homework encyclopedia

FIND OUT MORE. Crusades 389 • Judaism 287

288 Society and Beliefs

WHAT DOES THE CROSS MEAN?

The cross symbolizes the death and

. RESURRECTION of Christ.
Christians believe that Jesus’s
death brought salvation, by taking
away their sins. When Christians
are baptized they are
marked with the sign
of the cross in
remembrance of
this sacrifice.

Christians believe in one God with

three aspects: God the father, God the

son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy

Spirit. Jesus’s role as the Messiah,

who lived around 2,000 years ago,

is revealed in the. BIBLE.

HOW LONG DID JESUS LIVE ON EARTH?

Jesus Christ lived in Roman-occupied Palestine.

He was the son of Mary and Joseph. He worked as

a carpenter before becoming a religious teacher.

His teachings upset the Roman and religious

authorities and he was executed at the age of 33.

WHY IS JESUS CALLED KING OF THE JEWS?

Judaism teaches that a Messiah, or holy king, will

come to Earth to complete God’s plan for humankind.

Christians believe that Jesus (who was born a Jew) is

this Messiah, while Jews believe he was a prophet,

preparing the way for a Messiah yet to come.

The Christian scripture is called the Bible. It combines the Jewish

Old Testament with the Christian New Testament that includes

accounts of Jesus’s teachings and those of his followers.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ came

back to life three days after his death,

and later rose to heaven, to sit at the right

hand of God the Father. His resurrection

is a symbol of hope for all Christians.

DO CHRISTIANS THINK THE BIBLE IS TRUE?

Many Christians regard the Bible as the sacred

word of God and literally true. Others view it as

a mixture of history, stories, poems, and parables

that can be interpreted in a more symbolic way.

BIBLE

1 ST BASIL THE BLESSED, MOSCOW

This distinctive 16th-century Russian cathedral belongs

to the Orthodox tradition of Christianity. This tradition,

based in eastern Europe, split from the Roman Catholic

Church, and its leader the Pope, in the 11th century.

MANUSCRIPT BIBLE 3

Before the age of printing, the

Bible was carefully hand-copied

in Latin or Greek, usually by

monks in monasteries, and sold to

rich, well-educated people.

THE RESURRECTION 1

This 19th-century stained-glass

window from Lincoln Cathedral

shows Jesus rising from the dead.

Christians celebrate this event

during the Easter festival.

Christianity

RESURRECTION

1 THE CROSS

Jesus was nailed to a wooden

cross by the Romans and left

to die – a method of execution

known as crucifixion.

Flag with a red cross is a

symbol of Christ’s

resurrection

Wounds on Jesus’s hands

and feet show where he

was nailed to the cross

Angels are

God’s messengers

and helpers

Jesus rising from

the tomb

Christianity