Questions tagged [life-of-jesus]

For questions about the life of Jesus, including his birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. Use [christology] for questions about his nature, his offices, and his relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

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How is Christ's death so significant?

(the question title isn't quite right; I welcome any better phrasing - it is not intended to sound inflammatory) This is a genuine question, that regularly occurred to me during my youth, and was ...
Marc Gravell's user avatar
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Does Jesus ever claim to be God, or the son of God?

While I understand there are many potential passages in the Bible of Jesus claiming to be a messiah (which I understand to mean "anointed"), a king, or one through whom it is necessary to know God, I'...
kinofrost's user avatar
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53 votes
6 answers
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What is the Biblical basis for the concept that Jesus spent time in Hell?

The Apostles Creed makes reference to Jesus descending into Hell. I have heard it claimed that His time spent in Hell was part of His redemptive work--in other words, that was necessary for Him to ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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41 votes
11 answers
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What do Christians mean by a "personal relationship" with Jesus?

When Christians talk about having a "personal relationship with Jesus," what does this mean?
Jon Schneider's user avatar
40 votes
5 answers
9k views

What is the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate?

In John 17:3 it says that Jesus called the Father the "only true God" and called himself sent by the Father. Also, in Matthew 4:10, Jesus himself says to: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him ...
Richard's user avatar
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Jesus predicts that some will not die until he comes in his kingdom, but did this occur? [closed]

Matthew 16:28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Mark 9:1 And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, ...
aceinthehole's user avatar
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38 votes
7 answers
15k views

To what extent does the Law of Moses still apply?

Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV) 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or ...
beatgammit's user avatar
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37 votes
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Why did Jesus not want to be known as the Messiah? [duplicate]

Jesus, when talking to his disciples in Matthew 16 specifically instructed them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:20 (NIV) Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone ...
Richard's user avatar
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37 votes
3 answers
3k views

What extrabiblical sources support the existence of Jesus in history?

What sources outside of the Bible give supporting evidence to the existence of Jesus and any of the events in His life?
Narnian's user avatar
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35 votes
2 answers
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Has any prominent theologian ever explained why Jesus let a thief be in charge of the money?

From John 12:4-6 we learn that Judas was a thief, but also that he was in charge of the money bag. I've always thought of this as Jesus way of allowing Judas to master it rather than be mastered by ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
33 votes
7 answers
3k views

In which year was Christ born?

This question is a spin-off from On which date was Christ born? There are differing views on the birth year of Christ, which also affect the dating of the resurrection (as we know Jesus's age on ...
StackExchange saddens dancek's user avatar
31 votes
5 answers
105k views

Why didn't the Jews understand "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani"?

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Some of those who stood there,...
Byzantine's user avatar
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30 votes
7 answers
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What is significant about the torn curtain? What about Jesus' death impressed the centurion at the cross? [closed]

When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom: Mark 15:38-39 (NIV) 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood ...
Richard's user avatar
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30 votes
8 answers
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Why is Christmas on December 25th?

Why was December 25th chosen as the day to celebrate Jesus' birth?
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28 votes
3 answers
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Why is Jesus' genealogy traced through Joseph?

Why is Jesus' genealogy in Matthew and Luke traced back to David through Joseph if Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit?
Jonathan's user avatar
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27 votes
9 answers
22k views

Why did Jesus wear the crown of thorns?

Right before his crucifixion, Jesus was made to carry his cross and to wear a crown of thorns. Why was he made to wear the crown of thorns?
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26 votes
4 answers
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What languages did Jesus speak?

As a young believer I was quickly turned on to the idea of learning some things about the "original languages" of the Bible. After all, how could you understand John 21:15-17 without ...
Jas 3.1's user avatar
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25 votes
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Why does Jesus refer to himself as the "Son of Man"?

Why does Jesus refer to himself as the "Son of Man"? This is similar to Why does Jesus speak of himself in the third person?, but I am specifically looking for an explanation of the "Son of Man" ...
Mike Pone's user avatar
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24 votes
7 answers
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Why did Jesus tell His disciples to buy a sword?

At the Last Supper, Luke records this dialogue: He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
23 votes
5 answers
80k views

Why did Jesus refer to Gentiles as dogs?

The passage below raises two questions in my mind but I suspect they both have the same answer. My questions are: Why did Jesus at first refuse to speak to the Canaanite woman? We know He had no ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
23 votes
6 answers
8k views

At what time of day was Jesus crucified?

Mark 15:25, 18 KJV And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. and And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! John 19:14-16 KJV And it was the preparation of the passover, and ...
The Freemason's user avatar
22 votes
6 answers
10k views

Were the Jews expecting the Messiah to suffer at all?

When Jesus spoke about his future suffering it did not seem to register properly. For example: (Matthew 16:22) Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall ...
Mike's user avatar
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21 votes
10 answers
55k views

Why does Jesus not want people to repent and be forgiven in Mark 4?

This is in response to the disciples asking why Jesus teaches in parables: He said to them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables, ...
aceinthehole's user avatar
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2 answers
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Is any of Jesus' carpentry still around?

Is there any of Jesus' carpentry still around or artifacts that people believe can be attributed to Jesus' work as a carpenter? Obviously this can't be answered with scripture alone. Since Google ...
LCIII's user avatar
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21 votes
2 answers
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Why (how) does Jesus' coat have no seam?

When Jesus is arrested and His captors take His clothes, they split them in four parts. However, His coat they did not split, as John records, "the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout....
dleyva3's user avatar
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19 votes
12 answers
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Why did Jesus use the expression, "very truly I tell you"?

I used to think nothing of it until someone said, "it makes you wonder what he was saying the rest of the time". Now I don't believe for one moment Jesus was a liar, but why did He use that strange ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
19 votes
3 answers
1k views

Which Christian denominations believe Jesus is buried in Japan?

The town of Shingo in Japan claims to be the burial site of Jesus of Nazareth: someone took his place on the cross, and he made his way to Japan, where he died. (Wikipedia.) Do, or did, any ...
msh210's user avatar
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19 votes
4 answers
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How could a loving, just, merciful God have created such an unfair test for humans?

According to the Bible, God is loving: 1 John 4 (NIV) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4 (NIV) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God ...
Jez's user avatar
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19 votes
3 answers
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Did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green? (Origin of the story)

William Blake's preface to Milton, commonly called Jerusalem and set to a famous hymn tune by Hubert Parry, questions whether the child Jesus might have visited England. And did those feet in ...
James T's user avatar
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19 votes
0 answers
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Why didn't Jesus allow demons to say he was God? [duplicate]

After Jesus cast out demons from possessed people, he made sure that these demons didn't reveal his true identity. Why? Example from Mar 1:24-25,34 (NIV): 24“What do you want with us, Jesus of ...
5StringRyan's user avatar
18 votes
10 answers
3k views

Would it have been possible for Jesus to sin? [closed]

I think most, if not all of us, agree that Jesus did not sin. However, the devil tempted Jesus, at least in the wilderness, prior to Jesus' public ministry (Matthew 4:1-11). Does this mean it would ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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18 votes
5 answers
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If Jesus was Emmanuel why was he named Yeshua?

It was foretold that a virgin shall give birth and the new born will be named Emmanuel then why was Jesus named "Yeshua". (Isaiah 7:10) Please explain...
Albert's user avatar
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18 votes
5 answers
25k views

"Let this cup pass from me" - What is the cup?

Matthew 26:39 (KJV) And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ...
Brian Koser's user avatar
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18 votes
2 answers
21k views

Will there be "new people" or reproduction in heaven or "the next life?" [closed]

I'm looking for a Biblical answer to this question: will there be any new people in heaven? An equivalent question: are the people created in this life (on Earth) the only people who will ever exist? ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
16k views

Why was it not necessary to break Jesus' legs during crucifixion?

Jesus was put to death by crucifixion, between two "real" criminals, on a Friday. Because the Jews wanted the execution to be over by the Sabbath, they had the Roman soldiers "speed up" the process ...
Tom Au's user avatar
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17 votes
9 answers
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How have Protestants explained how Jesus could be born of mankind and be sinless?

Very simple question really. If the sin of Adam is passed down through the generations, so that all of us are born with a sin nature, how can it be that Jesus was born of Mary (a human being), yet ...
Jeff B's user avatar
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17 votes
6 answers
21k views

Why did Jesus question God on the cross? [closed]

Jesus was sent to earth to die for our sins. He knew it when the time came but from this verse: "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that ...
Nok's user avatar
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17 votes
4 answers
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What was the specific trap being set for Jesus by the Pharisees in John 8?

In the story of the woman caught in adultery, John indicates that the question of the Pharisees was a "trap". 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered ...
Narnian's user avatar
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17 votes
2 answers
5k views

How do Protestants respond to the JW interpretation of John 14:28?

According to What Does the Bible Really Teach?, a Watchtower publication, pp.41–42: The only-begotton Son never even considered trying to be equal to his Father. The Bible clearly teaches that the ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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17 votes
6 answers
14k views

Where was Jesus during the period from His death to resurruction? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Did Jesus spend time in Hell between the crucifixion and resurrection? Jesus died and was raised from death on the third day. Where did Jesus go during the period from His ...
JoaoRodrigues's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
7k views

Why do some Christians object to images of Jesus?

Within some branches of Protestantism, many Christians believe that "images of Jesus" are sinful, and that Christians should not attempt to produce them. Some go so far as to say that they should be ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
36k views

Were the similarities between the miracles of Elisha and Jesus deliberate or simply coincidental?

I have often wondered if God deliberately intended for the miracles of Elisha to be a preview of the miracles our Savior would perform, as a way of verification of Jesus Deity. Elisha brought the ...
BYE's user avatar
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17 votes
5 answers
15k views

How could Jesus' audience hear Jesus without audio installation?

I am wondering, today we use microphones and large sound systems to amplify someone's speaking. How did they do that 2000 years ago? Jesus spoke outside regularly before large crowds of people. I ...
2pietjuh2's user avatar
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17 votes
2 answers
795 views

How common were blasphemy accusations and trials among the Jews during the time of Jesus?

I am curious if any critical scholarly work has attempted to study the frequency with which blasphemy accusations occurred within the Jewish community at the time of Jesus, and if possible, how many ...
Logan Baxter's user avatar
16 votes
10 answers
199k views

Where did Moses write about Jesus?

Jesus said that Moses wrote about Him: If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. John 5:46 Where did Moses write about Jesus? My thoughts were: And I will put enmity ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
12k views

If Jesus is "God's Only Son" then how can we all be God's children?

In the Apostle's creed it states that "I believe in Jesus Christ God's only son our Lord" (ELCA). But many Christians say that we're all God's children, which is contradictory. What does the Bible ...
Nels's user avatar
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16 votes
6 answers
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Why did Jesus physically throw out the money changers instead of winning the argument with reason?

When Jesus cleared the money changers from the Temple, he drove them out by overturning their tables and (in John) even using a whip. Why did he not try to remove them with persuasion, by making a ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
7k views

Why does the Messiah have to be God? [closed]

It seems to be incredibly important to numerous "brands" of Christianity that Jesus be God. So much so, that traditions that reject the deity of Christ are often dismissed as heretical by orthodox ...
Thomas Shields's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does Catholic doctrine teach that the Incarnation would have taken place regardless of Adam's decision?

In Catholic doctrine, both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition teach that Jesus Christ died specifically for the expiation of our sins. Historical Christianity professes that God became a man by way ...
user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
25k views

Why does Jesus speak of himself in the third person?

There are a number of places where Jesus refers to himself in the third person. The most common is when he uses the title 'Son of Man' (by my count, there are some 78 times Jesus uses that title in ...
Stephen McDaniel's user avatar

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