parable
a short story that is told to show how one thing is like another. Most of the parables in the Bible are stories Jesus told. These parables teach us what the kingdom of God is like.
Passover
a Jewish celebration. It reminds the people how God saved them from slavery in Egypt. Part of the meal includes the Passover lamb. At the first Passover a lamb was killed and its blood was placed on the people's door frames. This is so God would "pass over" the homes of his people and spare the lives of their firstborn sons.
Jesus is the Passover lamb for all of God's people. He was sacrificed so his people could be saved from sin and death.
Paul
a great apostle and leader among the first followers of Jesus. Paul was known first as Saul. He became known as Paul when he began proclaiming the Good News to the Gentiles. He began to follow Jesus after Jesus appeared to him.
Paul had a special job of bringing the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles.
Paul wrote many of the letters that make up the New Testament.
Pentecost
a feast that was celebrated fifty days after Passover. At the first Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came to live in Christians.
Peter
one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He was also known as Simon or Cephas.
Peter once denied that he knew Jesus.
God later worked mightily through Peter.
Peter wrote two books of the New Testament.
Pharisees
means "the separate ones." In New Testament times, the Pharisees were the main religious leaders of the Jews. The Pharisees believed in following the Old Testament laws very carefully. They also added many of their own rules. Jesus often had trouble with the Pharisees.
priest
a person who sacrificed and prayed to God for the people. In Israel, a priest had to be from the tribe of Levi.
The high priest had special jobs to do. He was the most important religious leader.
The New Testament tells us that Jesus is the high priest for his followers. He gave himself as a sacrifice.
Now, all the followers of Jesus are priests. They can freely bring their sacrifice of praise to God.
prophet
a person God has chosen to bring his message to the people.
God often called the prophets "my servants."
Sometimes God gave the prophets a message about what would happen in the future.
False prophets gave the people a message that was not really from God.
True prophets always said that God was faithful to his promises. They told the people to be faithful.
Jesus came to earth as a great prophet.
psalm
means "song." In the Bible, God's people used psalms to praise God (Psalm 47), cry out to God for help during trouble (Psalm 13) and thank God (Psalm 118). The people often sang the psalms when they were together to worship God.