Test Your Knowledge of Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus: The Central Figure of Christianity

• Jesus was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader who is the central figure of Christianity.

• Most Christians believe Jesus is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.

• Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically.

• Accounts of Jesus' life are contained in the Gospels, especially the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament.

• Christian theology includes the beliefs that Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary, performed miracles, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement for sin, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven.

• The world's most widely used calendar era is based on the approximate birthdate of Jesus.

• Jesus is also revered in the Baha'i faith, the Druze faith, Islam and Manichaeism.

• The word Christ was a title or office ("the Christ"), not a given name.

• The four canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the foremost sources for the life and message of Jesus.

• The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are similar in content, narrative arrangement, language and paragraph structure.

• Matthew and Luke each describe Jesus' birth, especially that Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary in Bethlehem in fulfillment of prophecy.

• Jesus' childhood home is identified in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew as the town of Nazareth in Galilee, where he lived with his family.Summary Title: The Life of Jesus in the Gospels

• The Gospel of James identifies Jesus' maternal grandparents as Joachim and Anne, while the Gospel of Luke states that Mary was related to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

• Jesus' family and neighbors initially reject him, but his mother and brothers attend a wedding where he performs his first miracle at her request. Later, she follows him to his crucifixion.

• Jesus is referred to as a "tektōn" in the Gospel of Mark, which traditionally means carpenter but could also include builders and craftsmen of various materials.

• Jesus is presented in the Temple in Jerusalem as a baby, where Simeon prophesies that he will be a "sign of contradiction", and at the age of twelve, he impresses the teachers with his understanding of scripture.

• Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit descends upon him. He is then tempted by Satan in the wilderness for forty days before beginning his ministry in Galilee.

• In his ministry, Jesus appoints twelve apostles and preaches extensively about the Kingdom of God, repentance, and adherence to Jewish law. He performs many miracles, including healings and nature miracles, and teaches through parables.

• Peter proclaims Jesus as the Messiah, and Jesus is transfigured before him and two other apostles. The last week of Jesus' life, known as Passion Week, includes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the Temple, and his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.The Life and Death of Jesus of Nazareth

• The Last Supper is the final meal shared by Jesus and his twelve apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion.

• During the meal, Jesus predicts that one of his apostles will betray him, and identifies Judas as the traitor.

• Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows the next morning.

• After the Last Supper, Jesus goes to the garden Gethsemane to pray, where he is betrayed by Judas and arrested by Roman soldiers and Temple guards.

• Jesus is tried by the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate, and is found guilty of blasphemy.

• Pilate allows the crowd to choose between releasing Jesus or a murderer named Barabbas, and the crowd chooses to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus.

• Jesus is crucified and buried in a tomb. On the third day, his tomb is found empty, and he appears to his followers in his resurrected body.

• Jesus ascends into Heaven forty days after his resurrection.

• After Jesus' death, his followers, known as Jewish Christians, spread his teachings orally, and later in written form.

• The New Testament's Acts of the Apostles and Epistle to the Galatians record that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and led by Peter, James, and John the Apostle.

• The historical accuracy of the Gospels has been questioned by scholars since the Enlightenment, leading to three separate scholarly quests for the historical Jesus.

• While there is widespread scholarly agreement on the existence of Jesus, the portraits of Jesus constructed by various scholars often differ from each other and from the image portrayed in the Gospels.Historical Jesus: Judea and Galilee in the 1st century, Hellenistic Judaism, the three prominent religious parties, and the Hebrew Bible. The Gospels as sources of information, and the use of criteria to judge the historicity of events. Early non-Christian sources that attest to the historical existence of Jesus. Chronology of Jesus' life, including estimates for his birth, ministry, and crucifixion. Jesus' family, including the death of Joseph and the doctrine of the virgin birth. Baptism as a historical fact and Jesus' ministry in Galilee, including his teachings, miracles, and choice of twelve disciples. Jesus' ethical teachings and apocalyptic message.