Bible stories for children. Five short bible stories about strong women. Forgive and you will be forgiven

God created heaven and earth. The earth was not at first organized, and the Spirit of God hovered over it.

And so, in six days, God gave order to the earth. "Let there be light!" the Lord said. And it became light; And God called the light day, and the darkness night.

It was the first day.

On the second day He created the firmament and called the firmament heaven.

On the third day, God separated the water from the land. And seas, lakes, rivers and springs were formed. The earth, by the will of God, produced plants.

On the fourth day the Lord created the heavenly bodies; the sun began to shine in the sky during the day, and the moon and stars illuminate the world at night.

On the fifth day, God commanded that the water be filled with fish and that birds fly in the air above the earth.

On the sixth day He created the animals of the earth.

Finally, God said, "Let us make man in our image and likeness, and let him have the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and all the creatures that live on the earth."

And God created the first man, Adam. He created a body from the earth and breathed into it a rational and immortal soul. With this soul He distinguished him from the animals and made him like Himself.

But Adam was lonely, and the Lord God created a wife for him - Eve, so that she would be his friend and helper.

And the Lord God saw that everything that He had created in six days was beautiful.

On the seventh day, He rested from His labors, that is, He stopped creating, blessed this day and appointed it to be a day of rest and joy for people.

Having created the world, God began to take care of it. He constantly keeps it, and everything in it is done according to His holy will.

The life of the first people in paradise

God arranged a marvelous garden - paradise and settled Adam and Eve in it so that they would cultivate and store it.

In Paradise, rivers flowed and trees grew, on which fruits ripened beautiful and pleasant for food.

Two special trees grew in the middle of paradise. One was the tree of life, the other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Eating the fruits of the tree of life, people could live without knowing either sickness or death; about the second tree, God told the first man not to eat the fruits of this tree, because if he eats them, he will die.

The first people were blissful in paradise. All animals caressed them; they were not afraid of death, they did not know illness, grief, suffering, they did not know lies and deceit, and with all their hearts they loved God, who constantly cared for them and often appeared to them and talked with them.

First sin. The Savior's Promise. Exile from paradise

Before the creation of the world and everything that is in it, God created angels, invisible, like Himself.

At first, all the angels were kind, but then one of them did not want to obey God and taught others the same.

He began to be called the devil, that is, the slanderer, the seducer. The Lord deprived him of bliss and those who obeyed him. And so the devil envied the happiness of Adam and Eve and wanted to destroy them. He entered the serpent, and as Eve passed by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he asked:

– Is it true that God forbade you to eat the fruits of the trees of paradise?

Eva replied:

- The Lord allowed us to eat fruits from all the trees of the garden; only from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil He did not allow us to eat the fruit and said that if we do this, we will die.

“No, you will not die,” said the devil. - God knows that as soon as you taste them, you will become like gods yourself - and you will know good and evil.

Eve looked at the tree, the forbidden fruit especially pleased her now; she came, took the fruit and ate, then gave it to her husband, and he ate.

As soon as they did this, they immediately became scared and ashamed.

Until then, innocent as babies, they did not notice that they were naked, and were not ashamed of this, but, having sinned, covered themselves with leaves and hid among the trees.

Where are you, Adam? he called.

The Lord said:

Have you not eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?

Adam, instead of confessing his guilt and asking for forgiveness from God, answered:

“The wife you made for me gave me the fruit of this tree, and I ate.

The wife said:

“God, the serpent seduced me.

Then God cursed the serpent, and told Adam and Eve that as a punishment for disobedience, they would live in grief, suffering, hard work, and then die. But, out of His mercy, to comfort people, the Lord promised that later the Savior of the world would appear, Who would reconcile people with God and defeat the devil.

Having said this, the Lord God expelled Adam and Eve from paradise and placed an angel with a fiery sword to guard the path to the tree of life.

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain and Abel.

The eldest, Cain, cultivated the land; the youngest, Abel, was tending the sheep. Abel was distinguished by kindness and meekness; Cain was evil and envious. Once, both brothers wanted to sacrifice to God, that is, as a gift, what was best for them: Cain - from the fruits of the earth, Abel - the best sheep from his flock. Abel offered his sacrifice with a pure heart, with a feeling of ardent love, and his sacrifice was pleasing to God; Cain offered his sacrifice without reverence, and therefore the Lord did not accept his gifts.

Cain envied his brother.

God inspired him to expel an unkind feeling from his heart, but Cain called Abel with him into the field and killed him there.

Then the Lord asked:

- Where is your brother - Abel?

Cain replied:

- Don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?

“What have you done,” said the Lord, “how did you decide to kill your innocent brother?

And God cursed Cain and condemned him to exile and wandering on the earth. Cain did not dare to appear to his parents, he went far from them and was afraid of everything to his death and did not find peace anywhere.

He had children who, like his father, were angry, irreverent and envious.

The merciful Lord took pity on Adam and Eve and gave them another son, Seth, instead of Abel; he was kind and meek, like Abel.

Flood

Humans have multiplied on earth. The descendants of Seth began to marry girls from the wicked descendants of Cain, everyone forgot God, did not pray to him and constantly sinned.

The Lord admonished them many times, but they did not obey him.

Then the Lord decided to punish people for their sinful life and perseverance and to destroy the human race with a flood.

At that time there lived a righteous man named Noah. The Lord has not forgotten him.

He told Noah to build an ark, that is, a large covered ship, to enter it with his family and take all kinds of animals with him.

When this was done, God closed the doors of the ark and the flood began.

For forty days and forty nights it rained; the whole earth, the highest mountains, were covered with water. Everything that lived on earth, both people and animals, all perished.

Only the ark floated calmly and safely on the water.

After forty days, the rain stopped pouring, and although the water did not subside, the clouds dispersed, the sun came out, and the tops of the mountains appeared. Noah opened the window of the ark and let out the raven. The raven flew and flew, but did not return to the ark.

A few days later Noah sent out a dove; the dove flew and returned - he had nowhere to rest.

A few more days passed. Noah released the dove for the second time. This time the dove returned in the evening and brought a green branch in its beak, and Noah realized that the water had begun to recede from the earth. Then he sent out the dove a third time, and the dove did not return. Noah realized that the earth was cleansed of water, at the command of God he left the ark, brought his family and all the animals and offered an ardent prayer and a thankful sacrifice to God for salvation.

God blessed Noah and promised that there would never be a flood on the earth again.

In memory of this promise, the Lord revealed a rainbow in the sky.

Noah's children

After the flood, Noah worked the land and planted a vineyard. When the grapes ripened, he squeezed the juice out of it and, not knowing that this juice was intoxicating, he drank too much of it. Then he lay down uncovered in his tent and fell asleep.

One of the three sons of Noah, Ham, seeing that his father was lying naked, hurried to his two brothers and, laughing, told them about it. But Shem and Japheth took the clothes and, not looking at their father, respectfully covered him.

When Noah woke up and found out what Ham had done, how disrespectfully he treated him, he cursed him and his offspring in anger; He blessed Shem and Japheth, saying that their offspring would multiply throughout the earth and would rule over the offspring of Ham.

Pandemonium

After the flood, people again multiplied on the earth and soon again began to forget God and the punishment sent to earth for the sins of people.

Thinking that they could do everything without the help of God and His blessing, they decided to build a city and a tower in it to the very sky in order to be glorified. But the Lord punished them for their pride. Until now, people all spoke the same language, and suddenly, by the will of God, they began to speak different dialects, ceased to understand each other and were forced to stop construction.

Abraham

But among these people lived one righteous descendant of Seth - Abraham. The Lord chose him to preserve the true faith in his family until the coming of the Savior. To do this, God commanded Abraham to leave his homeland, the land of the Chaldees, and settle in the country that he would show him.

Abraham obediently got ready to go and took with him his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot, who was brought up by him. A disagreement arose between him and Lot because of the shepherds who drove their flocks, and Abraham said: “It’s not good for us to quarrel, it’s better to go our separate ways. If you want to go to the left, I will go to the right; if you want to go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Lot chose the Jordan Valley for himself, and Abraham, by the command of God, settled in the land of Canaan, which became known as the Promised Land, that is, the promised land, because the Lord said that it would belong to Abraham's offspring.

Appearance of God to Abraham

One day Abraham was sitting in the afternoon, in a hot season, at the entrance to his tent.

He looked up and saw three strangers in front of him. These strangers were the Lord Himself in the form of a man and His two angels, but Abraham did not know this.

He approached, bowed low to them and asked them to come in to rest, freshen up and eat. And since they agreed, he hurried to his wife Sarah, ordered bread to be baked, then chose the best calf, ordered it to be cooked, and when it was ready, served it along with butter and milk to the strangers, and himself stood near them under a tree.

The Lord spoke to Abraham and said:

“In a year I will be with you again, and your wife Sarah will have a son.

Sarah at that time stood near the tent and smiled, because both she and her husband were very old and it seemed strange to her, but the Lord continued:

Why did Sarah laugh? Is there anything difficult for God? and repeated His promise.

After dinner, the strangers got up to go on, and Abraham went to see them off.

Both angels went to Sodom, and the Lord told Abraham that he wanted to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sinful life of their inhabitants.

Abraham realized that the Lord God Himself was before him and began to ask:

“Lord, if there are fifty righteous people in these cities, won’t You spare the rest for their sake?

The Lord replied:

“If there are fifty righteous, I will spare these cities.

Abraham continued:

“And if there are forty-five righteous or even ten among them?”

“And for the sake of ten I will not destroy the rest,” said the Lord.

But even ten righteous people were not in these two cities.

Sodom and Gomorrah

The angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gates and, seeing strangers in front of him, he approached and asked them to come to his house to spend the night.

He treated them to supper, but before they had time to lie down, the inhabitants of the city gathered around the house and demanded that Lot give them his guests. Lot went out, locked the doors behind him, and asked them not to harm the strangers. But the people made noise and shouted more and more; some rushed at Lot and tried to break down the doors.

Then the angels brought him into the house, locked the doors, and struck the inhabitants of the city with blindness, so that they could not find the entrance.

That same night, the angels told Lot that they were sent to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and told him and his family to leave the city without looking back.

At dawn, Lot left Sodom with his family.

Then fire with brimstone fell from the sky and destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot's wife did not listen to the angels, looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.

Hagar and Ishmael

A year later, God's promise was fulfilled: Abraham had a son, Isaac, and he dearly loved him.

Sarah had a maid named Hagar; her son Ishmael was several years older than Isaac and often teased and offended the boy.

Sarah suffered a lot because of her child and finally said to Abraham:

“Drive out this maid and her son!”

Abraham was grieved by the words of Sarah, because he loved Ishmael very much, but the Lord ordered him to fulfill the request of his wife and promised to keep Ishmael. Abraham got up early in the morning, took bread, poured water into a bottle, put it all on Hagar's shoulders and let her go with her son from his house.

Hagar went with little Ishmael through the desert and soon lost her way. She had no more water and nowhere to get it, and her son was exhausted from thirst.

It was so hard for Hagar to see the suffering of the boy that she put him in the shade near the bush, and she herself moved away and, weeping bitterly, said:

“I cannot see the death of my son.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to her and said:

“Don't be afraid, Hagar, get up, take your son by the hand and lead him with you.

Hagar saw a spring of fresh water nearby, gave her son a drink and filled her fur.

God kept Ishmael; he grew up, settled in the desert, was a skilled shooter and subsequently married an Egyptian.

Sacrifice of Isaac

When Isaac grew up, the Lord, in order to test the faith of Abraham, said:

“Take your son, your only son, whom you love, go to the mountain that I will show you in the land of Moriah, and offer him to Me as a sacrifice.

Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, prepared firewood for the altar and, taking his son with him, went with him to the mountain, to the land indicated by the Lord.

When they came to the top of the mountain, Isaac said:

- Father, and firewood, and we have fire, but where is the lamb for sacrifice to God?

Abraham replied:

The Lord Himself will show us the sacrifice.

Then he bound his son and laid him on the altar. But at the moment when he raised his hand over him to stab him, an angel of the Lord appeared and said:

“Abraham, do not raise your hand against the boy. God now knows that you did not spare your only son for Him.

Abraham looked around and saw a lamb in the bushes, which got tangled in the branches with its horns.

He took it and offered it to God as a sacrifice instead of his son. The Lord blessed Abraham for his obedience and said that the Savior of the world would be born from his offspring.

Marriage of Isaac

When Abraham decided that the time had come for Isaac to marry, he called his faithful servant Elizar and said to him:

- Go to my homeland, to my relatives, and choose a bride there for my son Isaac.

Elizar replied:

“What if the girl I choose for your son doesn’t want to leave her homeland and doesn’t follow me?”

Abraham said:

“The Lord will help you, and you will bring a bride to my son.

Elizar took with him many rich gifts and with several servants set off on camels on a long journey.

He safely reached the homeland of Abraham, stopped, without entering the city, near the well and began to pray like this:

- Lord, be merciful to my master Abraham! Here I am standing at the well, and city girls come here for water. The girl to whom I will say: “Tip your jug, I will get drunk” - and who will answer: “Drink, I will water your camels”, let it be the one whom You appointed as the bride of Your servant Isaac. By these words, I recognize her.

And a beautiful girl, Rebekah, came out of the city to the well. She carried a jug on her shoulder and, having filled it, went back.

Elizar went up to her and said:

“Let me drink from your jug!”

And she answered:

“Drink, my lord, and I will also water your camels.”

Then Elizar realized that the Lord heard his prayer, and asked Rebekah if her father could give him and other servants shelter for the night. She replied that they had plenty of room and ran after her brother Laban. Laban came and invited Elizar. When they arrived at the house of Rebekah's parents, Elizar told them why he had come and asked them to let the girl go with him.

They have replyed:

“The Lord has arranged this business, and we will not interfere with it. Take Rebekah, let her be Isaac's wife.

Then Elizar bowed to the Lord to the ground, then handed over gifts to his parents, relatives and the bride herself, and the next day set off with her on her way back.

Isaac met Rebekah, brought her to his father and married her.

Children of Isaac. Dream of Jacob. Jacob's reconciliation with Esau

Isaac had two sons: Esau and Jacob, later called Israel. From Jacob came the Israelite, or Hebrew, people.

Esau was stern, unsociable and most of all loved hunting. He spent most of his time in the field.

Jacob was meek, affable, took care of the household and shepherded his father's flocks.

Esau frivolously conceded to Jacob his rights to the birthright, so that the promise of God that the Savior of the world would come from the line of Abraham was inherited by Jacob.

But when Esau later realized what great advantages he had lost by losing the championship, he hated his brother and even wanted to kill him.

Jacob, at the request of his parents, went to his mother's homeland, to Mesopotamia, to hide there from the wrath of Esau and choose a bride for himself.

On the way he had to spend the night in a field. He lay down, put a stone under his head and fell asleep.

In a dream, he saw that there was a ladder on the ground, and its top touched the sky. The angels of God ascend and descend along it, and the Lord Himself stands at the top and says: “I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give you and your offspring, which will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. In your offspring the Savior of the world will be born, and through Him all nations will be blessed.”

Jacob woke up and said:

– The Lord is present here; this is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven.

He got up, took the stone on which he slept, set it up as a monument in that place and offered a sacrifice to God, pouring oil on the stone.

This place Jacob called Bethel, which means the house of God.

The staircase that Jacob saw foreshadowed the Blessed Virgin Mary, through whom the Son of God descended to earth.

Jacob married in Mesopotamia, lived there for twenty years, became rich and returned to his homeland, where he reconciled with his brother.

Children of Jacob

Jacob had twelve sons.

He loved Joseph most of all for his meekness and kindness, distinguished him from others and sewed elegant clothes for him.

The brothers were unhappy with this and the two dreams that Joseph told them and his father.

For the first time he dreamed that he and his brothers were knitting sheaves in the field; his sheaf stands straight, and the sheaves of the brothers bow to him.

Another time he dreamed that the sun, moon and 11 stars were bowing to him.

Father and brothers said:

- Do you really think that all of us: father, mother and brothers - will bow to you!

One day, when Jacob's other sons were looking after their flocks far from home, their father sent Joseph to visit them.

He put on his smart clothes and went to visit his brothers.

Seeing Joseph from afar, they decided to kill him, but then changed their minds and sold him to merchants passing by, and told their father that wild animals tore him apart.

Jacob wept long and inconsolably for his beloved son. And Joseph was bought by a close associate of the Egyptian king, Pentephry, fell in love with him and soon began to trust him in everything.

But the wife of Pentephria slandered Joseph in front of her husband, who, without understanding the matter, put him in prison.

Since Joseph did nothing wrong, the Lord did not forget him in prison.

The head of the prison realized that he was suffering innocently, removed the shackles from him and entrusted him with the supervision of other prisoners.

Rise of Joseph

God gave Joseph the ability to solve dreams.

Once an Egyptian king, or pharaoh, as they called Egyptian kings, saw two dreams, the meaning of which he could not understand in any way.

The king was told that Joseph could explain these dreams. He was brought to the palace, and the pharaoh told him that he had seen in a dream that seven skinny cows ate seven full cows and did not grow fat because of this, and seven thin ears ate seven full ears and remained thin.

Joseph replied to this:

“With these dreams, God warns you, sir, that in your country there will be seven years of harvest, and after these seven years there will be no bread at all. Order in the first seven years to make a supply for the hungry years.

The king was surprised at Joseph's wise explanation and appointed him head over all of Egypt.

He ordered him to collect bread for the famine years, and Joseph prepared so much of it that there was enough bread not only for all of Egypt, but it could be sold to other lands.

Reprinted with the permission of the publishing house LLC "Philological Society" SLOVO ""

© LLC "Philological Society" SLOVO "", 2009

© OOO Philological Society SLOVO, design, 2009

* * *

The most important book on earth is called the Bible. This book will help you learn and understand where the earth on which we live began, and how everything that we see appeared around, also about where it came from and how people lived many, many thousands of years ago.

In this book, you will get acquainted with those events that took place a long time ago, or rather, in those distant times, when people were just beginning to live on earth and, of course, made many mistakes. And God helped them and taught them to live. Do not be surprised at this, because it is very, very difficult to be able to live and at the same time be kind and honest, generous and fair. This must be learned.

And also ... listen more often to what you have inside. That's right: there is a heart and other organs. And there is also a soul. You have to listen to your soul. Sometimes it is called conscience. But conscience is only part of the soul. Difficult to understand? Nothing. It's good if you think about it.

But do not rush to do it right away. First read the text carefully and think about it. You will find out where people came from, you will understand where the land on which we live began, and how everything that we see appeared around.

And now - good luck!

Read and reflect!

* * *

Once upon a time, there was no earth on which we live, no sky, no sun. There were no birds, no flowers, no animals. There was nothing.

Of course, you're right - it's boring and uninteresting.

But the fact is that there was no one to be bored then, because there were no people either. It is very difficult to imagine, but once it was.

You ask, where did everything come from, everything that surrounds you: a bright blue sky, chirping birds, green grass, colorful flowers ... And the night sky in the stars, and the change of seasons ... And much, much more ...

And it was like this...

world creation

In the beginning, God created the earth and the sky.

The earth was formless and empty. She was not visible. Only water around and darkness.

Well, is it possible to do something in the dark?

And God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light.

God saw how good it was when it was light, and separated the light from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night. So passed first day.

On second day God created the firmament.

And he divided the water into two parts. One part remained to cover the whole earth, while the second part rose to the sky, and immediately clouds and clouds formed.

On third day God did this: he collected all the water that remained on the earth, and let out streams and rivers, lakes and seas were formed; and God called dry land free from water earth.

God looked at the work of his hands, and he was very pleased with what he did. But still something was missing.

The earth became green and beautiful.

On fourth day he created the luminaries in the sky: the sun, the moon, the stars. To illuminate the earth day and night. And to distinguish day from night and designate the seasons, days and months.

So, at the will of God and his labors, a beautiful world arose: blooming, bright, bright! But... empty and silent.

In the morning fifth day in the rivers and seas splashed fish, the most different, big and small. From carp to whales. Crayfish crawled along the seabed. Frogs croaked in the lakes.

Birds sang and began to make their nests in the trees.

And then the morning came sixth day. It was barely dawn when the forests and fields were filled with new life. These animals appeared on earth.

At the edge of the clearing, a lion lay down to rest. Tigers lurk in the forest. Elephants slowly went to the watering hole, monkeys jumped from branch to branch.

Everything around came to life. It became fun.

And then, on the sixth day, God created another being, the most important being on earth. It was a man.

Why do you think a person is considered the main thing on earth?

Because God created him in his own image and likeness.

And God punished man that he would manage everything on earth and rule over everything living and growing on it. And so that a person could do it well, God breathed soul and mind into him. The first person on earth was a man named Adam.

And on seventh day God rested after his labors, and this day became a holiday for all time.

Count the days of the week. Six days a person works, and on the seventh he rests.

Only after hard and useful work there is real rest. Is not it?

Life in Paradise

In the east of the earth God has planted a beautiful garden. All the most beautiful trees and flowers grew here. A deep-water river flowed through the garden, in which it was pleasant to swim. This corner of the earth was called Paradise.

Here God settled Adam, and so that he would not be bored, he decided to give him a wife.

God brought a sound sleep to the man, and when Adam fell asleep, he took one rib from him and made a woman out of it.

Adam woke up, saw another person nearby, and at first he was surprised, and then very happy. After all, he was bored alone.

So a woman appeared on earth, and they began to call her Eve.

A variety of trees grew in Paradise: apple trees and pears, peaches and plums, pineapples and bananas, and many others - whatever your heart desires!

Among these trees grew one, which was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God allowed man to pluck fruit from any tree and eat it, but never touch the fruit from the tree of knowledge.

Adam and Eve obeyed God. They were very content with their lives and nothing bothered them.

Still would! They bathed when they wanted, walked in the garden, played with small animals. Everyone was friendly with each other, and no one offended anyone.

It went on like this for a long time, and it would have always been like this, but…

There lived a serpent in Paradise, which differed from all other animals in its special cunning.

One day, Eve was standing near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a snake crawled towards her.

- I see that you and Adam are picking fruit from all the trees, but you don’t take from this one. Why? Look how beautiful they are and they must be very tasty! the snake hissed.

Eva answered him:

“God forbade us to pluck the fruit from this tree, because if we eat it, we will die.”

The snake laughed:

“No,” he said, “God has deceived you. If you taste the fruits from this tree, you will not die, but become as wise as God himself. You will understand what is good and evil. And God doesn't want that.

The woman could not resist the temptation. She forgot the prohibition of God, or perhaps she did not want to remember it: after all, indeed, the fruits were so beautiful and appetizing in appearance.

“Nothing will be bad,” Eve thought, “if I pick just one fruit. God won't even know about it. And Adam and I will become wise.

She plucked the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and began to eat it.

Where do you think the expression "serpent-tempter" (in the sense of seducing) came from? Isn't it from here?

Eve came to her husband and persuaded him to try the delicious fruit too.

And their eyes were opened. They looked at each other and realized that they were naked, although before it seemed quite natural to them. And now it suddenly became ashamed, and they hid behind a tree.

At this time of the day, when it was not so hot, God used to walk in the garden and liked to have Adam accompany him.

And now he called him, but Adam did not want to come out of his hiding place.

- Adam, where are you? God called again.

Finally Adam answered him:

God was even more surprised:

"What are you afraid of, you've never hidden before!" What's happened?

“I felt ashamed that I was naked, so I hid,” Adam replied.

God guessed everything a long time ago, but he wanted Adam to tell him everything himself:

Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten the fruit of the tree from which I forbade you to eat?

What was Adam to do? I had to confess. But he said it was his wife who made him. Eve blamed the snake for everything, saying that he persuaded her to eat the Forbidden fruit.

God was angry with the serpent and cursed him.

Now let's discuss together. Of course the snake is to blame. But everyone must be responsible for their own actions.

If Adam and Eve had not wanted to break God's prohibition, how could the serpent have forced them? Of course not.

Remember your actions too. It probably happens that you really want to do something that is not allowed, and you violate the ban. And then you say that someone else is to blame because they talked you into doing it.

After all, the serpent-tempter most often sits in us, and not nearby.

Think about it.

God punished Adam and Eve: he dressed them in animal skins and drove them out of Paradise. Now they had to work hard to get their own food and never returned to Paradise.

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve were very worried about their separation from God and tried to earn his forgiveness, to show him their love.

But how to do that? After all, God did not allow them to even come close to the gates of Paradise and placed a winged cherub with a fiery sword on guard there.

Then people came up with a sacrifice: they brought gifts to God so that he would know that they remember him and love him.

God, of course, was pleased. But he did not accept gifts from every person.

You will understand this when you read a very sad story about what happened to the children of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve had two sons. The eldest was called Cain, he worked in the field, growing bread. And the youngest, Abel, was tending the sheep.

One day the brothers decided to bring their gifts to God, as their parents always did.

They lit a fire in a large clearing and placed their gifts on it. Cain - ears of ripe wheat, and Abel brought a young lamb from his flock, slaughtered it and also put it on the fire.

God knew that Abel was kind and good man, and therefore he accepted the gift immediately.

Cain seemed to him not so kind, and he did not want to accept his gift. Cain, of course, was offended and very upset.

Then God said to him:

- Why are you upset? If you do good, then your sacrifice will be accepted, but if you do evil, then sin will haunt you, and you will not be able to overcome it.

But, unfortunately, Cain did not follow God's advice. On the contrary, he walked quite gloomy and was very envious of his brother.

“Abel is well,” he thought, “now God will help him.

It is a sin to envy another person, envy causes anger. But if Cain had realized this in time!

Once he lured Abel into the field and killed him.

God, of course, saw everything, but he also hoped that Cain would be horrified by what he had done and repent.

He asked Cain:

Where is Abel, your brother?

But Cain did not think to confess.

“I don’t know,” he answered, “am I my brother’s keeper.”

God got even more angry.

– What did you do?! he said to Cain. “You killed your brother!” The voice of his blood calls to me. I curse you. You will leave here and never see your parents again and never come home. You will be an eternal exile and wanderer!

This is how God punished Cain. But that is not all. He put a special sign on Cain's face, according to which all people, as soon as they saw Cain, immediately understood that he was a criminal, and avoided him.

This is how the expression "Cain's seal" still exists.

Think about who it might apply to.

Noah builds an ark

Time passed, and there were many people on earth.

But they all grieved God very much: they deceived, robbed, killed each other in endless wars.

God, of course, tried to reason with them, he still hoped that people would become kinder and more prudent. But it was all in vain.

Then God decided this: people will live another 120 years, and if they still do not correct themselves, then he will destroy all life on earth.

And what? Do you think people got scared, asked God for forgiveness and tried to be better?

Nothing like this! They did not even pay attention to his warning and just continued to rob and mess around.

Then God finally became disillusioned with people and even regretted that he had created them.

There was, however, a man on earth who always acted as God taught. His name was Noah. He was kind and honest, did not deceive anyone and did not envy anyone. He lived by his labor and taught his sons to live the same way.

This is why God loved Noah. He called him one day and said:

- People continue to do evil, and for this I will punish everyone. Soon there will be a great flood, and after that nothing living on earth will remain. But you and your sons will give the continuation of a good and just life. So do what I tell you.

And God taught Noah how to build an ark.

The next morning, Noah and his sons set to work. They cut down tall trees, made logs from them and carried them to the shore.

When a lot of boards, logs and beams accumulated, they began to build a ship.

All the neighbors came running, even passers-by stopped in perplexity, what are these people doing. And, of course, they did not miss the opportunity to mock:

- This Noah and his sons have always been abnormal; everyone walks, and they only know that they are working and praying to God. And now they are completely crazy, look what they came up with.

Noah, of course, did not listen to idlers. Let them mock. He knew better what to do and how to live.

After a while, a huge ark rocked on the water. It was made of strong gopher wood, its walls inside and out, and all the cracks carefully sealed with pitch. Inside the ark consisted of three tiers, which were connected by ladders.

It was made to last, solidly; everything was arranged so that one could live in this ark for as long as needed.

And God said to Noah:

- When everything is ready, enter the ark with your sons and their wives, and also take with you all the animals, birds and reptiles in pairs, and the seeds of everything that grows on the earth.

Noah, as always, did everything exactly.

That's how people made fun of him.

- You just look! As if he had no place on earth. He also wanted to swim.

But you know what they say: "The one who laughs last laughs best." So it happened this time too.

Flood

As God decided, so he did.

As soon as the door of the ark closed, it began to rain. It did not stop for forty days and forty nights and was so strong that the water rose high and flooded the whole earth.

All life perished on it. Nobody managed to escape. Only the ark floated unscathed across the boundless expanse of water.

And the water kept coming and coming. There was so much of it that it covered even the highest mountains and the tallest trees that grew on the tops of the mountains.

Water stood all over the earth for another hundred and fifty days.

Finally the rain stopped, and gradually, very slowly, the water began to subside.

And the ark kept floating. And neither Noah nor his sons knew where they were or where they were going. But they completely relied on the will of God.

And on the 17th day of the seventh month of navigation, Noah's ark stopped at Mount Ararat. Do you know where this mountain is? That's right, in Armenia.

There was still a lot of water, and only after forty days Noah opened the window of the ark and released the raven. But the bird soon returned: there was no land anywhere.

After some time, Noah released a dove, but he also returned, not finding land.

After seven days, Noah again sent out the dove, and when he returned, everyone saw that in his beak he brought a sprig of an olive tree. And this meant that the water subsided and land appeared.

When Noah released the dove seven days later, it did not return.

Then Noah also opened the roof of the ark, went upstairs and saw that the earth around was already almost dry.

They all came out of the ark, released the animals and birds. And they thanked God for their salvation.

God was also glad that he had saved life on earth, and decided that he would never again send a flood to the earth, never let life perish.

He blessed Noah and his sons, and as a sign of his reconciliation with people, he hung a rainbow in the sky.

Do you know what a rainbow is? Have you ever seen her?

Immediately after a short summer rain, when the last drops are still falling from above, a multi-colored curved bridge appears between heaven and earth. This is the rainbow.

When you see her, please remember why God got angry with people and what happened after that.

Babel

More time has passed. Again, there were many people on earth.

But they remembered that God sent a flood as a punishment to people. Fathers told their children about it, and when they grew up, they passed these stories on to their children.

So people lived together, cheerfully and understood each other, as they spoke the same language. They worked hard and learned a lot.

Judge for yourself. People learned how to burn bricks and build tall houses out of them. Of course, they had not yet invented spaceships or even airplanes, but they were still proud of how smart they were and how much they knew and could do.

And everyone thought what they could do to leave a memory of themselves for all time. And they came up with:

Let's build a tower. High-high. Up to the sky!

No sooner said than done. We found a big mountain and started building. People worked very cheerfully and amicably: some mined clay, others molded bricks from it, others burned them in furnaces, the fourth carried bricks to the mountain. And there others took these bricks and built a tower out of them.

People came from all directions and also got involved in the work. There were a lot of people who wanted to build a tower, and they had to live somewhere. Thus, a city appeared around the tower. They called it Babylon.

God watched the work for a long time, wanted to understand what people were doing and why they were building such a high tower.

“It is unlikely that they are going to live in it,” he reasoned, “such a tower is inconvenient for housing. (There were no elevators back then, and it was hard to climb the stairs that high.) Just to build? For what?

Finally, God understood why people were building this tower. They want to show how smart and omnipotent they are.

He didn't like it. God does not like it when people pride themselves in vain and exalt themselves.

And what did he do to stop them?

No, he did not destroy the tower, but acted differently.

At the same moment, a strong, strong whirlwind rose and carried away all the words that people spoke to each other. Twisted, twisted them. And he mixed everything.

When the whirlwind calmed down, and it became quiet around, people again set to work. But what is it?!

They no longer understand each other. Everyone spoke in some unfamiliar and incomprehensible language.

And the work, of course, went wrong: one asked the other to do something, and he did the opposite.

From below they shouted:

- Take the bricks!

And from above they passed the bricks back.

They tormented so tormented, and they left everything. Now one concern remained - how to find speakers of the same language in this pandemonium.

And so all the people dispersed in small groups to different corners of the earth, began to live separately, each group in its own side (country). And then they completely fenced off the borders from each other.

The tower began to crumble little by little.

And from the name of the city of Babylon, where God mixed all languages ​​​​as a punishment for people for their insolence and pride, there was another expression that you may be familiar with: “Babylonian pandemonium”.

Since then, people have been living on earth in different ways: in one country some laws and rules are established, in another - others.

And the people themselves are different: smart, stupid, funny and sad, evil and kind.

Only there is one general law for all, which God established - evil people are punished sooner or later. And it is true. But if a person realizes his mistakes and repents, God forgives him.

The Lord God is patient. He hopes that gradually people will change and will take care not only of the body, but also of their soul. They will think and reflect more about the meaning of life, about why they were born into the light of God. After all, probably, not only to eat, drink and have fun. But not just to work day and night.

Man is born to fulfill his destiny in life. Everyone has their own. But all people should have one common purpose - to do each other only kind and good. After all, it's not that difficult.

The Spirit of God lives in every person. But people are blind and do not understand this. And when they see the light and understand, they will change.

The Lord God could establish the Kingdom of God on earth by force, but he does not want to do it. People should understand for themselves what is good and what is bad. The only problem is that each person has his own understanding of the good. All people wish themselves well, but understand it in their own way.

For some people, the good life is when you can walk all the time, relax, celebrate and do nothing.

Others believe that in order to arrange for themselves good life, they can deceive other people, rob and even kill.

The Lord God wants everyone to be equally good. And this can happen if each person thinks not only about himself, but also about other people. It is not so difficult if you follow the ten rules that the Lord bequeathed to all of us to follow.

These rules are called "commandments."

First Commandment

I am the Lord your God. May you have no other gods but Me.

We must believe in one God. If you believe in Him, then you think and take care of your soul.

God must be in the soul of every person. Do not forget about it.

Second Commandment

Do not create for yourself an idol, idols and other images: neither what is above - in heaven, nor what is below - on earth, nor what is in the waters - under the earth, do not worship them and do not serve them.

Do not make idols for yourself either from people or from their teachings. A person likes to invent various idols and all sorts of cults. But the most important idols are the human weaknesses that he indulges: the love of money, exorbitant desires, laziness.

Think about what idols you serve? What weaknesses do you have that you can’t overcome in yourself or don’t want to do it?

Third Commandment

Do not pronounce the name of God in vain.

Remember how often we just add his name to empty words:

- we are perplexed or surprised - “Oh, God!”, “My God!”;

- indignant - "Lord!";

- we promise something - "I swear to God!"

Try to remember more expressions that contain the name of God. Is it always pronounced appropriately?

fourth commandment

Keep the holiday. Work six days and do all your work, and the seventh - Sunday - dedicate to the Lord your God.

Therefore, we work for six days: someone goes to work, someone goes to school or kindergarten. And on Sunday it’s good for the whole family to go to rest outside the city.

Fifth Commandment

Honor your father and your mother, and you will be well. You will live long in the world.

Each person has the closest people on earth - these are his parents. Love for parents saves a person from all troubles and troubles. Always love your dad and mom. Never be rude to them and try to help.

sixth commandment

Dont kill.

How good it would be to live in the world, how calm and pleasant, if all people kept this commandment. No man has the right to take the life of another.

seventh commandment

Don't debauch.

The one who misbehaves sins.

eighth commandment

Don't steal.

Never take someone else's. If you take someone else's, you will cease to respect yourself, you will be ashamed in front of yourself. But it is important that you can say: "I respect myself."

ninth commandment

Do not give or accept false testimony.

Do not inform, do not complain about others, do not tell others what you have been entrusted only to you. And never say bad things about others.

tenth commandment

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, covet not thy neighbor's house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any of his cattle, nor all that belongs to your neighbor.

Never envy others. Envy leads to malice, and hence all sorts of quarrels and insults arise.

Of course, it is easy to love those who love you, but if you are good to someone who offends you and scolds you, you will be better than him. It is not easy to understand this, much less agree with it. But there is something to think about.

Try to understand other wise instructions:

- do not condemn anyone, and you will not be condemned yourself;

- forgive everyone, and you will be forgiven;

- come on, and you will be given the full measure, so that it will pour over the edge;

How you treat people is how they will treat you.

- do not swear and do not swear, it is enough if you just say "yes" or "no";

– try to give alms slowly so that people do not see. If you do good only so that everyone can see it and say how good you are, then it’s better not to do anything. Do not brag about what you have done good;

– a kind person does well because he has a good heart. And he can never do wrong. Also evil person: His evil heart does not allow him to do good.

The Lord God hopes that people will gradually change, because he has done so much to guide them on the right path. And when people are cleansed of sins and live as the Lord God commands, then the Kingdom of God will come on earth.

If a person believes in God and fulfills his commandments, then betrayal can be least of all expected from this.

In order to explain this to people, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to help people understand how to live well, love and respect each other. To save them from themselves, from sins and delusions.

But people didn't understand. They thought that Christ the Savior would come to earth to save them from their enemies, to save them from slavery.

They did not understand then and still do not understand that the enemies around them are not so terrible as the enemies inside each of them.

Think about it too. Maybe you will find some kind of enemy in yourself - selfishness, callousness, indifference to loved ones, envy. Something else. And also think about how people make themselves slaves. Slaves to their habits and delusions.

And now this time, about which God spoke and which the prophets foretold, has come. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to earth. He was not a gray-bearded old man in white robes and with a crown on his head. No, he was born a little boy in an ordinary family, grew up and played with his peers. But he was born with a special purpose in life. What is it? And in what? You will find out more about this.

Nativity of the Mother of God

Not far from Jerusalem, in the small town of Nazareth, lived an elderly and childless couple - Joachim and Anna.

In those days, those who did not have children were treated unkindly. It was believed that such people sinned and therefore displeasing to God.

This could not be said about Joachim and his wife Anna. They were kind and pious people, they did not sin, they did not deceive anyone, they fervently prayed to God. Why were they so punished?

Once Anna went out into the garden and sees: the birds made a nest for themselves on a tree, and in it the chicks have already started, squeak, open their beaks, ask for food. Parents bring them various worms and midges, put them in gaping beaks.

Anna looked at this touching picture, sighed and vowed to herself:

- If I still have a baby, then when he grows up, I will give him to the service of God.

And after a while, a daughter was born to Joachim and Anna. They named her Mary.

Introduction to the Temple

Anna did not forget her promise to God. As soon as Mary was three years old, all the relatives and neighbors gathered. Children came, friends of little Mary. Candles were lit, and everyone, elegant and solemn, took the girl to the temple.

A wide staircase with stone steps led to the doors of the temple, and Mary went along it.

Upstairs, the high priest was already waiting for her. He never met anyone at the door of the temple. Only Mary came out to meet.

The high priest received a sign from God that she would be the mother of Christ the Savior.

The girl stayed in the temple, she learned to read here holy books, prayed, did needlework.

Mary especially loved to sew clothes for priests - chasubles that they put on during worship.

In memory of these events, people established and still celebrate the CHRISTMAS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD - September 21 (new style) and ENTERING THE TEMPLE - December 4 (also new style).

Annunciation

When Mary was 14 years old, her upbringing ended, and she had to leave the temple. Her parents had died by that time, so the girl had nowhere to go. According to custom, she was supposed to be married off (then they got married very early, from the age of 14).

But Mary did not want to hear about it. She said she made a promise to God never to have a husband. Then the carpenter Joseph, who was her distant relative, took her to him. Joseph was already an elderly man, his children from his dead wife lived with him in a small poor house.

Mary settled here. Joseph replaced her father. And so that people would not ask why Maria lives here, he called her his wife.

She took on all the household chores: she cooked, washed, and in her free time she prayed, read sacred books.

Once, when Mary was alone, the archangel Gabriel appeared to her and said:

- Rejoice, blessed Holy Virgin Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.

Maria was embarrassed by such a greeting. “What could that mean? Why does he call her that? Then the angel said to her:

“Don't be afraid, Maria. You have found grace with God: a Son will be born to You, and You will call Him Jesus. He will be the Son of the Most High God and will reign, and his kingdom will have no end.

How will my son be born? Because I don't have a husband.

– The Holy Spirit will descend on You, and You will give birth to the Son of God – Christ the Savior.

Then Mary said:

- I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be as you said.

And the archangel Gabriel flew away from Her.

And Mary began to wait for the birth of the Son.

An angel appeared to Joseph. He also told him about the birth of the Son of Mary and asked not to leave Mary, but to take care of Her and Her Son. His name will be Jesus, which means Savior. Christ means "The Anointed One".

But do you know what the word “anointing” means, and who was rewarded with the anointing? When kings were elected to the kingdom, they smeared their heads with oil (consecrated oil), hence the expression: "God's anointed one." This is what they said about kings.

The day when the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary is celebrated by people as the feast of the Annunciation.

In Russia, the Annunciation ( good news) is celebrated on April 7th. They say that even the birds rejoice on this day and rest - "On the Annunciation, even the birds do not nest."

Nativity

In the year when Christ was born, the Roman emperor Augustus wanted to know how many people live in the land that the Romans conquered: how many adults and how many children.

He gave the order to King Herod, whom he appointed to rule Israel, to enumerate all the inhabitants of this land.

And it was necessary to register in the place where he was born. Crowds of people went along the roads of Israel, each to his homeland.

Joseph and Mary, as you remember, lived in Nazareth. But they were born in the small town of Bethlehem, which was also considered the city of King David (he was also born here). Bethlehem was ten kilometers from Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary also went to their homeland.

They come to Bethlehem, and there the people gathered visibly, invisibly, even there are not enough places to sleep. Everyone came to sign up.

Joseph ran home for a long time, looking for a place to spend the night with Mary. But never found anything.

One person told him that there was a cave on the outskirts of the city, warm and dry, where they could spend the night. There, in bad weather and rain, shepherds hide with their sheep.

– How can I lead Maria to the cave? She is due to give birth soon, she has no place there, - Joseph was indignant.

- Agree, Joseph, - Mary pleaded, - I'm so tired that I'm glad for any shelter. Please, let's get there quickly.

At night, the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, was born there.

She swaddled him and put him in a manger - a box from which the sheep ate.

And now let's repeat it again and remember the name of the city in which Jesus Christ was born - the city of Bethlehem.

Appearance of angels to shepherds

Not far from the cave, the shepherds were grazing their flock, and when it was already completely dark, they sat down to rest and quietly talked among themselves. There was something to talk about: there was a census, and people from all over the land of Israel flocked to Bethlehem. Many have not been here since birth. Everyone told how people live in other places, what laws and orders there are. There was a lot of talk about why they started to rewrite the people.

- They say that the emperor started a census in order to collect more taxes.

- Yes, there was no life at all from these requisitions. The Romans only know what to rob the people. How much more will we have to endure? I heard that the Savior will soon come to earth.

Suddenly a bright light lit up everything around and blinded the shepherds.

They got scared and jumped to their feet. And then an angel of God appeared to them:

- Do not be afraid. I proclaim to you and to all people great joy. In Bethlehem, the city of King David, the Savior was born. Don't doubt it. Go and you will find the Child lying in the manger.

And then an army of angels appeared around the messenger angel. They flew, circled and sang, praising God:

"Glory to God in heaven,

On earth, peace

In people - Grace.

Then the angels disappeared, and the light went out, it became dark again. Only then did the shepherds come to their senses and hurried to the city, and came to the cave, where Joseph met them at the entrance.

– An angel showed us the way here and said that we could look at the Baby.

Everyone bent over him and admired. The baby slept peacefully.

He was the same little boy as all children. He cried when he was hungry, and laughed when he was happy, upset and offended.

And yet Jesus Christ was not like everyone else, because He was the Son of God. In his spirit, in his soul, He was above all others.

Don't be surprised by this. God specifically sent his Son to earth in human form. So that He lives among people, and people do not fear and shun Him. And He would teach them to live honestly and be kind and just. And explain to them their delusions. Sometimes people sin because they don't know how to live right. They are mistaken. They are wrong.

Of course, you know what a great holiday it is - the Day of the Nativity of Christ. In Russia, this holiday falls on January 7, while in other countries it is celebrated on December 25.

Please remember this day when Jesus Christ was born.

Wise men from the East go to worship Jesus Christ

At this time, the wise men in the East also learned that the Son of God had been born. They studied the stars they knew everything about and saw a new star.

“Something extraordinary must have happened on earth,” one of them suggested when he saw an unfamiliar star.

“I know that this,” said another, “is a sign from God that the king of the Jews has been born.” Let's go worship him.

And the wise men went to Israel. For a long time they walked through the mountains and deserts. Finally they came to Jerusalem and asked:

– Where is the king who was born in your land? We have come to worship him.

What other king? We have only one king - Herod, but he was born a long time ago and managed to grow old.

Then the wise men decided to go to the palace and ask there where the born king of the Jews was.

Herod (then king) alarmed. He knew Holy Bible, read in it about the coming of the Messiah, who would come to earth to save people. He will be called the king of the Jews. But Herod didn't like it at all. He was not going to share his power with anyone.

He called the advisers-wise men and asked them what they know about the birth of the king of the Jews, who will rule over the souls of people.

“He should be born at this time in Bethlehem,” the chief priests answered him, “so it is said in the Holy Scriptures.

Then Herod called the Eastern sages, met them kindly, asked when they saw a new star, and said to them:

“The king of the Jews was born in Bethlehem, go there, and then tell me where he is.” I will also go to bow to him.

And he himself planned to kill the baby, so that no one could be called the king of the Jews, except him.

Send Magi (also called the wise men) to Bethlehem. But how can they find the Baby there?

As soon as they left Jerusalem, the familiar to them lighted up again. bright Star and began to move ahead of them, showing the way. The Magi followed her. And then the star stopped over the house where the divine family found shelter. Joseph went out to them, and they said to him:

– We have come from afar from the East to bow to the Infant King.

They brought him gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh (the fragrant juice of rare plants), bowed to the Infant and gave their gifts to His Mother.

At night, an angel appeared to them and warned them:

Don't go back to Jerusalem! Herod wants to destroy the Child, he will do it as soon as he finds Him.

The wise men conferred and went to their home in the East by another road. We didn't go to Jerusalem.

Massacre of the innocents

That same night, an angel appeared to Joseph:

- Get up, take the Child and His Mother Mary. Go to Egypt and stay there until I tell you. Herod will look for the Child, he wants to kill Him.

Joseph and Mary wrapped up the Child and left Bethlehem that same night. On the outskirts of the city, Joseph put Mary and the Child on a donkey, and soon they disappeared into the darkness.

And Herod was still waiting for the Eastern sages to come to him and tell him when the Baby was born and where he could find him. Waited-waited. And did not wait.

- How to look for the Baby? he thought. After all, no one will point to him.

Then the king conceived a terrible deed. He called the guards and ordered them to kill all the little boys in Bethlehem who were not yet two years old.

“Now they won’t hide it.” If you kill everyone in a row, he will definitely fall among them, - Herod rejoiced.

But he did not know that Jesus was no longer in Bethlehem. And the guards went around all the houses, searched all the corners and cellars so that no one could hide and protect their children. Not a single baby was spared. Many tears were shed then in Bethlehem.

Herod died shortly thereafter. The angel immediately informed Joseph about this, and he, with the Child and Mary, returned to his native Nazareth, where they lived until the birth of Christ.

Candlemas

Forty days were fulfilled for Jesus Christ when Mary and Joseph carried him to the temple. They brought two pigeon chicks with them as a gift to God in gratitude to him for the birth of the Son.

Here, on the threshold of the temple, they met Elder Simeon. He was a very pious man, he believed in the coming of the Savior to earth and waited for him for a long time. Now he was quite old.

All his life he dreamed of only one thing - to see Christ the Savior with his own eyes, so that he could die in peace later. God promised him to fulfill his dream. And now this moment has come.

Elder Simeon approached Mary, looked at the Infant, who was lying in the arms of the Mother and smiling joyfully. Simeon took Jesus in his arms:

“Now I will die in peace, because with my own eyes I saw the Savior whom You sent to people.

Joseph and Mary were surprised at the words of Simeon, and he said to Mary:

“Because of him, there will be a lot of controversy among the people. Some will believe in him and be saved, others will not believe and perish.

You will also suffer, Blessed Virgin Mary, Blessed Mother, as if you yourself were pierced in the heart with a sword.

Mary did not understand the last words of the elder Simeon, who were prophetic and predicted the death of Jesus on the cross.

The day of the meeting of Elder Simeon with the Infant Jesus also became a holiday for all people who believe in God and revere him. This holiday is called "GREETING" and is celebrated every year on February 15th.

Childhood of Christ

Jesus grew up, walked with his peers, played different games with them and seemed to be no different from other boys.

But suddenly various miracles began to happen where he had been.

Once Jesus was playing with other children on the roof of his house. One boy, whose name was Zenon, could not resist, fell from the roof and fell to his death. All the children fled in fear, and Jesus was left alone. Zeno's mother ran to Joseph, crying, shouting that it was Jesus who pushed her child, and now he is dead:

“I didn't push him,” Jesus said.

But no one believed him. Everyone blamed him, because he was alone there at the time when the adults came. Then Jesus descended from the roof, approached the dead body and shouted:

- Zeno! Stand up and tell me did I push you?

The boy Zeno, who had just been lying dead on the ground, jumped up and said:

- No, Lord. You didn't push me, you lifted me.

Zeno's parents could not believe their eyes. What kind of child is this, Jesus, who could perform such a miracle! They have already forgotten about their grief and worshiped Jesus.

And a few days later, this is what happened: the young man was chopping wood near his house. Suddenly the ax fell out of his hands and cut off his leg. All the neighbors came running, trying to help stop the blood, but nothing happens.

Jesus was playing with the children nearby. They heard the screams, ran to see what happened.

Jesus made his way through the crowd, touched his wounded leg with his hand, and the wound immediately healed. Jesus says to this young man:

“Get up now, keep working, and remember me.

He said and again ran to play. And all the people were amazed at the new miracle and bowed after the boy:

“Truly, the Spirit of God dwells in this child.

Another time it happened that Joseph sent his son Jacob for firewood. Jesus went with him. And so, when Jacob was gathering firewood, a poisonous snake crawled out and bit him.

Jacob fell and nearly died if not for Jesus. The boy ran up to the young man, blew on the wound, and the pain immediately disappeared. Jacob got up, even jumped for joy. And the snake swelled up like a ball and burst.

Joseph sees: although Jesus is still small, he is so intelligent. We need to teach him how to read. He brought the boy to the teacher. He gave Jesus a book, began to show the letters.

Jesus holds the book in his hands, but he does not look into it himself and says such wise words that it is hard to believe that a little boy knows and speaks them.

Then the teacher said:

– Can I teach him? He knows more than me and more than anything that is written in books.

Jesus in the temple

Once, when Jesus was 12 years old, Joseph and Mary went with him to the temple for the Passover feast.

No one, probably, rejoiced at this journey as much as Jesus, because he had long dreamed of getting into the temple of the Lord.

When the party was over, everyone went home. Mary and Joseph also went. Jesus was not around, and they decided that he was playing somewhere in the street with his new friends. We went out into the street, looked around - he was nowhere to be found. We went through all the streets and alleys - they did not find it.

Finally they returned to the temple and see: Jesus is sitting in the middle of the temple, and a lot of people have gathered around him: gray-bearded elders with Scripture in their hands, scholars, scribes, priests - everyone is standing around the boy and listening to him attentively. And he tells them about the law that God gave to all people, and how it should be understood.

Maria could not resist and reproached her son:

- What are you doing with us? We were so worried about you, we were looking for you everywhere, and you are sitting here and not thinking about your parents.

Jesus calmly answered her:

“Why were you looking for me? Where else can I be, if not in the house of my Father.

Joseph and Mary did not quite understand what Jesus wanted to say to them with these words.

Did you understand what Jesus meant by saying: “Where can I be if not in my Father’s house?”

“Come with us, my son,” Mary asked Jesus.

At this time, the elders approached her and asked her:

- Are you his mother?

And they said to her:

- We have never seen such glory, such valor and such wisdom as your son has!

Jesus got up and walked with Mary and Joseph. And he lived in their house until he was thirty years old, was an obedient son and helped them in everything.

John the Baptist

In the family of the old priest Zacharias, six months before the birth of Jesus, the boy John was born.

Even before his birth, God assigned John a special mission: he had to show people the way of salvation and repentance for sins, and also prepare them for the coming of Christ the Savior.

John was very young when he went into the wilderness. He wore coarse clothes made of camel hair, girded with a wide leather belt. He ate only the honey of wild bees and the roots of plants. There John prepared for his great service to God.

Glory went through the earth that a new prophet appeared in the wilderness, who teaches people the word of God, how to live and how to act. From different places people came to John to listen to his words and ask him for advice. People asked him:

- What do we do?

In response, he told them:

Tax collectors came to him and also asked him how they should live. And he taught them:

Don't take more taxes than you're supposed to.

To the warriors who came to him, he said:

- Do not extort money from anyone, do not bear false witness, do not rob. And don't ask for more than what you have.

And he said to everyone:

- Repent of your sins - the kingdom of heaven is approaching. Prepare to receive the Savior. He is following me. If you want to live not only for your body, but more for your spirit, I will baptize you. Repent and be baptized!

Many people then entered the waters of the Jordan River, and John sprinkled them with water, baptized them.

Baptism of Jesus Christ

Many people asked John who he was, maybe he is the Savior whom the Lord God promised to send to earth and whose coming, as they knew, was written in the Holy Scriptures.

“No, I am not the Savior,” John answered them, “I am the voice crying in the wilderness.” The Lord God instructed me to prepare the way for His Son, Christ.

– If you are not Christ and not a prophet, why then do you baptize people?

John answered:

“I baptize people with water. But among you there is He whom neither you nor I yet know. He will come after me and baptize with the Holy Spirit. I am not even worthy to untie the straps of His sandals!

- How can we recognize him? If he walks among us, then he looks like an ordinary person.

“God told me: “When you see the Holy Spirit come down on someone, it will be He - My Son.”

The year John baptized the people in the wilderness, Jesus was 30 years old. He also heard about John and came to him to be baptized.

He entered the waters of the Jordan, and John baptized him. Immediately the heavens opened, and from there a dove flew down on Jesus - it was the Holy Spirit. At that very moment, a Voice came from above:

He is my beloved Son, and in him I am well pleased.

Why did you come to be baptized to me? I must be baptized by You! exclaimed John.

Jesus told him:

- Don't be afraid. We must do everything that the Lord tells us, each to his own work.

And then John announced to everyone:

“Here he is, the Son of God!” Savior!

Since that time, every year on January 19, all believers celebrate the feast of BAPTISM, which is also called the Day of Theophany.

John the Baptist has since been known to people as John the Baptist.

"Desert" he called not only the place where he lived then, but the whole world.

"Desert" is the empty souls of people who do not think about why God gave them life.

“If a tree does not bear fruit, it is cut down for firewood, the same will happen to people if they do not do good deeds,” John said to all the people who came to him.

Temptation

After his baptism, Jesus Christ went into the wilderness and spent forty days there. No one disturbed him, for many kilometers there was no one around.

He spent forty days in prayer and did not eat anything - he fasted. On the fortieth day, Jesus became very hungry. Suddenly the devil appeared and began to tempt him:

- You should eat, Jesus. Who needs it that you're starving? And it doesn't matter if you don't have food with you. If you are the Son of God, take a stone and make bread out of it.

Every person happens to meet with the devil-tempter in life. You probably had to too. He can take on different forms.

But most often the devil appears in a person's thoughts and begins to tempt him to do something that cannot be done, that is forbidden. At least even eat ice cream when your throat hurts, and you yourself know that in no case should you eat it, but you want to. Who do you think is hurting you? This is the devil. His temptations are always very seductive.

It is not known in what form the devil appeared before Jesus Christ, perhaps in a human, and perhaps in thoughts. But Christ answered him:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.

However, the devil did not leave Jesus behind, led him to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth.

Everything you see around you is mine. I give you all these kingdoms. And power and glory. Everything will belong to you, if only you will bow to me.

Jesus Christ rejected this too:

- One should worship only the Lord God and serve him alone.

Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, raised him to the top of the highest tower of the temple and said to him:

“Let people be convinced that You are the Son of God. Jump down from here. After all, nothing will happen to you, since it is written in the psalm that the angels will keep you. They will carry you on their hands so that your feet do not touch the stone.

“Do not tempt the Lord your God,” Jesus answered firmly.

The devil departed from Jesus Christ, realizing that he would not be able to tempt him.

Likewise, if you are firm and resist temptation, the devil will quickly leave you behind, and everything will be fine.

But still, the devil-tempter was very perplexed about what kind of person this Jesus is, who wants to eat and does nothing to satisfy his hunger, even fasting on purpose.

He is offered wealth, fame, power - he refuses this too. Can perform a miracle to surprise people and arouse their admiration, but does not do this either. No. The devil has never known people who would refuse such temptations. Yes, and he did not understand such.

Preaching Christ in Nazareth

Jesus returned home. He came to the church, where many people had gathered, and began to tell them about God, and spoke like this:

God called me to help the poor

He sent me to declare freedom to the captives,

Bring back sight to the blind

Release the tormented to freedom.

And he told the people that the Lord God was with them.

Many listened and believed him. But there were also those who asked each other in surprise:

“Is this the son of the carpenter Joseph?”

And they began to demand miracles from him, so that he would convince them of his divinity. Then Jesus said:

“Truly, there is no prophet in his own country. You do not believe me because you are sinners, you doubt, while only true faith will save everyone.

And everyone around was furious.

He doesn't want to do a miracle because he can't do anything. Why is he insulting us?

Jesus didn't answer.

He turned to the crowd and calmly walked through it. But at that moment a crazy man shouted:

– Ha! Who are you to teach us and interfere in our affairs? You're just Jesus of Nazareth!

Jesus looked at this man and saw that he was not evil, but simply crazy and did not understand what he was saying. Then Jesus commanded the unclean spirit that had taken possession of the man:

- Shut up and get out of it!

And immediately the unclean spirit broke out of this man and flew away, and the man became completely healthy.

Everyone who saw this miracle was shocked. Who is he, this Jesus of Nazareth? He talks both with the Lord God and with an unclean spirit, orders him, and he obeys him.

Then the people brought to Jesus those suffering from various diseases.

And he laid his hands on them and healed them all.

Many now believe that He is the Son of God.

And his fame spread throughout the earth. She walked ahead of him, and wherever he now appeared, people knew about him and came to hear him.

And Jesus walked the earth and taught people. He thought that maybe they would listen to him and correct themselves, stop sinning.

Many listened to him, and he had disciples who accompanied him everywhere.

Andrew was the first to come to Jesus, which is why he is called the First-Called.

Then came Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, and many others. Among them was Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Christ.

When the disciples of Jesus went with Him to the people, he said to them:

- Do not take anything with you: no money, no food, but only what you have on you. And don't make a distinction between people: a poor person or a rich person. You will receive free from Me the power of healing from all diseases: bodily and spiritual - free and heal. Do not be afraid of suffering, do not be afraid of persecution. I will always be with you. Don't be afraid of death either. People can kill your body, but no one can kill your soul.

His disciples went to people and returned to Jesus joyful: they healed the sick, cast out demons from them, and performed other miracles. And more people's souls were treated, because if a person's soul is clean and calm, then the body is healthy.

Parable of the Sower

The disciples and listeners of the Savior were often simple and illiterate people. To make it easier for them to understand his teaching, he explained it with parables - simple and understandable examples.

One day Jesus told people this parable.

“A sower went out into the field to sow. He scattered the seeds, and some of them fell on the plowed ground, and some near the road, where the plow did not pass, and the ground remained hard and not plowed, and the birds immediately pecked at them. Other seeds fell on stony soil and immediately sprouted, but then withered and could not grow, because there was little soil and moisture. Some fell among the weeds, and when it grew, it covered the sunlight from the grains, took away all the moisture, and the weak shoots withered too. The seeds that fell on the well-plowed ground, moist and soft, took strong roots, gave ears, on which thirty, sixty, and even a hundred new grains grew.

The people asked Jesus to explain this parable to them, and he said this:

The earth is the soul of every person. The seed stands for the word of God. Fallen on the road and eaten by birds - this is the word of God heard by a person who did not prepare his soul to receive it. The devil comes and easily steals this word from a person. Such people do not believe in God and will not be saved.

The seed that fell on stony ground is the word of God received by a soul that is not yet ready enough to receive it. At first she gladly accepts him, believes in him, but not strongly. And as soon as trouble comes and persecution begins on faith, such people refuse God.

The seed that fell among the weeds is the word of God heard by a person who soon forgets about it, thinking more about his pleasures, entertainment, wealth. They shut out the light and warmth of the word of God for him.

And finally, the seed that fell on the well-ploughed ground is the word of God received and guarded by a person who has prepared his soul to receive it.

Blessing the Children

Jesus Christ loved children very much. Wherever he went, he would always bless them first, laying his hands on the children's heads. And if the children got sick, he always went and helped them.

Jesus Christ never took anything for help, he always did everything for nothing.

You can not help people for money or for some other gifts. If you help people, they will help you. This is how God taught, and Jesus Christ spoke to people about this: “Give, and it will be given to you.”

Once a man's daughter fell ill. She was already dying when Jesus Christ came to the city with the disciples. The grief-stricken parents of the girl threw themselves at his feet, begging him to heal their only child, and Jesus promised to help them. He went with sobbing parents to their house, but neighbors met them near the house and said that the girl had already died. Jesus told the people:

- Do not Cry. She didn't die. She is sleeping. You just have to believe, and everything will be fine.

Nobody believed him, people were even angry: how can you joke like that! But Christ was not joking at all. He entered the room where the dead girl lay, took her by the hand and said:

- Girl, get up!

And the girl began to breathe, opened her eyes. What wonderful things Jesus Christ did!

Healing the Blind

In Jerusalem, near the temple stood a boy, blind from birth, and begged for alms. He's been standing here since he started walking. Everyone is already used to seeing him here and always served him.

Here Jesus Christ saw him, came up and said:

- You will see the light.

He spat on the ground, then took a handful of earth, rubbed the boy's eyes with it, and told him to go to the bath to wash himself.

The boy ran to the pool and came out sighted. Everyone could not believe the miraculous healing:

“Is this the same little blind man who was sitting by the temple?” some asked.

“No, this is a different boy, but he is very similar to him,” others assured him.

They called the boy laughing with happiness and asked:

Tell me how he did it? After all, you were born blind, and now you began to see. Maybe you were just pretending to beg, but you weren't blind?!

- This is me, the same boy who never saw the light, but now he saw it. God listened to Jesus Christ and opened my eyes, which means that Jesus is from God.

And the boy fell at the feet of Jesus and said to him: “I believe in you, Lord!”

Disciples of Jesus

One day, coming to the lake, Jesus said to one of his disciples: “Swim to a deep place, there are a lot of fish now.

Lower your nets and you will have a good catch.

The student answered him:

– What are You, all night long we tried to catch fish in this lake, but it is not here. But if You speak, I will let down the nets.

He lowered his nets into the water where Jesus pointed out, and immediately the nets filled with fish. When they were picked up, they even began to tear from the severity of the catch.

Other people came with nets and caught so many fish that the boats even began to sink, filled to the brim.

The fishermen were very surprised. There have never been so many fish here in this lake.

When they sailed in boats to the shore, they left them and their nets and followed Jesus and became his disciples.

Healing lepers

If we could describe all the miracles that Jesus Christ did, how many people he helped and saved them, all the books of the world could not contain all this.

One day Jesus Christ was walking with his disciples and talking. Suddenly they see: ten people are coming towards them, all covered with terrible ulcers and scabs. These were people with leprosy. There is another expression - lepers. So they say about people with whom no one wants to know, whom everyone avoids. And they live separately from all healthy people.

These are the people who went to meet Jesus Christ, they were also not allowed into the cities, they all walked along the roads together, spent the night in the field, sometimes they didn’t eat at all, there was nowhere for them to get bread.

The unfortunate people rushed to Jesus Christ and began to shout:

- God! Have mercy on us!

The Savior told them:

- Go and show yourself to the priest.

(Then it was customary for a priest to look at people and determine if anyone was sick with a contagious disease.)

The lepers went to the priest, and as they walked, their faces and bodies were cleansed of sores, and they became completely healthy.

Two days passed, Christ was already far from the place where he met the lepers. Suddenly, a man is chasing him. He fell on his knees before the Savior and with tears in his eyes thanked him that he had cured him of a terrible disease. Jesus said:

“Were not ten people cleansed of leprosy?” Why did you return and thank God only you alone?

He leaned towards this man and said:

“You believed in me, and your faith saved you.

That's how it happens. People ask God for help, and then, when he helps them, they forget to thank him. You don't have to follow these people. Be grateful for everything you have and receive.

On another occasion a stretcher with a sick man was brought to Jesus. He could not walk at all and hoped very much that Christ would cure him.

The sick man looked imploringly at Jesus and asked:

Help me, please, Lord!

Jesus realized that this man believed in him and hoped that he would help him, and then said:

- Your sins are forgiven. Get up, take your stretcher and go home.

The patient immediately recovered, quickly jumped to his feet, picked up his stretcher and ran to the door. Everyone parted before him in amazement.

You see, if a person really believes and hopes for help, he will definitely be saved. This is what Christ said: “Your faith will save you.”

You just need to believe, and if you believe in the Lord God, in His power, it is also transferred to you.

The Spirit of God lives in every person, and faith strengthens him. And then the person becomes very strong.

Taming the Storm

One day, Jesus Christ, along with his disciples, was sailing in a boat on the Lake of Galilee. All day they walked around the city, treated the sick, talked to people, and in the evening they set sail. Now they had to cross to the other side.

Jesus was tired and dozed off at the stern of the boat. Strong storms had often happened on this lake before, and just this night such a storm broke out. The waves swept over the boat, tossing it like a piece of wood, up and down. She began to sink. The rowers dropped their oars. It was already useless to resist the elements, and everyone prepared for death.

The disciples woke Jesus up in fear:

- Teacher! We are sinking! Save us!

Christ stood up, stretched out his hands over the raging lake and ordered the wind:

- Shut up! Stop doing that!

The wind immediately died down, the waves calmed down, and the lake calmed down. Jesus Christ turned to his disciples:

- What are you so afraid of? Don't you have faith? I tell you: if you believe and ask God to help you, he will always help you.

Walking on the waters

Another time, they again had to sail in a boat. Jesus Christ told the disciples to take a boat and sail alone. He himself went to the mountain to pray.

When the boat reached the middle of the lake, the deepest place, the storm arose again.

The students got excited. What should they do now if their Teacher is not with them? Can they calm the storm on their own? Will the Lord God hear them? They began to choose which of them was stronger in faith, so that he could order the storm to subside, when they suddenly see a figure heading towards the boat across the raging restless lake. She walked on water like on land. And where she walked, a smooth silvery water path flowed between the waves.

The disciples screamed in fear, they thought they saw a ghost. Then Jesus said to them:

- Calm down, it's me.

Peter jumped up, he also decided to try to walk on the water.

“God, if this is you, then let me come to you.

“Go,” said the Savior.

Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus, but he was afraid of a strong wind and began to drown:

- Save me, Lord! he shouted.

The Savior approached, extended his hand to him and said:

“What are you doubting, little faith!”

He took his hand and they went to the boat. The wind died down, the lake became calm and even.

All the disciples got up in the boat and bowed to their Teacher.

“Verily, You are the Son of God!”

How many more miracles Jesus Christ had to do in order for his disciples to finally believe in him.

Feeding five thousand

One day people came to the Savior in the morning and spent the whole day by his side. The day was already drawing to a close, and people still didn’t have a crumb of bread in their mouths.

The disciples asked the Master to let the people go so they could go and buy food for themselves before night fell.

Jesus told his disciples:

“Let them eat for themselves.

But the students didn't have anything either. Only one boy, Simon's brother, had five small barley buns and two fish.

“So feed the people,” Christ commanded again.

The disciples began to look at each other, they decided that he was sending them to the village to buy bread. But they did not have enough money to buy bread for everyone.

Then Jesus took the five buns and the fish from the boy, seated all the people in several rows on the grass. Then he looked up at the sky, prayed, and gave buns and fish to his disciples.

“Feed everyone,” he told them.

The disciples began to distribute food to the people and fed everyone to their fill. And there were still twelve baskets of bread and fish left. The people were five thousand, not counting women and children.

So the Lord God, with his divine power, fed more than five thousand people with five loaves.

Resurrection of the widow's son from the dead

Once Jesus Christ was walking along the road with his disciples, and they met a funeral procession.

Men in black clothes carried the coffin with the body of a young man. Following the coffin, people led a weeping woman. She couldn't even walk on her own. Her only son died, and for her life ended too, she loved him so much. She didn't have anyone else.

Jesus saw the grief of the widow, he felt very sorry for her, he approached her and said:

- Do not Cry.

Then he asked people to stop and touched the coffin with his hand.

“Young man, I tell you, get up!”

The dead man immediately got up, sat down in the coffin and began to look around in bewilderment. What's happened? Why is he in a coffin? And why is his mother crying and everyone around so sad?

People who saw this miracle could not believe their eyes! The widow fell to her knees and thanked the Savior. He picked her up and said:

“And your faith helped you.

Sermon on the Mount

Jesus continued to do what the Lord God had instructed him to do: he went around cities and small villages and taught people that one should love one another and live in harmony with each other.

One day he came to a high mountain and climbed to its top to pray. His students were with him. Here he chose twelve of them, whom he called the apostles. (messengers). They became constant assistants in all his affairs.

And then Jesus Christ addressed them with very important words that you must know:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they have the kingdom of heaven.

Do you understand what "poor in spirit" means? These are people who consider themselves sinners, but know their sins and repent of them, and then correct themselves - that's what Jesus Christ spoke about. They will enter the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

And who are these "cryers"? These are not crybabies and whiners at all. These are people who are worried about their sins and confess them.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The kingdom of heaven will also be received by meek people, modest, who are well-behaved, are not conceited and are not proud of themselves without any reason.

“Blessed are those who hunger and seek, who thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy.

– Blessed pure in heart for they will see God.

- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when they reproach you and anger you, and in every possible way unjustly slander me.

- Rejoice and be glad, for your great merit is in Heaven, so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

People who are just and pure in heart, kind, who teach others good, and unjustly offended in this world, will also fall into the kingdom of God.

- Love your enemies- continued Christ, - do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those closest to you, turn the other to the one who slapped you on one cheek. Do to others the way you would like them to do to you. Love and be merciful, as the Lord God loves and is merciful.

Look at you:

Do not judge, and you will not be judged.

Don't judge and you won't be judged. Why do you see the mote in the eyes of another person, but do not notice the beam in your own eye?

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Give, and you will be given the full measure, so that it will pour over the edge. How you treat people is how they will treat you.

Don't swear, don't swear, it will be enough if you just say "yes" or "no".

Give charity slowly, so people don't see.

If you do good only so that everyone can see it and say how good you are, then it’s better not to do anything.

Don't brag about what you've done well.

A tree is known by its fruits: a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit. So every tree is known by its fruits.

A good person does well because he has a good heart. And he can never do wrong.

So does an evil person. His evil heart does not allow him to do good.

Some people found it difficult to understand the teachings of Christ, and they asked him to better explain to them what he was saying. One day a man asked Jesus:

“So you say: “Love your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” What does near mean?

Who is my neighbor?

And Jesus Christ answered him with this parable:

“A man was walking along a desert road, and robbers attacked him. They robbed him, beat him and left him barely alive there, on the road. After a while, a man passed by. He looked at the wounded man and went on, then another man appeared on the road and also did not stop. And the third stopped, bandaged the wounded man and took him to the hotel. There he looked after him, and when he had to leave, he asked the owner of the hotel to look after the sick and paid him for it. And he also said that on the way back he would stop by, and if the expenses exceeded the money that he had left, then he would pay for everything else.

Isn't it now clear who was the neighbor for the wounded man?

“The one who saved him,” answered the questioner.

“Go and do the same,” said Jesus Christ, “and make no distinction between people, whether he is poor or rich, where he comes from and whether he is of the same tribe as you.”

Gotta forgive the wrongs

Jesus Christ not only told us to forgive offenses, but he himself forgave them.

He once went with his disciples to Jerusalem. The road was long, everyone was tired and went to the village, which was on their way.

They enter one house, they don’t let them in another. So they had to go to the field and rest there.

Jesus Christ sat down on a rock. The students, as usual, settled around him. They still could not calm down, indignantly discussed how they were not allowed anywhere and longed for revenge.

We need to punish these people! Savior, can you make fire come down from heaven and destroy them?

Jesus calmly looked at them.

“You are now offended and therefore angry, you don’t even feel sorry for ruining these people. But have you forgotten that I taught you to forgive offenses? The Son of God came to earth not to destroy people, but to save their souls.

Who knows no sin

Shortly after this conversation, a sinful woman was brought to Jesus Christ. She led an unrighteous life, and people asked Jesus what he would do with her, because she is a sinner, and she should be stoned for her sins.

Jesus Christ was silent for a long time, and then raised his head and said:

“Are you saying that the law requires her to be stoned?” So do it. Only let the one who does not know a single sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

He said so, and again lowered his head. When he picked it up again, he saw that only this woman was left on the road. Everyone else slowly dispersed.

“You see, no one could judge you?” Jesus asked her.

“No one, Lord,” she replied.

“Then I don’t blame you. Go and sin no more.

True, a very instructive incident happened? Before condemning another person, everyone should think about whether he himself is so sinless. Remember the words of Christ: "Judge not, and you will not be judged." Why do you see the speck in another person's eye and not the beam in yours?

Conversation with students

One day Jesus Christ asked his disciples:

– How do you understand my teaching?

Many of them found it difficult to answer, only Peter answered him:

– In my opinion, you teach that the Spirit of God lives in every person and therefore every person is the Son of God.

Jesus rejoiced at the answer of his disciple:

- Happy are you, Peter, that you understood this. A man could not reveal this to you, you understood it because God lives in your soul, and he revealed it to you.

And then Jesus told his disciples that in Jerusalem, where they were going to go, many would insult him and, perhaps, kill him. But if they kill him, then only his body, and they cannot kill his spirit.

Peter was upset when he heard these words and said:

– No need to go to Jerusalem, Teacher!

Jesus took him by the hand and answered thus:

– In this life, people must suffer if they live for the kingdom of God, because this world loves its own, but it persecutes and hates God’s. He who is not afraid for his bodily life will save the true one.

Those of you who want to fulfill my teaching must fulfill it not in words, but in deeds. And he told them this parable about the disobedient son.

One man had two sons. A father came to one of his sons and said to him:

“Go, son, work in the vineyard today.

My son did not want to work, and he said:

– No, I don’t want to work today, I won’t go.

And then he changed his mind - how did he not listen to his father ?! Who will work if he refuses? He felt ashamed, and he went and began to work.

And his father came to another son and also told him that he should go to work in the vineyard, and he immediately agreed.

“Yes, yes, father, I will go now.

He said something, but did not go to work.

So which of the two sons obeyed his father? Probably still the first one. Because although he refused at first, but then he went and started working. The other agreed, but did nothing.

A person can be delusional. But if he understands this and repents, then this is better than agreeing and doing nothing.

Transfiguration

And now the time has come when Jesus Christ with his disciples had to go to Jerusalem. Christ took three of his disciples and went up with them to a high mountain to pray there.

The disciples were very tired while climbing the mountain, sat down to rest and dozed off. Suddenly they were awakened by a very bright light, they opened their eyes and saw that Jesus Christ was transformed: his clothes became sparkling like snow, his face lit up with such a light that the human eye cannot bear, and next to Jesus were the figures of the ancient prophets to whom he told about their suffering, death and resurrection.

His disciples jumped to their feet; Peter, not knowing what to say with joy and shock, exclaimed:

- God! Let us set up three tents here: You and the prophets.

When he spoke these words, a cloud descended to the top of the mountain and covered everyone, and immediately a voice was heard:

This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.

Frightened and shocked, the disciples fell face down on the ground. When they woke up and raised their heads, no one was there.

Only Jesus Christ came up and touched them:

Get up and don't be afraid.

The disciples got up and went down the mountain together with Christ. There he asked them not to tell anyone what they saw.

The Law of God says that Christ was transfigured in order to strengthen the faith in his disciples before the terrible test that awaited him. And also to show them what it is - the kingdom of heaven - and what awaits them there; that he should not be afraid, but should strive for him. On the feast of the Transfiguration, August 19, various fruits are brought to the church for consecration. This holiday in Russia is also called "Apple Spas".

One day a rich young man came to Jesus and asked him:

- Teacher! Tell me what to do to get eternal life.

Christ answered him:

If you know the commandments and keep them, then you will enter into eternal life.

- But there are many commandments, - the young man was upset, - which of them should be fulfilled?

Jesus answers:

- Do not kill, do not fornicate, do not lie, do not steal, do not offend anyone, honor your father and mother.

“But I have been fulfilling these commandments since childhood,” the young man tells him.

Then Jesus said to him:

You are a good man, but you lack only one thing: go and give everything you have to the poor. Then come and be my disciple.

The young man was embarrassed and left slowly. He had a big house, and he felt sorry for giving it away.

Christ was silent, and then said to the disciples:

“Truly I tell you that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” he paused, and then repeated again, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” God does not look at what is outside, but looks at the heart.

Remorse of Zacchaeus

In one city there lived a rich man, his name was Zacchaeus. He had long wanted to look at Jesus Christ and was looking for an opportunity to do it.

When he heard that Jesus Christ had come to his city, he ran to meet him.

So many people gathered to meet Christ that Zacchaeus could not squeeze closer. He himself was small in stature, therefore, because of his back in the crowd, he could not see anything.

He spun and spun, he couldn't see or hear anything. Then he figured out what to do. Zacchaeus climbed up a tall tree that stood by the road where Christ was to pass.

Climbed in and waited for Jesus to pass by. Now he will finally see the Savior, who heals everyone and teaches how to find the path to bliss.

Here Zacchaeus sees: Jesus is coming and has already caught up with the tree on which he was sitting. And suddenly he stopped and looked at him, at Zacchaeus, and then he began to talk to him:

“Zacchaeus,” Jesus says, “get down from the tree quickly, today I have to be at your house.”

Happy Zacchaeus quickly jumped out of the tree and rushed home. He ordered to prepare the most delicious treat and sent word to all his friends to go to him. And he invited other guests, everyone who wants to go to him to share the joy with him.

Finally, Jesus Christ came to the house of Zacchaeus, and he walked slowly, stopping to talk to people. Zacchaeus was already waiting for him and was still afraid that Jesus would not come, but he so wanted to listen to him and ask how he could improve.

When everyone sat down at the table, Zacchaeus stepped into the middle and said:

- God! Half of what I have I give to the poor. And if I offended anyone when I was collecting taxes, then I will give it back four times.

Then Jesus says:

“Now this house is saved, and Zacchaeus has become kind and pious. That's why I came to earth, to search for and save perishing sinners.

Resurrection of Lazarus

Two sisters, Martha and Mary, had a great grief. Their brother Lazar, whom they loved very much, fell ill.

The sisters began to look for Christ, but he was far away at that time, and they sent to tell him that their brother Lazarus was dying. When Jesus Christ was told about this, he said:

- This disease is for the glory of God, and not for death. The Son of God will be glorified through her.

Then he told the disciples:

Let's go to Jerusalem. Our friend Lazar fell asleep.

The disciples did not want to let him into Jerusalem, where he could be killed. But Christ said to them:

“After what you see, you will believe in me even more strongly.

When they arrived in the city, four days had already passed since Lazarus had died. They have already buried him. His sister Martha came to Jesus crying and said to him:

- God! If you were with us, Lazarus would still be alive.

Jesus answered her:

Your brother will rise. I will give resurrection and life. All who believe in me will never die. Do you believe?

“I believe that you are the Son of God who has come into the world,” answered Martha.

- Where did you bury him? Christ asked.

The people led him to the cave where the tomb of Lazarus stood. Jesus ordered to move the stone that blocked the entrance to the cave. Martha came closer and said:

“It's been four days since we buried him. Already the bad smell is coming.

“If you believe, you will see a miracle. Didn't I tell you this, Jesus Christ told her.

The stone was rolled away, and Jesus raised his eyes to heaven:

“Thank you, Father, for listening to me. This is not for me, but for the people who came here. When they see what will happen, they will believe that it was You who sent me to earth.

And he said aloud to the deceased:

- Lazarus, come out of the tomb!

A minute later, Lazarus appeared from the cave in funeral clothes. Nobody could believe their eyes at first. Then everyone shouted for joy, rushed to him, untied his shroud, and he went home with his sisters, Martha and Mary.

Everyone admired and rejoiced at this miracle.

Jesus and Mary

Six days before the Passover, Jesus again came to the city where Lazarus lived. He was invited to his home by a man whom Jesus had once healed of leprosy.

Lazarus also came to this house, and they sat at the table, and Martha served them food.

Maria brought an alabaster vessel with very valuable and expensive perfumes - myrrh. She went up to Jesus, poured perfume on his head and then rubbed it.

A very pleasant smell filled the room. But for some reason Judas Iscariot did not like him, who grimaced and said:

- It would be better to sell these perfumes at a higher price, and distribute the money to the poor.

In fact, Judas never cared about the poor, he strove to accumulate more for himself. The other students were silent. Then Jesus answered him:

- Don't disturb her. She did good things for me. Saved myrrh for the day of my burial. You will always see beggars, but not always me.

So he once again reminded the disciples of his imminent death.

And then Jesus Christ went to Jerusalem.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

The feast of Passover was approaching, and many people went to Jerusalem to pray in the temple.

Jesus Christ went there with his disciples.

There was a small village on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus calls two disciples to him and says to them:

- Go to this village. There you will find a donkey tied to a tree and a young donkey that no one has ridden. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone asks you why you are taking them, you will say that the Lord needs them.

The disciples did everything as Jesus told them, brought a donkey and covered it with their clothes. Jesus Christ sat on it and went to Jerusalem.

At the entrance to Jerusalem, people were already waiting for him.

Huge crowds of people surrounded him on all sides and shouted:

Long live Jesus Christ!

They threw their clothes under the feet of the donkey so that Christ would ride over them.

They plucked palm branches and carried them to Jesus.

Those who did not know Jesus asked:

Who is riding on a donkey? Why is he welcomed like this?

And they answered:

- It's the Son of God!

Finally, Jesus Christ arrived at the temple. The sick, the blind, the lame, and the crippled were already waiting for him there.

He healed them all, and they left the temple healthy.

Since then, this day is called Palm Sunday, and in the church it is celebrated as the ENTRY OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM.

And the whole week from Palm Sunday until Easter is called Holy Week.

All this week Jesus Christ the Savior was preparing for death.

Holy Week Monday

The next day, on Monday, Jesus Christ with the disciples again went to Jerusalem. Dear, they wanted to eat. They see a fig tree growing. Such a big tree, everything is strewn with thick leaves.

They thought to pick up fruits and eat, they come up, but there are no fruits on the tree. It looks like such a good tree, but it turned out to be barren. Exactly like those people who seem to be both kind and good, but in reality you can’t expect any good from them.

Jesus Christ then said:

“So that no fruit will ever grow on you in the future.”

And at the same moment the fig tree withered, the leaves turned yellow and crumbled to the ground. Only bare branches remained.

Each person, like a tree, must bring some benefit, otherwise why would he be.

Holy Week Tuesday

On this day, Jesus Christ again came to the Temple in Jerusalem. Again, many people gathered around him. And again Christ told them about the teaching of the Lord.

Holy Week Wednesday

There were two days left before Passover, which the Jews wanted to celebrate from Friday to Saturday. All the enemies of Jesus gathered together to confer and finally figure out how to capture Jesus Christ and kill him.

Here Judas Iscariot came to them. He loved money very much and hoped that for Jesus Christ they would give him a lot of money.

So he decided to sell it and get a reward.

The elders and Pharisees rejoiced: at last they would do their dirty work. They promised to give Judas 30 pieces of silver.

It was small money, but Judas was delighted with it too. And agreed to betray Christ.

Thursday of Holy Week

The Easter holiday has come. Jesus Christ told his disciples, Peter and John, to prepare the Passover. And they asked him where they can do it:

- At the entrance to the city you will meet a man with a jug of water. Follow him into the house where he enters and tell the owner that the Master is asking where is the room where I can eat Easter with my students. And he will show you a large, festively decorated upper room, and prepare everything there.

The disciples went and found everything that Jesus Christ told them. And they prepared everything as he said. They roasted a lamb, then prepared unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

In the evening, Jesus Christ with his twelve disciples came to the place where the room had been prepared, and they celebrated Easter.

Washing feet

After the lamb was eaten, Jesus Christ took off his outer clothing, took a long towel, poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of his disciples.

When he approached Peter, he felt uncomfortable:

- God! Do you wash my feet?

Jesus answered him:

“Now you don’t know what I’m doing, and then you will understand.

But Peter did not want to let the Teacher wash his feet and kept saying:

“You will never wash my feet.

“If I do not wash you, you will not be with me in the Kingdom of Heaven,” answered Christ.

Then Peter began to ask:

“Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my head and hands.

Christ says to him:

“A clean person only needs to wash his feet, that’s why I do it.” You are clean, but not all.

Christ knew that there was a traitor among his disciples, but he did not tell them the whole truth, but said:

- Here I am your Lord and Teacher, and I washed your feet. So you should wash each other's feet. And do not argue about which of you is taller and older. Try to help each other. Let the eldest of you be a servant to all.

So you should always help the little ones, not offend them, but protect and protect them.

The Last Supper

When Jesus Christ finished washing the feet of his disciples, he again put on his outer garment and sat down to supper with them.

Then he revealed to them that one of them would betray him. The disciples began to look at each other in fear, and then everyone in turn began to ask Jesus Christ:

- Isn't it me, Lord?

The unscrupulous Judas also asked:

"Master, isn't it me?"

Jesus Christ quietly answered him:

But no one except Judas heard this. Then John, the most beloved disciple of Christ, who was sitting next to him, fell on the chest of Jesus:

“God, who is this?”

“The one to whom I, after dipping, will serve a piece,” answered Christ.

And he dipped a piece of bread in a dish and handed it to Judas Iscariot:

“What are you doing, do it quickly,” he told him.

No one at first understood what was happening and what Christ said. They thought that Jesus was instructing Judas to buy something for the holiday.

Judas took a piece of bread from the Master's hands and went out. It was already dark outside.

When Judas left, Jesus Christ took the bread, broke it into pieces and gave it to each disciple.

- Accept and eat, this is my body, suffering for you, which will be crucified on the cross.

Then he took a cup of wine, diluted with water, and also gave it to everyone.

- Drink from it all. This is my blood, which will be shed for you and for many, so that God will forgive your sins.

Here, at the Last Supper, Jesus Christ revealed to his disciples that he would soon leave them, they would seize him, and he would be crucified on the cross, and they would run away from fear and leave him.

As it is said in Scripture: the shepherd will be killed, and the sheep will scatter.

The Apostle Peter answered him:

“Lord, with you I am ready to go to prison and die, I will lay down my life for you.

And Christ answered him:

Are you ready to give your life for me? Don't be so quick to say that. Truly I tell you, Peter! The second roosters will not sing today, as you refuse three times that you know me.

The students began to convince the teacher that they would die for him. So they sat until late at night, until Christ said to them:

"Let's get up and get out of here."

Night from Thursday to Friday. Night in the Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus Christ came out of the upper room, his disciples followed him. They slowly made their way to the Mount of Olives. At the foot of it was the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ used to often come with his disciples.

Here, at a small stream, they all stopped.

- Stay here. I want to pray,” Jesus Christ told them and went into the depths of the garden.

He invited only Peter and two other disciples with him.

He knew that the worst hours of his suffering were approaching.

“My soul is grieving mortally. Stay here with me,” he said to the students who were nearby.

He walked away from them a few steps, knelt down and fell face down on the ground:

- Father! If possible, let this cup pass me by. However, not as I want, but as you want!

(The expression “this cup” or “this cup” comes from an ancient custom, when those condemned to death were given a bowl of water into which poison was thrown. It happened like this: the guards walked along the prison corridor, and all the condemned listened with fear to what they would go in. The guards went to the door of the cell they needed, opened it and gave the cup to the one who was about to die. Of course, everyone hoped that the cup would be carried past.)

When Jesus Christ finished praying and approached the disciples, he found them sleeping. He woke them up and said:

- Get up. The one who betrayed me approaches.

Kiss of Judas

Before Christ had time to say these words, the lights of lanterns flashed between the trees in the garden and a whole crowd of people appeared with weapons and sticks.

These were the soldiers and servants sent by the enemies to seize Christ. Judas led them. He told them:

- Whom I kiss, that one is Christ. And take it.

He approached Jesus and said affably:

“Hello, Teacher,” and then kissed him.

Jesus Christ tells him:

"Friend, what are you here for?" You betrayed me with your kiss.

The soldiers grabbed Jesus. Peter wanted to protect him and even cut off the ear of one of the soldiers with a knife. But Christ forbade him to do this, and then he healed the wound.

“Sheath your sword,” he said to Peter, “all who take the sword from the sword will perish.” If I wanted to, I would ask my Father to send a whole army of angels to my protection.

Then he turned to the soldiers:

- Why did you, like robbers, come to me with weapons? After all, every day I was among you in the temple and taught you, why didn’t you take me then?

Then the commander ordered the soldiers to bind Jesus, and the disciples fled in fear and left the Savior, and the soldiers led the bound Christ to the house of the high priest Caiaphas.

Jewish Judgment

All the chief judges have already gathered in the house of Caiaphas. Now they had many new worries: they had to find false witnesses and invent some kind of guilt for Jesus in order to condemn him to death.

Caiaphas asked him:

“Tell us, are you Christ, the Son of God?”

“Yes,” answered Jesus Christ, “you told the truth. I am Christ, the Son of God.

Then Caiaphas became even more angry.

What other witnesses do we need? You have heard him speak boldly about God.

And everyone said: "Yes, he deserves to die."

The soldiers took Jesus Christ, took him out into the courtyard and began to mock him: they spat and beat him in the face.

And no one stood up for the Savior.

Peter's denial

At this time, the apostle Peter quietly entered the courtyard of Caiaphas and sat down by the fire along with others.

One of the women approached Peter and asked him:

– Were you also with Jesus of Nazareth?

And Peter, recoiling from her, answered in fright:

- No, I don't know him.

Then another servant, looking at Peter, said:

– No, after all, this person looks like the one who was with Jesus.

Peter was even more frightened and began to swear and swear that he did not know any Jesus, but just went in to warm himself.

After a while, people came up to him again and said:

Everything shows that you are still familiar with Jesus.

Then Peter began to beat his chest and swear that he had nothing to do with Jesus Christ and did not even know who he was.

And as soon as he said this, the cocks crowed, and the apostle Peter remembered the words of Jesus Christ when he said: “On the same night, when the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

Peter came out of the courtyard and wept with shame for his betrayal.

Pontius Pilate

At the trial, it was decided that Jesus Christ must die. But permission for the execution of the Savior had to be given by the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate.

Early on Friday morning, the bound Jesus Christ was brought before Pontius Pilate.

That morning, Pontius Pilate had a very bad headache, it was literally splitting from pain. He knew that today he would have to give permission for the execution of one person, which Caiaphas demanded from him.

Who is this man you hate so much? asked Pontius Pilate.

He comes from Galilee, but calls himself the Savior, the Son of God, they answered him.

“Then let Herod decide what to do with this man, if he is from Galilee.

(King Herod was the ruler of Galilee and came to Jerusalem for the Passover feast.) Pontius Pilate was delighted that he had found such a successful way out.

But Herod refused to condemn Jesus Christ to death. He said that he did not consider him a rebel and a criminal, but simply a stupid and ridiculous person who imagined himself to be the Son of God, so there was nothing to execute him for. To laugh at Jesus Christ, Herod ordered to put on him a red clownish cloak and send him back to Pontius Pilate in this form.

And today, on Friday, Pontius Pilate had to decide the fate of Jesus Christ. And he had a very headache, and he did not want to decide anything and was angry that he was being forced to do this business.

He seemed to feel that it would not bring him fame, but on the contrary, everyone would now talk about him:

- This is the same Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, who ordered the execution of Christ the Savior.

But there was nothing to do, and now he was waiting for the prisoner to be brought to him.

The door opened and Jesus Christ was brought into the hall. Pontius Pilate asked him gloomily:

“So you are the king of the Jews?”

Are you saying this yourself or have others told you this? Jesus asked him. “I am not an earthly king, but a heavenly one. And I came to earth to teach people the truth.

Pontius Pilate was surprised:

– Truth? Nobody knows what truth is. What do you know about her?

“Now the truth is that your head hurts a lot, it hurts so much that it’s even difficult for you to speak because of it. Look at me carefully, and your pain will pass.

Pontius Pilate was even more surprised. He raised his head with difficulty and looked at Jesus. And at that very moment I felt that the pain had really gone away and my head became clear and light.

- Are you a doctor? Pilate asked Jesus Christ.

- No, I'm not a doctor. I told you that I am the king of heaven.

- What can be the king in heaven? Do not be silly. You are in my power, and it depends on me what they will do with you: they will execute you or let you go.

“You are mistaken,” Christ answered him, “none of the people has any power over another person. Only God has such power.

Pontius Pilate did not argue with him, he went out and said:

This man is not to blame for anything. He is not a criminal. And there is nothing to punish him for.

But all the enemies of Jesus, who had gathered at the procurator's palace, shouted:

- He's a criminal. Crucify him.

Pontius Pilate tried in every possible way to reason with them. He offered to forgive Jesus in honor of Easter (then it was customary that for the sake of Easter they forgave one of those condemned to death), but the guards insisted that Jesus Christ deserved to die, and that it was not him who should be forgiven that day, but the most vicious criminal Barabbas.

They even began to threaten Pontius Pilate himself, saying:

- Haven't you heard that he calls himself the King, and we have only one king - this is Caesar (Roman Emperor). And if you release Christ, we will tell Caesar that you do not honor him.

Then Pontius Pilate realized that he would no longer be able to save Jesus Christ, and ordered him to be flogged.

The guards put a wreath of thorny thorn branches on Christ's head and began to mock him: they spat in his face, beat him on the cheeks and head.

Pontius Pilate led the beaten and bloodied Christ out into the street. He thought that perhaps now, having seen such an unfortunate Christ, people would pity him and not execute him. But those standing in the street shouted:

- Death to him. Our king is Caesar.

Pontius Pilate realized that he could not do anything, got scared and gave permission for Jesus Christ to be crucified on the cross.

Jesus was given a cross, and he himself carried it to the place of execution, where executions were held - to Golgotha.

Along with him were two criminals, who were also condemned to death.

The place of execution was located on a high mountain. The steep road there was strewn with stones, and Jesus Christ stumbled over them and fell under the weight of the cross.

crucifixion of christ

So they came to Golgotha. Here the guards took off their clothes and crucified all three of them: they nailed their hands and feet to crosses with large nails.

When they crucified Jesus Christ, he prayed for his tormentors and whispered:

Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

A plaque was nailed over the head of Jesus Christ, on which was written: "Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews."

This is what Pontius Pilate ordered to write. Caiaphas objected to him. He wanted it to be written like this: "Jesus of Nazareth, who calls himself the king of the Jews."

But Pontius Pilate sharply objected to Caiaphas:

- It will be written as I said.

His enemies gathered around Jesus and even now they continued to mock him:

“If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe you.” Come on, save yourself!

So they shouted to him, they really liked to watch him suffer.

One of the crucified robbers also said to him with a sneer:

“If you are the Savior, save yourself and us.

Jesus just endured in silence.

You see, many never realized that he was trying to save their souls, not their bodies.

But another robber said to his friend:

- At least you shut up! Fear God! You know that we are guilty and we were justly judged. And he is not guilty of anything and did nothing wrong.

Then he bowed his head to Jesus and whispered:

Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom.

Christ answered him quietly:

“I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.

Christ was crucified in the morning, and at 12 noon a black thick haze descended on Golgotha. It became so dark that nothing could be seen within two steps. And many people fled in fear.

Only His Mother Mary, his beloved disciple John remained near Christ, and a few weeping women stood aside.

Christ looked at the Mother, and then with his eyes showed her John.

- Here is your son!

And he also said quietly to the disciple:

“Here is your mother. Take care of her.

Then John took Mary, the Mother of Jesus, into his house. And she lived with him in warmth and care until her death.

Death of Jesus Christ

Several hours have passed since the people crucified the Savior. His hands and feet were swollen, and the wounds pierced by nails brought him incredible suffering.

Jesus Christ was as if in oblivion. Suddenly, at the third hour, he exclaimed loudly:

- My God, my God! Why did you leave me?

And after a while he asked:

One of the guards soaked a sponge in vinegar, attached it to a stick and, laughing, put it to Jesus' lips.

Christ sucked in moisture with his lips, then sharply threw back his head and exclaimed loudly:

- It's over! Father, into your hands I give my spirit!

Bowed his head and died.

Burial of Jesus Christ

On Saturday, the people were supposed to celebrate Easter, and in order not to overshadow this great holiday, on Friday evening people asked Pilate for permission to remove the corpses of the executed from the crosses and bury them.

Pontius Pilate agreed.

One of the secret disciples of Jesus named Joseph asked permission from Pontius Pilate to bury Christ.

Pilate did not object, he was even glad that there was a person who was not afraid to do this good deed.

Joseph, along with another secret disciple of Jesus, came to Golgotha. They brought with them a shroud (a large sheet) and a jar with a fragrant mixture of myrrh and aloe.

They removed the body of Christ from the cross, washed it with a fragrant mixture, swaddled it with strips of linen and wrapped it in a shroud, and tied a scarf around his head - in general, they did everything as it was necessary at the funeral.

Not far from Golgotha, Joseph had a garden, where he ordered to make a cave in the rock. (Such caves were called coffins, and the locals buried their loved ones in them. Do you remember the cave in which Lazarus was buried?)

In such a cave they brought the body of Jesus.

Joseph and his friend buried Christ. Together with them, women who mourned their Savior participated in the funeral.

They watched Jesus being buried, wept and rejoiced that there are people who honor him, love him and have not forgotten him after death.

Guards at the Tomb of Christ

Those who executed Christ had no rest, they could not find a place for themselves in fear. They remembered how Christ told them that he would rise again three days after his death. And now they demanded a lot of guards from Pontius Pilate so that they would not take their eyes off the cave, otherwise, God forbid, Jesus Christ would disappear.

Strange people! During his lifetime, they did not believe him and considered him a swindler, and now, when they killed him, they were suddenly afraid that he would really rise again and come out of the tomb. It's amazing how stupid they were. How could they hope that any guard could stop Christ?

They told Pontius Pilate that they were afraid of the disciples of Christ, who would steal his body and bury it somewhere, and then say that he was resurrected and flew to heaven.

Well, be that as it may, the guards went and surrounded the cave with a dense ring.

And a seal was placed on the stone with which the entrance to the cave was littered. So it was impossible to leave or enter the cave without breaking the seals. How the enemies feared Jesus Christ, even the dead!

Resurrection of Christ

At midnight from Saturday to Sunday, Jesus Christ rose from the tomb. And the seal was intact, and the stone was in place, but Jesus was not in the tomb.

Suddenly there was a strong earthquake, an angel descended from heaven, all in white and with a face sparkling like lightning.

He descended right in front of the stone, rolled it aside, and the Roman guards who guarded the cave were horrified to find that there was no one in the cave. Only one angel sat on a stone at her entrance and looked menacingly at them.

Then the guards fled in panic. They told the people everything they saw, but they were told to be silent.

- Say that you fell asleep at night, and at that time the disciples of Christ came and stole his body.

The guards agreed to tell everyone what they were told. Although it was strange how the sleeping people could see who stole the body. But once the money has been received, it is necessary to speak as ordered.

On Sunday early in the morning, the women took various fragrant incense and went to the tomb of the Savior. They wanted to anoint the body of Jesus so that he would feel good and pleasant in the next world. They only cared about one thing: who would help them roll off a huge stone from the entrance so that they could enter the cave.

They come to the cave. And what do they see? The stone is already lying to the side, but the cave is empty, there is no Jesus Christ in it. And in the place where Christ lay, only strips of white cloth remained, and angels in white shiny clothes sit next to them and say to the women:

- Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene crucified here. So he is no longer here. He is risen, just as he told you before about it. Notify his disciples. And also tell them that he will appear to them in Galilee, as he promised.

Joyful women immediately ran to the disciples of Jesus and told them about their meeting with the angels.

Of course, it was hard to believe in this miracle, and the students decided to see for themselves.

They ran into the cave and made sure no one was there.

So it's all true. Christ is risen.

Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene also entered the cave and saw angels in white robes. And they sit: one at the head, and the other at the feet, at the place where the body of Christ used to lie.

- Why are you crying? they ask her.

Mary answers them with tears:

- Where is our Lord? They took his body, but we don't know where they took it.

Suddenly he hears a rustle behind him. She looks around, and Jesus Christ stands in front of her and asks her:

Why are you crying, woman? And who are you looking for?

She did not recognize Jesus, she thought that the gardener had come up and asked him:

- Sir, if you took his body, tell me where you took it, I will go and take it.

Then Jesus says:

Mary finally learned that this was the Savior. She fell to the ground at his feet and wanted to hug them. But he said:

- Do not touch me. I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go and tell the disciples, my brothers: "I return to my Father and yours, and to my God and yours."

Mary immediately hurried to the apostles and told them the good news.

So, the first of all Mary Magdalene was Jesus Christ after he had risen.

On the same day he appeared to two of his disciples.

On the same day of the Resurrection of Christ, they walked along the road and talked about what they had heard about the resurrection of Christ and how this could be. And suddenly they see that someone has caught up with them. The students did not know that this was their teacher. And he asks them what they are talking about so enthusiastically.

“Didn’t you hear what happened to Jesus the Nazarene?” He was a prophet and the Son of God, the Savior. He was executed, and now they say that he has risen. Everyone saw his empty coffin, but no one knows where he is, - the students answered.

“How deaf is your heart,” the stranger answered them. “You still don't believe what your Master told you.

And then the disciples recognized him and wanted to fall at his feet, but he had already become invisible.

And they returned to Jerusalem to tell everyone about the meeting with Jesus.

Appearance to the apostles

Throughout Jerusalem there was talk of the strange disappearance of the body of Jesus Christ from his tomb. Many things were said:

“They say that the disciples stole his body, and now they are telling everyone that he was resurrected.

– No, no, he actually resurrected. I heard about it myself from a guard. Only he asked not to be named, others said.

And no one knew which of them was right.

And at this time the apostles all gathered together in the upper room and tightly locked the door. Only Foma was not with them that evening.

They all sit together like this and talk, and suddenly Jesus Christ appears before them. The disciples were confused, thinking that it was the spirit that appeared to them. And Christ says to them:

Give me bread, I will eat. Then you will believe that it is me.

And when the disciples were convinced that their Teacher was with them again, they were very happy. And Jesus said to them:

“I am sending you to the people. Go to them, and to whom you forgive sins on earth, they will be forgiven in heaven. And to whom you do not forgive, they will remain so.

He said so and disappeared.

Doubting Thomas

That evening, as you remember, there was no Thomas among the disciples of Christ, and when his comrades told him what had happened, Thomas did not believe them:

- Until I see with my own eyes the wounds from the nails on his hands, I won’t believe it!

Comrades did not argue with the stubborn.

Eight days passed, and they again gathered together in a locked room. But now Thomas the Unbeliever was with them.

And suddenly Christ appeared before them again. He approached Thomas and said:

Give me your hand and touch my wounds. Don't be unbelieving!

And making sure that this is the resurrected teacher, Thomas exclaimed:

My Lord and my God!

And Jesus Christ answered:

You believed because you saw me. Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.

Apparition at the lake

And soon Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples on Lake Tiberias. Here's how it happened: they decided to fish on the lake, got into a boat and began to fish.

They sat like that all night, and the morning had already come, but there was still no fish.

And suddenly the students see that someone is standing on the shore (And it was Jesus Christ, but they did not recognize him.) and asks them:

- Friends, did you catch a fish?

“No,” the students answer in unison.

“Then throw the net over the starboard side and catch it,” says the stranger.

The disciples thought he was joking, but they cast the net anyway. And when they began to pull it out, there were so many fish in it that they barely pulled it out. Then they recognized Jesus, and Peter exclaimed:

It's him, Lord!

He quickly undressed and rushed into the water in order to quickly reach the shore and meet the Teacher, and the rest of the boat also swam after him.

When they got to the shore, a fire was already burning, and fish were frying on it, and Jesus was waiting for them to have dinner.

They sat down to dine, and Christ asked Peter three times:

- Do you love me?

And three times Peter answered him:

“Yes, Lord, you know how much I love you!”

Then Jesus said to Peter:

- Feed my sheep.

So he bequeathed to his beloved disciple to continue his work on earth: to go to people and teach them love and kindness.

Ascension of Christ

For forty days Jesus Christ lived on earth after his Resurrection.

As he ordered his disciples, they did not leave Jerusalem and waited for the Comforter - the Holy Spirit, whom Christ promised to send them.

On the fortieth day, Christ gathered the apostles and went with them to the Mount of Olives. There he raised his hands and blessed them and his Mother Mary, who was also with them.

Blessing, he retreated a little from them, and suddenly rose from the earth and began to slowly ascend to heaven, and soon the clouds hid him from the eyes of the disciples.

At that very moment two angels flew down to them and said:

“Jesus ascended from you, but he will return to you again. Wait for it.

The apostles bowed after their Teacher and joyfully returned to Jerusalem.

Descent of the Holy Spirit

All last days the apostles did not leave Jerusalem. They all gathered together in the temple and prayed to God.

And on the feast of Pentecost, which comes on the fiftieth day after Easter, they heard a noise from outside, but so strong, as if a hurricane was raging.

And at the same moment the wind rushed into the konnata where they were sitting. Fiery tongues appeared above the heads of the apostles, which fell one at a time on the head of each of them.

It was the Holy Spirit that fell upon them like tongues of fire.

And the apostles suddenly spoke to different languages: and in Latin, and in Greek, and in Arabic, and in Persian, and in all other languages ​​​​that only existed in the world.

The Lord God did this so that the apostles could teach goodness to all people living on earth, regardless of their language.

Of course, even here there were people who, instead of rejoicing, began to make fun of the apostles:

- They probably drank a lot of wine, so they started talking like that.

Then the apostle Peter came out to them and said:

We are not drunk as you think. This is the fulfillment of the words of our Teacher, who sent the Holy Spirit, and everyone who turns to the Lord will be saved.

And he told them about the life of Christ and about what he wanted to teach people and for what he died.

Dormition of the Mother of God

After the death of Jesus Christ, His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, lived in the house of John, a disciple of Jesus, the same one to whom Jesus said from the cross: “Here is your Mother.”

John became Mary instead of his own son, took good care of her and revered her.

Twenty years after the ascension of Christ, his Mother Mary lived on earth. Every day She went to the Tomb of Her Son, prayed there, and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Savior was for the last time before her death.

From the garden She went to Golgotha. This was her daily routine.

Finally, the time came when Jesus Christ decided to take His Mother to heaven with him. Once she prayed Garden of Gethsemane, and suddenly an angel appeared in front of Her and said that in three days She would die, and handed Her a date branch from paradise - a message from the Son.

Came Holy Mother of God home and ordered to prepare everything for her burial. And She asked John to carry the very branch of paradise that the angel had brought to Her in front of Her tomb.

All relatives and friends and many people gathered these days in Her house and cried that She would soon leave them. She comforted everyone and promised to pray for them.

The Mother of God wanted to see all the apostles, the disciples of her Son, before her death. But there were only two of them in Jerusalem - James and John. The rest all dispersed to other lands.

Jesus Christ felt Mary's desire and performed a miracle. He gathered all his disciples, and just before the death of the Most Holy Theotokos, the angels brought them to Jerusalem to the house Mother of God.

The day appointed by the angel has come. The Most Holy Theotokos lay on her deathbed, already prepared as for the deceased. The apostles prayed. Suddenly the ceiling opened, and Jesus Christ himself descended from heaven, surrounded by angels. The Mother of God raised herself, bowed to Her Son, lay down on her bed again and died, as if she had fallen asleep. Therefore, the death of the Mother of God is called "assumption".

They carried her to the Garden of Gethsemane to bury her. As she asked, John walked ahead and carried a branch of paradise. Following him, the other apostles carried the body of the Holy Mother of God on their shoulders. Many people came to see Her off. They sang sacred songs, and angels sang in the air.

People kept coming and coming, and there were already a lot of them gathered here.

The enemies of Jesus were very dissatisfied when they saw with what honors they buried his Mother. Therefore, they decided to prevent this and sent soldiers to disperse everyone, burn the body of Mary, and kill the apostles, if they resist.

But before the soldiers had time to approach the funeral procession, a cloud descended and hid everything: both the body of Mary and all the mourners. And the warriors all went blind in an instant, poked their foreheads at each other, got angry and clung to passers-by, begging to be taken home.

But one man named Athos nevertheless reached the bed on which the body of the Virgin rested, grabbed it with his hands and wanted to throw the body to the ground.

But at that very moment, Athos's arms fell off to the very elbow. And he, armless, fell to the ground.

There was nothing left for him to do. He repented and recognized Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and called the Virgin Mary the Mother of God.

Then the apostle Peter ordered to return his hands. Many blind people also came and begged for their sight to be restored. They were pitied, and they began to see. And they also believed in Christ.

Mary's body was brought to the Garden of Gethsemane and placed in a cave. And, as expected, the entrance to it was filled up with a stone. For three days the apostles were on duty near the tomb of the Virgin, praying and guarding her peace.

On the third day, the unbelieving Thomas came to them, he alone did not get to the funeral and now wanted to say goodbye to the Mother of God.

The stone was rolled away. But Mary's body was no longer there. Only the shroud in which She was buried remained.

Jesus Christ took His Mother to heaven. And now they look at the earth from there and keep everyone who believes them and loves them from misfortunes and sorrows.

Don't forget to pray to them too. And do not forget that the Spirit of God lives in every person, so every person is the Son of God.

Unfortunately, not everyone understands this correctly. The Spirit of God is love for all people and responsibility towards them. This is what Jesus Christ spoke about when He came to earth to save people from their delusions and mistakes.

He will return to earth again. And maybe it will come soon. How do you think people will meet him now? Will they understand and want to improve? Or will they be sentenced to death again?

And also ... listen more often to what you have inside. Right. There is a heart and other organs. And there is also a soul. You have to listen to your soul. Sometimes it is also called conscience. But conscience is only part of the soul. Difficult to understand? Nothing. It's good if you think about it.

The events described in the book take place just before the Flood (although the word "Flood" does not appear in this story). Her main character- Lonely Fox. One morning, he crawls out of a hole, runs to explore, and unexpectedly finds himself inside an animal procession. All the animals go somewhere without offending each other, and they go in pairs. The purpose of the animal journey is either a huge house, or a huge ship. This is the ark, as both the Fox and the reader will recognize. Animals go there - "a pair of each creature ...". And what about Lis?
Here, at the ark, the Fox meets Her! From now on, he is no longer alone, and the foxes can also climb into the ark. At that moment, the first drops of rain fall on the ground. The mysterious story of the procession to the ark turns into a story about love! And finding a couple is a necessary condition for salvation.
This is one of the most “forgiving” and even inspiring versions of the Flood story that kids will love. As well as pictures made in the technique of "plasticine sculpture".

Kenneth Stephen

Artist Eyvind Turseter
Translation from Norwegian by Xenia Kovalenko
Publishing house "White Crow", 2016

The story of Noah, who set sail on an ark ship and managed to survive the Flood, is one of the favorite stories for modern authors, including authors who create books for children. Since Noah was ordered to “take a pair of each creature on the ship,” the ark is involuntarily associated in our imagination with a floating zoo. Noah in Kenneth Stephen's book really looks like a zookeeper. His main concern (and, apparently, purpose) is to care for animals. But the story of Noah's swimming, according to Kenneth Stephen, is also the story of the relationship between man and dog, and his book could well have had a different title: "Why a dog is man's true friend." It turns out that the dog's nose is wet as a result of the dramatic events that happened on the ark. The ship, it turns out, gave a leak and almost sank. And Noah did not find anything better than to order the dog to plug a hole in the ship's skin with his own nose (fortunately, the hole was small). The dog fulfilled the task, saved the ark and all those who sailed on it, earned praise from Noah and recognized him as the owner. This is the story that Kenneth Stephen told us.
And the artist Eyvind Turseter, having decided on a bold graphic experiment, told his own parallel story, full of humor and replete with details not expressed in words. The artistic space of the book is given by the structure of the ark. Most spreads depict events taking place at the same time on different tiers and in different "cabins" of the ark. Each "square" spread is a separate mini-plot, so you can look at the book indefinitely.

Sasha Black

Artist Peter Perevezentsev
Publishing house "August", 2017

Sasha Cherny wrote five tales for children based on Old Testament subjects: “Why didn’t Moses smile when he was little?”, “The Tale of the Bald Prophet Elisha, His Bear and Children”, “The First Sin”, “Righteous Jonah”, “Daniel in the Lion’s ditch."
This is not an adapted retelling, but rather fantasy tales in which biblical characters. There are stories that are closer to the original plot (stories about little Moses, about Daniel, about Jonah), and there are fantasies “on the topic” - for example, “The First Sin”. There is no such story in the Bible. It was invented by the writer, but it does not seem at all foreign in the presented series of plots. This is a children's variation on the theme of the Fall. And it is not Eve or Adam who commit the sin, but the snake that swallowed the rabbit. Not a snake, but a snake - apparently, so that when the children become older, when they get acquainted with the canonical plot, they say: there is something familiar in this! Expected turn of events.
For children, such reading will be both fascinating and informative.
The texts of Sasha Cherny are distinguished by many details, descriptions of the inner experiences of the characters, are full of dialogues and imbued with mild humor. So children can easily remember the names of biblical heroes and related important events.
The book can be read even by very young children of four and a half - five years. Everything in it is clear, dynamic, moderately dramatic. And, oddly enough, all stories have a happy ending.

Sally Altshuler, Sven Nordqvist

Artist Sven Nurdqvist
Translated from Danish by Maria Ludkovskaya
Publishing house "White Crow", 2018

Biblical history is silent about how the inhabitants lived noah's ark. Sven Nurdqvist fills this gap. He is not interested in either the cause or the effect of the global flood. The writer's attention is focused on what is happening in the ark itself, how relations between its inhabitants are built in conditions of "limited access to resources". Seats to spare. There isn't enough food for everyone. Prospects are bleak...
The authors do not seek historical correspondence. The ark has a motor and pipes, masts and sails. The entrance to the ark is strictly in turn, which is controlled by the King Penguin. It is not the pigeon that is searching for the land, but ladybug- apparently because in the name of this insect even a child will hear a connection with God. In the company of animals there is one "difficult" passenger - Rhinoceros, who is busy making life difficult for everyone.
Noah's Ark is a metaphor for human coexistence, a model of the common life of fundamentally different beings. A short story about the ark, invented by Sven Nurdqvist, is a parable about the rules of neighborhood and mutual assistance.
Children will find many familiar situations and everyday details in it.

Ulrich Hub

Artist Jörg Mühle
Translation from German by Elena Leenson
Publishing house "Scooter", 2013

The book of the German playwright and actor Ulrich Hub is just for children. This incredibly funny and touching book is modern theology for kids, and for everyone - believers and non-believers, with religious parents or those who are not particularly concerned about issues of faith.
Three comrades - three penguins - live, as they should, in the snow and ice, in friendly squabbles and fun brawls. But on this day, all sorts of different oddities begin to happen to them. Either a yellow butterfly flew into the snow and ice, or a dove with two tickets for Noah's Ark appeared on the occasion of the upcoming global flood. Two tickets, three friends. What to do?
Parallel to the practical challenge of getting on the ark as a trio, the three penguins raise incredibly important theological questions all the time. Does God exist? And if so, why don't we see it? Or maybe we invented it ourselves, as a consolation? A vindictive God or not? Can we imagine it or not? Can God make mistakes, and if so, can he admit his mistake? What is divine justice and does God punish sinners? And most importantly, is it necessary to believe without requiring proof?
Despite such an abundance of questions, there are no answers in it. Understand yourself. And at the same time, think about whether they can different people(birds) be happy together.

In this article, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most famous biblical stories. It is known that biblical stories became the basis of many works of culture. Learning about Bible stories does more than just teach us wisdom, tolerance, and faith. Bible stories help us better understand the culture and ourselves.

In this material we offer you biblical stories of the Old and New Testaments. The Greatest Prophets, Kings Ancient World, the apostles and Christ himself - these are the heroes of epic biblical tales.

World creation.

The biblical story about the creation of the world is described in the Book of Genesis (1st chapter). This biblical story is fundamental to the entire Bible. He not only tells how it all began, he also sets out the basic teachings about who God is and who we are in relationship with God.

Creation of man.

Man was created on the sixth day of creation. From this biblical story we learn that man is the pinnacle of the universe, created in the image of God. This is the source of human dignity, and that is why we follow spiritual growth, so we will be more like him. Having created the first people, the Lord bequeathed them to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and rule over animals.

Adam and Eve - the story of love and the fall

The story of the creation of the first people Adam and Eve and how Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempted Eve to sin and eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil. Chapter 3 of Genesis describes the story of the fall and expulsion from Eden of the first people. Adam and his wife Eve are in the Bible the first people on Earth, created by God and the progenitors of the human race.

Cain and Abel - the story of the first murder.

Cain and Abel are brothers, sons of the first people - Adam and Eve. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. The plot of Cain and Abel is the plot of the first murder on the young Earth. Abel was a cattle breeder, and Cain was a farmer. The conflict began with a sacrifice to God made by both brothers. Abel sacrificed the firstborn heads of his flock, and God accepted his sacrifice, while Cain's sacrifice - the fruits of the earth - was rejected due to the fact that it was not offered with a pure heart.

Longevity of the first people.

We have been asked many times in the comments to the chapters of Genesis why people in those days lived so long. We will try to present all possible interpretations of this fact.

Great Flood.

Chapters 6-9 of Genesis tell the story of the Great Flood. God was angry at the sins of mankind and sent rains to the earth, which caused the Flood. The only people Those who managed to escape were Noah and his family. God bequeathed to Noah to build an ark, which became a shelter for him and his family, as well as for animals and birds, which Noah took with him to the ark.

Babel

After the Great Flood, mankind was a single people and spoke the same language. The tribes that came from the east decided to build a city of Babylon and a tower to heaven. The construction of the tower was interrupted by God, who created new languages, because of which people stopped understanding each other and could not continue construction.

Abraham's covenant with the Lord

In the Book of Genesis, several chapters are devoted to the post-Flood patriarch Abraham. Abraham was the first person with whom the Lord God made a Covenant, according to which Abraham would become the father of many nations.

Sacrifice of Isaac.

The Book of Genesis describes the story of the failed sacrifice of Isaac by his father, Abraham. According to Genesis, God called Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a “burnt offering.” Abraham obeyed without hesitation, but the Lord spared Isaac, convinced of Abraham's devotion.

Isaac and Rebekah

The story of Abraham's son Isaac and his wife Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor (Abraham, who lived in Canaan, decided to find a wife for Isaac in his homeland, in Haran).

Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah are two famous biblical cities that, according to the Book of Genesis, were destroyed by God for the sinfulness and depravity of their inhabitants. The only ones who managed to survive were Abraham's son Lot and his daughters.

Lot and his daughters.

In the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah, God spared only Lot and his daughters, since Lot was the only righteous man in Sodom. After fleeing from Sodom, Lot settled in the city of Segor, but soon left there and settled with his daughters in a cave in the mountains.

The story of Joseph and his brothers

The biblical story of Joseph and his brothers is told in Genesis. This is the story of God's faithfulness to the promises made to Abraham, His omnipotence, omnipotence and omniscience. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, but the Lord directed their destinies in such a way that they themselves accomplished what they so sought to prevent - the exaltation of Joseph.

Egyptian executions

According to the book of Exodus, Moses, in the name of the Lord, demanded that Pharaoh free the enslaved sons of Israel. Pharaoh did not agree and 10 Egyptian plagues were brought down on Egypt - ten disasters.

Wanderings of Moses

The story of the forty-year exodus of the Jews from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. After forty years of wandering, the Israelites rounded Moab and reached the banks of the Jordan at Mount Nebo. Here Moses died, appointing Joshua as his successor.

Manna from heaven

According to the Bible, manna from heaven is the food that God fed the people of Israel during the 40-year wanderings in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. Manna looked like white grains. The collection of manna took place in the morning.

Tencommandments

According to the book of Exodus, the Lord gave Moses ten commandments about how to live and treat God and each other.

Battle for Jericho

The biblical story tells how the successor of Moses, Joshua, asked the Lord to help him take the city of Jericho, whose inhabitants were afraid of the Israelites and did not want to open the gates of the city.

Samson and Delilah

The story of Samson and Delilah is described in the Book of Judges. Delilah is a woman who betrayed Samson, repaying her love and devotion by revealing the secret of Samson's strength to his worst enemies - the Philistines.

History of Ruth

Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth was known for her righteousness and beauty. The story of Ruth represents a righteous entry into the Jewish people.

David and Goliath

Bible story about young man who, guided by faith, defeated the great warrior. Young David is the future God-chosen king of Judah and Israel.

Ark of the Covenant of God

Ark of the Covenant- the greatest shrine Jewish people, in which the stone Tablets of the Covenant were kept, as well as a vessel with manna and Aaron's staff.

Wisdom of King Solomon.

King Solomon is the son of David and the third Jewish king. His reign is described as wise and just. Solomon was considered the personification of wisdom.

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

A biblical story about how the legendary Arabian ruler, the Queen of Sheba, paid a visit to King Solomon, known for his wisdom.

Golden idol of Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar, who saw in a dream a golden idol, could not get rid of the desire to make himself a similar statue of huge size and of the purest gold.

Queen Esther

Esther was a beautiful, quiet, modest, but energetic and passionately devoted woman to her people and her religion. She is the protector of the Jewish people.

Job the long-suffering

Biblical stories of the New Testament.

Birth of John the Baptist

The Old Testament ends with the hope that God will send Elijah to prepare the people for the coming of the Savior, the Messiah. Such a person turns out to be John the Baptist, who prepares people for the coming of the Messiah, telling them about repentance.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The biblical story about the announcement by the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary about the future birth of Jesus Christ in the flesh from her. An angel came to the Mother of God and uttered the words that She was chosen by God and found grace from God.

Birth of Jesus

Even in the Book of Genesis there are prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. All of them in Old Testament more than 300. These prophecies come true in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Gifts of the Magi.

Three Wise Men bring gifts to baby Jesus at Christmas. In the Bible, the Magi are kings or magicians who came from the East to worship the baby Jesus. The Magi learned about the birth of Jesus by the appearance of a miraculous star.

Massacre of the innocents

The Massacre of the Innocents is a New Testament biblical tradition, described in the Gospel of Matthew. Tradition speaks of the massacre of infants in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. Murdered babies are venerated nearby Christian churches like holy martyrs.

Baptism of Jesus

Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist, who was at the Jordan River in Bethabara, in order to be baptized. John said, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" To this, Jesus replied that "it behooves us to fulfill all righteousness" and was baptized by John.

Temptation of Christ

After being baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness to fast for forty days. In the desert, the devil tempted Jesus. In Christianity, the temptation of Christ by the devil is interpreted as one of the proofs of the dual nature of Jesus, and the wounding of the Devil by Him is an example of the struggle against evil and the blessed result of baptism.

Jesus walks on water

The walking of Jesus on the water is one of the miracles performed by Christ to assure the disciples of His divinity. Walking on water is described in three gospels. This is a well-known biblical story that was used for Christian icons, mosaics, etc.

The expulsion of merchants from the temple

A biblical story describing an episode of the earthly life of the Messiah. At the feast of Passover in Jerusalem, the Jews rounded up sacrificial cattle and set up shops in the temple. After entering Jerusalem, Christ went to the temple, saw the merchants and drove them out.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper is the last meal of Jesus Christ with His twelve disciples, during which He established the sacrament of the Eucharist and predicted the betrayal of one of the disciples.

Prayer for a cup

The Prayer for the Chalice or the Gethsemane Prayer is the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. The prayer for the cup is an expression that Jesus had two wills: divine and human.

Kiss of Judas

Biblical story found in the three Gospels. Judas kissed Christ at night in the Garden of Gethsemane after praying for a cup. The kiss was a sign for the arrest of the Messiah.

Pilate's Judgment

The Judgment of Pilate is the trial of the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, over Jesus Christ, described in the four Gospels. The Judgment of Pilate is one of the Passion of Christ.

Renunciation of the Apostle Peter

The denial of Peter is a New Testament story that tells how the apostle Peter denied Jesus after his arrest. Renunciation was foretold by Jesus at the Last Supper.

way of the cross

The way of the cross or the bearing of the cross - a biblical story, component The suffering of Jesus, representing the path made by Christ under the weight of the cross, on which he was subsequently crucified.

crucifixion of christ

The execution of Jesus took place at Golgotha. The execution of Christ through crucifixion is the final episode of the Passion of Christ, which precedes the burial and Resurrection of Christ. Jesus suffered on the cross alongside the thieves.

Resurrection.
On the third day after his death, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. His body has changed. He emerged from the tomb without breaking the Sanhedrin seal and invisible to the guards.

There are many examples of strong women in the Bible from whom we can learn a lot. Let's take a look at five of them today.

Jael (Judges 4)

At the command of Deborah, the judge of Israel, the people persecuted Sisera the captain. When 10,000 men attacked Sisera, he fled. Israel pursued the commander and his army, at some point Sisera separated from his people and was left alone. He entered Jael's tent.

Jael knew who Sisera was, so she invited him into the tent to hide. He asked for water. Cunning Jael gave Sisera a vessel of milk. After drinking the milk, as happens to many people, Sisera fell asleep.

Jael crept into the tent with a stake and a hammer. The Bible tells that she pierced the carpet in which the commander slept, piercing Sisera's head. Of course, by the time the army of pursuers overtook him, Sisar was already dead.

[My wife loves this Bible story. Do you think I should be worried?]

Anna (1 Samuel 1)

… I give him to the Lord all the days of his life, to serve the Lord (1 Samuel 1:28).

Anna was barren. She wanted a son, but God did not give her. She begged the Lord for a child. In response, she promised that her son would serve God. When her son was born, she kept given promise: she took the child to Eli, the priest, and left it there so that the son would grow up at the temple. Over the years, she continued to influence her son's life.

Her son grew up to be Samuel, one of the greatest men the Bible tells us about.

Abigail (1 Samuel 25)

Abigail was the wife of an evil and selfish man named Nabal. David (already anointed king but not yet enthroned) sent his servants to Nabal with a request to show hospitality to him and the servants. David's servants were friends and protectors of Nabal's shepherds. Nabal accused David of laziness and arrogance. Nabal's answer greatly angered David, who by then was on his way after Samuel's funeral. The future king prepared his people for battle.

Abigail learned of what happened between Nabal and David's servants. She prepared food for the feast and went to meet David in the hope that she would be able to calm the angry son of Jesse and save her husband and family from death. And David agreed to spare her family for the sake of Abigail.

Nabal, stunned by his own boldness, thinking that he was very cool, since he was able to send David to hell, arranged a holiday in his honor, having drunk himself unconscious. And the next morning, he learned that Abigail's peace offering had saved his house from destruction. Nabal was so shocked by this news that, as the Bible says, "His heart sank within him, and he became like a stone". Ten days later he died.

When David heard the news about Nabal, he sent Abigail an offer to marry him. David saw virtue in her—honesty and a desire to protect her family.

Esther (Esther 1-8)

In the book of Esther, the heroine of the story is a Jewish woman chosen by the Persian king Artaxerxes as his wife. Having abandoned his former wife, the king arranged for a new one to be chosen, the choice fell on Esther. However, the king did not know that she was Jewish.

When right hand king, Haman, planned to destroy the Jews, Mordecai, Esther's uncle, found out about it. He went to Esther and asked her to convince her husband to have mercy on the people of Israel. Even though Esther was a queen, she had no right to simply enter the king's presence "out of schedule." And the appearance before without an invitation was tantamount to death.

Mordecai convinced Esther that her status was part of God's plan to save His people. Then Esther agreed to enter the presence of the king without an invitation, risking her life.

She invited the king and the evil Haman to her house for dinner, during which she planned to tell the king about her evil assistant's plan. The king was pleased with the invitation. The next day, the king and Haman came to the queen for dinner. Haman became even more angry with the Jews and Mordecai. When the king learned of Haman's plan to kill the queen's family, the king had Haman hanged on the gallows intended for Mordecai.

Lois and Eunice (2 Timothy 1)

Little is said about Lois and Eunice in the Bible. But what little we know about them speaks volumes about the nature of these women. Just one verse, 2 Timothy 1:5: (Here Paul explains why he thanks God for Timothy) “Recalling your unfeigned faith, which formerly dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice; I'm sure it's in you too."

Paul tells Timothy of gratitude for the character that the thirteenth apostle was able to discern in the young man. The book often mentions that Timothy was learned. Of course, Paul was talking about what he himself taught his student, but it can still be safely assumed that Timothy learned a lot from his grandmother Lois and mother Evnika, who, it seems, were also dedicated to God bible lovers.

These stories of great women deserve our attention and inspire us to this day.

What characters in the Bible do you like? Leave comments below the article.