The Bible is divided into two parts- the Old Testament where we learn the history of God’s people the Israelites, and the New Testament, which is centered on Jesus, God’s Son.
Here are just a few little-known facts about the New Testament:
Four Gospel Audiences:
The four gospels were written for four different audiences. Matthew was written for the Jewish people, Mark to the Romans, Luke for the Greeks and John for the young churches.
Jesus’ Name:
Jesus’ name was actually Joshua or Yeshua. It was a pretty common name in Israel at that time. And BTW- Christ isn’t His last name. Christ means “anointed one”, so when people say Jesus Christ, it really means Jesus THE Christ. Jesus the anointed one.
Wiseman:
How many Wise Men came and visited Israel’s newborn King? We always think there were three- in fact, we even sing about the Three Kings, but the Bible never tells us how many Wise Men there were. The only thing we know for sure is that there were more than one. I think we assume there were three because they brought three gifts to the Christ Child. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Bethlehem Facts:
Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem. Its name means City of Bread and was also the childhood home of King David. Later in Jesus’s ministry He referred to Himself as the Bread of Life.
Shepherds:
When the shepherds visited Mary and Joseph on the night that Jesus was born, they served an important purpose for Mary. They affirmed what the angel had told her nine months earlier that the child she’d just given birth to was indeed God’s Son.
Luke:
Since Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke was a physician he uses more medical terms than any of the other three gospels.
Shortest Verse:
The shortest verse in the entire Bible is John 11:35. “Jesus wept.”
Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies:
- Isaiah 7:14: He’ll be born of a virgin. Fulfilled in Luke 1:34
- Micah 5:2: He’ll be born in Bethlehem. Fulfilled in Matthew 2:1
- Psalm 8:2: The children will praise Him- Fulfilled in Matthew 21:15-16
- Zechariah 9:9: Jesus will enter Jerusalem on a donkey. Fulfilled in John12:14-15
- Isaiah 53:4-6: He’ll be the sacrifice for our sins. Fulfilled in Romans 5:6-10
- Psalm 41:9: His hands and feet will be pierced Fulfilled in Luke 22:47
- Psalm 22:18: Soldiers will gamble for His clothes. Fulfilled in Matthew 27:35
- Psalm 16:10: He will rise from the dead. Fulfilled in Matthew 28:7
Jesus’ Siblings:
Even though He was special, Jesus wasn’t an only child. He had at least 4 half-brothers- James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (not the guy who betrayed Him) mentioned by name in Matthew 13:55, and at least two sister whose names we don’t know.
One of the great things Jesus did while He was here was heal people. But it seems like He never healed people in the same way twice. Here are some of the different ways that Jesus healed:
- Rubbed mud in a man’s eyes
- Touched the man with leprosy
- Lifted a woman by the hand
- Honored the faith of the four guys who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus
- Called Lazarus out of the tomb
- Spoke a word
- Raised a widow’s son
Nature Laws:
Jesus broke His own laws of nature by walking on water in order to reach His disciples in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.
Zacchaeus:
Jesus met some interesting people as He traveled through Israel. One was a short little tax collector named Zacchaeus. The Bible says he was rich which probably meant that he cheated his fellow Jews by adding to their tax bill. For example, if you owed $100 to Rome, good old Zacchaeus might charge you two or three hundred dollars and keep the difference for himself. No wonder he wasn’t very popular. When he encountered Jesus however his life changed, and he promised to give back the money he’d stolen.
Palm Sunday:
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the people shouted “Hosanna” which means “Save Now!” They were probably quoting from Psalm 118:25 and were hoping Jesus would deliver them from the Romans who occupied their land at the time. But Jesus knew the people needed to be saved from their sins, which was what He was about to do.
Old Testament Prophets:
Jesus believed the Old Testament. And He told people they should believe everything the prophets had said. (Luke 24:25) Jesus and the other writers of the New Testament quote the Old Testament about 600 times.
New Testament:
In New Testament times men would fish at night. They would go out in their boats with torches. The light from the torches would draw the fish up to the surface and they’d get caught in the net.
Jesus Coming to Earth:
Jesus came for two reasons- one, to show us what God was like and two, to take the punishment for all our sins (the bad stuff we do). He died on the cross and was separated from the Father so that we never have to be. That’s good news! BTW The word Gospel means “good news”.
Roman Empire:
- The Roman Empire was known for many innovations in warfare, architecture and building aqueducts. But they also created a road system that stretched throughout their entire empire- from Rome all the way to the middle east. God’s missionaries used these advanced roads to help spread His Gospel throughout the whole known world.
- On most Roman roads there were milepost signs to show how far you’d travelled. But in those days a Roman soldier could command you to carry his load for one mile. Jesus said that if someone asks you to carry his load one mile, you should carry it two
