J

esus.mp3
...a guided tour through
the story line of Jesus’ life
 J esus.mp3
...a guided tour through
the story line of Jesus’ life

Page 2: Introduction

Page 4: An overview
of Jesus’ life

Page 12: The readings

 Introduction
Jesus.mp3 is a really simple challenge - to spend twenty to thirty minutes with
God every day for eight weeks, reading through the story of Jesus as it’s told in the
Bible. Reading from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you can follow the story of
Jesus’ life through from beginning to end in just 48 short (ish) passages...meaning
that if you read one a day Monday to Friday and then one each weekend, you can
work through the whole story in eight weeks.
To make life a bit easier, all the passages are pre-recorded as mp3 files, which you
can put on your computer or MP3 player. That means that you don’t have to flick
between books of the Bible to follow the readings through...and it means that you
don’t have to read them - you can just listen!
what the on-going message of the passage is. That is, what are the eternal truths?
What are the things that apply to you today? What might God be saying to you to-
day through a passage that was written hundreds or maybe thousands of years ago?
The mp3 recordings will hopefully help you to answer the question, “what’s going
on”, by giving you some background and explanation...but the second question is
for you to think and pray about - What’s the on-going truth and challenge that God
is speaking to you through the passage? If you don’t ever make time to ask yourself
this second question, I promise that by week two you’ll have lost interest! But if
you do make the time - if you set aside twenty to thirty minutes to think and pray
about the passage, then I promise that you’ll meet with God and hear Him speak.

Don’t Just Listen!!

Having said that, I really really suggest that you don’t just listen to the re-
cordings...the aim of the challenge is not to get to know about Jesus...it’s to get to
know Jesus! The Bible is written by God, and if you listen hard enough you’ll hear
Him speak to you through it. Jesus was God on earth - God dressed as a man - and
if you get to know His story, then you’ll get to know God. So don’t just focus on
listening to the mp3s, instead focus on meeting with God. The whole “jesus.mp3”
thing is just a gimmick - it’s just a tool to help you connect with God. Because con-
necting with God - meeting with Him and hearing His voice - is what it’s really all
about...because doing that will change your life.
Each mp3 file begins with an explanation of where you’ve got to in the story, fol-
lowed by the Bible readings for that day, read from the New Century Version. The
NCV is published as the “International Children’s Bible”, and as the “Youth Bible”,
and it’s really easy to read and understand. After reading through the passage, the
reader will talk a bit about what’s going on in the story, and then suggest you press
“pause” and take some time out to read the passage for yourself (or re-play it from
the mp3), and try to listen to what God might be saying to you through that particu-
lar passage. Why not have a notebook handy to write down anything that jumps out
at you, or that you feel challenged about, or that you feel God speaks to you about?
Finally, the mp3 recording will end with a quick “thought for the day” type thing
based on something from that day’s readings.

Two Questions

When you’re reading from the Bible, it’s really helpful to thing through two ques-
tions: Firstly, what’s going on...and secondly, what’s on-going? In other words,
thing about what’s being said in the passage - think about what’s going on, the his-
torical context, the background and why the passage was written. Then think about
 An overview of Jesus’ life
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small village just a few miles south of Jerusalem.
If you look, you’ll be able to find Bethlehem in any modern atlas, located in the area
of land now called the West Bank, which borders onto modern-day Israel. Just like
today, during Jesus’ time this was a politically unstable area, with lots of people
fighting over whose land it was, and who should be allowed to live there.
Since the Jews had returned from exile 500 years earlier, the area had been repeat-
edly attacked and conquered by various different empires. The Babylonian Empire,
that had invaded Judah and taken the Jews into exile, was defeated by the Persian
Empire 50 years later. The Persian King then decided to allow the Jews to travel
home, but, of course, their homeland was now a part of this new Persian empire, and
under the rule of the King of Persia. About 200 years after that, the Persian Empire
was conquered by Alexander the Great, a Greek, making the Jews part of the Greek
Empire and, finally, about 60 years before Jesus was born, the area was invaded by
the armies of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire
So Jesus grew up in a hostile and dangerous environment - in a country now under
military rule by the Roman army. Even though the Jews were allowed to live there,
it was really the Romans who ran the show. All citizens had to pay taxes to Caesar,
the Roman Emperor, and lots of people were angry and tried to fight back. There
were lots and lots of rebellions, and whenever this happened, the army would fight
back and deal out horrible punishments. Lots of people died trying to free them-
selves from Roman rule, and that included the Jews, who believed that God had
The heart of the The extent of the Roman
Empire - the city Empire, when Jesus was
of Rome born.
The area of land
promised to
God’s people,
Israel.
Jerusalem
Bethlehem
given them the land they lived in, and would help them to fight for it. Other Jews
tried to make the best of a bad situation, and tried to cooperate with the soldiers...
they were often rewarded either with money, or with special social status or privi-
leges.
Jesus - An Amazing Person
Jesus Christ lived a life that changed and affected human history more than any
other person who has ever lived. was born in a tiny village where he grew up and
then worked as a carpenter till he was about 30. Then he left home and began
preaching to people about God. He never wrote a book; he never had a family or
house of his own; he didn’t go to university or even college; he never visited a big
city; he never travelled more than 200 miles from where he was born. When he was
33, people got so upset with the things he was saying that he was arrested and
handed over to be executed. His friends ran away, and he died on a hill, nailed to a
wooden cross. While he was dying people gambled for his clothes - the only things
he owned. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave given to his family
out of a friend’s pity.
The facts about Jesus’ life don’t really sound that impressive do they? However,
two thousand years have come and gone, and Jesus is one of the most famous peo-
ple in human history. The book that tells the story of his life (the Bible) is a world
wide best-seller. He is remembered and celebrated around the world for the things
he did and said. More than a quarter of the world’s population would call them-
selves “Christians” and try to live by his teaching. As someone once put it, “all the
armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the govern-
ments that have ever ruled, all the kings and queens there have ever been, have not
affected the course of human history as much as this one solitary life”.
Jesus the Rabbi
Jesus is remembered mainly for the period of about three years that are described
as his “public ministry”, or “public life”. Basically, Jesus didn’t even appear on the
radar of history until he was about thirty years old - he was born, grew up, and be-
came a man, without too many people ever noticing. Then, when He was about
thirty years old, Jesus left home and became a travelling teacher, spending two and
a half years based mainly in Galilee, then a further six months based in and around
Jerusalem and Judea, before being arrested by the Roman army and executed by
crucifixion.
From the life that Jesus lived for those three years, scholars agree that he basically
became a Rabbi. Now in the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, it was common for
young boys to learn scripture as well as different teachings and traditions about
scripture. Those boys who were especially gifted would end up learning by heart
the whole of the Bible (as it was at that formed part of the huge Roman Empire. Jewish prophets had predicted that it was
time - the bit we call the Old Testa- in Bethlehem (in Judea) that God’s “Messiah” - a great leader and king, who would
ment). At around thirty years of age, a one day bring freedom to God’s people - would be born.
few men would have studied enough, Jesus’ mum was a young Jewish girl called Mary who lived in Nazareth - in the
and spent enough time reflecting on dif- northern region of Galilee. In about 6BC, Mary and her husband Joseph had to
ferent teachings of scripture, that they travel to Bethlehem in Judea because of a census being conducted by the Roman
would begin travelling round as a army. Shortly after she arrived in Bethlehem, Mary, who was heavily pregnant,
teacher in their own right, guiding and gave birth to a baby boy, who they called Jesus. The birth was an amazing miracle,
teaching Jewish communities about how because Mary had become pregnant before she was even married (whilst she was
to live life by God’s teaching and laws. still a virgin), and Jesus had been conceived by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Such a teacher was called a Rabbi, and Although Jesus was born in Judea, he spent the early years of his life in Egypt,
this is what Jesus became when he was and later grew up in his parents’ home town of Nazareth, in Galilee.
thirty. Like many Rabbis, Jesus had fol-
lowers who would travel to hear him teach, as well as some specially appointed Jesus’ Public Ministry - Galilee
“disciples”, with whom he would share his life and as a kind of mentor - training
and teaching them to follow in his footsteps. During the summer of AD 26, when Jesus was about thirty years old, he left Naz-
areth and began travelling towards Jerusalem, preaching in towns and villages as he
Jesus’ Life - the Beginning went, announcing the “Good News” of God’s kingdom. After a short stay in Jeru-
salem Jesus returned north, back up to Galilee, where he spent the next two and a
When Jesus was born, the area of land that had once been known as Israel was half years - preaching in towns and villages, performing miracles and healings, and
split into three separate regions called Judea, Samaria and Galilee, and together they attracting a huge crowd of followers.
In AD 28, about one year into his travels, Jesus invited twelve of his followers to
become a special group of close disciples, who were the main audience of the fa-
Nazareth
mous “sermon on the mount”, a summary of much of his teaching. Throughout the
rest of that year Jesus continued to travel throughout Galilee, performing miracu-
lous healings and proclaiming the “Good News” of God’s kingdom. All the while
his “twelve disciples” were with him, and towards the end of that year he sent them
out on their own, preaching and healing in his name.
During AD 29 Jesus began facing more and more opposition, and as the year went
on he began hinting to his disciples that he wouldn’t be around for much longer.
Galilee
AD 26 AD 27 AD 28 AD 29 AD 30
Samaria Baptised in Choosing of the Jesus flees Returns to Judea
the Jordan 12 disciples to Perea to see Lazarus

Judea
Two and a half
Second visit
years in Galilee
to Jerusalem
Visit to
Jerusalem Jesus is arrested Jesus comes
Bethlehem Jerusalem
back to life
and killed
 Jerusalem thought that soon all of Israel would come to believe in him, and join his followers.
Fearing him as a threat, they thought, the Roman Army would then fight back, de-
Towards the end of AD 29 Jesus left Galilee for the last time, and travelled to Je- stroying the whole nation, and the Temple, in the process.
rusalem for the Jewish festival of Shelters. During the festival he ran into constant Now in serious danger from the Jewish leaders, Jesus drew back from public life
conflict with the Jewish religious leaders and the Pharisees, mainly because of his for a while, laying low in a village called Ephraim. Then, in the spring of that year,
harsh criticism of them, and because he often referred to himself as being one with when the time came for the Jewish festival of Passover, he and his disciples made
God. Even so, Jesus stayed on in Jerusalem after the festival had ended, but soon he their way to Jerusalem for the last time.
had to flee the city (and Judea) when the religious leaders and Pharisees tried to
stone him for blasphemy (claiming to be God). Jesus’ Death - the Final Week Begins
Left: Jerusalem in
Jesus’ time...the huge Having travelled back to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples arrived in the city
temple, surrounded by about a week before the Passover celebrations were due to begin. They were met
clusters of houses. by large crowds, many of whom had heard about Jesus bringing Lazarus back to
life.
Below: Jerusalem as it In the city, Jesus immediately began stirring up trouble with the religious leaders.
is today, from the same He taught and healed people openly in the Temple, having first chucked out the
viewpoint. merchants and stall holders - who made their income by selling Temple sacrifices to
people for a huge profit. Eventually the religious leaders became so furious with
Jesus’ criticism of them that they began plotting to arrest him, but his following was
so big that they thought they might start a
riot! So instead, they tried to catch him out
and get him to say something that would
make the Roman army arrest him - but their
plan didn’t work.
As the week leading up to Passover contin-
On the run ued, the religious leaders began actively
plotting Jesus’ murder. They were trying to
Escaping from Jerusalem, Jesus then spent several months in the region of Perea, find a way to arrest him without causing a
across the Jordan river. He returned to Judea briefly in the early months of AD 30, riot when they were approached by one of
to Bethany, where he Jesus’ twelve disciples, a guy called Judas The Jewish religious leaders
brought a guy called Iscariot. Judas agreed to hand Jesus over to eventually found a way to have
Lazarus back to life. Galilee the Jewish temple guards in return for
Jesus arrested .
But this amazing Perea money.
miracle sealed his
fate, as word about Samaria
River The Last Supper
what had happened
quickly spread... Jordan
It was now Thursday (Jesus had been in Jerusalem since the previous Sunday),
hearing about it Judea
and the time had come for the traditional Jewish Passover meal, which would begin
themselves, the Jew-
the Passover celebrations. As Jesus and his disciples shared the Passover meal to-
ish religious leaders
gether, he spoke to them about remembering him after his death. Then, after their
decided that Jesus
Jerusalem last meal together, Jesus and his disciples left the city and climbed up onto the
was becoming a dan- Dead Sea mount of Olives, a rise of land just East of Jerusalem. There, away from all the
gerous liability - they
crowds, Judas lead the temple guards to Jesus to arrest him.
Jesus was then held overnight at the home of the Jewish High Priest, where the
temple guards mocked and beat him.

The Cross

The next day, Friday, Jesus was taken first to the Jewish Council (known as the
Sanhedrin), and then to Pilate, the Roman officer in charge of overseeing Jerusalem
and the surrounding area. The Council needed Pilate to issue Jesus with a death
sentence because they weren’t allowed to do so themselves under Roman law - but
Pilate didn’t think Jesus had done anything wrong, so he sent him to Herod Antipas
who oversaw the region of Galilee. Herod questioned Jesus for a while but them
sent him back to Pilate!
Now Pilate had a tradition of releasing one prisoner each year at Passover time, so
he hoped that this would get him off the hook - he asked the crowds that had assem- MAP
bled who he should release, expecting them to ask for Jesus. But the religious lead-
ers had stirred up the crowd to demand for Jesus to be crucified. Without any other
option, Pilate ordered for Jesus to be taken away and executed.
Later that day, on a hill just outside the city, Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross
stuck in the ground, and left to die. Then, as evening came, his body was taken
down from the cross and buried in a tomb.

Back to life

On the morning of the following Sunday, one week after he had arrived in Jerusa-
lem, Jesus came back to life. Some of the women who had travelled with Jesus ac-
tually saw him - alive and well, and began spreading the news that he had had risen
from the dead.

More appearances

Over the following weeks Jesus appeared to his disciples lots of times, encourag-
ing them and telling them to continue his work. He told them to wait in Jerusalem
until they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and said that it would then be up to
them to tell the whole world about him. So the disciples, and many other believers,
waited in Jerusalem. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God, celebrat-
ing the fact that Jesus had come back to life.
The last time that the disciples saw Jesus he lead them up onto the Mount of Ol-
ives, where he rose up into the sky and vanished. After this the disciples returned to
Jerusalem, where they chose someone to replace Judas, and waited for God’s Holy
Spirit like Jesus had told them to.
PART 1 The Readings (Leaving Jerusalem, Jesus returned to Galilee, via Samaria)

W
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman John 4v1-30
Jesus’ Birth and Childhood
Many Samaritans Believe John 4v39-43
The Birth of Jesus Matt 1v18-25

M
M
6 BC (After arriving in Nazareth in the spring of AD27, Jesus
The Birth of Jesus Luke 2v1-7
The Shepherds and Angels Luke 2v8-20 then began travelling widely throughout Galilee)
Spring, Jesus Rejected at Nazareth Luke 4v14-30
Jesus is Presented in the Temple Luke 2v21-24 AD 27
The Prophecy of Simeon Luke 2v25-35

T
The Prophecy of Anna Luke 2v36-38 Jesus Casts Out a Demon Luke 4v31-37
Jesus Heals Many People Luke 4v38-41
Jesus Continues to Preach Luke 4v42-44

T
(Two years go by…)

4 BC The Visit of the Wise Men Matt 2v1-12 The First Disciples Luke 5v1-11
The Escape to Egypt Matt 2v13-18

W
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy Luke 5v12-16

W
(Jesus’ family now live in Egypt for several years) Jesus Heals a Paralysed Man Luke 5v17-26
Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew) Luke 5v27-32
The Return to Nazareth Matt 2v19-23
A Discussion about Fasting Luke 5v33-39
Jesus grows up in Nazareth Luke 2v39-40 A Discussion about the Sabbath Luke 6v1-5
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Luke 6v6-11

T
AD 8
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers Luke 2v41-52
Early Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles Luke 6v12-19

T
(The Bible skips to when Jesus is thirty years old…) AD 28 Crowds Follow Jesus Luke 6v17-19
Summer,
AD 26 John the Baptist Matt 3v1-6
The Baptism of Jesus Matt 3v13-17 PART 3
PART 2 The Sermon on the Mount

Early The Beatitudes Matt 5v2-12

AD 28

F
Jesus' Public Life Begins Teaching about Salt and Light Matt 5v13-16
Teaching about the Law Matt 5v17-20
The Temptation of Jesus Luke 4v1-13
Teaching about Anger Matt 5v21-26
Teaching about Adultery Matt 5v27-30
F

(Jesus began travelling South, towards Jerusalem, arriving

W
AD 27 there in the early months of AD 27) Teaching about Divorce Matt 5v31-32
Teaching about Vows Matt 5v33-37
Jesus and Nicodemas John 3v1-21
 W
Early Teaching about Revenge Matt 5v38-42 Early in The Death of John the Baptist Matt 14v1-12
AD 28 Teaching about Love for Enemies Matt 5v43-48 AD 29

M
Teaching about Giving to the Needy Matt 6v1-4 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand Matt 14v13-21
Teaching about Prayer and Fasting Matt 6v5-18 Jesus Walks on Water Matt 14v22-36

T
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus Luke 9v18-20
Teaching about Money Jesus Predicts His Death Luke 9v21-27

T
and Possessions Matt 6v19-34
The Transfiguration Luke 9v28-36
Don’t Condemn Others Matt 7v1-6 Jesus Heals Demon-Possessed Boy Luke 9v37-43
Effective Prayer Matt 7v7-11 During Jesus Again Predicts His Death Luke 9v43-45

F
AD 29
The Golden Rule Matt 7v12 The Greatest in the Kingdom Luke 9v46-48

W
The Narrow Gate Matt 7v13-14 Using the Name of Jesus Luke 9v49-50
The Tree and its Fruit Matt 7v15-20
True Disciples Matt 7v21-23 The Most Important Commandment Luke 10v25-29
Building on a Solid Foundation Matt 7v24-29 Story of the Good Samaritan Luke 10v30-37

W
Jesus Visits Mary and Martha Luke 10v38-42

Towards Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Luke 14v1-6

PART 4 Jesus Teaches about Humility Luke 14v7-14

M
Sept/Oct
AD 29 Story of the Great Feast Luke 14v15-24
Jesus’ Remaining Time in Galilee
During Faith of the Roman Officer Luke 7v1-10
PART 5

T
AD 28 Jesus and the Prince of Demons Mark 3v20-27

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son Luke 7v11-17 Jesus visits Jerusalem for the festivals of Shelters and Hanukah
F
Jesus and John the Baptist Luke 7v18-35
October Jesus and His Brothers John 7v1-9
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman Luke 7v36-50 AD 29
W

Woman Who Followed Jesus Luke 8v1-15 (Although he was reluctant to go to Judea, Jesus decided to

T
travel to Jeruslem for the annual Jewish festival of Shelters,
Illustration of the Lamp Luke 8v16-18 so he went - leaving Galilee for what would be the last time.)
The True Family of Jesus Luke 8v19-21
M

Jesus Calms the Storm Luke 8v22-25 Jesus Teaches Openly in the Temple John 7v10-24
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man Luke 8v26-39
Towards Is Jesus the Messiah? John 7v25-36

W
the end of Jesus Heals in Response to Faith Luke 8v40-56 Jesus Promises Living Water John 7v37-39
T

AD 28 Jesus Send Out the Twelve Apostles Luke 9v1-6 Discussion and Unbelief John 7v40-53
 W
(After the festival of Shelters, Jesus stayed in Jerusalem, The Death of Lazarus John 11v1-37
teaching openly in the Temple)
Spring, Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead John 11v38-44
A Woman Caught in Adultery John 8v1-11 AD 30 The Plot to Kill Jesus John 11v45-57

T
Jesus, the Light of the World John 8v12-21
The Unbelieving People Warned John 8v21-30 (Jesus, now back in Judea, was a wanted man! The
Jewish leaders were getting alarmed at how popular
Jesus and Abraham John 8v31-59 he had become since bringing Lazarus back to life, and

M
they ordered that anyone who saw him should let them

W
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind John 9v1-34 know so that they could arrest him. Jesus and his disciples
laid low in a village called Ephraim, until it was time for
Spiritual Blindness John 9v35-41 the great Jewish festival of Passover...then he set out

M
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep John 10v1-21 for Jerusalem for the last time.)
December,
AD 29 Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God John 10v22-42 Jesus Again Predicts His Death Luke 18v31-34

T
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar Luke 18v35-43
Jesus and Zacchaeus Luke 19v1-10

T
PART 6 Jesus Anointed at Bethany John 12v1-11

Jesus Teaches in Perea PART 7

(Jesus had fled Jerusalem, escaping from the Jewish Spring,
religious leaders who had tried to kill him, and was now AD 30 The Final Week - Jesus in Jerusalem
lying low in the region of Perea. Here he continued
teaching and continued attracting more and more followers.) Sunday The Triumphal Entry John 12v12-19

W
Jesus Clears the Temple Matt 21v12-27
AD 30 The Cost of Being a Disciple Luke 14v25-35 W
Story of the Lost Sheep Luke 15v1-7 Story of the Evil Farmers Luke 20v9-19

T
Story of the Lost Coin Luke 15v8-10 Taxes for Caesar Luke 20v20-26

Story of the Lost Son Luke 15v11-32 Discussion about Resurrection Luke 20v27-40
T

Whose Son is the Messiah? Luke 20v41-47

F
Story of the Persistent Widow Luke 18v1-8 The Widow’s Offering Luke 21v1-4
Story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18v9-14
F

W
Jesus Blesses the Children Luke 18v15-17 Jesus Foretells the Future Luke 21v5-38
The Rich Man Luke 18v18-30
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus Luke 22v1-6

M
(In the spring of AD 30, Jesus learned that a friend of his, Thursday The Last Supper Luke 22v7-30
called Lazarus, was very sick...this prompted him to leave the safety of
Perea and return once more to Judea.) Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial Luke 22v31-46

T
Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested Luke 22v47-53
 Peter Denies Jesus Luke 22v54-65

Friday (At daybreak, Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin, or

W
High Council, which was a large committee of Jewish Leaders.)

Jesus before the Council Luke 22v66-71

(The Sanhedrin took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman Governor

with authority over Jerusalem, to be officially charged.
Pilate in turn tried to hand him over to Herod (son of Herod
the Great) who was in Jerusalem at the time, and who had
authority over Galilee in the North. In the end, though, Pilate
had to deal with Jesus - trying desperately to keep everybody
happy, Pilate sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion.)

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate Luke 23v1-25

The Soldiers Mock Jesus Matt 27v27-31

T
The Crucifixion Luke 23v26-43
The Death of Jesus Luke 23v44-49

The Burial of Jesus Matt 27v57-61

The Guard at the Tomb Matt 27v62-66

F
Sunday The Resurrection John 20v1-10
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene John 20v11-18

The Report of the Guard Matt 28v11-15

The Walk to Emmaus Luke 24v13-34
W

Jesus Appears to His Disciples John 20v19-23

Jesus Appears to Thomas John 20v24-29
AD 30 The Ascension Luke 24v50-53