(See also "Who is Jesus Christ?")
Jesus of Nazareth was born as a human baby boy of Mary and Joseph. Mary was a young woman, a virgin, who was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth. God chose Mary to be the one to give birth to Jesus, and sent the angel Gabriel to her to tell her that she was the chosen one. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary became pregnant.
Joseph wasn't excited about this situation, because a woman becoming pregnant out of wedlock. He wanted to break off the engagement, but God sent an angel to visit Joseph to explain things. Joseph remained faithful to Mary, and when the Roman emperor, Augustus, called for a census in order to determine how much to collect from the people in taxes, Joseph took Mary to his ancestoral home, Bethlehem--the home of David, king of Israel, where the infant Jesus was born.
The Holy Family escaped to Egypt to avoid the massacre of the infants under age 2 commanded by King Herod (who was afraid of this reported "king of the Jews" being born in Bethlehem). In the gospel accounts, we read that once herod was dead, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned home to Nazareth. We only have one story from the childhood of Jesus. When he was about 12, he and his parents when to Jerusalem for a festival. When they left, Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was with some friends, only to find when the stopped for the first night on their journey that Jesus wasn't with the group. They rushed back to Jerusalem and found Jesus teaching the old men in the temple. Mary and Joseph were upset, and they really didn't understand when Jesus said, "Why shouldn't you expect to find me in my Father's house?"
When he was about 30, Jesus began his public ministry. He was baptized in the River Jordan by his cousin, John the Baptist. He called his disciples, and traveled throughout the country teaching, preaching, and performing many miracles.
About three years into his ministry, Jesus was betrayed by one of his own--Judas Iscariot. Jesus was arrested, tried by the Jewish leaders and presented to Pontius Pilate for execution. Pilate tried to free Jesus, but the people demanded his execution by crucifixion--a horrible, painful death. This was as it was to be, because God sent his Son into the world to save the world be being a final, permanent sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Jesus was crucified on Friday (Christians call this Good Friday), and buried in cave-like tomb. The tomb was sealed and guarded to make sure no one came and stole the body then claimed that Jesus had "risen" from the dead.
On Sunday morning (Easter), when Mary Magdalene, Mary (Jesus' mother), and other women came to the tomb to properly prepare the body for burial (there wasn't enough time on Friday because it was the Sabbath), they found the stone moved away and the tomb was empty. Fearing the body was taken from the tomb as a cruel joke, the women were distraught. However, angels in the tomb told them not to look for the living among the dead. Mary Magdalene, whom many call the "apostle to the apostles," asked a "gardener" where Jesus' body was taken. the "gardener" was actually Jesus, but Mary didn't recognize him until he spoke her name. Jesus sent her to tell the apostles what she had found. Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he told them he would.
Forty days later, after several appearances among
the disciples, Jesus ascended into heaven, where he reigns and serves God until
the time he returns again.
By his death and resurrection, death itself has been overcome, and our sins are forgiven and we are forever in God's love and grace. Those who believe and declare "Jesus is Lord" and baptized shall be saved. This we Christians can say with certainty.