Christ Pantocrator mosaic in Byzantine style, from the Cefalù Cathedral, Sicily, 1130
By Andreas Wahra - Own work (own photography), CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Main Facts

Jesus (4 BC - 30/33 AD) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure of Christianity. Christians believe him to be the Son of God.
He was arrested and tried by the Jewish religious authorities, and turned over to the Roman government, and was subsequently crucified. His birth is celebrated annually on December 25 (or various dates in January for some eastern churches) as a holiday known as Christmas.
Christian doctrines include the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin named Mary, performed miracles, founded the Church, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, whence he will return. Most Christians believe Jesus enables humans to be reconciled to God.
In Islam, Jesus is considered one of God's important prophets and the Messiah. Muslims believe Jesus was a bringer of scripture and was born of a virgin but was not the Son of God. The Quran states that Jesus himself never claimed divinity. To most Muslims, Jesus was not crucified but was physically raised into Heaven by God

12-year-old Jesus found in the temple, depicted by James Tissot, 1890

Early Life

Jesus' childhood home is identified in the gospels of Luke and Matthew as the town of Nazareth in Galilee, where he lived with his family.

Profession

Jesus is called as carpenter but could cover makers of objects in various materials, including builders. The gospels indicate that Jesus could read, paraphrase, and debate scripture, but this does not necessarily mean that he received formal scribal training.

Jesus cleansing a leper, medieval mosaic from the Monreale Cathedral

Miracles

In the gospel accounts, Jesus devotes a large portion of his ministry performing miracles, especially healings. The miracles can be classified into two main categories: healing miracles and nature miracles. The healing miracles include cures for physical ailments, exorcisms, and resurrections of the dead. The nature miracles show Jesus' power over nature, and include turning water into wine, walking on water, and calming a storm, among others. Jesus states that his miracles are from a divine source.

Pietro Perugino's depiction of the Crucifixion as Stabat Mater, 1482

Crucifixion and Entombment

Jesus' crucifixion is described in all four canonical gospels. After the trials, Jesus is led to Calvary carrying his cross; the route traditionally thought to have been taken is known as the Via Dolorosa. The three Synoptic Gospels indicate that Simon of Cyrene assists him, having been compelled by the Romans to do so. At Calvary, Jesus is offered a concoction usually offered as a painkiller. According to Matthew and Mark, he refuses it.
The soldiers then crucify Jesus and cast lots for his clothes. Above Jesus' head on the cross is Pilate's inscription, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews"; soldiers and passersby mock him about it.
On the same day, Joseph of Arimathea, with Pilate's permission and with Nicodemus' help, removes Jesus' body from the cross, wraps him in a clean cloth, and buries him in his new rock-hewn tomb.

Depiction of the resurrected Christ

Resurrection and Ascension

In all four gospels, Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning and is surprised to find it empty. Jesus, she learns, has risen from the dead. Despite Jesus' teaching, the disciples had not understood that Jesus would rise again. After the discovery of the empty tomb, Jesus makes a series of appearances to the disciples.
Jesus' Ascension into Heaven is described in and mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, forty days after the Resurrection, as the disciples look on, "he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight".

I hope you liked the first article about the "Most Significant Figures in History". Note, that the number in the title does NOT mean that the one figure had more influence than the other.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. If you did, consider upvoting and following me. :)

Source