Jesus Christ was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the central figure of Christianity. Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah (Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament. Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically, although the quest for the historical Jesus has produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely the Jesus portrayed in the Bible reflects the historical Jesus. Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently began his own ministry, preaching his message orally and often being referred to as rabbi. Jesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, engaged in hearings, taught in parables and gathered followers. He was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities turned over to the Roman government and was subsequently crucified on the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect. After his death, his followers believed he rose from the dead and the community they formed eventually became the early Church.

Birth Name

Jesus

Nickname

Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus of Galilee

Profession

Preacher and Religious Leader

Personal Life

Birthday / Date of Birth

Jesus was born on 4-6 B.C., in Bethlehem, Judea, Roman Empire.

Date of Death

30-33 A.D. Jerusalem, Judea, Roman Empire (Modern-day Palestine)

Age (Time of Death)

33-36 Years

Cause of Death

Crucifixion

Nationality

Roman

Religion

Judaism

Family Details

Father – Joseph

– Joseph Mother – Mary

– Mary Siblings – James, Joses (Joseph), Judas (Jude), Simon

Marital Status

Single

Professional Statistics

Controversy

Jesus refused to follow the authority of Roman Emperors but God. He claimed himself to be the King of the Jews. This way led him to his Crucifixion.

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jesus Christ

The name ‘Jesus’ is the English translation of the Greek name Iesua, meaning the life giver. This name has been mentioned in the Bible for more than 900 times.

Jesus did not have the last name. Christ is not his last name, but a title that means the anointed one.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was born to a virgin mother, Mary, through a Holy Spirit without any biological father.

John the Baptist was Jesus’s half-brother. Mother of John, Elizabeth, and Mother of Jesus, Mary were cousins.

According to some scholars, Jesus was not born on 25 December. His birthday is celebrated on this day because this day, Jews festival of Lights, called the Festival of Hanukkah started. Nobody really knows exactly when Jesus was born. Some scholars believe that Jesus may have been born in spring or summer. As per the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Modern day in Palestine).

Herod the Great, Roman client king of Judea, had ordered to kill all the newborn children in and around Bethlehem after the wise men failed to report back about Jesus’ birth to him. He feared that he might lose his throne to a newborn child named Jesus.

According to gospel of Matthew, Jesus’s father Joseph was a carpenter and for some years Jesus also adopted this profession.

Jesus was 30 years old when he started his ministry. That ministry lasted about 3.5 years.

Jesus fasted for 40 days and preached for 40 months.

The Sermon on the Mount is the longest speech and teaching of Jesus which is mentioned in the New Testament.

His first miracle occurred in a marriage party in Cana. He turned water into wine.

According to the gospels, Jesus showed 37 miracles.

Due to his miraculous powers, Jesus resurrected 3 persons from dead. The son of a widow in Nain, Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus. Jesus helped people in relieving physical pains and healing of the body.

5000 men were fed by Jesus’s miracles. It is the only miracle that is recorded in all four gospels.

Transfiguration of Jesus was an event and one of his Miracles. In this account, Jesus becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain with his three apostles.

According to some sources, Jesus could speak four languages: Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and one other.

According to the gospel of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was no-vegetarian, he enjoyed having fish and lamb.

To teach messages to the public for direct and lasting impact, he used parables often.

Jesus rejected the authority of the Roman Kings. Due to this, he was arrested and tried by Romans Authority. He was handed over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, finally, he was crucified.

The day of his crucifixion is celebrated as Good Friday and Resurrection of Jesus occurred on coming Sunday, is celebrated as Easter.

Before being crucified, Jesus had meal with his 12 Apostles (Disciples) and predicted that one of his apostles would betray him. At the time of Jesus’s arrest, three of his disciples betrayed him.

Jesus did not want to suffer and die, he did not want to face pain and agony. Before being arrested, he prayed to the Almighty in the garden of Gethsemane asking the God, ”My Father; if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.”

There are so many films have been made on the life of Jesus Christ: The Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus of Nazareth, The Passion of the Christ, Il Messia, etc. The Da Vinci Code is another film using the genealogy of Jesus Christ; starring Tom Hanks.