Preface - Born to Die (Burning Heart Bible Studies)

The road to wisdom? – Well, it's plain
and simple to express:
Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less.

(by Piet Hein)

I have daydreamed of going back in time while retaining what I now know about Jesus. Given that head start, I could have erred less, attained a more steadfast faith, and increased my productivity as a servant of God. Since I cannot return to the past to begin my spiritual journey anew, I will share what I wish I had known and optimistically spur your faith forward.

Matthew, one of Jesus’ biographers, provides the story line as we explore the first 30 years of Jesus’ life on Earth. When citing Matthew’s book, Born to Die utilizes the Bagby Translation (BT), a precise and reader-friendly rendering of Matthew’s Greek text. Mark, Luke, and John supplement the story with episodes from their biographies of Jesus.

Born to Die speaks clearly enough for a novice to understand, yet digs deeply enough to cultivate a believer’s faith. You will discover little-known facts, as well as details hinted at by His original biographers, but never addressed by later writers. Sifting out unverifiable legend and myth from the story, drawing solely on the Scriptures and other ancient historical sources, The Jesus Story: What I Wish I Had Known series will set you free to explore the authentic history of Jesus’ life and teachings.

Enjoy the story and make up your own mind about Jesus. As His apostle Paul urged the Christians in Rome,

The faith which you have,

have as your own conviction before God.

(Romans 14:22 NASB)

Chapter 1

Table of Contents

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“Were not our hearts burning within us … while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32 NASB)