edHelper.com
World Religion
 What is Christianity?

What is Christianity?
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.13

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    charismatic, incarnation, moneychangers, savior, sinner, tyranny, sins, precocious, salvation, virgin, nativity, marketplace, outright, resurrection, controversial, best
     content words:    Jesus Christ, Roman Empire, Old Testament, When Jesus, Judas Iscariot, Many Christians, Other Bible, Jewish Bible, New Testament, Holy Communion

Print What is Christianity?
     Print What is Christianity?  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

Quickly Print - PDF format
     Quickly Print: PDF (2 columns per page)
     Quickly Print: PDF (full page)

Quickly Print - HTML format
     Quickly Print: HTML

Proofreading Activity
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on What is Christianity?
     Leave your feedback on What is Christianity?  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

What is Christianity?
By Colleen Messina 		  
1     If you found a time machine, traveled back to the first century A.D., and landed in Judea, you might hear about a man who could reportedly walk on water. According to the locals, this man was either a great teacher or an outright rebel. Jesus Christ was the most controversial person in the Roman Empire! Christianity, the world's largest religion, is based on his teachings.
 
2     The story of Jesus' birth is the story of Christmas. According the Bible, the angel Gabriel appeared to a Jewish woman named Mary. Although she was a virgin, the angel told her that she was going to have a baby who would be the Messiah. This was startling news! Jews had hoped that a savior, or Messiah, would come to free them from Roman tyranny. The baby Jesus is traditionally shown with his parents, Mary and Joseph, in a stable full of animals. Angels hover brightly above. Shepherds stand close by. This "nativity scene" is often set up during Christmastime.
 
3     We don't know many details about Jesus' life. We don't even know what he looked like. Christians believe that Jesus was a precocious young man who thought of God as his Father. He became a carpenter, but his wisdom exceeded his years. He even explained the Old Testament scriptures to the wise men of the temple when he was only 12! When Jesus turned 30, he gathered a band of disciples, and he began preaching, teaching, and healing. He left no writings behind except symbols in the sand, but his disciples loved him so much that they left their homes to follow him.
 
4     Jesus had a riveting message. He taught that people needed to repent, or ask for forgiveness for their sins. He taught about love and the Kingdom of God. However, he didn't always teach quietly. Sometimes, he shouted. Sometimes, he did surprising things, even in the holiest place in Jerusalem.
 
5     Tables were set up inside the temple so people could to buy animals to sacrifice for Passover. They came from all over Judea for this holiday, and they had different kinds of money. People had to exchange their money for the local currency in order to buy things in Jerusalem, and the moneychangers did that job. Jesus thought that that was terrible! He knocked the tables over and told the people to stop turning his Father's house into a marketplace!

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Weekly Reading Books

          Create Weekly Reading Books

Prepare for an entire week at once!

World Religion
             World Religion

Social Studies
             Social Studies


    2004 Elections  
 
    2008 Elections  
 
    United States History and Theme Units  
 
    American Government  
 
    Ancient America  
 
    Ancient China  
 
    Ancient Egypt  
 
    Ancient Greece  
 
    Ancient India  
 
    Ancient Mesopotamia  
 
    Ancient Rome  
 
    Biographies  
 
    Canadian Theme Unit  
 
    Country Theme Units  
 
    Crime and Terrorism  
 
    Economics  
 
 
    European History: 1600s-1800s  
 
    Explorers  
 
    Famous Educators  
 
    Geography  
 
    Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series  
 
    History of Books and Writing  
 
    History of Mathematics  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
    Inventors and Inventions  
 
    Middle Ages  
 
    Renaissance  
 
    World Religion  
 
    World War I  
 
    World War II  
 
    World Wonders  
 

More Activities, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets


Back to School
Graphic Organizers
Alphabet Worksheets
Sight Words
Math Worksheets
Mazes
50 States
Education
Teaching

Monthly Themes
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Fractions
Place Value
Time and Calendar
Money
Earth Day
Solar System
Analogies
Nouns
Following Directions
Listening
Capitalization
Cursive Writing
Patterns and Sequencing
Dinosaurs
All About Me

Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Multiplication
Division
Main Idea
Cause and Effect
Measurement
Decimals
Rounding
Order of Operations
Verbs
Community Helpers
Adjectives
Plants
Grammar
Addition and Subtraction
Contractions
Bulletin Board Ideas
Word Searches
Crossword Puzzles
Printable Puzzles

Reading Comprehension
Reading Skills
English Language Arts



Copyright © 2013 edHelper