Development of Christianity from the time of Jesus to its acceptance Essay

Development of Christianity from the time of Jesus to its acceptance as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 370s - Essay Example Upon Herod’s death, they eventually returned home to Nazareth. Jesus grew up under the guidance of Mary and Joseph and little is known about his life during these times until he reached the age of 30 when he was said to have started his ministry (History World, 2010). His ministry was said to have lasted from one year to as many as four from AD c.29-33. It began with his baptism which was dated in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius or AD 29 (History World, 2010). Jesus soon acquired followers after his baptism and the Gospels implied that he went on to perform miracles and to further gain followers through miracle healings. His main and initial followers grew to be his apostles, numbering 12 and most were fishermen (History World, 2010). One of the followers, Peter, slowly emerged as their leader and he was known to be the predecessor of the Church leaders, more particularly, the Pope (History World, 2010). Jesus’ ministry was mostly manifested in Galilee, and befor e the end of his life, he and his followers moved into Jerusalem before the Passover. His arrival in Jerusalem was not welcomed by those in power. His gatherings always attracted attention and crowds and this made him an easy target for the Romans (History World, 2010). After having supper with his disciples following the tradition of the Passover, he went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, led authorities to Jesus’ arrest. Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus’ crucifixion and thereafter, in Calvary, Jesus died (History World, 2010). The Bible goes on to narrate how after three days, he rose again. The sighting of Jesus by Mary Magdalene and the disciples and the discovery of the empty tomb all support the story of Christ’s resurrection (History World, 2010). After Jesus’ death, his followers, who called themselves Christians, grew rapidly (Religion Facts, 2009). Followers led by Jesus’ disciple Peter were leading a