Life of Jesus Christ

Jesus of Nazareth, or more traditionally known as Jesus Christ, was the Son of Mary and Joseph, and known to his many followers as immaculately conceived as a gift from God himself. Jesus is the central figure of Christianity and has been considered to be the only perfect man to walk the face of the earth, which would stand to reason that Christ would be considered the greatest, most perfect rhetor of all time as well. He had the ability to mesmerize his audience with every word that flowed forth from his mouth. Jesus had an impressive manner, he was uniquely arresting, solemn, sincere, and when he spoke- he spoke with compelling authority. Christ had an ability to listen well to others, observe what they had to say, and help those in desperate need; it was through his unsurpassed Ethos that made him the greatest rhetor that ever lived.

Jesus grew up in Nazareth, taking after his father Joseph as a builder/carpenter. At the approximate age of thirty Jesus made an extreme change in lifestyle. He left the family business and taught for the better part of 3 years in Southeast Galilee, Jerusalem, and parts of Samaria. The bible notes that he told his listeners "The time has come; the kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!" (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Mark 1:15). By repenting from their sins, Christ promised a marvelous new future for the truly righteous in return.

Even before Christ chose to dedicate his life to missionary work he showed early signs of becoming a great rhetor. The bible gives the example of Jesus at the young age of 12 being accidentally left behind on a trip back home from a feast in Jerusalem with his parents. "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2: 46, 47). Even at such an early point in his life he was able to hold intelligent conversations with esteemed philosophers!

The people he spoke to lacked faith and needed a message to believe in. Sometimes those that he were helping needed more faith beyond what they already had; he loved them enough to help with all their needs and not just the apparent ones. Jesus walked in a time of uncertainty, false Gods, and Idol worship, yet he projected an image of confidence and authority that evoked a feeling of calmness, trustworthiness, and reassurance in his audience. These people feared oppressive leaders and tax collectors who could come and take anything at a minutes' notice, they feared horrible wars, diseases, famines, plagues, enormous pain and suffering on an unimaginable scale. Jesus saw this as a catalyst for divine intervention; this wasn't a cause for despair but a time to instill hope. Christ spoke about God and his goodness- he taught the way to salvation is through faith. Jesus taught forgiveness and