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John The Baptist, And Jesus | Bible Story

John The Baptist, And Jesus | Bible Story The people of Israel said that a strange wild man lived on the banks of the river Jordan. He wore a dress made of camel hair and tied it with a leather belt. He ate wild honey and locusts to live. They went to the river and found John, the son of Elizabeth. He was a cousin of Jesus. He called out to the people to repent for all their evil ways and wrong-doing. He asked them to confess their sins, and he baptized them with a dip in the Jordan as a token of washing away their sins. He said he would baptize them to prepare the path to salvation. That was possible only after their sins were washed away. I have come to tell you that someone who is mightier than I will come. “I am not fit to unlace

Jesus in Jerusalem | Bible Story

Jesus in Jerusalem | Bible Story It was the custom among the Israelites to go to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to celebrate the Passover at the Temple. When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary, too, decided to go with all the pilgrims from Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Passover. They worshipped at the temple and set off home after the feast. Jesus lingered on in Jerusalem, unknown to his parents. After a day’s journey, they suddenly realized that Jesus was not seen anywhere in the caravan they traveled with. Frightened, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. They searched for three days, and then, to their amazement, they found him sitting in the temple surrounded by learned men and scholars, discussing things, asking and answering questions. All the people seemed to be deeply impressed with his knowledge and understanding. Mary went up to him and admonished him,

Return to Nazareth | Bible Story

Return to Nazareth | Bible Story When Herod died, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream as promised and asked him to return to the land of his forefathers. Joseph was afraid of the new king, the son of Herod, so he thought it would be better to settle down somewhere far from Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The last time Jesus was taken to Jerusalem was when he was an infant. His parents had taken him there to present him to the Lord. A just and devout older man of Jerusalem named Simeon was touched by the Holy Spirit. He had been told that he would definitely see the Lord’s Christ before he died. When he saw the child with Mary and Joseph in the Temple, he came forward to bless him, for he recognized the Saviour. He told them their child had come to show people the right path

The Birth of John | Bible Story

The Birth of John | Bible Story Elizabeth gave birth to her son soon after Mary had returned. There was great rejoicing at the house of Zacharias and Elizabeth. On the eighth day, they were to name the baby. Names were suggested. Elizabeth said their child was to be named ‘John.’ When Zacharias was asked, he too wrote the name ‘John.’ And so, John was named. Immediately, Zacharias got back his voice and could speak again! The people who saw this were awe-struck! They wondered what kind of a child this was, for it seemed strange things were happening at his birth. Zacharias felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and raised his voice in praise of God. He said that God had visited his people and would now redeem them, saving them from their enemies as he had promised in his covenant, if the people of the land lived

Jesus Is Born | Jesus Story

Jesus Is Born | Jesus Story Joseph of Nazareth was a descendant of the house of David. He had heard about the angel’s visitation to Mary, whom he was betrothed. It was said that she would give birth to the Son of God. He wondered if it was right for him to marry her. He received his answer from an angel who came to him in a dream. The angel reassured him that he was right to marry Mary, who had received the grace of God and was blessed. The son should be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from sins. This was the fulfillment of an old prophecy. When Joseph awoke, he felt comforted. He married Mary and was very happy. The Roman Empire was ruled by Augustus Caesar. He wanted taxes to be collected from all the people, and people had to return to their places

The Three Wise Men of the East | Bible Story

The Three Wise Men of the East | Bible Story Three wise men traveled to Jerusalem from the East. They went to Herod, the king, and asked him, “Where is he who was born as the King of the Jews?” We came here to worship him after spotting his star in the East. Herod was very disturbed by this news. How could there be another king in his place? He called all the priests and advisers to consult them. One of them told him there was an old prophecy that the Saviour would be born in Bethlehem. When the three wise men learned this, they went to Bethlehem. There they found the beautiful child and gave him the three treasures they had brought as gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They had been warned by God in a dream not to return to Jerusalem with news about the child, as Herod

The Shepherds See the Light | Bible Story

The Shepherds See the Light | Bible Story On the outskirts of Jerusalem, some shepherds watched over their flocks of sheep at night. Suddenly, they were dazzled by a light that shone around them, and the voice of an angel spoke to them. Don’t be afraid! I bring you news of great joy! A Saviour who is Christ the Lord is born in the city of David tonight! You will find him in Bethlehem. You will recognize him, for he lies in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger! And the choir of angels sang: Glory be to God in the highest! And on earth, peace, and goodwill towards men! The shepherds looked at each other in wonder as the angels vanished. They wondered what to do as they were utterly taken aback. “We should go to Bethlehem and see if what they said has really happened,” said one of the

Mary Visits Elizabeth | Bible Story

Mary Visits Elizabeth | Bible Story Mary visited Elizabeth at her house in Judaea as soon as she could. As she entered Elizabeth’s house and greeted her, Elizabeth felt her baby moving within her. She thought that she was touched by the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth praised Mary for being the most blessed amongst women because she believed in God’s word and would see it be fulfilled in reality. She told her how her baby had responded inside her, hearing Mary’s voice! Mary was so happy that she sang the praises of the Lord: My soul encompasses the vision of God! He is my Saviour in whom I rejoice! I am the servant, blessed for generations, The one on whom fell His choice! A wonderful thing He did for me; May His Name always be Holy! For those who obey His love, He shows, And those too proud He destroys with

Mary Is Blessed | Bible Story

Mary Is Blessed | Bible Story Mary was a young cousin of Elizabeth who lived in Nazareth in Galilee. She was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of the family of David and Abraham. One day, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to give her his message. She found the resplendent angel in her humble hut, addressing her. “Hail, Mary!” said the angel. “You are highly favored, for the Lord is with you! You are the most blessed of women! Mary looked at the angel, troubled and anxious because she did not know how to address an angel or what one is supposed to say to an angel. “Do not be afraid!” Gabriel reassured her. “God is pleased with you.” You will have a son who will be great. Name him Jesus. He shall be the Son of God, and God will grant him the throne of David to rule

The Roman Empire | Bible Story

The Roman Empire | Bible Story It had been foretold that a Messiah from God would come to redeem the people. But no Messiah has appeared yet. It was a difficult time for people. Years went by. The Persian kings were driven out of Palestine, the holy land, by the Greek forces. An Israelite, Judas Maccabeus, revolted against the rulers and drove the Greeks out. But soon, the forces of the great Roman Empire invaded Palestine and took over Jerusalem. They set up their own government and religion. They found the worship of God by the Israelites very strange. One of the Roman generals, Pompey, walked into the Temple of Solomon and looked around for the one being worshipped. He was surprised, for there were no deities or idols there. The Roman Empire set up a king in Judaea. His duty was to collect taxes from the people and send

The Cart Driver and God | Aesop Fables

The Cart Driver and God | Aesop Fables Long ago, a man named Henry used to drive a laundry cart. He used to carry people’s goods from one place to another by filling them in his car. One day, as usual, he left with a heavy load in his car. It had rained that day, and the road was also bad, due to which he could not see the pothole on the road, and the wheel of his car got stuck in the mud. The man did not try to get the car’s wheel and sat there. He stared at the wheel stuck in the mud for a long time and then started crying loudly. After a while, he started remembering God and calling him for help. Hearing his compassionate call, God came to his aid. But seeing the condition of that man, he got very angry. He asked the

The Clever Fox | Aesop Fables

The Clever Fox | Aesop Fables Once upon a time, in a forest, a lion and a bear were hungry and wandering in search of prey. Then suddenly, they see a deer, and the lion and the bear jump on the deer together. After catching the deer, the eyes of the lion and the bear fall on their opponent. The lion tells the bear, “This is my prey; I have caught it; you go somewhere else and hunt.” After listening to him for a while, the bear gets angry and says, “If I have caught this deer, I will eat it.” The lion also gets angry with the bear’s words and jumps on the bear in anger; the bear also starts fighting with the lion. One, they were already hungry, and both of them got tired soon and fell while fighting. A fox watched the fight between the two silently