."

Will be buried in a rich man's tomb

He will be resurrected after his death
Psalm 16:10 "Because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Matthew 28:9 "Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him."

He will ascend into heaven
Psalm 68:18 "When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious--that you, O Lord God, might dwell there." Luke 24:50-51 "When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven."

1 These dates are based on accepted research by a number of recognized Bible scholars, but all historical dates of antiquity are open to some debate. For a more detailed examination of this information click here.

[edit on 9-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

[edit on 9-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 09:47 PM
The Timeline of Jesus Christ.

YEAR : c.6/5 B.C.

Jesus was born to Mary in the town of Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus was not the son of Joseph in the ordinary sense as Mary and Joseph had not consumated their relationship, he was miraculously conceived through God.This is why Christians state that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born to the Virgin Mary.

Matthew 1:18-25 (King James Version)









Luke 1:1-7 (King James Version)

Luke 1







In nearby fields a group of shepherds were tending their sheep when they were visited by an angel who announced to them the birth of Jesus Christ and where they could find him. With angels singing in the sky the shepherds were told "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men".
The shephards made their way to the stable to see the baby. After seeing him the shepherds made their way back to the fields to tend their sheep singing the lords praises and telling everyone what they had seen

Luke 2:8-20 (King James Version)














Eight days later, after Jesus had been circumcised, Mary and Joseph took the baby to Jerusalem to present him to God inside the temple. On the way they met a man by the name of Simeon. Simeon had been watching and waiting the the arrival of the Messiah. He picked up baby Jesus and he knew his prayers had been answered and said "Oh Lord, my eyes have seen your salvation".

Luke 2:21-40 (King James Version)










30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;










Travelling from Persia a group of Maji arrived in Jerusalem and asked "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him". A troubled King Herod on hearing this news summoned the Maji to his palace and asked them about the star and this King they were looking for. The Maji explained to Herod that the star represented the birth of the King of the Jews.
King Herod told the Maji to go to Bethlehem and bring him this King of the Jews so he to could worship him, however his intentions were not to worhip him but to kill him.
The Maji arrived in Bethlehem and found baby Jesus, they knelt before him and offered him gifts. When they left Bethlehem the Maji did not return to Jerusalem as God had told them in a dream of Herod's intention.
An angered Herod ordered that every baby in Bethlehem should be killed.
That night, in a dream, God spoke to Joseph and told him to take Mary and the baby to Egypt where they would be safe, so at dawn Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus headed south to Egypt.

Matthew 2 (King James Version)

Matthew 2
















17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,







YEAR : c.A.D.7/8

At the age of 12 Jesus went to Jerusalem with his parents after the feast of passover. Mary and Joseph had been heading back home when they found that Jesus was not with them so they returned to Jerusalem to find him. Three days had passed when they found him sitting in the temple amongst doctors in conversation with them. Jesus returned with his parents to Nazareth but all who had heard him asking and answering questions were astounded.

Luke 2 (King James Version)










50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.



YEAR : c.A.D.26

At around 30 years of age Jesus headed south to the river Jordan to be baptized by a new prophet named John. John saw Jesus and was reluctant to baptize as he knew he was the son of God and had no need to be forgiven of sins as he was sinless. Seeing John's reluctance Jesus told him it had to be done to fulfill all righteousness, so Jesus was baptized by John.
When Jesus came up out of the water the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the voice of God spoke from heaven and said "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased".
This event marked a new beginning for Jesus. He started travelling, teaching, healing and gathering a group of followers.

Matthew 3:13-17 (King James Version)






Mark 1:9-11 (King James Version)




Luke 3:21-23 (King James Version)




John 1:29-39 (King James Version)












Following his baptism the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness where, after forty days and forty nights of fasting, he was tempted by the devil.

Matthew 4:1-11 (King James Version)

Matthew 4











Mark 1:12-13 (King James Version)

12And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.


Luke 4:1-13 (King James Version)

Luke 4






7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.







Mary was attending a wedding in Cana, Galilee. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. Mary said to Jesus that ther was no wine and Jesus said to fill the six waterpots with water, Mary had instructed those in charge to obey what Jesus tells them. The master in charge of the festivities was asked to taste the water and he proclaimed it tasted of wine.
This was the first miracle performed by Jesus.

John 2:1-11 (King James Version)

John 2








9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: but the servants which drew the water knew the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,



YEAR : A.D.27

Jesus and his disciples had entered Jerusalem and seeing that the temple was being used for buying and selling instead of being used for worship and prayer. Jesus made a whip out of chord and began driving all the animals out, he also turned over all the tables scattering money everywhere.

John 2:14-22 (King James Version)








21But he spake of the temple of his body.


Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to see Jesus at night and said "we know you are a teacher who has come from God for noone could perform the miracles you perform without God being with him". In reply Jesus declares" noone can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again". Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and don't understand these things? Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God".

John 3:1-21 (King James Version)

John 3





















On his journey Jesus came to the town of Sychar which is in Samaria, feeling tired he sat by a well. A Samaritan women came along and Jesus asks her to get him a drink. She replies why is a Jew asking a Samaritan for a drink ? Jesus says to the women "if you knew who was asking for a drink you would be begging him for living water". The women asks Jesus for a bucket so she can get him some water, Jesus replies "it is not what you are going to give me, those who have the living water willnever be thirsty again". She replies "give some of that waterso I do not have to keep coming back here ", to which Jesus says "go and get your husband and you will have some", "I have no husband " says the women", "no you have five and the man you live with is not one of them" replies Jesus. The women says to Jesus "If you are a prophet why do we have to go to Jerusalem to worship instead of this mountain where our ancestors worshipped". Jesus says to her "Samaritans have no real understanding of what they are doing in their worship and, in the end, they will have to follow the Jewish line of thought and understanding that God is spirit and those who worship him will do so in spirit and in truth". The women tells Jesus that she knows God will anoint a Messiah who will teach these things to which Jesus tells her that he is the Messiah. The woman picks up her jar and goes back into the town and does exactly what Jesus wants. She tells all she meets that here is a man in their town who knows as much about her as she knows about herself, and she tells them to come and see him to make up their own minds about him, and to tell her if they think that he could be God's Messiah.

John 4:5-42 (King James Version)





































41And many more believed because of his own word;


Jesus was once again in Cana, Galilee, where there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 'Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,' Jesus told him, 'you will never believe.' The royal official said, 'Sir, come down before my child dies.' Jesus replied, 'You may go. Your son will live.' The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, 'The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.' Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live.' So he and all his household believed.

John 4:46-54 (King James Version)










Jesus returned to Nazareth and on the day of the sabbath went to the synagogue and stood up to read. Jesus claimed that He was the Messiah and the Savior about which the prophet Isaiah wrote seven hundred years earlier. However, the Jews who lived in Nazareth could not accept that this Jesus, who had grown up among them, was the Savior of the world sent from heaven! That is why they scorned Him, saying, "Is he not the son of Joseph?". Jesus warned the people of Nazareth not to despise the Messiah whom God had sent to them. But that only made them more angry.
The people of Nazareth then tried to kill Jesus, they took him out of the city and tried to throw him off a cliff. But they could not do it, because the time appointed by God for Jesus to die had not yet come.

Luke 4:16-31 (King James Version)




19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.











30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,


Jesus was walking along the shore of lake Galilee when he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen and were casting their nets into the lake. Jesus said to them come with me and I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish. The two brothers dropped their nets and went with him. Jesus walked on and saw James and John, sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat fixing their nets, Jesus asked them to come with him and they left their father in the boat and joined Jesus.

Matthew 4:18-22 (King James Version)



20And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.



Mark 1:16-20 (King James Version)



18And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.



Luke 5:1-11 (King James Version)

Luke 5











Peter's mother in law was very sick in bed with a fever. Jesus was told of her sickness and he went to see her, he took hold of her hand and helped her get up, she had been healed. She had no effects of being ill and felt so good she prepared a meal. All the town heard of the healing and anyone who was sick came to Jesus and he healed them all.

Matthew 8:14-17 (King James Version)





Mark 1:29-34 (King James Version)





33And all the city was gathered together at the door.


Luke 4:38-41 (King James Version)





Jesus left the home of Peter and headed for a deserted place to pray. Peter, and others with him, found Jesus and told him that everyone was looking for him. Jesus said to them let us go into the next town were I can preach, for this is my mission. Jesus was begged not to leave the city but he said he must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities, this is why he was sent. Jesus went all round Galilee preaching and teaching in the synogues, and healing all their sicknesses and diseases. News of Jesus spread to Syria and all those who were sick and tormented by demons came to him and he healed them all. A great crowd had begun to follow Jesus, they came from Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

Luke 4:42-44 (King James Version)



44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Mark 1:35-39 (King James Version)


36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.




Matthew 4:23-25 (King James Version)




Jesus went to the seaside and as he was walking along the shore he continued to teach the crowds that followed him. Jesus passed a man named Matthew, son Alphaeus, and said to him follow me. Matthew stood up left his business and followed Jesus.

Matthew 9:9-13 (King James Version)






Mark 2:13-17 (King James Version)






Luke 5:27-32 (King James Version)


28And he left all, rose up, and followed him.





YEAR : A.D. 28

Jesus went into the mountains to pray to God and he continued to pray all through the night. In the morning he gathered his disciples together and named the ones he wanted to continue following him.

Simon, who is called Peter
Andrew, brother of Simon
James, son of Zebedee
John, brother of James
Thomas, also called Didymus
Matthew, also called Levi
James, son of Alphaeus
Simon the Cananaean
Judas Iscariot

Mark 3:13-19 (King James Version)




16And Simon he surnamed Peter;




Luke 6:12-15 (King James Version)





A great number of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem, and crowds from the sea coast of Tyre and Sydon gathered to be healed of their diseases and to listen to Jesus. When Jesus saw the masses he healed them all, then he went into the mountain and followed by his disciples began to preach.

Luke 6:20-49 (King James Version)

















36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.














Matthew 5-7:29 (King James Version)

Matthew 5

2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,


4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.


7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.










































Matthew 6










11Give us this day our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.







19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth


posted on Mar, 12 2005 @ 02:47 PM
This is some evidence on a few prophecies foretold before Jesus was born.

Evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

Reason 1
The prophets foretold the life of Jesus:

The Bible has several prophecies foretelling the life and mission of a Messiah, including that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, be a descendant of King David, suffer for the sins of others and bring salvation to people throughout the world. These prophecies were written long before Jesus was born. It is no surprise that Christians believe that Jesus fulfills these prophecies. But even non-Christians must admit that no other person in history has fulfilled these prophecies.
{ I think we know that this is true, it is in the bible, before Jesus was born}

Reason 2
The prophets indicated when the Messiah would appear:

The prophets Jeremiah and Daniel offer clues as to when the Messiah would appear. Both prophets lived during about 2600 years when the Babylonians invaded the Holy Land, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and forced many Jews into exile.

In Jeremiah 23:3-6, the prophet indicates that the Messiah would appear after the Jews returned from their exile. The Jews, however, were forced into exile a second time, by the Romans, about 1900 years ago. Jesus, however, announced that he was the Messiah after the return of Jews from Babylon and before the exile caused by the Romans.

In Daniel 9:24-27, the prophet indicates that the Messiah would appear sometime after the first destruction of the Temple and before the second destruction of the Temple. Jesus did indeed appear, and announce that he was the Messiah, during that interval.

If Jesus is not the Messiah, then who is? Is it possible that another Messiah appeared and no one noticed? Is it possible that the Messiah hasn’t appeared yet, but will in the future? If so, how are we to make sense of these two prophecies from Jeremiah and Daniel?
{This in my opinion cannot be just a coincidence, that these were right about a man not born yet.}

Reason 3
There is evidence all around us that Jesus is the Messiah that the Biblical prophets spoke of:

Some of the Bible’s Messianic prophecies speak of a worldwide impact of a Jewish Messiah. Isaiah 49:6 (NIV translation), for example, says, "I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." Is it merely a coincidence that Christianity, with its promise of salvation to anyone who accepts Jesus as their savior, was the first religion to be evangelized to people (Gentiles) all over the world?
{ This is also true, everyone knows the name of Jesus, and many lean on his name for strength.}
Reason 4
Jesus said His words would spread worldwide, and that His words would never be forgotten:


As quoted in Matthew 24:14, Jesus said that His teachings (the Gospel) would be preached throughout the world. And, the lessons of Jesus have been taught to people in every country. This feat was accomplished long before the worldwide availability of radio, television or the Internet. Can any other religious figure make this same claim? Has any other religious figure ever made such a claim? Jesus did make that claim. And Jesus’ claim has been fulfilled.
{ Very true. The most stolen book is the bible.In today's age, there is no corner of the world who has not heard of the gospels, and of his words.}
Reason 5
The fulfillment of some of Jesus’s prophecies can be seen today:

Jesus said that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed, that the destruction of the Temple would be so complete that not a single stone would be left on top of another, that the Jews would be forced out of their homeland and into all the nations of the world, and that the church would prevail despite intense persecution. With our own eyes, we today can see the evidence that these prophecies have been fulfilled.

In Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus says that the Temple would be destroyed and that not one stone would be left standing on top of another. Ancient historians have described the Temple as a massive stone structure. Josephus claimed that some of the stones were about 37-feet long, 12-feet high, and 18-feet wide. (In meters, that’s about 12-by-4-by-6). The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Temple’s destruction was so complete that today people can only speculate as to its precise location on the Temple mount in Jerusalem.

In Luke 21:24, Jesus says that Jerusalem would be destroyed and that the Jews would be taken as captives to all the nations. When the Romans destroyed the city in 70 AD and again 135 AD, many Jews were taken as slaves to different parts of the Roman Empire. Subsequent persecutions in those countries forced many Jews to seek new countries to live in. Eventually, the Jews were forcibly scattered throughout the world. Even today, the majority of Jews live outside of Israel.

In Matthew 16:17-18, Jesus tells Peter that even the gates of Hell will not overcome the church. Despite intense persecution during the first three centuries, Christianity became the first religion to spread to countries all over the world. Today, Christianity is the world’s largest religion. The church not only survived, it thrived to an extent unmatched by any other religion in history.

{ This has been proved( The temple's location is not known, and was destroyed and it's location is not known today) in history books}

Reason 6
Jesus prophesized His own death and resurrection:

In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus prophesized His own death and resurrection. Of course, a non-believer could argue that there is no physical evidence to prove that Jesus was resurrected. But, if Jesus had not been resurrected, then why did His followers continue to believe in Him? Certainly, there have been many false messiahs throughout history, but would any of them have been taken seriously if they had falsely prophesized their own resurrection?
{ His apostles, and Mary seen him after he rose up 3 days later, he showed them there was life after death adn that death was only a transformation of the body}
Reason 7
The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies after the crucifixion and death of Jesus:

Many of the Bible’s prophets, especially Moses, speak of destruction, desolation, exile, dispersion and persecution as punishments for turning away from God. And they also speak of the re-gathering and restoration that would take place after the punishments. Here are some specific details given by various prophets as to the things that would happen to the land and people of Israel:

1. Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed.
(See Micah 3:11-12)

2. The people of Israel would be exiled from their homeland.
(See Deuteronomy 4:25-30, 28:36-37)

3. Enemies would move into the land of Israel.
(See Leviticus 26:31-32)

4. The people of Israel would be scattered worldwide.

5. They would endure persecution worldwide.
(See Leviticus 26:33)

6. But they would be saved from total destruction.
(See Zechariah 8:13, and implied in Deuteronomy 4:25-30)

7. And the people who persecuted the people of Israel would be punished harshly.
(See Genesis 12:2-3 and Jeremiah 30:11)

8. And eventually the people of Israel would be re-gathered to their homeland.
(See Jeremiah 32:37-41, Deuteronomy 4:25-30)

9. And the land and people of Israel would undergo a restoration.
(See Deuteronomy 30:3-5, Isaiah 35:1-2, Amos 9:11-13)

All of these things happened. In fact, they happened twice:

The first time that this cycle of destruction and restoration began was more than 2500 years ago, when the Assyrians and Babylonians had invaded the Holy Land. Prophets, including Jeremiah and Ezekiel, explained that many of the people of the land had turned away from God and worshipped the false gods of their Gentile neighbors. And for this, Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed, and the people would be exiled, etc. The prophets said that the people would be punished because they had turned away from God. Later, many Jews returned and rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple.

The second time that this cycle began was about 2000 years ago, about 40 years after many people had rejected Jesus as the Messiah. The Romans utterly destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and forced Jews into an exile that eventually led to a worldwide dispersion. During the past few centuries, many Jews have returned and have re-established sovereignty for Israel. Jerusalem has been re-populated, but the Temple has not been rebuilt.

So why did this cycle of destruction and restoration begin the second time? The first time that it happened, the prophets said that it was because the people had turned away from God. So why did it happen the second time? We believe the reason is clear: Rejecting Jesus as the Son of God is the same as rejecting God.
{ all of this proves to me, that a man was foretold to be born, and that he would do many things, wonders and miracles, and it has been written down and recorded, for no-one writes down anything that is not important, this was history being written for us to know about a man called jesus who died for us.}

All of this makes me believe that the chances of these men being right are 1 in a trillion about the exact examples about who Jesus would be and what he would do.

[edit on 12-3-2005 by Shai_lene]

posted on Mar, 14 2005 @ 03:46 PM
As Catholics, we do not believe that our Lord, Jesus Christ, had blood brothers and sisters. Oftentimes, such articles as the one cited present a Protestant understanding of the life of our Lord. The problem arises from how one understands the texts of Sacred Scripture: In the New American Bible's English translation of the Gospel of St. Mark, we do indeed read about the crowd asking, "Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, a brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters our neighbors here?" (Mk 6:3). A similar reference occurs earlier in Mk 3:31 — "His mother and brothers arrived...." At first hearing, the words seem to state that Jesus did indeed have blood brothers and sisters. Someone with a fundamentalist or literalist bent toward sacred Scripture would make this conclusion. However, such a conclusion is contrary to not only a thorough understanding of Sacred Scripture but also sacred Tradition.

The problem emerges in understanding the meaning of the word brother. In the original text of the Gospel, we find the Greek word adelphos, meaning "brother," used. However, adelphos does not just mean blood brothers born of the same parents. Rather, adelphos was used to describe brothers not born of the same parents, like a half-brother or step-brother. The word also described other relationships like cousins, nephews, etc. For example, in Genesis 13:8 and 14:14-16, the word adelphos was used to describe the relationship between Abraham and Lot; however, these two men did not share a brother relationship, but one of uncle and nephew. Another instance is that of Laban, who was an adelphos to Jacob, not as a brother, but as an uncle. (In the New American translation, "kinsman" or "relative" will be used in these Old Testament cases; I do not know why this is not true in the English translation of the Gospel.)

The same understanding is true for the word sister. For example, in the Gospel, Mary of Clopas is called "the sister" of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Obviously, St. Ann and St. Joachim would not have named two daughters "Mary"; instead, the "sister" used here denotes a cousin relationship.

Actually this verbal confusion originates in Hebrew and Aramaic, the languages of most of the original Old Testament texts and of Christ. In these languages, no special word existed for cousin, nephew, half-brother, or step-brother; so they used the word brother or a circumlocution, such as in the case of a cousin, "the son of the brother of my father." When the Old Testament was translated into Greek and the New Testament written in Greek, the word adelphos was used to capture all of these meanings. So in each instance, we must examine the context in which the title is used. In all, the confusion arises in English because of the lack of distinct terms for relatives in the Hebrew and Aramaic, and the usage of the Greek adelphos to signify all of these relations.

Nevertheless, other Gospel passages clarify these relationships between James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. Note that the James here (i.e. James the Less) would be the one referred to by the inscription, who was the Bishop of Jerusalem and martyred. James the Less and Joses were the sons of Mary the wife of Clopas (Mk 15:40, Jn 19:25), and James the Less was also identified as "the son of Alphaeus" (Lk 6:15); here "Clopas" and "Alphaeus" are names traditionally said to identify the same man, just as "Jude" and "Thaddeus" refer to the same apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus. Judas and by extension Simon were the sons of James (not either of the apostles) (Lk 6:16). James the Greater and John were the sons of Zebedee with a mother other than our Blessed Mother Mary (Mt 20:20ff).

The Gospels are also very clear that Mary was a virgin at the time she conceived Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt 1:18-25, Lk 1:26-38). Remember when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary God's plan, she responded, "How can this be since I do not know man?" After the birth of our Lord, although the Gospels do not give us many details of His childhood, no mention is made of Mary and Joseph ever having other children. Never does it refer to the "sons of Mary" or "a son of Mary," but only the son of Mary.

This point is again corroborated at the crucifixion scene: Before He dies, our Lord says to Mary, "Woman, there is your son," and then to St. John, who is definitely not a blood brother, "There is your mother." According to Jewish law, the oldest son had the responsibility of caring for the widowed mother, and that responsibility would pass to the next oldest if anything happened to the first born son. By this time, St. Joseph has died. Since Jesus, the first born, had no "blood brother," He entrusted Mary to the care of St. John, the Beloved Disciple.

Interestingly, the Orthodox Churches solve this problem over brothers and sisters by speculating that St. Joseph was an elderly widower who had other children before he married Mary. Eusebius (d. AD 339) in his The History of the Church wrote, "Then there was James, who was known as the brother of the Lord; for he, too, was called Joseph’s son, and Joseph Christ’s father, though in fact the Virgin was his betrothed, and before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Ghost, as the inspired Gospel narrative tells us" (Book II, 1). These brothers and sisters would really then be half-brothers and half-sisters, but only by law, not by blood since Joseph was not the natural father of our Lord. This explanation is why St. Joseph sometimes appears elderly in paintings. Keep in mind there is no conclusive evidence to support this explanation.

Nevertheless, the Church has faithfully taught that Mary only gave birth to Jesus, whom she had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. About A.D. 380, Helvidius suggested that the "brethren" were the children born of Mary and Joseph after Jesus. St. Jerome (d. AD 420) declared this as a "novel, wicked, and daring affront to the faith of the whole world." In his On the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Mary, St. Jerome used both Scripture and the Fathers like Sts. Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus and Justin Martyr to refute Helvidius. Later, the First Lateran Council (649) definitively declared that Mary was "ever virgin and immaculate." Therefore, as Catholics, based on sacred Scripture and Tradition, we believe that Mary and Joseph had no other children and consequently that Jesus had no blood brothers and sisters.

Regarding the burial box or ossuary in question, in the recent edition of Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December), Andre Lemaire, one of the world’s leading epigraphers, also noted the following: First, the apostle James the Less was known as "James the Just" or "James the Righteous" and Jesus Himself was known as "Jesus of Nazareth" or "Jesus the Messiah"; these traditional identifications are not found on the ossuary. Second, the names of James, Joseph, and Jesus were fairly common among Jews at the time of our Lord, and have been found most frequently on similar burial boxes. However, how many burial boxes would have all three names? Lemaire noted, "When we take into account that this ‘James/Jacob, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus’ had a brother who was by this time well known and that the ‘James/Jacob, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus’ had a special relationship with his brother as the leader of the Jerusalem Church, it seems probable that this is the ossuary of the James in the New Testament. If so, this would also mean that we have here the first epigraphic mention — from about 63 C.E. [A.D.] of Jesus of Nazareth." While the conclusion may be probable, it is not conclusive. Moreover, one cannot conclude from this evidence that James is the blood brother of our Lord; rather, from the Scriptural evidence and the tradition of the Church, one can conclude that he is not.

[edit on 14/3/05 by Croat56]

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