No Story More Powerful

Let’s Hear Your Story is all about sharing faith stories. Well, there is no story more powerful than the story of Jesus. So, for a Christmas episode I am sharing scripture that will take us thru the life of Jesus on earth. 

​Isaiah, a prophet in the Old Testament of the Bible prophesied the birth of Jesus, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
 
Some 700 years later, the Lord’s angel Gabriel appeared to a virgin girl named Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
 
And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)
 
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the baby, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived…Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (Luke 2:21-22)
 
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32)
 
Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. And He…was obedient and…increased in wisdom and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:39, 40, 51, 52)
 
And during this time a man named John the Baptist was preaching, “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7)
 
The very next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
 
And Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11)
 
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1, 13)
 
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people…People brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed the epileptics and the paralytics, and He healed them. (Matthew 4:23, 24)
 
During this time, Jesus called His disciples, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
 
Jesus continued to teach. “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures’ to eternal life. Which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.” (John 6:27)
 
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)
 
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
 
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)
 
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14)
 
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)
 
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
 
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1, 5)
 
One evening while eating with His disciples, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-27)
 
The disciples didn’t understand that the time was coming for Jesus to be arrested, but Jesus knew. Later He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)
 
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with the Roman soldiers: “the one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. (Matthew 26:48-50)
 
The soldiers took Jesus to Pilot. “What shall I do then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.  They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’ Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22, 23)
 
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. Then they led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:28-31)
 
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Matthew 27:37)
 
A band of evil men has encircled (Jesus), they pierced his hands and his feet…people stared and gloated over him. They divided his garments among them and cast lots for his clothing. (Psalm 22:16-18)
 
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32)
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 24:46)
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:51-53)
 
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54)
 
Joseph of Arimathea…went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body…he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. (Mark 15:43, 45, 46)
 
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 
(Luke 24:1-3)
 
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!” (Mark 16:5, 6)
 
Mary Magdalene came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple (John), the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:2)
 
So Peter and the other disciple (who was John) started for the tomb. Peter arrived and went into the tomb…Finally the other disciple…also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (John 20:3, 4, 8, 9)
 
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. As they approached the village to which they were going…they urged Him strongly, “Stay with us.” (Luke 24:15, 16, 28)
 
When Jesus was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. (Luke 24:30)
 
He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 
(Luke 24:27)
 
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19, 20)
 
Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44, 45)
 
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep…follow me!” (John 21:15, 16, 17, 19)
 
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded…But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30, 31)
 
And Jesus told the disciples, “As the Father has sent me (Jesus), I am sending you,” and with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven…Because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:21-23, 29)
 
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
 
“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15, 16)
 
When Jesus 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. (Luke 14:50-51)
 
Later Jesus appeared to John in a vision and told him “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17)
 
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:19, 20)
 
“I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16)
 
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
 
Finally, it is important to remember what Mary, the mother of Jesus, said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5)