The Life of Christ

THE LIFE OF CHRIST

BRIAN J. BAILEY, Ph.D., D.D.

The Life of Christ

Version 2.3 (2023)

©1998 Dr. Brian J. Bailey

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©2002 Brian J. Bailey and licensors

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All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

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Acknowledgements

Editorial team: Carla B., Barbara F., Sarah B., Mary H., David K., Justin K., Lois K., Caroline T., and Suzanne Y.

We wish to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book would not have been possible. We are truly grateful for their diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this book for the glory of God.

Preface

When I felt that the Holy Spirit wanted me to write on the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, I had a sense of profound inadequacy. But the Holy Spirit has most graciously led me by a series of visions through the life and ministry of our Saviour here upon earth. Although I have rarely mentioned these visions in the text, nonetheless there is one that I would like to recount here in the Preface. I saw the Lord in white garments, seated on the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee looking out over the sea. His appearance was one of absolute beauty, grace, and youthfulness; His spirit, so very free.

From above, I felt the profound love of the Father for His dear Son, for it was as though I were contemplating Jesus through the eyes of the Father. I also felt the deep satisfaction that the Father experienced as He contemplated His Son. This vision produced in me an intense fervour and desire to bring joy in some small way to the Father as He observes my life.

This book is dedicated firstly to the beloved Holy Trinity, praying that They will be glorified through these pages. However, it is also presented with the prayer that you, beloved reader, will appreciate Their combined work of grace that brought Jesus to the Cross for our eternal salvation.

May this book enable you to appreciate the love of the Father who sent Jesus; Jesus who came willingly; and the Holy Spirit who enabled Jesus to live His matchless life of love, truth, and purity upon earth. God grant that this book may draw you closer to Them, and that you will live your life whole-heartedly and pleasing in Their sight. May God so bless you!

Brian J. Bailey

Introduction

The study of the life of Christ is accomplished primarily through studying the Gospels. It is difficult to determine at times which Scriptures parallel each other. As a result, certain divergences do occur in the harmony of the Gospels. There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four living creatures mentioned in Ezekiel 1:10 had the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. These four faces can be viewed as the various presentations of Christ in the four Gospels.

Matthew presents Christ as the lion, the King of the Jews. He took special care to delineate Christ’s royal lineage from King David, in order to prove His kingship and royalty. The Gospel of Matthew was written for the Jews.

Mark reveals Jesus as the ox. Oxen were used in Old Testament sacrifices. Christ is the High Priest of our faith who gave Himself as the ultimate sacrifice (Heb. 3:1). Mark gives a more dynamic revelation of the passion of Jesus than the other Gospel writers. Mark’s Gospel was written for the Romans.

In Luke’s Gospel we see Christ as the man. Luke emphasises Christ’s humanity as he reveals Him as the Son of Man. He wrote primarily to the Gentiles.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels (or the seeing Gospels), for they are eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. However, John’s Gospel, which is called the spiritual Gospel, is unique because it was written for an entirely different purpose. John’s Gospel reveals Christ as the eagle–the eagle that soars into heavenly places. The eagle speaks of Christ as the Son of God. John deals with the divinity of Christ more than any of the other Gospel writers.

The Gospel of John has greater revelation than the other Gospels. In his Gospel, there are the seven I AM’s of Christ, declarations that certify His deity. When the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses asked Him what His name was, and He replied, I AM that I AM (Ex. 3:14). Therefore, when Christ said, I AM, on several occasions in John’s Gospel, He was declaring that He is the pre-existent One, the Jehovah of the Old Testament.

The Application of the Life of Christ

Rather than merely looking at the life of Christ from a historical point of view, we must understand that the Lord wants us to experience His life. The life of Christ is a pattern for our lives. Remember, the Lord Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone from which we take all of the measurements for our spiritual life and walk (see Ephesians 2:20-21).

In John 1:32-33, we read that the Spirit came upon Christ when He was baptised and then remained upon Him for the duration of His ministry. Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure (Jn. 3:34). God wants us to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. Unless we understand His desire to fill His Last Day Church with the Spirit we will really miss the whole point of the life of Christ. The Lord Jesus clearly stated the reason He came in John 10:10, …I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The purpose of this study and the prayer of the author is that each one of us will begin to experience the life of Christ in a fresh way, and in so doing, we will come to know Him intimately.

PART I

CHRIST’S PRE-EXISTENCE

Chapter 1

CHRIST’S PRE-EXISTENCE

Before we look at the earthly life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must first consider the fact that Christ was pre-existent before He was born as a babe in the manger of Bethlehem. Christ has always existed as the Son of God. We must realise that He had no beginning, and He has no end. Paul says in Colossians 1:17 that He is before all things.

Christ Has No Beginning

Paul develops this in Hebrews 7:3, where he speaks of Melchizedec, who was without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever (NIV). Melchizedec, the king-priest, had no beginning of days. By this, Paul meant that his kingship and priesthood were not traced back to his genealogy or birth. Neither did this man, who is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest, have end of life.

In other words, his ministry continued into eternity and did not consummate at death. This man was made like unto the Son of God. Christ literally had no beginning of days because He has always existed. The Lord says in Isaiah 57:15 that He inhabits eternity.

Christ Is Eternally the Same

Christ is eternally the same; He never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 says, Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Yesterday refers basically to the days prior to His manifestation as a babe in Bethlehem. Today speaks of our days, the Church Age. Forever, of course, refers to His millennial reign upon the earth and for all of eternity in the new heavens and new earth.

Christ Has Always Existed

Micah 5:2 speaks clearly of Christ’s eternal activities: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [or origins] have been from of old, from everlasting. Christ was born as a babe in Bethlehem, but He existed prior to that event. His goings have been of old, from everlasting. The prophet Habakkuk said, Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? (Hab. 1:12). You see, Christ has always existed, but at a certain point in time He came to earth in His human form. Christ is the Lamb that was slain before the foundations of the world (Rev. 13:8).

Christ Existed Before the Creation

It is clear from the Holy Scriptures that Christ existed before the creation. John 1:1 poignantly declares, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Before time began, Christ already existed with God. In Proverbs 8, Christ is personified as wisdom. Christ is the wisdom of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:24, But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Christ possesses all wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3).

Christ, the personification and embodiment of wisdom, says in Proverbs 8:22-27: The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth. Christ also said in John 17:5, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Christ Is the Co-Creator

Another proof of Christ’s pre-existence is that He is the Co-Creator of the earth. Colossians 1:16-18 makes this very clear: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Paul says in Ephesians 3:9, And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. God the Father created all things by Jesus Christ. John 1:3 says of Christ, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. The heavens, the world, and the whole universe were made by Christ (Jn. 1:10). Along with God the Father, Christ was the Co-Creator of the whole universe and everything in it.

Christ Was Before Abraham

The Lord Jesus Christ said to the Jews in John 8:58, Before Abraham was, I AM. This saying of His, I AM, denotes eternal existence. Christ claimed existence prior to Abraham. In fact, Christ is the One who created Abraham. When God made mankind, He said, Let us make man in our image (Gen. 1:26). In actuality, it was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who created man.

Christ Is the Jehovah of the Old Testament

When Christ said to the Jews, Before Abraham was, I Am, He was declaring Himself to be the Jehovah of the Old Testament. The Jews understood what Christ was saying, and they sought to stone Him (Jn. 8:59). When Christ appeared to Moses at the burning bush, Moses asked Him what His name was. He replied, I AM THAT I AM, which is the meaning of Jehovah (Ex. 3:14).

When Christ used this title in John’s Gospel, He was declaring Himself to be Jehovah. Christ is the Son of God. It was Christ, not God the Father, who appeared to Moses and the other prophets in the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:4, And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

PART II

CHRIST’S BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS

Chapter 2

PRELIMINARY EVENTS

Now we are going to look at the Life of Christ as recorded in the four Gospels. In Part Two, we will consider His birth and early years. The first section will deal with the events leading up to Christ’s birth, including the birth of His forerunner, John the Baptist. Then we will consider the first 30 years of His life, which were, for the most part, hidden years. Although very little is recorded about Christ during these years, they were the time of preparation for His ministry and calling.

Before Christ came to the Jordan River to be anointed with power from God, there were 30 long, uneventful years of preparation. These were years of being hidden in the shadow of His Father’s hand. During this time, the Lord Jesus Christ was becoming the vessel that could be anointed by the Father and could manifest the power and glory of God. There is a very high price to pay to have God’s best and to have His glory. It was during these years that Christ was qualifying for His calling.

Before we go any further, we must note that the Gospels are not written sequentially. A great amount of effort is required to obtain the chronological order of the life of Christ. Therefore, we will switch back and forth between the four Gospels to give you the chronological sequence of events.

The Annunciation of the Birth of John to Zacharias

(Luke 1:5-25)

In Luke 1:5-7, we are introduced to the godly parents of John the Baptist: There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

In a time of great national apostasy, Zacharias and Elisabeth remained faithful and true to the Lord. Elisabeth and her husband were both of priestly descent. They had walked in the statutes of the Lord for many years and had been blameless, but they had been deprived of having children.

Elisabeth was barren. She is one of the seven women in the Word of God to experience the miracle birth of a son, along with Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Ruth, Manoah’s wife, and Hannah. It is very interesting that all of these barren women brought forth a notable son. Sarah brought forth Isaac. Rebecca brought forth Jacob. Rachel brought forth Joseph. Ruth brought forth Obed (lineage of David). Manoah’s wife brought forth Samson. Hannah brought forth Samuel, and Elisabeth brought forth John the Baptist. Barrenness in these women’s lives produced great fruit. In the same way, spiritual barrenness in the life of a believer produces great fruit. If you want fruit that abides, you must allow the Lord to take you through a time of barrenness and reproach.

Isaiah 54:1-3 says: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

If you want to produce a child like John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said, there is not a greater born of woman, you must be willing to go through spiritual barrenness.

In Luke 1:8-11, while Zacharias was offering incense at the altar, faithfully performing his God-ordained priestly duties, the angel Gabriel appeared to him standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

It seems that the right side of the altar would be the side that holds the candlestick. Entering the Holy Place from the Outer Court, the candlestick would be on the left side. However, entering the Holy Place from the opposite direction–the Holy of Holies–the candlestick would be on the right side. The candlestick speaks of the seven Spirits of the Lord, and the manifestations of the angels of the Lord. Thus this seems the more probable interpretation of the right side of the altar.

Gabriel said to Zacharias, …Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John (Lk. 1:13). The angel told him that he would have a son, and instructed Zacharias to call his name John.

It is interesting that both Jesus and His forerunner, John, were named by God before their birth. The Lord called Josiah by name nearly 300 years before he was born (1 Ki. 13:2), and named King Cyrus about 150 years before his birth (Isa. 44:27-28). Names have great significance–they signify one’s ministry and eternal purposes. John means grace or beloved of the Lord. John not only would bring joy to his parents by being a wise son, but many others would rejoice at his birth (Lk. 1:14).

Gabriel went on to say of John in Luke 1:15-17: For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

John was not Elijah, whom the Jews were expecting (Mt. 17:10), but he came in the spirit and power of Elijah to perform the ministry of Elijah. John’s ministry was to prepare the people to receive the Messiah.

The Jews misunderstood the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6, which reads: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Elijah and Moses will indeed come before the Lord’s Second Coming. However, John was sent as the Lord’s forerunner before His first advent.

It was essential for John the Baptist to come before Christ to prepare the way. John fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3, which says, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. This was John’s testimony of himself and of his ministry–he was one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord (Mt. 3:3).

In olden times, a king would never make a public appearance without having a herald first announce his coming. For instance, Elijah ran before the chariots of King Ahab about 40 kilometres, from Mount Carmel to Jezreel (1 Ki. 18:46). In much the same way, John ran before the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, announcing His coming in the power and spirit of Elijah the prophet.

As a King, Christ had to have a forerunner to announce His coming. The whole purpose of John’s life was to prepare the way for Jesus, and introduce Him to Israel. As we shall see later, John announced Jesus to the multitude by saying, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).

In Luke 1:18-23, we read that Zacharias responded to Gabriel with unbelief, because in the natural, it looked impossible for Elisabeth to have a child. The angel then told him that he would not be able to speak until the day his son was born. After Zacharias finished his time of ministry at the Temple in Jerusalem, he returned to his home in the hill country, which probably was not too far from Jerusalem (Lk. 1:39). As the word of the Lord had declared, Elisabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months (Lk. 1:24-25).

The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus to Mary

(Luke 1:26-38)

The next event was Gabriel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary. This event is recorded in Luke 1:26-38. We read in Luke 1:26-31: And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

The Lord Jesus was named from the womb, prior to conception. This is the fulfilment of Isaiah 49:1, which says, The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Christ was named with a purpose. His name revealed His calling and mission in life. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Joshua (cf. Heb. 4:8). Jesus means the Lord is salvation or Saviour. Matthew 1:21 makes this very clear: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. His calling was to be the Saviour of the human race, setting people free from the yoke and bondage of sin.

Gabriel went on to say in Luke 1:32-33, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. It was made very clear that Jesus was the Son of God, and therefore deity. When Christ returns, God will give Him the throne of His father David. Christ is the Davidic Messiah that was promised in the Old Testament. He will establish His throne in Jerusalem and reign over all the earth for 1,000 years. He will rule over the house of Jacob, and His rule and kingdom will last forever.

We see the response of the virgin Mary to this extraordinary promise in Luke 1:34: Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Gabriel replied, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Lk. 1:35).

The Incarnation took place by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was given a human body and nature, but at the same time He was still God. This may be difficult for our finite, carnal minds to comprehend, but remember, with God nothing is impossible (Lk. 1:37)!

The Incarnation

The birth of Jesus, called the Incarnation of God in man, occurred thusly. In the fullness of time, God spoke from His throne in heaven, saying, Whom shall I send, and who shall go for us? There was then a profound silence in heaven. Every creature in heaven wanted to respond, but none was able or worthy. Then arising from His throne situated at the right hand of the Majesty on High, the Son of God came and stood before His Father, saying, Here am I; send me, to which the Father said, Go. At that point, the Son started to descend from the pinnacle of heaven’s glory. As He went from one plain of glory to another, He progressively emptied Himself.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:7 that He made Himself of no reputation and emptied Himself of heaven’s glory. Finally leaving heaven, He descended to this earth, at which point the Son of God became a seed within the womb of the virgin Mary. This was the miracle of the Incarnation–the Son of God took on the nature of man by an act of the Holy Spirit.

Mary’s Visit to Elisabeth and the Song of Elisabeth

(Luke 1:39-45)

After the angel told Mary that her cousin (or relative) Elisabeth was six months pregnant, Mary went to visit her and stayed with her for three months (Lk. 1:56). When Mary greeted Elisabeth, John leaped for joy in Elisabeth’s womb because the mother of his Lord had come. Elisabeth blessed Mary and pronounced a blessing upon the Holy Child she would bear.

The Magnificat of Mary

(Luke 1:46-56)

In what is known as The Magnificat of Mary or Mary’s Song, Mary magnified the Lord and praised His name. She said in Luke 1:46-55: My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Mary remained with Elisabeth for about three months, and then returned to her own house.

The Birth of John the Baptist

(Luke 1:57-80)

When the time came for Elisabeth to deliver her child, there was great rejoicing among her neighbours. When he was circumcised, he was named John by his father Zacharias according to the word of the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:13. Then Zacharias prophesied concerning his son in Luke 1:76: And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. John would indeed come in the power of the prophet Elijah to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus to Joseph

(Matthew 1:18-25)

The next event that took place was Gabriel’s appearance to Joseph to inform him that Mary, his fiancée, as we would call her, would give birth to the Son of God. We read in Matthew 1:18-19: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph and Mary were not united in marriage at this time. They were still in the sacred year of betrothal or engagement. This year of engagement was legally binding in the Jewish culture; therefore, Joseph and Mary were considered already married at this time. The only way this engagement could be broken was if proof were provided that the spouse had been sexually unfaithful (Mt. 19:9). When Joseph realised that Mary was pregnant, he sought to cover what he assumed was her infidelity. Although he had every right to stone her, he was contemplating giving her a bill of divorce privately to avoid making a public shame of her. This is the action of a just and righteous man.

The righteous always seek to cover and not openly expose other people’s transgressions and failures. Yes, we must adhere to the laws of God, but remember, upon the tables of the law rested the Mercy Seat, signifying that God’s mercy is above His law. A truly righteous person is also a merciful person. Unless God clearly directs otherwise, we should always seek to cover people’s transgressions if at all possible.

Matthew 1:20-23 says: "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived