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The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST
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Bob Headrick
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010/14/2020
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A harmonized version of The Four Gospels of JESUS
CHRIST
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Foreword
When I
started writing this book to help make sense of some of the seeming
contradictions of the Gospels I carried over some of my writing habits and
personal beliefs. One is that I capitalize every letter in GOD and LORD when they specifically refer to the
one true and living GOD,
JESUS and HOLY SPIRIT. I do not capitalize the names of the devil, satan or
lucifer because I do not care about grammatical correctness as much as I care
about giving GOD glory
and not giving any recognition to His enemy. The devil and the fallen heavenly
host who serve him only want to destroy GOD’s favored creation humanity because they cannot be redeemed
and this is the only way they can hurt GOD.
Something
that I mention in My Thoughts is the time line of JESUS’ ministry. This is a non-issue in
the belief of who JESUS
is and what He did in obedience to GOD the Father for humanities salvation. Whatever you understand
and believe about the time line of JESUS’ ministry on the earth has no bearing on your salvation nor
should it have any bearing on your relationship to other CHRISTians.
The Church
already has enough non-important dividing points that cause separation and
breaking of fellowship which is a direct disobedience to one of JESUS’ biggest commandments to all
believers; love one another as I have loved you; be one with each other as I
and the Father are One.
Remember,
salvation is: GOD’s
grace to freely give us the faith to believe that JESUS is the CHRIST, the Son of GOD in the flesh, born of a virgin; who
lived a sinless temptation overcoming life and then obediently went to the
cross to bear the judgment for the sins of humanity and by the shedding of His
Blood wash us clean and by the power of His resurrection make us a new eternal
spiritual being rather than the mortal physical being we were born as. He
changed our destiny from death and hell to life and His Kingdom!
As CHRISTians we will not be judged on what we
believe about the length of His earthly ministry or when the rapture will take
place in the Father’s timeline for humanity or any of the dozens of issues that
we divide ourself over; we will be judged for our unity and love for one
another, for our sharing The Gospel with those who are not believers, for our
laying hands on the sick, for casting out demons, for raising the dead, for
giving to the poor, needy, widows and orphans, for visiting the sick and
imprisoned, and for not sinning!
Robert (Bob) Headrick
JESUS’ HIStory
The
Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST
Introduction
Many have taken it upon
themselves to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled
regarding JESUS CHRIST. “Just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers
of the Word delivered them to us”; it seemed good to me to write to
you a harmonized account that you may know the certainty of those things which
you were told.
In the beginning the LORD GOD created the heavens and the earth. GOD planted a garden in
the east part of Eden and out of the ground GOD made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight
and good for food. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil were in
the middle of the garden. A river went out of Eden to water the garden and from
there it parted and became four riverheads.
After He had created everything GOD said, “Let Us
make man in Our image according to Our likeness; let them
have responsibility and authority over the fish of the sea, over the birds of
the air and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.” GOD formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being; so GOD created man in His own image; male and female He created them. Then GOD blessed them and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply fill the earth
and subdue it.”
GOD took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep
it. GOD commanded the man saying, “Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat except of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil you must not eat from it for in the day that you eat of
it you will truly die.”
GOD said, “It is not good that man should be alone
I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground GOD had formed every beast of the field and every bird
of the air and brought them to
Adam to see what he would name them. Whatever Adam called each living creature
that was its
name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air and to
every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper comparable
to him.
GOD caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and He took one of his ribs
and closed up the flesh. Then with the rib which GOD had taken from Adam He made into a woman and He
brought her to the man and Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and
the two shall become one flesh.” Adam called his wife’s name Eve because she
was the mother of all living. They were both naked, the man and his wife and
were not ashamed.
Then GOD blessed them and GOD said to them, “Be
fruitful and multiply fill the earth and subdue it take responsibility and
authority over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over every
living thing that moves on the earth.” Then GOD saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good.
So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth
and all that live in them were finished and on the seventh day GOD ended His work and He rested from all His
work. Then GOD
blessed the seventh day and set it apart as special because on it He rested
from all His work of creation.
Now the serpent was more
cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD GOD had made; he said to the woman, “Has GOD truly said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of
the garden’?” Eve said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of
the garden except of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden GOD has said, ‘Do not eat it or touch it or you will
die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not truly die for GOD knows that in the day you eat it your eyes will be
opened and you will be like GOD
knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food that it was
pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate. She gave some to
her husband who was with her and he ate, then their eyes were opened and
they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made
themselves coverings.
When they heard the sound of
the LORD GOD walking in the garden in the cool of the day Adam
and Eve hid themselves from the presence of GOD among the trees of the garden. Then GOD called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Adam said, “I heard
Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself.”
GOD asked, “Who told you that
you were naked!? Have
you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
Then Adam said, “The woman You
gave me, she gave me of the tree and I ate.” GOD asked Eve, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent
deceived me and I ate.” So GOD
said to the serpent, “Because you have done this you are cursed more than all
cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly you shall go and
you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and
the woman and between your seed and her Seed; He shall crush your head and you
shall bruise His heel.” To Eve GOD said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow in your conception, in pain
you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband yet he
shall rule over you.” Then to Adam GOD said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten
from the tree of which I commanded you, ‘you shall not eat of it’. Cursed is
the ground for your sake in sweat and hard work you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the
herb of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you
return to the ground for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return.”
GOD killed animals and made tunics of their skins for Adam and Eve and
clothed them. Then GOD
said, “See the man has become like one of Us to know good and evil now he may
put out his hand and take of the tree of life and eat and live forever.” So then
GOD sent him out of the Garden of
Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and He
placed Cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword
which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Chapter 1
In the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with GOD and the
Word was GOD, He was in the beginning with GOD. All
things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that has been
made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men, the light shines
in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. That was the True Light
which gives light to every man coming into the world. The Word became flesh and
dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Heavenly Father, full of grace and truth. He was in the world and
the world was made by Him and the world did not know Him. He came to His
own people and His own people did not receive Him. As many as received Him to
them He gave the right to become children of GOD, to those who believe in His name, who were
born not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man but of GOD.
Top of
Form
There was in the days of
Herod The Great, the king of Judea a certain priest named Zacharias of the
division of Abijah, his wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. They were
both righteous before GOD walking blameless in all the commandments and
ordinances of the LORD. They had no child because Elizabeth was
barren and they were both well advanced in years. So it was that while he was
serving as priest before GOD in the order of his division, according to the
custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into
the temple of the LORD. All of the people were outside praying at
the hour of incense. Then an angel of the LORD appeared to Zacharias standing on the right side
of the altar of incense. When Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fearful,
the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid Zacharias for your prayer is heard and
your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall call his name
John. You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth.
For he will be great in the sight of the LORD, he will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He
will be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT even from his mother’s womb. He will
turn many of the children of Israel to the LORD their GOD. He will go before the CHRIST in the spirit
and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for
the LORD.”
Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this for I am an old man
and my wife is well advanced in years?” The angel answered him, “I
am Gabriel who stands in the presence of GOD and was sent to speak to you and bring you these
glad tidings. Therefore you will be mute and not able to speak until the
day these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be
fulfilled in their own time.”
The people waited for Zacharias
and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. When he came out he
could not speak to them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the
temple; for he motioned to them and remained speechless. So it was as soon
as the days of his service were completed that he departed to his own
house. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself
five months saying, “Thus the LORD has dealt with me in the days when He looked
on me to take
away my reproach among people.”
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy the angel Gabriel was sent by GOD to a city of Galilee called Nazareth; to a
virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. The
virgin’s name was Mary
and having come in the angel said to her, “Rejoice highly favored one the LORD is with
you blessed are you
among women!” When she saw him she
was troubled by his words and considered what manner of greeting it was. Then
the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with GOD. You
will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son and shall call His name
JESUS, which is translated Jehovah is Salvation, He will be great and will
be called the Son of the Highest and the LORD GOD will give Him the throne of His forefather
David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His Kingdom
there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I am
a virgin?” The angel answered her, “The HOLY
SPIRIT will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; the
HOLY ONE who is to be born will be called the Son of GOD. Indeed
Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age and this is now the
sixth month for her who was called barren. For with GOD nothing
will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “I am the maidservant of the LORD! Let it
be to me according to your word.” and the angel departed from her.
Mary went into the hill country
to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted
Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary the baby leaped in
her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. Then she spoke
out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your
womb! Why is it granted to
me that the mother of my LORD should come to me? For indeed as soon as your
greeting sounded in my ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed for there
will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the LORD.” Mary
said, “My soul magnifies the LORD and my spirit has rejoiced in GOD my
Savior, for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant from now on all
generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great
things for me and Holy is His name. His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He
has shown strength with His arm He has scattered the proud in the imagination
of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and
exalted the lowly. He
has filled the hungry with good things and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant
Israel in remembrance of His mercy
as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.” Mary visited
with Elizabeth about three months before returning to her home.
Elizabeth’s full time came for
her to give birth and she brought forth a son. When her neighbors and relatives
heard how the LORD had shown great mercy to her they rejoiced
with her. So it was on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the
child and they would have called him by the name of his father Zacharias. His
mother said, “No he shall be called John.” they said to her, “There is no one
among your relatives who is called by this name.” They made signs to Zacharias
what he would have him called. He motioned for a writing tablet and wrote, “His
name is John.” and they all marveled. Immediately Zacharias was filled
with the HOLY SPIRIT his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed and he spoke praising GOD and
prophesied saying, “Blessed is the LORD GOD of Israel for He has visited and redeemed His
people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant
David as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets who have been since the world began. That
we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to
perform the mercy promised to
our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our
father Abraham. To grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our
enemies might serve before Him without fear in holiness and righteousness all
the days of our life. You child will be called the prophet of the Highest
for you will go before the face of the LORD to prepare His way, to give knowledge of salvation
to His people by the forgiveness of their sins through the tender mercy of our
GOD,
with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us. To give light to those
who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the
way of peace.” Then fear came on all who dwelt around them and all these
sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. All those who
heard kept these things in
their hearts saying, “What kind of child will this be?” The hand of the LORD was with
the child so John grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts
till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
The birth of JESUS CHRIST
was as follows: After His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph before they came
together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Joseph being a just man and not wanting to make
her a public example was minded to put her away secretly. While he thought
about these things an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph son of
David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child who is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bring forth a Son and you
shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Then
Joseph upon awakening from sleep did as the angel of the LORD
commanded him and took her as his wife and did not know her till she had given
birth to her firstborn Son. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the LORD through the prophet Isaiah saying, “See, the
virgin shall be with child and bear a Son and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “GOD with us.”
It came to pass in those days that a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered; this census first
took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be
registered everyone to his own city. Joseph went up from Galilee out of the
city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because
he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary to
whom he was engaged while she was pregnant with JESUS. So it was that
while they were there the days were completed for her to give birth
and she brought forth her firstborn Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling
cloths and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn
and they named Him JESUS.
There were in the same country shepherds
living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel
of the LORD
stood before them and the glory of the LORD shone around them and they were greatly
afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid for I bring you
good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born
to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is CHRIST the LORD. This will be the sign to you, you will find a Baby wrapped in
swaddling cloths lying in a manger.” Suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising GOD and saying, “Glory to GOD in the
highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was when the
angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one
another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which
the LORD
has told us.” They hurried and found Mary and Joseph with the Baby lying
in a manager. Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising GOD for all
the things that they had heard and seen. They then made known the things the
angel told them concerning this Child. All those who heard it marveled at the
things which the shepherds told them. Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her
heart.
When eight days were completed
for the circumcision of the child His name was called JESUS, the name given by the
angel before He was conceived in the womb. When the 40 days of Mary’s
purification according to the law of Moses were completed they brought Him to
Jerusalem to present Him to
the LORD
as it is written in the law of the GOD, “Every male who opens the womb shall be
called holy to GOD”, and to offer a sacrifice according to what
is said in the law of GOD, “A pair of turtledoves or two young
pigeons.”
There was a man in Jerusalem whose
name was Simeon and this
man was just and
devout waiting for the Salvation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death
before he had seen the LORD’s CHRIST. So he came by the Spirit into
the temple when the parents brought in JESUS to do for Him according to the
custom of the law; he took JESUS up in his arms and blessed GOD and
said, “LORD now
You are letting Your servant depart in peace according to Your Word, for my eyes
have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all
peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your
people Israel.” Joseph and Mary marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “This Child is destined for
the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which will be
spoken against; yes a sword will pierce through your own soul also;
that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was a prophetess, Anna the
daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age,
eighty-four years old, she had been married for seven years and was a widow; she
did not depart from the temple but served GOD with fasting and prayers night and day. Coming in that
instant she gave thanks to the LORD and spoke of JESUS to all those who looked
for redemption in Jerusalem. So when Joseph and Mary had preformed all things
according to the Law of the LORD they returned to Bethlehem and Mary kept all
these things in her heart.
A little
more than a year after JESUS was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
Herod the Great, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where
is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East
and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this he was troubled
and all Jerusalem with him. When he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together he inquired of them where the CHRIST
was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is
written by the prophet Micah, ‘You Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of
Judah, for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod when he had secretly called the wise men and determined from them
what time the star appeared sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and
search carefully for the young Child and when you have found Him bring back word to me that I
may come and worship Him also.” Then they departed and the star which they had
seen in the East went before them. When they saw the star they rejoiced greatly
following till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they had
come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary His mother and fell down
and worshiped Him. When they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to
Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that
they should not return to Herod they departed for their own country another
way.
Now when
they had departed an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, “Arise take
the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring
you word for Herod will seek to destroy the young Child.” When Joseph arose he
took the child JESUS and His mother by night and departed for Egypt and
was there until the death of Herod the king that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the LORD through the prophet Hosea saying, “Out of
Egypt I called My Son.”
Then
Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was exceedingly angry
and he sent his army to put to death all the male children who were in
Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under according to
the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then the word was
fulfilled which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying: “A voice was
heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be
comforted, because they are no more.”
When
Herod was dead an angel of the LORD appeared in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt saying, “Arise take the young Child and His mother and go to the
land of Israel for those who sought the young Child’s life are
dead.” Then he arose took JESUS and His mother and came into the land of
Israel. When he heard that Herod Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of
his father Herod the Great he was afraid to go there, being warned by GOD in
a dream he turned aside into the region of Galilee. He came and dwelt
in the city of Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” JESUS grew and became strong
in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of GOD was upon Him.
Joseph and Mary took their family
to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when JESUS
was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of
the feast. When they had finished as they returned home JESUS lingered
behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary did not know it; they supposed Him to have
been in the company of travelers; they went a day’s journey and sought Him
among their relatives and acquaintances, when they did not find Him they
returned to Jerusalem seeking Him. So it was that after three days they
found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to
them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were astonished at His
understanding and answers. When His parents saw Him they were amazed and
His mother said to Him, “Son why have You done this to us? Look Your father and
I have sought You anxiously.” JESUS said to them, “Why
did you seek Me? Do you not understand that I must be about My Father’s
business?” They did not
understand His statement, then He went down with them to Nazareth and was
subject to them and Mary kept all these things in her heart. JESUS
increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with GOD and men.
