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Every light opens another layer.
Begin with Jesus. Select any connected record to recenter the constellation, reveal another layer, and inspect the evidence behind every line. Every verse in the Bible is a door into the graph.
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49 records · 82 visible lines
+ 31 more records in the list below
Accessible trail
Every visible record, in words.
The constellation is an overview, not the source of truth. These links and evidence records preserve the same selection for keyboard, screen-reader, and close reading.
- Event
The crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem at Golgotha under Pontius Pilate. He died after several hours on the cross and was buried in a nearby tomb before the Sabbath. The Gospels present His death as the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
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The ascension of Jesus
Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus led His disciples out near Bethany, promised the Holy Spirit, and was taken up into heaven as they watched. Two messengers told them He would return in the same way.
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Cleopas
Cleopas was one of the two disciples who walked to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection. He told the stranger who joined them everything that had happened in Jerusalem, listened as the stranger explained the Scriptures, and recognized Jesus when the bread was broken at their table.
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James, brother of Jesus
James was a brother of Jesus who did not believe during the ministry, saw the risen Jesus according to Paul, and became a leading figure of the church in Jerusalem. He gave the decisive judgment at the Jerusalem council and is traditionally identified as the author of the letter of James.
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John the apostle
John was a Galilean fisherman, the brother of James and son of Zebedee, called by Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee. With Peter and James he witnessed the raising of Jairus's daughter and the transfiguration, and Christian tradition identifies him with the disciple whom Jesus loved and with the author of the fourth Gospel.
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Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus from whom, Luke says, seven demons had gone out. She was present at the crucifixion, went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, and in John's account was the first person to see the risen Jesus and to announce it to the disciples.
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Matthias
Matthias was one of two men proposed to fill the place of Judas among the Twelve, having been with Jesus from the baptism of John to the ascension. After prayer and the casting of lots he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts does not record his later ministry.
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Paul
Paul, first known as Saul of Tarsus, was a Pharisee who persecuted the church until the risen Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. He became the apostle to the Gentiles, planted churches across the Roman world, and wrote the letters that make up much of the New Testament.
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Peter
Peter, originally Simon, was a fisherman from Galilee whom Jesus called to follow Him and renamed Peter. He confessed Jesus as the Christ, denied Him during the trial, was restored after the resurrection, and preached the first sermon at Pentecost.
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Thomas
Thomas, called Didymus, was one of the Twelve. John records him offering to die with Jesus, asking how the disciples could know the way, refusing to believe the resurrection without touching the wounds, and then confessing the risen Jesus as his Lord and God.
Focus this layer - Theme
Resurrection
Resurrection is God raising the dead to bodily life. The Old Testament glimpses it in Job, the Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel; the Gospels narrate the raising of Jesus on the third day; and Paul calls Him the firstfruits, the first of a harvest that includes everyone who belongs to Him.
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The trial before Pilate
At daybreak the council delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate questioned Him about being King of the Jews, found no basis for a charge, sent Him to Herod Antipas, who mocked Him and returned Him, and offered the crowd a Passover release. The crowd chose Barabbas. Pilate washed his hands, had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
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The burial of Jesus
Before the Sabbath began, Joseph of Arimathea, a council member and disciple, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. With Nicodemus he wrapped it in linen with spices and laid it in a new tomb cut into rock in a garden near the place of crucifixion. The women from Galilee saw where He was laid, and Matthew records that the tomb was sealed and guarded.
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Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth is the center of the Christian faith and of FaithGraph. The Gospels present Him as the promised Messiah of Israel, the eternal Word made flesh, who taught, healed, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose bodily on the third day, and commissioned His followers to carry the good news to all nations.
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Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary was a young woman of Nazareth, betrothed to Joseph, who received the angel Gabriel's announcement that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and name Him Jesus. Luke records her consent and her song of praise; John places her at the cross.
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Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect of Judea who presided over the trial of Jesus. The Gospels record that he found no basis for a charge, yet handed Jesus over to be crucified under pressure from the crowd and the religious leaders.
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Simon of Cyrene
Simon of Cyrene was a man from North Africa who was coming in from the country as Jesus was led out to be crucified. The soldiers compelled him to carry the cross behind Jesus. Mark names his sons, Alexander and Rufus, as though known to his readers.
Focus this layer - Place
Golgotha
Golgotha, meaning Place of the Skull, was the site just outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was crucified. The Gospels give its name but not a precise location, and two sites in modern Jerusalem are proposed.
Focus this layer - Theme
Covenant
A covenant is a binding relationship God establishes with people by promise. Scripture traces covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel at Sinai, and David, and the prophets foretell a new covenant that Jesus inaugurates with His blood at the Last Supper.
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Sacrifice and atonement
Sacrifice and atonement is the biblical pattern by which sin is covered and fellowship with God restored through a life given in place of the guilty. From the garments of skin in Eden and the ram in place of Isaac to the Passover lamb and the offerings of the law, the Old Testament teaches that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. The New Testament proclaims that Jesus offered Himself once for all.
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Matthias is chosen to replace Judas
Returning from the Mount of Olives after the ascension, about a hundred and twenty believers gathered in Jerusalem. Peter cited the Psalms about the vacancy left by Judas, two men who had been with Jesus from His baptism were proposed, and the lot fell to Matthias, who was added to the eleven.
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Pentecost
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered disciples in Jerusalem with the sound of wind and tongues of fire, and they spoke in other languages. Peter preached that Jesus, crucified and risen, is Lord and Christ, and about three thousand were baptized.
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The promise of His return
As Jesus was taken up, two messengers promised that He would come back in the same way. Paul wrote that the Lord will descend, the dead in Christ will rise, and believers will be with Him forever. John saw a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with His people and wipes away every tear, and the book closes with the prayer that the Lord Jesus come.
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The road to Emmaus
On the day of the resurrection two disciples walked from Jerusalem toward Emmaus, about seven miles away, and a stranger joined them. He explained from Moses and all the Prophets what the Scriptures said about the Christ, and they recognized Him as Jesus when He broke bread at their table.
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Jesus appears to more than five hundred
Paul passed on a summary he had himself received: Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and appeared to Cephas, to the Twelve, to more than five hundred at once, to James, to all the apostles, and finally to Paul.
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The council at Jerusalem
When some taught that Gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved, the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. After debate Peter recalled Cornelius, Paul and Barnabas reported what God had done among the Gentiles, and James cited Amos to conclude that the Gentiles should not be burdened beyond a few essentials. A letter carried the decision back to Antioch.
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The calling of the first disciples
Beside the Sea of Galilee Jesus called two pairs of fishermen, Simon and Andrew, then James and John, to follow Him and become fishers of men, and they left their nets and their father's boat at once. John's Gospel records that Andrew and Simon had first met Jesus near the Jordan after John the Baptist pointed Him out.
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The raising of Jairus's daughter
A synagogue leader named Jairus begged Jesus to heal his dying daughter. On the way a woman who had suffered bleeding for twelve years touched His cloak and was healed, and Jesus told her that her faith had made her well. Word came that the girl had died; Jesus took Peter, James, John, and her parents into the house and raised her with a word.
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The transfiguration
About a week after Peter's confession Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where His face and clothing shone, Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Him, and a voice from the cloud called Him the beloved Son and told the disciples to listen to Him. Coming down, Jesus told them that Elijah had already come, and they understood He meant John the Baptist.
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The Olivet discourse
After leaving the temple, Jesus told His disciples that not one stone of it would be left on another. Seated on the Mount of Olives, He answered their questions about when this would happen and about His coming, warning of deception and persecution, describing the coming of the Son of Man, and calling them to stay awake and ready.
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Gethsemane
After the supper Jesus went with His disciples to a garden on the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane. Taking Peter, James, and John further in, He was deeply distressed and prayed that if possible the cup might pass from Him, yet that the Father's will be done. The disciples slept. He woke them as the betrayer arrived.
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Peter denies Jesus
While Jesus was questioned inside, Peter waited in the high priest's courtyard by a fire. Three times he was identified as a follower of Jesus, and three times he denied it, the last time with an oath. A rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus' warning, and he went out and wept bitterly.
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The empty tomb is discovered
Early on the first day of the week, women who had followed Jesus came to His tomb and found the stone moved and the body gone. Messengers told them He had risen. Mary Magdalene ran to Peter and John, who found the linen cloths lying where the body had been.
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Jesus appears to the gathered disciples
That same evening Jesus stood among the disciples in a locked room, greeted them with peace, showed them His hands and side, and ate in front of them to prove He was no ghost. He opened their minds to the Scriptures, breathed on them, and told them they would be His witnesses.
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Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee
Seven disciples fished all night on the Sea of Galilee and caught nothing until a figure on the shore told them to cast on the right side. Recognizing Jesus, Peter swam ashore. After breakfast Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Him and three times charged him to care for His sheep.
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The healing at the Beautiful Gate
Going up to the temple to pray, Peter and John healed a man lame from birth in the name of Jesus. Peter preached that the God of Abraham had glorified His servant Jesus, the council arrested them, and the church prayed and was filled again with the Spirit and with boldness. The number of believers grew to about five thousand men.
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Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene
Weeping outside the tomb, Mary Magdalene saw two angels and then Jesus Himself, whom she took for the gardener until He spoke her name. He sent her to tell the disciples, and she became the first to announce that she had seen the Lord.
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Stephen's martyrdom
Stephen, one of seven men chosen to serve the Jerusalem church, worked wonders and debated in the synagogues until he was accused of speaking against the temple and the law. His defense retold Israel's story from Abraham to Solomon, he saw Jesus standing at God's right hand, and he was stoned while praying for his killers. A young man named Saul approved.
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The conversion of Paul
Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee who had approved Stephen's death, set out to arrest believers in Damascus. Near the city a light from heaven threw him down and the risen Jesus spoke to him. Blind for three days, he was healed and baptized by a disciple named Ananias and began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues.
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The church at Antioch
Believers scattered by the persecution after Stephen preached to Greeks in Antioch and many turned to the Lord. Jerusalem sent Barnabas, who brought Saul from Tarsus, and the two taught there for a year. In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians, and from Antioch the church later set apart Barnabas and Saul for their mission.
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Jesus walks on the water
The night after the feeding, the disciples were rowing against the wind on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus came to them walking on the water. Matthew records that Peter stepped out toward Him, began to sink, and was caught by Jesus's hand. When Jesus climbed into the boat the wind ceased, and those in the boat worshiped Him as the Son of God.
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Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi
Near Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was, then who they said He was, and Peter answered that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus blessed him, then for the first time told the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and rise on the third day, and rebuked Peter for resisting it.
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Jesus sets out for Jerusalem
Luke records that as the time for His departure drew near, Jesus resolutely set His face toward Jerusalem. On the way He kept teaching in towns and villages, and He told the Twelve plainly that in Jerusalem He would be handed over, mocked, killed, and raised on the third day. The disciples did not understand.
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Jesus washes the disciples' feet
During the evening meal before Passover, Jesus laid aside His outer garments, wrapped a towel around Himself, and washed His disciples' feet, including the feet of the one who would betray Him. Peter protested and then asked to be washed entirely. Jesus told them He had given an example they should follow.
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The farewell discourse
After Judas left, Jesus spoke at length with the eleven. He gave them a new commandment to love one another, promised the Holy Spirit as another Advocate, described Himself as the true vine, warned of the world's hatred, and prayed to the Father for Himself, for His disciples, and for all who would believe through their word.
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The arrest of Jesus
Judas led a crowd with swords and clubs, and in John a band of soldiers, to the garden he knew Jesus frequented, and identified Him with a kiss. One disciple struck the high priest's servant, and Jesus stopped the violence and, in Luke, healed the man. He was bound and led away, and all the disciples fled.
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The trial before the Sanhedrin
Jesus was taken to the high priest, Caiaphas, where the council sought testimony against Him. When Caiaphas put Him under oath to say whether He was the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus answered and spoke of the Son of Man seated at God's right hand and coming with the clouds. The high priest called it blasphemy, and the council judged Him worthy of death.
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Cornelius and the first Gentile believers
A Roman centurion at Caesarea named Cornelius was told in a vision to send for Peter. Peter, prepared by his own vision at Joppa, went and preached, and the Holy Spirit fell on the whole Gentile household while he spoke. They were baptized, and the Jerusalem church concluded that God had granted repentance to the Gentiles as well.
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Jesus appears to Thomas
Thomas had missed the first appearance and said he would not believe without touching the wounds. A week later Jesus came again, invited Thomas to do exactly that, and Thomas answered with the fullest confession in the Gospels, calling Jesus his Lord and his God.
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Connections around The resurrection of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus precedes The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe Gospels narrate the burial on the day of preparation and the empty tomb on the first day of the week.
Evidence:The resurrection of Jesus precedes The ascension of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceActs states that Jesus appeared over forty days before being taken up.
Cleopas witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceCleopas recognizes the risen Jesus at Emmaus and reports it in Jerusalem.
Evidence:James, brother of Jesus witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidencePaul's summary says the risen Jesus appeared to James.
Evidence:John the apostle witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJohn records seeing the risen Jesus and testifies to it as the author.
Evidence:Mary Magdalene witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMary Magdalene is named first among those who found the tomb empty, and John records her seeing the risen Jesus.
Matthias witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMatthias was chosen precisely to be a witness of the resurrection with the Eleven.
Evidence:Paul witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidencePaul lists his meeting with Jesus on the Damascus road as the last of the appearances, and Ananias calls him a witness.
Peter witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidencePeter runs to the empty tomb, and Paul lists an appearance to Cephas.
Thomas witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThomas sees and confesses the risen Jesus.
Evidence:The resurrection of Jesus develops the theme Resurrection
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe raising of Jesus is the event on which the whole theme rests.
Evidence: