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God and His Attributes Over time, God has revealed Himself to human beings in many ways. First of all, He has revealed that He exists. For example, when God revealed His name to Moses on Mt. Sinai, His very name includes the fact that He exists (Exodus 3:14): "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." God's very name reveals that He is real and that He exists. Not only can we know that God exists, but we can also know many things about God because He has revealed them to us. For example, God has revealed Himself to us as one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We call this revelation of God the Trinity, or Holy Trinity. The Trinity of God is perhaps the greatest revelation of God's essence that He has made to us. God is also spirit. He has no body. Because God is spirit, He can be everywhere at the same time. The Bible says in Psalm 139:7-10: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. We call the ability of God to be everywhere at the same time His omnipresence. Omnipresence is an important attribute of God that He has revealed to us. The Bible shows us that there are many important attributes of God. These attributes, or qualities, show us some things about God as a person. They describe God. For example, five of God's attributes are love, truth, faithfulness, goodness, and knowledge. In this section of the unit, you will review three important attributes of God that are particularly expressed toward human beings: love, mercy, and grace. God has not only revealed many things to us about Himself, but He has also revealed many things about His plan for Creation. He has also revealed much to us about His plan for human beings. Perhaps the most important thing He has revealed to us is His plan in Christ! In this section of the unit, you will also learn more about the plan of God. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe several aspects of God's essence. Describe three key attributes of God toward man. Memorize Romans 8:38-39. Vocabulary alteration A change. attributes The individual aspects of God's unchanging nature. compensation A payment or making up of something owed or lacking. consequences Something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions. essence The total of divine attributes; unchanging nature immutable Never changing. merit To be worthy of praise or deserved approval. restitution An act of restoring or a condition of being restored. unmerited Without merit; or something that is not earned. violate To break a rule or disregard a principle. Vocab Arcade In the introduction to this section, several aspects of God's essence were mentioned: God's existence, the Trinity (there is One God in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and the fact that God is spirit. We also mentioned that the Bible reveals many attributes of God. In this first part of the section, we will examine three attributes of God that are expressed in a profound way toward human beings: love, mercy, and grace. The Love of God. Love is a very important attribute of God toward man. Love is not only one of the most important attributes of God, it is also a very important part of the essence of God. As 1 John 4:8 and 16 state, "God is love." God is love; that is, love is part of God's very essence and nature. Out of love, God created all that exists. He particularly created man in love. He created you in love! First John 4:16 says, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Therefore, love is both an attribute of God toward man and also part of God's essence. To understand God's love better, it is helpful to consider three aspects of His love. First, God's love is not influenced by the object of His love: man. Nothing in you, in me, or anyone else can attract God's love by anything we do or say. God already loves us! Deuteronomy 7:8 declares, But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Our love for God is a response to the fact that He first loved us. The apostle John wrote (1 John 4:19), "We love him, because he first loved us." Because God loved us even though we might have been unlovable, we can know that His love for us does not depend upon the object of His love. His love is not influenced by who we are or by what we do or say. Second, God's love is eternal. God's love always has been, and God's love will never end. In Jeremiah 31:3, God says, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." This truth becomes a source of joy when we realize that God's love for us has always been there, and it always will be there. His eternal love also has no limits. Ephesians 2:4-6 tells us, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Third, God's love for us is immutable. This means that the love of God never changes. God's love is stable and unchanging. James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." This tells us that God is neither contrary nor changeable. He is immutable, and His love is immutable, too. Another way to say this is that God's perfect love is not subject to alteration. Romans 8:38-39 assures us: Memory Verses: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

THE MERCY OF GOD Mercy is another important attribute of God toward man. In the Bible, the term mercy is used to show a relationship between love and justice. Justice means to give someone what that person is due. In our legal system today, we hear a great deal about justice. When a law has been violated, the responsibility of a judge is to administer the due punishment to a person for that violation. This due punishment is called justice. Other times, people are wronged by another person, group, or organization. Justice would be administered by a judge when the people who are wronged receive the appropriate restitution or compensation for the harm caused to them by an offender. However, a judge might decide not to give a person the just punishment for violating a law. The judge might give the person a lesser punishment for the violation—or even no punishment at all! In this case, the judge would show mercy to the person. Likewise, a person who is wronged could decide, out of love and forgiveness, not to require just compensation or restitution. This wronged person could decide to require much less, or even nothing at all, in return for the harm done to them. In this case, the wronged person would show mercy to the offender. God's mercy is something like the judge and the wronged person. God shows mercy to sinful human beings when He does not give the just punishment due to violations of His law. He shows mercy when He does not require the just restitution or compensation when He is wronged. God's mercy to us flows from His love for us. The Scriptures tell us of God's mercy in many places. For instance, the Psalmist prays (Psalm 69:16), "Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old." God is both just and merciful. First, He is a God of justice. If we violate His commandments and wrong Him by our sinful actions, we will suffer the consequences of God's just punishments. The Scriptures show this happening many times to the people of Israel. However, God is also very merciful and does not always treat us according to our sins. He is usually quick to show mercy when we ask for it. Again the Psalmist says (Psalm 25:6), "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." On Mt. Sinai, God passed by Moses and proclaimed (Exodus 34:6-7), "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children�s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. We should continually rejoice that mercy is one of God's attributes. Mercy revealed itself fully when God offered an alternative to the punishment for mankind's sins. Out of love, God sent His own Son to the world to die for us that we might receive God's mercy instead of God's just punishment. Through the death of Jesus on the cross, God has poured out His mercy upon all. Jesus made restitution and compensation for our sins and offenses against God. Through Christ, we can receive abundant mercy from God if we come to God asking for mercy and forgiveness. There are two aspects of God's mercy: general and specific. God's general mercy is extended to all believers, unbelievers, and to all His creation. In the Book of Lamentations, we read (Lam. 3:22-23), "It is of the LORD�s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." God's love and general mercy extends to all people and all creation. The Bible says in Psalm 145:9, "The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Jesus spoke about the way that God is good and merciful in a general way to all people. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:45), Jesus taught that we should be like our "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." This is an example of God's general mercy. A second aspect of God's mercy is His specific mercy toward those who are believers in Christ. God shows a specific mercy toward those who receive His provision for forgiveness of sins through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. God's specific mercy is always available to those who seek Him and to His people. The Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 8:10-12) speaks of the new covenant that believers have through Jesus Christ and its offer of specific mercy: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

The greatness of God's plan for blessing man is that the plan never violates the essence of God. From the first recorded prophecy about Christ, to His ascension into heaven to be seated at God's right hand, the mission of Christ presented everlasting life to mankind. Throughout the Old Testament, God inspired faithful men to record the prophecies that declared that the Messiah would come. Throughout the New Testament, God inspired faithful men to proclaim that the Savior had come. Christ the Servant Foretold and Fulfilled. Zechariah 3:8 portrays God's Son as a servant: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH." Isaiah 42:1-4, which constitutes the first "servant song" in the book of Isaiah, describes Christ as a servant who is humble and just. We know from reading about Christ's life and work in the Gospels that He did, indeed, fulfill these servant prophecies as He ministered to and met the needs of the people. Later, after Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension, the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:7 that Christ "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" The Lord came as a servant to minister to the needs of sinful mankind. Christ made Himself of no reputation that we might be saved. Think of what God has done for you. The Creator of the universe, the One who spoke the world into existence, has sent His Son to be spat upon, humiliated, tortured, and hung upon a cross by the very beings He created. God's mission for His Son Jesus was to serve and meet the needs of a dying world. Isaiah 32:1 declares that "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." Isaiah 9:6 refers to Jesus as the Prince of Peace, and Acts 3:15 calls Jesus the Prince of Life. The remainder of Isaiah 32:1-2 tells us that the Prince shall be like a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest. Second Samuel 22:2-3 refer to Jesus as a rock and a refuge. Jesus becomes our abiding place when we receive Him as our Savior and Lord. We must place our trust and confidence in God as the storms of life attempt to overcome us. Isaiah 32:2 also compares Jesus to the rivers of water in a dry place. The apostle John confirms this portion of the prophecy when he cites Jesus as saying, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38). It is important to understand that the Jews of Jesus' day expected the Messiah to be a powerful king, one who would deliver Israel out of the hands of her enemies. They also believed that this same king would then go on to establish a powerful earthly kingdom. Time and again, Jesus tried to explain to the people that His kingdom was not of this world. Also, Christ did not come as a powerful, wealthy, earthly king but as a humble servant. Jesus served in two ways. First, as the Son of God, He served His heavenly Father. Christ was an obedient servant and was loyal to the Father's plan of salvation and to His part in that plan. Secondly, Jesus served those He came in contact with while here on earth. He healed and helped both those who loved Him and those who abused Him. Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was a servant. He was obedient and submissive to His Father. God's power and strength came through Christ, the humble servant. A clear example of Jesus' submission to the Father's will occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. Matthew 26:39 records that Jesus prayed, "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. The apostle John writes that Jesus declared, "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34). As children of God, we should be servants to those around us and strive to be obedient to God's will for our lives.

Life of Christ: His Birth Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the key events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Vocabulary annals Books herald One who announces another. Vocab Arcade No other event recorded in the annals of human history has so affected life in the world as the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. His story has been the subject of multitudes of books and articles. Every word and deed of the Savior, as recorded in the Scriptures, has been studied by those who know Him as Lord. Jesus' life and ministry were unique. He was fully God and fully man. The Gospel of John refers to Him as "the Word" when it declares, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14). Throughout the Gospel records of Jesus' earthly ministry, we find divine examples of what the Christian life can be. Because He won the victory over death, He now offers new life for all who would believe in His name. In this portion of the unit, you will briefly review the Lord's earthly ministry. First, you will study the Lord's birth and childhood. Then, you will study the Master's ministry. Third, you will observe His death and resurrection. Unique in His birth. Because He is fully God and fully human, Jesus Christ is the most unique Person of the universe. No one else is like our Lord. The apostle John recognized this when he wrote, "...the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14). Genesis 3:15 had promised that the Messiah would come through the seed of the woman by childbirth. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:" (Hebrews 10:5). Christ's birth is second only in importance to His death. Indeed, in Christ's humble birth was the destiny of the cross. In the miracle of His birth, the eternal Son of God came to earth to live among men and to die for their sins. In the New Testament, the first miracle connected to the Father's plan for His Son took place when Zacharias was visited in the Temple by the angel Gabriel. Zacharias was married to Elisabeth. Elisabeth was the cousin of Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus. The angel announced to Zacharias that although Elisabeth had been barren and he and Elisabeth were both old, they would have a son who would be named John. John would become the herald of Jesus Christ. Six months after Elisabeth conceived, the angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth (Luke 1:24-27). Mary had been betrothed to Joseph. In ancient times, the betrothal was the final event prior to the marriage itself. Gabriel told Mary that she would miraculously conceive a son, And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." (Luke 1:31). Although Mary had many questions, she accepted this experience as a privilege in the will of God and responded in faith by saying, "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38). Joseph also had many questions, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream to reassure him. Matthew 1:24 tells us that Joseph, "Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:" Because of the decree of Caesar Augustus requiring all citizens to return to their native cities for taxation purposes, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. Luke 2:6-7 tells us: And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Surrounding Bethlehem that eventful night were shepherds caring for their flocks. As these shepherds gathered in the still of night, an angel of the Lord came to them. While the glory of the Lord shone all around, the angel announced, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11). The shepherds left their sheep to seek the One who was their Shepherd and their Savior, in a manger in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1-12 tells us that wise men from the East also sought out the Lord Jesus after His birth. When they came to Jerusalem, their search brought them before King Herod. Herod was curious when he heard that a king had been born to the Jews. He tried to calculate when the child would have been born. Herod attempted to have the wise men help him in his plan to destroy the King of Kings. The wise men, however, worshipped Jesus when they found Him in Bethlehem and gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Him. Being warned by God, the wise men did not report back to Herod but departed immediately for their own country. These wise men were Gentiles, which was to be a sign that Jesus was born into this world as a Savior for the Jews and Gentiles. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...." The miracle of the virgin birth of Christ brought the Savior to live among men and to redeem all those who would believe in Him. Yet, John 1:10-11 tells us that, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not." Jesus is the Messiah who was awaited by the Jews, yet they "received him not." Thankfully, some Jews did believe Jesus and receive Him as their Savior. They, along with the Gentiles, became known as the first Christians and comprised the early church. Jesus came first as the Lamb of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for man's sins. When Jesus comes again, it will be as the Lion of God to judge the nations and establish His eternal reign. Many of those who lived at the time of Jesus' birth knew that a Messiah was to come to redeem them. However, because they sought a king who would deliver them from the oppression of earthly rulers and establish an earthly kingdom, they missed the King who came to serve and save and usher in the Kingdom of God, which would dwell in the hearts of Christians until the fullness of time when Jesus would come again and rule and reign forever as the Lion of God. Jesus' lowly birth was not understood by those who sought first the Lion and not the Lamb. The unbelievers of Jesus' day were not aware of the real enemy of mankind. Satan has his grip on the world and influences all members of the human race. Sin caused man to be separated from God, his Creator, but Christ came as the only begotten Son of God to win victory over Satan and sin. The humble simplicity of Jesus' birth was a prelude to His great victory on the cross. Jesus' birth may have seemed lowly in the eyes of man, but God the Father made the supreme sacrifice by sending His only Son to die for the sins of mankind. In Galatians 4:4-5, the apostle Paul explains the importance of the birth of Jesus: "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Paul further stated about Christ, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" (Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus' entire life was marked by lowliness. From His birth in a stable to His humiliating death on the cross, Jesus endured the scorn of this world because He loved us and wanted to save us. How can we begin to respond to so great a love? Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Come, let us adore him!

Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the key beliefs of the Christian faith. When Christ rose from the dead, He rose victorious over sin, death, and Satan. By His resurrection, Jesus changed the course of human history for all time. By the Resurrection, Christ brought about a "new" Creation. The resurrected Christ now has a "glorified" human body, a body that all Christians hope to enjoy when Christ comes again! In this glorified body, Jesus appeared to many of His disciples after He rose from the dead. They were eye-witnesses of His resurrection because they saw Him truly alive after He had died on the cross and rose again from the dead. After spending about 40 days with His disciples after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, there to be seated at the right hand of the Father. There, the risen and ascended Jesus reigns as King of Glory! In this final section of the unit, you will study the resurrection, appearances, and the ascension of the Lord Jesus. First, you will study the events surrounding the discovery of the empty tomb on the morning of the Resurrection. You will also learn some of the reasons for Christ's resurrection. Second, you will examine some of the appearances of the Lord to His disciples after He rose from the dead. Third, you will study the events surrounding the ascension of the Lord. Since this section of the unit will not cover all the aspects of Christ's resurrection and ascension, you should study the chart on the following page to enhance your learning in this section. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe the resurrection of Jesus and the events of the first day of His resurrection. The body of Christ was placed in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus. By order of Pontius Pilate, a large stone had been placed at the entrance to the tomb, and guards were stationed there to watch over it. However, three days after the crucifixion of Jesus, during the early morning hours of the first day of the week, "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it." (Matthew 28:2). As the guards fled into the city to tell the chief priests what had happened, the tomb was opened to reveal that Jesus had risen from the dead. The resurrection of Christ was to be evidenced not only by the empty tomb, but also by the many who saw Him and encountered Him in the weeks between the time of His death (Passover) and the time of His ascension (Pentecost). The first followers of Jesus to observe the empty tomb were Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome (Mark 16:1-4). When they entered the tomb, they saw an angel who said (Mark 16:6-7), And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Upon hearing the wonderful news of the Resurrection, the three women ran to tell the disciples what they had learned (Luke 24:9-12). Peter had to see this sight for himself, so he and John ran to the tomb to observe what had happened (John 20:3-10). They, too, saw that the tomb was empty. Reasons for the Resurrection. During the hours of darkness when Jesus hung upon the cross, He suffered the penalty for man's sins. However, because Christ was not destined to be captured by death but to reign over all things at God's right hand, He won the victory for us all. John 19:30 relates this moment: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." God's Word provides a number of reasons for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. First, Jesus rose from the grave because of who He is—God. Jesus Christ is the God-man and, as God, he could not be chained by death. Second, Christ was resurrected because the Davidic covenant promised eternal rule to David's heir. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He rules over all creation. Third, death could not contain the Savior because He was destined to become the pattern for the believer's resurrection. Fourth, death had no power over the Lord because He was destined to be the Great High Priest for all who believe in Him (see Hebrews 2:17). Another reason for both the resurrection and ascension of the Savior was that the Holy Spirit was to come and minister as the Comforter (John 14:26). From the time of the ascension until the return of the Lord, the Holy Spirit ministers to God's people. On the eve of the Crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples that the Spirit would come. Now that Christ has risen from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit at God's right hand, the Spirit's power is given to believers. As Christians, since we minister as representatives of our Savior, we can be confident in knowing that Jesus is in heaven and that He has provided the Holy Spirit to empower us for service. Jesus promised His disciples, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26). The same Holy Spirit is available to us today. He will teach us, speak to us, and help us to remember God's Word.

The Appearances The first evidence that we have for the resurrection of Jesus is the empty tomb. On Resurrection morning, the disciples observed that His body was no longer in the tomb. The second main evidence that we have for the resurrection of Jesus is the appearances of the risen Lord to many of His disciples. In this portion of the unit, you will examine some of these appearances of the risen Lord Jesus. Here is your objective for this lesson. Mention some of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and the people to whom He appeared. The first person to see and speak with the risen Jesus was Mary Magdalene. Mary returned to the tomb and was weeping when Jesus appeared to her and said (John 20:15), "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. At first, she did not recognize Jesus. She thought He was a gardener. However, when Jesus spoke her name, she recognized Him and fell at His feet. The one whom she loved was alive! After seeing Jesus, John 20:18 records what happened: "Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD, and that he had spoken these things unto her." On the day of His resurrection, Jesus also appeared to those who had first been to the tomb with Mary Magdalene (Matthew 28:9-10) and to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32). Like Mary Magdalene, these two disciples were unable to recognize Jesus at first. Jesus walked along the road to Emmaus with them as they shared what had happened over the past three days. As they shared their confusion over Jesus' death, Luke records what happened (Luke 24:25-27): Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. As they walked along, Jesus taught these disciples about the Old Testament passages of Scripture that referred to Him. When they reached the village, these disciples asked the stranger to stay with them. Only as they began to share a meal with Him—a meal similar to the one at the Last Supper—did the disciples recognize Jesus: "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread." (Luke 24: 30-35). By this time, the risen Jesus had also appeared to (Simon) Peter. Some time after this, seven of the disciples returned to Galilee. When they went out on the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias) to fish, Jesus appeared on the shore (John 21:1). Again, they did not recognize Jesus at first. He repeated the same kind of miracle He used with the disciples when He had first called them: He gave them a miraculous catch of fish! John records the story (John 21:6): Jesus "And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes." John then recognized Jesus and said (John 21:7), "It is the Lord!" Peter was so excited when he learned that the man on shore was Jesus that he jumped into the water and swam to meet Him! After the disciples were with Jesus on shore, Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him; Peter replied "Yes" all three times. Many believe that this was to make up for the three times that Peter had denied the Lord during Jesus' trials. Jesus gave a special commission to Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). This meant that Jesus wanted Peter to be a leader and shepherd to the Lord's disciples in the future. Another very important appearance of Jesus to the disciples in Galilee is described in the Gospel of Matthew. During this appearance, the risen Lord Jesus gave the "Great Commission" to His disciples. Matthew records the story as follows (Matthew 28:16-20): Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Play Farmer Frank's for a unit review before your quiz and test.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son. In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus taught about the compassion and mercy of God toward sinners. He also told this parable to answer the opposition and criticism of the Pharisees and scribes who murmured against Him, saying, "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them." (Luke 15:2). Jesus showed through His actions and words that He had come to save sinners, not to condemn them. John 3:17 says, "For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." Jesus' parable of the prodigal son is typical of the longer parables that Jesus used to communicate divine truth. Like all parables, the story is believable even though it does not list specific names and places. One distinction of a parable is that it does not necessarily refer to real people or to actual places. Rather, it is a story that communicates divine truth from examples of everyday life. The parable of the prodigal son emphasizes some major principles of divine truth: namely, that God our Heavenly Father is longsuffering, merciful, compassionate, and that Jesus came to save sinners. The parable tells the story of a young man who goes astray and then returns to the safety and security of his father's love and home. The young man was the younger of a father's two sons. The younger son decided that he wanted his inheritance early so that he could go off and live as he wanted. The father, being a generous and kind man, gave the son what he asked. But the younger son went astray and squandered his money and property for bad purposes. After he had spent all his money, a famine came upon the place where he lived. The son then realized what terrible shape he was in. He came to his senses and decided to return to his father. He realized that he would be better off as a hired servant in his father's house than as a hungry man in a foreign country. The younger son probably did not expect to receive a warm welcome when he returned. In fact, he may have expected a scolding and punishment. But Jesus says that the father was looking for his son, and when the father finally saw his son, he had compassion on him. The father did not wait for his son to come all the way home; rather, the father ran out to hug and kiss his son! In fact, the father did not even give his son time to finish his prepared speech (Luke 15:21-22). The father was so filled with joy to have his son back that he immediately ordered clothes for his son and wanted a great party to be held! The joy expressed by the father in the parable is meant to show us how much joy the Heavenly Father experiences when a sinner returns to Him. People may misuse the wonderful things that God provides for them and fail to live according to His ways; however, whenever anyone repents, confesses their sins, and returns to God, the Father welcomes them "home" with loving arms and great joy. The older son in the story was jealous when the father joyfully greeted the younger son. The older son had remained faithful in his father's house. He could not forgive his younger brother like his father could. He was also angry over his father's mercy and joy toward his brother. Some of the Pharisees and scribes were like the older brother. They did not rejoice as sinners returned to fellowship with God through Jesus. Rather, they criticized Jesus and opposed His ministry. Today, some Christians might be like the older brother who continued to look scornfully upon his younger brother for the way that he squandered his inheritance. They might focus on the way a person had lived, rather than on the joy that a sinner returns to God. As Christians, we should always be on the lookout for ways to help people return to the Lord. Furthermore, we should always rejoice when sinners return to fellowship with God. Finally, whenever we sin, we should take comfort in knowing that we will always be received joyfully to fellowship with our heavenly Father if we repent, confess our sins, and return to Him. In the story of the prodigal son, we can see how Jesus can teach us profound and important truths through the use of a parable. These truths will be revealed to us in the parables of Jesus as we believe in Him and ask Him to help us understand their meaning. For those who do not believe in Jesus and who are too lazy or scornful to search the meaning of the parables, these truths will be concealed. Thus, we can see the primary purpose of Jesus' parables: to reveal and conceal the truth.

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Crucifixion, Death, and Burial In the last part of this section, you will study the climactic events of the final stage of Jesus' mission: His crucifixion, death, and burial. Sin and evil would cause the death of an innocent man, Jesus, the Son of God; yet through the death of this one righteous man, sin, death, and Satan would be forever defeated! The four Gospels describe the detailed events of the crucifixion of Jesus in slightly different ways. Therefore, we will examine an approximate sequence of events that occurred as Christ went to the cross and died. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe the sufferings that Christ endured during His journey to the cross and His crucifixion. Describe the death and burial of Jesus. Explain the significance of Jesus' death on the cross. Carrying the Cross. Following the humiliating mockery of the Roman soldiers, Jesus was led from Pilate's hall of judgment to a place outside the city walls to be crucified. Jesus was made to carry His own cross, and in His weakened condition the burden became very great. The soldiers, perhaps wanting to quicken the process of crucifixion decided to get assistance from the crowd, "And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross." (Mark 15:21). By his name, one can conclude that Simon was a Hellenistic Jew and may have been from Alexandria, Egypt. He had probably come to Jerusalem for the fifty days of the Passover festival. In addition, Simon had probably not heard of this Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah. Not having heard of Jesus, Simon could be objective about what he saw and the man he was enlisted to help. Coming into the city from the countryside, he no doubt viewed with curiosity the man who was bearing the heavy weight of the wooden cross. The Gospel writers record only that Simon did assist Jesus by carrying the cross. However, certain implications indicate that Simon may have later become a believer in Jesus. Mark 15:21 mentions his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. By the time that Mark's gospel was written, these two men were well known to the Christians. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 16:13, "Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine." If this refers to Rufus, the son of Simon, we can infer that Simon became a believer and carried the good news of Jesus back home to his family. Eventually, Rufus would make his way to Rome, there to become known by Mark and Paul. Crucifixion. Arriving at Golgotha, "the place of a skull" (Matthew 27:33), the Lord Jesus was crucified when the soldiers nailed Him to the cross. The Roman soldiers who were assigned to oversee the crucifixion divided among themselves the valuables of the two other condemned men and Jesus. Two other criminals were also crucified with Jesus that day, one on His right and the other on His left. The Lord's tunic, which was woven without seams, could not be divided. The soldiers cast lots to see who would win the tunic. Little did these unbelieving soldiers know that they were fulfilling a prophecy made by David in the Psalms (Psalm 22:18) "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." Above Christ's head on the upper part of the cross, the soldiers placed a sign written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. It said, "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." This indicated the "crime" for which Jesus had been condemned and was being crucified. It is ironic that the sign told the absolute truth! The crowd nearby the crucifixion scene also contained rulers of the people, the priests, and the scribes. They filed past Jesus and mocked Him. They told Him that He should save Himself before trying to save others. As the railing of the mockers continued, one of the criminals soon joined in the accusations. Luke records what happened in Luke 23:39-41: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. The second criminal then made a life-giving observation and said (Luke 23:41), "...but this man hath done nothing amiss." He knew that Jesus was innocent and had been unjustly condemned. Somehow, he had also come to faith in Jesus, because Scripture records, "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (Luke 23:42) Jesus turned to the repentant man and said (Luke 23:43), "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Because of his faith, this criminal received the promise of salvation from the Lord Jesus. By simply asking the Lord in faith, he received everlasting life. The apostle John was perhaps the only one of the twelve disciples present at the crucifixion. The others, fearing the Jewish religious leaders, had fled at the arrest and trials of Jesus. Jesus' mother was also present, along with her sister and Mary Magdalene. Since Jesus loved His mother very much, He desired that she be taken care of after He died. Therefore, He decided to give her into the care of John, the beloved disciple. Turning to His mother, He said (John 19:26), "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!" Then He turned to John, and the Gospel of John records: "Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." Even in the midst of the sufferings of the cross, the compassion of Jesus reached out to those whom He loved.

DEATH The Gospel of John records the final acts and words of Jesus after He had given His mother into the care of John (John 19:28-30): After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Jesus finished the work and mission that He had received from the Father. He did the Father's will. He died on the cross so that redemption and salvation might come to all who would believe in Him. The world now had a Savior who had suffered and died for their sins. The Suffering Servant had completely fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. After Jesus died on the cross, John 19:31 records what happened next: "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." Roman custom required that the body of a crucified man be left to hang publicly as a warning to others. This practice would have defiled the Passover Sabbath of the Jews; therefore, an alternative was sought. By breaking the legs of the condemned man, the suffocation resulting from crucifixion would come sooner, allowing the removal of the bodies before the beginning of the Sabbath. In Jesus' case, John noted: "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." (John 19:33-34). The Gospels of Matthew and Mark record a number of events that accompanied the Lord's death on the cross (Matthew 27:51-54, Mark 15:38-39). First, the curtain before the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem was torn apart from top to bottom. In the past, this curtain separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant resided. Only a priest could enter the Holy Place, and only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies—and only once a year! Saying that the curtain was torn apart from top to bottom meant that God did this from above, and not man from below. The tearing apart of this curtain symbolized that the barrier between the holiness of God and the sin of man was now removed through the sacrifice of Jesus and the new covenant in His blood. Now all people were free to approach God through Christ's sacrifice for our sins. Second, a Roman centurion (and therefore a Gentile), who had viewed many of the activities of that day, came to faith in Christ. Seeing the death of Jesus, he exclaimed (Mark 15:39), "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. Among other things, this was a symbol that the Roman empire would eventually be conquered and come to faith in Jesus Christ. Third, an earthquake occurred in Jerusalem which caused many tombs to be opened. Matthew 27:51-53 records this event as follows: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. The power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross gave an indication of the power of Christ's resurrection to come. Many of the saints who had died were raised to life and appeared to many after Christ's own resurrection three days later. BURIAL Jesus was put to death on the cross as a criminal. Humiliation accompanied His crucifixion, but glory began with his burial. Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus, and Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had first come to Jesus at night, asked Pilate that they might have Jesus' body (John 19:38-39). After they received permission from Pilate, they prepared Jesus' body for burial. Then Joseph took Jesus' body, "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." (Matthew 27:60). Later, Pilate had the great stone over the entrance to the tomb sealed and secured by military guards (Matthew 27:61-66). The burial of Jesus' body in a rich man's tomb fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9. Concerning the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, prophecy states, "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." There, Jesus' body would lay for three days, awaiting His glorious resurrection!

Early Galilean Ministry: Controversies Wherever Jesus preached and ministered, the religious leaders were in the crowds to study Him and to trick Him if possible. Regardless of the miracles, these Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes continually sought the opportunity to catch Jesus in violation of the Mosaic Law or the rabbi's law so that they could punish Him. Jesus was again in the home of Peter and, as often was the situation, a crowd gathered with its sorrows, doubts, and discord. The religious leaders were total servants to the letter of the law, while neglecting the daily applications to live the spirit of the Law. They paid so much attention to what they should and should not be doing that they missed the reasoning behind the Mosaic Law. Jesus talked of love--toward God and toward others. Here is your goal for this lesson: Examine the controversies caused by Jesus' miracles, claims, actions, and associations Vocabulary palsy Lessening or loss of power to feel or move in some part of the body. Vocab Arcade Read Luke 5:33-6:11. Galilean Controversies. While Jesus ministered in Peter's house, four men brought on a stretcher one who was sick with palsy (Mark 2:1-2). Seeing the vast multitude--which was so great that not even the door was available--they climbed upon the roof of the house, tore a hole in it big enough for the stretcher, and lowered the stretcher right down into the very presence of Jesus. At this astounding scene, the crowd must have become quiet as they heard the healing words from the Master Himself. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. (Matthew 9:2). Now Jesus had introduced a new element that would give the religious leaders the proof they had long waited for. Who could forgive sins except only God? Either Jesus was God or He had committed blasphemy, which under Mosaic Law was punishable by death (Matthew 9:3). Jesus confirmed His pronouncement with a miracle of healing saying to the sick man, But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. (Matthew 9:6). Once again another had met the Messiah face to face and had gone away a changed person--whole in body, soul, and spirit. The Pharisees immediately understood Jesus' claim to forgive the man's sins. The reply of Jesus confirms that this forgiveness was exactly the intention of Jesus because He declared He would prove His power to forgive sins by a miracle. Indeed, only God can forgive our sins and it is to Him we must pray in the name of Jesus. If we confess our sins, the Bible assures us that, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). Jesus did not use His miracles to bring salvation into the hearts of the people. The purpose of the miracles was to prove that He was who He said he was--the Son of God who had come to seek and save those who were lost. The miracles did bring much relief to all who received the benefits; however, Jesus used these works to substantiate His calling and authority as the Son of God. Through the miracles He helped persuade sinful mankind to repent and believe in Him. Jesus not only caused controversy over his miracles and claims, but also over His associations. When Jesus called Matthew, a public tax collector, to be His disciple the religious leaders were ready to condemn the Lord's associations (Matthew 9:9-13). The fact that Matthew was a tax collector was, to the religious Jew, a disgrace. Tax collectors were considered outcasts and traitors because they helped the Roman government collect taxes from God's people, Israel. Many of the tax collectors were evil and corrupt, using their power to acquire great wealth through deceit. Jesus' love reached out to this outcast and called him unto Himself to become one of His disciples. Today, our love should be no different than Jesus' desire to reach those to whom society has closed its doors. Jesus reminded us that only the sick need a physician, for those who are well do not (Mark 2:17). As we allow God's love to flow through us, we too shall seek the lost and the outcast. We shall have a burning desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for all who will receive it. What is one of the outstanding proofs that a person has met Jesus personally? Matthew provided us with a beautiful example of this transformation as he sought to rectify his entire life before Jesus. Matthew held a banquet and he invited all his friends to come and meet Jesus. Matthew left his living, his wealth, and forsook all to follow the Lord. Matthew had received a new life from Jesus, and in return, Matthew gave himself to Jesus. So often, as professing Christians, we sacrifice nothing for the Lord, and yet we brag about our relationship with Him. The Lord, however, reminded His disciples that they must take up their cross daily and follow Him. If material things and friends mean more to you, if gaining wealth and fame are your goals, then you have not given yourself to the Savior in a real and personal way. Sabbath Controversies. Jesus' refusal to keep the numerous Sabbath regulations like the religious leaders thought He should, intensified the controversies surrounding Him (Matthew 12:1-8). While in Galilee, Jesus again challenged stiff regulations on the use of the Sabbath. At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. (Matthew 12:1-2). The question was whether the Sabbath was to be rigidly observed or was the Sabbath made to benefit man? Jesus and the disciples were charged by the Pharisees for threshing and reaping grain on the Sabbath day. The essence of the entire charge was that Jesus' disciples had worked on the Sabbath. This activity was strictly forbidden in the Law as it was interpreted by the religious leaders. Jesus presented His defense to the charge of the religious leaders in a most astounding way. Jesus stated that David, to satisfy his hunger, entered the Tabernacle and ate the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to do if the law was to be interpreted this way (Matthew 12:3-4). Jesus reminded them in Matthew 12:5 that the Temple labors of their priests who offered sacrifice on the Sabbath were also a violation of the Law. Jesus also mentioned (Matthew 12:8) that He was the Lord even over the Sabbath. The Pharisees often classified work into two basic and convenient categories: works of mercy and works of necessity. Of course, the important question then became who would decide which work was of necessity and which was of mercy. The Pharisees had given themselves this responsibility; therefore, they would enforce a law upon the people which they themselves would violate. Jesus indicated (Matthew 12:7) that had they applied the principle of mercy over sacrifice, they would not have condemned people for doing things that were not wrong.

Early Galilean Ministry: Sermons Jesus ministered the Word of truth wherever He traveled. When He was in Jerusalem, He preached in the court of the Temple. When He was in Galilee, He used the rocks and hills for a pulpit. After the man at the pool of Bethesda was healed, Jesus met him a second time in the Temple and revealed Himself more completely to him (John 5:14). He told the man to go and sin no more. The man was then called before the religious leaders and asked who had committed the violation of the Sabbath. When the religious leaders discovered that it was Jesus who healed on the Sabbath, their anger and hostility was turned upon Jesus. This situation provided one of the first opportunities for a public sermon recorded in detail in John, Chapter 5. Jesus was accused by the religious leaders of being a Sabbath-breaker, but His message would show that He was not. Here are your goals for this lesson: Review Jesus' claims in His sermon in Jerusalem Identify the major topics addressed in the Sermon on the Mount Describe the foundational truth of the Sermon on the Mount Memorize John 5:39 Vocabulary conjure To cause to appear in the mind. Vocab Arcade Read Matthew, Chapters 5-7. Memorize John 5:39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Sermon in Jerusalem. Jesus presented the fact that He did not bear witness of Himself but rather of the One who sent Him (John 8:13-18). Jesus claimed His works and testimony were in agreement and partnership with God. Jesus also called upon the prior testimony of John the Baptist. Jesus told the religious leaders that everything John taught was to testify of Himself and that He was the Messiah. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. (John 5:35). Jesus called upon the miracles which He had done as another witness to His Sonship with the Father. He had raised the dead, given sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, and caused the deaf to hear. The miracles bore witness to the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus presented the witness of God Himself, And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. (John 5:37). He then pointed to the Scriptures as His witness: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39). The religious leaders were so intent on studying the scriptures and keeping the Law and their traditions that they missed seeing the Messiah, the one they were studying about and waiting for. They studied diligently, but they missed the point. Be careful you do not make this same mistake as you are studying the Bible. Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is the best Biblical summary of the teachings of Jesus on practical Christianity. In this sermon, Jesus took the letter of the Law and extended it further, even to the spirit of the Law, to show what our attitudes, not just our actions should be. Luke located the place of this sermon on a mountain in Galilee (Luke 6:17-19). He mentioned that Jesus had spent the preceding night in prayer. Later, Jesus came down with His disciples to a level plateau and delivered His message to a great multitude that gathered. Much of Jesus' preaching was direct answers to questions presented to Him either by the crowd or by His disciples. At other times, He would answer a criticism, explain a miracle, or solve a problem. Therefore, Jesus' messages were always practical and timely, having an immediate, practical application to the needs of the hearers. This brief topical listing of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, Chapters 5-7) will be helpful in your study of the Scripture passage: 1. Distinction and ministry of a disciple 2. The Gospel and the Law 3. Sins 4. Loving your enemies 5. Errors in worship 6. Greed 7. Personal conduct toward others 8. The Gospel and its necessity for salvation In Jesus' message, He placed great emphasis on the quality of one's inner life. The Sermon on the Mount presented the highest standards of living the world had ever known. It presented living standards that, if practiced, would transform a world of hate into one of love. If we could love those who despitefully use us, if we could return good for evil instead of following the normal human reaction of revenge, our lives would have an impact on the lives of those we encounter daily. The foundational truth of the Sermon on the Mount is that only an inward transformation will produce the needed outward reformation in a person's life. Jesus clearly stated the Old Testament Law, and then He further expounded on the law by teaching even greater truths. The Bible vividly teaches that change must come from within and that the only way that change can occur is by accepting Christ as our Savior. Jesus came to show the world the perfect way, through Him. As we commit our entire lives to Him, receiving His forgiveness for sins and His perfect cleansing, then we receive the presence of the Holy Spirit, the power to live the ideals presented in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus stated at the start of the Sermon on the Mount that His very purpose in coming to earth was to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it. The Old Testament Law was fulfilled by Christ, not done away with. Christ brought the Law to its fulfillment by keeping it perfectly. He became our substitute. We, as part of the human race, find it impossible to keep God's Law. The Scriptures tell us that if we break one law, we become guilty of all. James 2:10 relates, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Many people who see no need to receive Jesus as their personal Savior have an inadequate concept of the Law. Many believe that as long as they do not commit certain sins, break specific laws, or hurt someone else, they have not sinned. The Bible teaches, however, that the very nature of man is sinful (Romans 3:23). Christ came to fulfill every demand the Law of God has placed upon us. On the Cross, hanging between earth and heaven, He declared that salvation was completed, finished. He had met every requirement for believers to live eternally in the presence of a just and holy God. We must accept this completed substitutionary work as our own. Jesus also taught that ritual can become a very deadly curse in our worship, in our attitudes, and in our lives. Mechanical prayer, mechanical church attendance, or mechanical service is not what God desires. Our hearts must be involved with an attitude of humility and of love for God and for mankind. We need to ever be on guard against doing service as a mere pattern or routine. In God's relationship with us, He does not need routine service, but rather sincerity and devotion, both of which must come from the inner man. Jesus used a series of brief parables in His Sermon on the Mount. The parables made heavenly truths applicable to human experiences by using earthly concepts that would be understood by the people listening to Him. The flowers of the field, the birds of the air, the animals of the field, the fruit, and many other daily items were used as vivid illustrations to convey a Biblical truth. The deity of Christ can be clearly seen throughout the entire Bible, from Genesis through Revelation. Jesus taught with such authority that all who heard stood amazed. The very character of His sermon revealed God as its source. The human mind could never conjure such noble and idealistic truths of human and divine relationships. Jesus proclaimed Himself as the fulfillment of the Law and Savior of mankind.

The History of the Psalms The earliest Psalm is attributed to Moses (Psalm 90) and has been dated by some scholars at 1440 B.C., when Moses led Israel out of Egypt. David wrote most of the Psalms in the Psalter. At least seventy-three of the Psalms are attributed to David. David reigned over Israel from about 1010 B.C. to 970 B.C. Therefore, we can date many of the Psalms around those dates. Some of the Psalms were attributed to David's son, Solomon (Psalms 72 and 127). Others were written during Solomon's reign as king over Israel from 970 B.C. to 930 B.C. (Psalms 88 and 89). Of the several Psalms written by anonymous authors, some are dated later in Israel's history. Many scholars believe that the longest of the Psalms—Psalm 119—was written at the time of the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. Psalm 137 was also written during this period of exile (586 B.C.-538 B.C.). Psalms 107 and 126 were written as praises sung when the Jews returned from exile to the Holy Land about 538 B.C. Psalm 147:13 praises God, For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. This praise could refer to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah about 444 B.C. From knowledge about the men who wrote many of the Psalms and the times in which they lived, we can date the Psalms from at least the period of 1440 B.C. to 444 B.C. Therefore, we can see that the Psalms were written over a period of at least one thousand years! Here is your goal for this lesson: Describe the history of the Book of Psalms. Vocabulary anonymous The author's name is unknown. attributed To assign or consider as belonging to another. formation An act (or acts) of giving form or shape to something. seer Someone who receives messages from God through visions or dreams. symbolizes Represents, expresses, or identifies by a symbol. Vocab Arcade Even though the Psalms had human writers, the true author of the Psalms was God. God inspired the Psalms just as much as He did any other part of the Scriptures. God used the writers of the Psalms to help human beings sing His own praises. God used the personality and character of men such as David and added to them the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This allowed the psalmists and others to sing accurate and eternal truths about God. Real people, real problems, and real situations are mentioned in the Psalms. This is part of the reason the Psalms can become our own prayers. We can relate to the people, problems, and situations that the psalmists faced. For example, when David fled from his son, Absalom, he prayed (Psalm 63:1), O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; When David recognized his sin, he cried out to God (Psalm 51:2), Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. The richness of the Psalms is found in their reality of human experience. They speak of great problems and of great faith in God.

Formation of the Psalter. We have seen that the 150 Psalms of the Psalter were written over a period of a thousand years. During this time, and extending beyond it for almost 200 years, various collections of the Psalms were assembled. In other words, the Psalter went through a long process of formation to get to the current organization of the Psalms that we have today. We can say that the Psalter underwent a few stages (or steps) of formation over a long period of time. This process of formation did not happen by accident. God's guiding hand and inspiration was upon the writers of the Psalms, and it was also upon those who participated in each stage of the formation of the Psalter. Before we describe these stages of formation of the Psalter, it is helpful to compare the formation process to something more familiar, like a river. Initially, a river starts when many small springs are collected together to form a creek. A creek, in turn, is joined with other small creeks to form a small river. This small river eventually flows together with other small river branches to form a larger river. Finally, the large river is widened further as other small rivers and springs flow into it on its way to the sea. The river symbolizes the way that the Book of Psalms were started and then collected together over time. The Holy Spirit inspired individual psalmists, like David, to compose a psalm. This psalm was then joined with other Psalms to form a small collection of Psalms. Eventually, these small collections of Psalms were joined with other small collections to form a larger collection of Psalms. The larger collections were gathered together as other later Psalms were added to form the five books of the Psalms. Finally, these five books of Psalms were given their completed form to make up the Psalter as we have it today. In the first stage of the formation of the Psalter, each Psalm began with an individual. Men like King David were moved and inspired by the Spirit of God to write a prayer or compose a song concerning a real problem, event, or situation. For example, when God delivered David from the wrath of Saul, David prayed (Psalm 18:1-2), I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. David wrote down the words of his inspired prayer. This prayer was such an inspiration to God's faithfulness that those who heard it or read it were moved to repeat it and make it their own. Eventually, the Psalm was used as part of the public worship of the people of Israel, first at the Tabernacle of David and later at the Temple of Solomon. In this way, many Psalms began as the God-inspired response of one person to a specific situation, but it later became the response of many people to situations in general. The second stage in the formation of the Psalter was the formation of individual songs into special groups used for public worship. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, we read, Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. This Scripture passage mentions two collections of Psalms that were assembled by then: one collection by David and the other by Asaph the seer. In King Hezekiah's day (715 B.C.- 686 B.C.), the Psalms may have been arranged according to their writers. These collections of writings would be used in formal and public worship. Through these collections of Psalms, God was preserving these wonderful prayers and praises for His People. The third stage in the formation of the Psalter occurred later, when faithful men reorganized the smaller collections of Psalms within the Psalms. These were arranged over a long period of time. The Holy Spirit continued to preserve these Psalms by their formation into larger books. This stage probably continued through the time of the Babylonian Exile and afterwards. The fourth and final stage in the formation of the Psalter occurred after the Temple had been rebuilt in Jerusalem (after 516 B.C.) and probably after Nehemiah came to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (about 445 B.C.). The final assembly of the Psalter was probably accomplished by a small group of men or even by one man. This arrangement had the Psalms organized into the five books that we have already observed, each with a beautiful doxology at the end. The entire collection ended with six Psalms (Psalms 145-150) which resound with praise for God. Transmission of the Psalter. Although the Psalms were written and collected over a thousand-year period, they have actually been preserved and transmitted to us over a much longer period. Once the Psalter was completed, it had to be handed on to successive generations. The transmission of the Psalms has occurred faithfully over three thousand years because God has promised that they will endure. Recall that Jesus promised in (Matthew 5:18), For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. The Psalms of the Old Testament are part of the Word of God, and we have the Lord's promise that the Word of God will last. During the years between the completion of the Old Testament writings and the beginning of the new Testament period, Jewish writers made mention of the books of David. Some of these men of the intertestamental period quoted directly from some of the Psalms. In this way, some of the writings of the Psalms were preserved and transmitted. In addition, after the Old Testament was completed, Jewish scribes were assigned the task of hand copying the books of the Old Testament, including the Psalms. These scribes took great care in making exact copies of the Old Testament books. This is how the careful system of copying and transmitting the Old Testament books in Hebrew occurred. The chief scribes used a numerical system to check on the work of the younger scribes. When a copy of the Book of Psalms was made, after months of painstaking writing, a chief scribe would count every word, then every letter. He knew how many letters and words were in the original book. If the copy did not contain the correct number of words and letters, it was rejected and destroyed. The chief scribe also knew the middle letter and middle word of each of the Books of Psalms, and if these did not match the original, the copy was destroyed. In this careful way, the Hebrew writings containing the Psalter were transmitted down through the centuries. In about 250 B.C., there were many Jews living in Alexandria, Egypt. Most of these Jews spoke Greek, so they desired a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Therefore, about seventy-two Greek-speaking Hebrew scholars translated the Hebrew Old Testament, including the Book of Psalms, into the Greek language. This Greek translation of the Old Testament became known as the Septuagint (referring to the "seventy" scholars who accomplished the translation). Thus, not only were accurate copies of the Psalms available in Hebrew, but also in Greek. As noted earlier in this section, it is from the Greek words of the Septuagint translation that we get the words "psalm" and "Psalter." After the time of Jesus Christ, men inspired by the Holy Spirit began the writings that make up the New Testament. As they did so, the Psalms were used extensively in their writings. Ninety-three quotations from the Book of Psalms can be found in the New Testament. In this way, too, parts of the Psalms were included in the New Testament writings and transmitted to future generations. It is also interesting to note that over half the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ are found in the Book of Psalms. Truly, the Psalms are part of Christian life and belief. With the birth of Christianity, the prayers and praises of the Psalms became even more popular. The early Christians used the Psalms in their worship of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. The writings of many of the early churchmen contained many references and quotes from the Psalms. Ordination of pastors in the early church sometimes required the applicant for the office to have memorized most of the Book of Psalms. In the 3rd and 4th centuries of Christianity, many Christians went to the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria to live a life devoted to prayer, and they prayed all 150 Psalms each day—normally from memory! When the Bible was to be translated into another language, the Book of Psalms was one of the first books to be translated. Even today, when copies of the New Testament are made for Christian use and evangelization, the Psalms are usually added to the copy of the New Testament. Christians, hungry for praises to sing and pray to God, have turned to the Psalms for nearly two thousand years! Play Farmer Frank's for more practice.

Jesus' Final Ministry in Jerusalem At the wedding feast of Cana near the beginning of His public ministry in Galilee, we learn that, "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." (John 2:4). The "hour" of which Jesus spoke was the time when He would suffer, die, and rise from the dead in Jerusalem. In this unit, you will study the events leading up to, and including, Jesus' "hour." Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe Jesus' public ministry in Jerusalem during the last week of His life on earth. Vocabulary accessible Easy to approach. aristocracy Upper class; nobility. converts Those who have experienced some type of transformation or conversion. deterred To be turned aside, discouraged, or prevented from acting. interrogation A formal and systematic questioning in an attempt to trigger a certain response. proselytes Converted from one religion to another. subtle Not open or obvious; cunning Vocab Arcade At the end of Bible 708, we left Jesus at the end of His Perean ministry and on the way to Jerusalem. At that point, Jesus knew what awaited Him as He journeyed south from Perea to Jerusalem. He had already forewarned His disciples of the death that awaited Him in Jerusalem. In this section of the unit, you will study Christ's activity in the days preceding his suffering and death. You will first examine the Lord's public ministry to people in Jerusalem and how the religious leaders continued to oppose Him. Second, you will learn about Jesus' final private ministry and the training of His disciples. Third, you will explore the Last Supper of Jesus with His disciples that occurred just before His sufferings in Jerusalem began. To help you get an overview of these events, study the following chart of "Jesus' Final Ministry in Jerusalem." Since some of these events will not be covered in detail during this section, it will enhance your learning in this section to study this chart and look up some of the Scripture references. PUBLIC MINISTRY Jesus entered the final week of His life on earth with a good deal of public ministry. This public ministry was held in and near Jerusalem. It brought great attention and controversy to Jesus. Ultimately, this public ministry led to the climactic events involving Jesus just before the Passover feast in Jerusalem. In this part of the unit, you will study several important events that occurred during Jesus' final public ministry in Jerusalem. First, you will read about His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Next, you will examine His cleansing of the Temple soon after He entered Jerusalem. Then, you will study the episode where Gentile converts to Judaism came seeking a meeting with Jesus. Finally, you will look at several encounters that Jesus had with the Jewish religious leaders, most of whom opposed Jesus and tried to hinder His public ministry. Read Mark 11:1-11 and John 11:55-12:19. The Triumphal Entry. Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final part of His public ministry, he went to Bethany, a village just east of Jerusalem. At Bethany Jesus stayed at the home of his good friends, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. The news that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead had spread quickly to Jerusalem, and many of the Jews were wondering if Jesus would come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast (John 11:56). The Jewish religious leaders were also looking for Jesus, but for a different reason. They wanted to arrest Jesus and stop Him from influencing the people; however, Jesus was not deterred from His mission by the threats of the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus and His disciples prepared to publicly enter the Holy City, Jerusalem. As Jesus and the twelve disciples neared Jerusalem, the Master instructed two of His disciples to go to a certain place to find a colt that no one had ever ridden. The disciples must have surely wondered what would happen if they were seen while taking a colt that did not belong to them! Jesus told them, "And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither." (Mark 11:3). These things occurred just as the Lord had said they would. The Bible says, "And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him." (Mark 11:7). Riding upon the young colt, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. The people spread their garments and leafy branches (palm branches) along the path as they greeted the Lord (John 12:13). The Bible says, "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." (Mark 11:9-10). This triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah, which was made centuries before: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zechariah 9:9). One can only imagine the glorious sight of the increasing crowd as people came from every quarter of Jerusalem to greet Jesus the King. The shouts of the people echoed the Psalmist in Psalm 118:26, "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." Following His triumphal entry, Jesus went directly to the Temple in Jerusalem. He looked around the Temple and observed what was happening. Since it was late in the day, Jesus left the Temple area with His disciples and returned to Bethany for the night (Mark 11:11).

The Cleansing of the Temple. At the end of the day of His triumphal entry, Jesus and His disciples returned to Bethany. What the Master had observed during His ministry in the Temple disturbed Him greatly. More than three years before, Jesus had entered that same Temple and cleared out the moneychangers and those who robbed the people (John 2:13-22). Although the first cleansing of the Temple temporarily interrupted the evil activity of the moneychangers, they quickly returned to their wicked trade. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple gives evidence of His authority over the spiritual affairs of Israel and demonstrates His eternal sovereignty. On the morning after His triumphal entry, Jesus again entered the Temple. Mark 11:15-16 tells us, And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. Because the religious leaders—the scribes and priests—profited from the sale of the sacrificial animals and from the exchange of foreign currency that took place in the Temple, they were greatly angered at Jesus. The Lord turned to these leaders of the people and proclaimed the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 7:11. The Bible says, "And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Mark 11:17). Rather than accept the rebuke of the Messiah and confess their sin, the Bible tells us, "And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." (Mark 11:18). The Gentiles Seek Jesus. One of the more astonishing events of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem occurred when certain Greeks sought the Messiah. Up to this point, Jesus' earthly ministry had been primarily to those who were both racial and religious Jews. During the Passover feast, however, certain Greeks came to the Lord's disciples asking to meet the Master. These Greeks were perhaps proselytes who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. Philip, who was one of the twelve disciples, was a Jew of Bethsaida although he had a Gentile name. The Greeks sought out Philip, whom they may have mistaken for a Gentile convert to Judaism. The Bible says, "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus." (John 12:21). This request from these Greeks surprised Philip, who had regarded Jesus as the Savior of only the Jews. He quickly shared this inquiry with Andrew. Andrew and Philip then explained to Jesus what had happened. "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." (John 12:23). These events clearly fulfill the testimony that is given earlier in the Gospel of John: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:11-12). The majority of the Jews and their leaders had rejected the Lord, but following the cross, salvation would be offered to whomever would call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus used this astonishing event to share with His disciples the divine mission that He had come to fulfill. He told them a parable, in which He stated, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24). In this parable, Jesus referred to His own mission—He must die to bear the fruit of man's salvation. Jesus also taught His followers directly about His death by stating, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32-33). God the Father validated the mission of Jesus by breaking forth from heaven in a voice and answering Jesus' request that He glorify His name, "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:28). Incredibly, even as the Lord Jesus taught the people and they heard the divine words of the Father, they argued with the Savior. John 12:37 sadly tells us that, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:" As we continue reading in the Gospel of John (John 12:38-41) we see that the eyes of the people had been blinded and their hearts hardened against the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus' Private Ministry in Jerusalem In His ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ combined both the teaching of multitudes and the special training of the Twelve. His final ministry in Jerusalem, before the cross, was no exception. The apostles were to be the ones who would soon be taking Christ's message of hope and salvation into the entire world. The importance of their future mission resulted in an intensification of training and preparation. Here is your objective for this lesson. Summarize the Lord's private ministry to His disciples during His final days before His suffering and death. Much of the preparation that Jesus gave to the disciples concerned the future of Israel. The Jews had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and Jesus explained to His close followers the destruction that awaited God's chosen people because of their rejection of Him. Jesus also predicted His crucifixion in the presence of the Twelve and shared with them the purpose of His death. Through miracles, parables, examples, and direct teaching, the Master trained His followers for their most necessary task—telling the world that the Lord had come. In this portion of the unit, you will study some ways in which Jesus trained His disciples. You will study the events that Jesus used to teach the disciples. These events include the withering of the fig tree, which represented the fate of Jerusalem; the widow's offering, which taught about the correct attitude in giving; and the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany, which foreshadowed the Lord's death. In the last part of this section, you will observe the truths Jesus shared with His disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus' Training of the Twelve. The twelve disciples probably expected to be with Jesus throughout the Feast of the Passover and then return to the countryside with the Master to minister to the people. Although Jesus had often shared with them the mission that He was destined to fulfill, the Twelve seemed to ignore the fate that awaited their Lord. Therefore, the Lord became even more specific in His teaching, and directly foretold the manner of His death. Jesus used the rejection He had received from Israel's religious leaders as an opportunity to share with the disciples the eventual fate of those who refused to believe in Him. In the days before the Passover, Jesus and the Twelve ministered in Jerusalem and spent the evenings and nights in Bethany. On the morning following His triumphal entry, Jesus and His followers were traveling toward Jerusalem when Jesus noticed a fig tree by the side of the road. Mark 11:13-14 describes what happened: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. The very next day, when Jesus and His disciples passed by the fig tree, it was withered and dried up from the roots. Peter, noticing that this tree was the same tree, called to Jesus and said, "And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away." (Mark 11:21). Later, when the disciples questioned Jesus about His return, He again referred to a fig tree as He told a parable (Luke 21:29-31), And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. In using the fig tree as an example, the Lord Jesus shared some important truths with His disciples. Jesus came to seek spiritual fruit. Jerusalem was clearly visible from where the fig tree stood. As Jesus cursed it, His disciples probably recognized that Jerusalem had also borne no fruit. The withering of the fig tree, therefore, was a picture of the fate of this great city. Because it had borne no fruit, it would also dry up. This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem. Jesus' fig tree analogy on the Mount of Olives taught the disciples another important truth. The blooms of the fig tree foresee the coming of summer, and the buds of the tree promise that fruit will come. Jesus explained that the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God could be expected just as we expect the coming of summer when we see the trees in bloom in the spring. God's Word is eternal, and His promises are certain. Before His message to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, Jesus had been in the Temple. While He was in the Temple, the religious leaders questioned His authority, ministry, and purpose. After the questions ceased, Jesus closely observed a poor widow make a small offering to the Temple treasury. The Gospel of Mark describes what was happening: "And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much." (Mark 12:41). Some believe that when a wealthy Jew desired all those present to notice that he was giving money to the Temple, he would have his funds converted into the largest coins available. These coins would be thrown into the treasury, making a loud clanging noise that no one could ignore. By this action, these wealthy givers showed that they thought more about the praise of men than about giving to the Lord. Jesus contrasted their manner of giving with that of the poor widow. Mark 12:42-44 describes her example: And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. The gift given by this woman was certainly not near the value given by all the others; however, hers was truly given to the Lord and not given to impress people. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that at the heart of all Christian giving and service is the attitude by which these things are done. On the evening before His arrest, Jesus and His disciples gathered for a feast in Bethany. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were present at this meal. Luke 10:39 describes Martha as the hostess and Mary as one, "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus� feet, and heard his word." John 12:3 describes another beautiful act of devotion by Mary to her Lord and Savior: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." This anointing was somewhat similar to the preparation of a body for burial; therefore, this event foreshadowed the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that would take place within the next two days. Of the twelve disciples present, Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Jesus into the hands of the authorities, was the one who objected to this anointing. John 12:5-6 relates Judas' response and his true motive: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Jesus, knowing his true intent, sharply rebuked him: "Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this." (John 12:7). Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem. He knew that He was going to be crucified and buried; but He also knew that He would be raised in glory on the third day.

The Last Supper On the eve of the Passover, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus and His disciples gathered for the traditional Passover (or Paschal) meal. This gathering was to be a very special Passover meal, not only for Jesus and the disciples that night but also for all future Christians. The meal would be the last meal that Jesus ate with His disciples before His suffering and death the following day. It would also be the last occasion that Jesus would have to train and teach His disciples before His crucifixion. Through His words, prayers, and actions at the meal that night, Jesus transformed and deepened the meaning of the Passover celebration for all time. From that time forward, this "Last Supper" would become a lasting memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Here is your objective for this lesson. Explain what happened during Christ's Last Supper with His disciples and its significance. Vocabulary Paschal Passover. Vocab Arcade The Passover Meal. The Passover was a reminder of the time when the people of Israel were still held in bondage as slaves by the Pharaoh of Egypt and the Egyptians (Exodus 12). Through Moses, God delivered the Israelites from their slavery. The memorial feast was called "Passover" because the angel of death "passed over" the houses of the Israelites in Egypt while striking down the firstborn of the Egyptians. The angel of death passed over these houses in Egypt because the blood of the Passover lamb had been placed on the doorposts of the Israelite houses. As the firstborn of the Egyptians were dying, Pharaoh told Moses and the Israelites to depart from Egypt. God had delivered the Israelites from bondage! Every year since that time, the Jews gathered for a meal in their homes on the feast of Passover to remember and relive the events of that first Passover in Egypt. It recalled the great events of their ancestors' freedom from slavery and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land. When Jerusalem was established as the Holy City of the people of God and the Temple was built there, Jews from all over the world would come there to celebrate the Passover and the longer seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. As Jesus' last Passover meal approached, it is estimated that about 75,000 Jews from all over Israel and many other lands had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jesus' "hour" had come, and He would spend this final time of fellowship with His apostles. Two of the Lord's disciples were sent into the city to find the room for the Passover meal that had been miraculously prepared (Mark 14:12-16). When evening came, the Lord Jesus and those closest to Him went to the upper room to celebrate the Passover and be together before Jesus began to endure His sufferings and death. The Washing of Feet. As the meal began, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, had already "sold out" to the chief priests (Luke 22:3-6). Some tension must have been in the room because of these circumstances. The disciples began to argue as to "And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." (Luke 22:24). Jesus quieted their dispute, rose from the table, removed His outer garments, and took a towel. Then, in an example of great humility and to teach them an important lesson, the Lord washed the disciples' feet! The washing of feet was a common custom in the ancient world. When a host invited guests to his home, the servants of the house would wash the feet of the newly arrived guests to wash the dust and dirt from their feet after the journey. Washing feet was a task normally done by servants and, in some cases, by slaves. As Jesus prepared to wash the feet of the disciples, Peter objected: "Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. (John 13:8). However, Jesus told Him, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." This made Peter want to have Jesus wash him all over! Jesus' response is recorded in John 13:10-11: Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. Jesus was saying that by the washing that He would give, not only would their feet be clean, but they would be "washed clean" by Jesus' upcoming death on the cross through the forgiveness of their sins. In addition, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him. After washing their feet, Jesus taught them the meaning of what He had just done. He gave them an example of the meaning of true Christian greatness. It meant being a servant to others! Jesus said, (John 13:14-15), If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another�s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. The Betrayal by Judas. At the meal, Jesus made it known that one of the disciples would betray Him. The disciples were perplexed. Who would it be? Jesus told John, the beloved disciple, "Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon." (John 13:26). Then Jesus gave the food to Judas. According to the Gospel of John, "And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. (John 13:27). Judas left the room and went out into the night (the "darkness" of sin and evil) to set in motion his betrayal and the beginnings of Jesus' sufferings. Ironically, at the very moment of His betrayal and the beginning of the events that would lead to His suffering and death, Jesus felt that He was being glorified! He said, "Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him." (John 13:31). Furthermore, the Lord chose that moment to give His disciples a new commandment. He said (John 13:34), A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. In the midst of Judas' betrayal, Jesus commands His faithful disciples to love one another! The other disciples declared their loyalty to Jesus. Peter said that He would never leave Jesus and that he would even lay down his life for Him, but Jesus knew the truth. He told Peter, "Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice." (John 13:38). Judas made the ultimate betrayal of Jesus; yet before the night was over, the other disciples would leave Jesus also; and Peter would even deny three times that He knew the Lord! Jesus wants us to be faithful to Him. At times, it will be difficult to follow Jesus. Even if we should have occasions when we are not as faithful to Jesus as we should be, we should never hesitate to return to Jesus and ask forgiveness, just as Peter would later do. Remember that Jesus died for you so that your sins may be forgiven. As John later wrote in his first letter, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

Grace You have studied God's attributes of love and mercy. God revealed these attributes in His creation in general and in His plan of redemption in particular. God's love is eternal and immutable, and that assures mankind His love is stable and constant. Jesus Christ is the ultimate provision of God's love and mercy because He came "that we might have life." God provided an alternative to mankind's destruction because of sin. Recall how Christ died a cruel death to pay the price that justice demanded and to make salvation available to all. Justice demands punishment in full for sin. God's nature could not allow Him to overlook sin; rather, His justice demanded that disobedience be punished. God's Son, who was without sin, took upon Himself our sins. The redemption plan of God is the highest demonstration of His love and mercy. In this section, you will study another attribute of God--His grace. You will learn the relationship of grace to mercy, and you will understand that grace is a means by which God gives us what we could never earn or deserve. Finally, you will learn how God's grace was active in creation and in the pardon of a sinful people through His plan of salvation. Here are your goals for this lesson: Define grace in relation to mercy Give examples of how God extends His grace to mankind. Memorize 2 Timothy 1:9 Vocabulary abound To be more than sufficient, more than enough. banish To drive out of a place by authority. descendant A person who has come down from another person, like a child from a parent. divine Proceeding directly from God; heavenly. faith Belief, trust in, and loyalty to God; ability to take God at His Word. forgiveness Pardon, to grant relief from payment due. grace The unmerited favor of God toward mankind. incarnate Literally, "in flesh;" Jesus was God in the flesh or God incarnate. innocent Free from guilt or sin; blameless. justified Made righteous. pardon Forgiveness for a fault or offense without requiring the penalty; divine forgiveness. proclaimed Declared openly. righteous Acting rightly; upright. sovereignty Exercising supreme authority; supreme power. turmoil A very confused or agitated situation. unmerited Undeserved; not earned. Vocab Arcade Memory Verse: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (2 Timothy 1:9) Here we will study one attribute of God which is manifested to man: grace and its several aspects. Although grace is toward mankind, it differs from mercy. Meaning of grace. Mercy, we learned, is revealed unto all of God's creation (Psalm 145:9). Grace alone is the spring from which flows God's goodwill, love, and salvation to lost mankind. Grace is the undeserved favor of God shown toward people who have no merit of their own. Grace can neither be bought, earned, nor won by any person. If it could be, then it would not rightly be grace. We could say that mercy is not getting what we deserve (punishment); grace is getting what we don't deserve (God's favor). The Grace of God The greatest treatment of this attribute can be found in the books written by the Apostle Paul. Paul views grace in direct opposition to works. Romans 11:6 tells us, And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. We also read in Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. When Christ died for our sins, He was manifesting God's grace in action. The Bible clearly teaches that absolutely no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). This Scripture tells us that each one of us deserves to receive the just punishment for our own sins. God's grace alone makes provision for our pardon. God could have left us eternally separated from Him, forever destined to an eternity in hell. However, grace provided Jesus Christ to be offered up as our substitute. He paid the legal price in full; therefore we have the opportunity to accept His sacrifice on the Cross. The word grace means simply unmerited favor. We receive something that we neither earned nor deserved. Grace is beyond anything that can be either earned or deserved by anyone. Several important aspects of grace should be studied if a proper understanding of God's nature is to be obtained. Aspects of Grace. First, God's grace is eternal. Grace was existing well in advance of the time it was needed. God's Word tells us in 2 Timothy 1:9, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, God's grace did not just spring into existence as a result of man's fall, as if God was caught off guard. Rather, God's grace had already made provision for man's redemption before the world was formed. A second notable aspect of God's grace is that it is free. Romans 3:24 tells us,Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Eternal life is a gift; therefore, it can neither be earned by good works nor deserved. This grace of God needs to be proclaimed unto all. God's Word encourages us that, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). The Bible provides hope when it proclaims, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: The grace of God is manifested in and by Jesus Christ. Moses gave us the law, but grace and truth came to us through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). However, this verse does not mean that God never showed grace before Jesus came incarnate (Genesis 6:8 and Exodus 33:19). Grace reached its fullest expression when Jesus came to earth and died for our sins upon the Cross. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell us that every descendant of Adam is considered a fallen, hell-deserving sinner, helpless without the grace of God. Grace is the sinner's only hope. We all stand before a just God, convicted as transgressors of His law. The Holy Spirit takes the responsibility to apply grace. God's Spirit moves with convincing and convicting power to touch the stony heart. The late G.S. Bishop once said: "Grace is the provision for men who are too low to lift the ax of justice, too corrupt to change their nature, unable to turn back to God, unable to see their need of Him, so deaf they cannot hear Him, and so dead that only God can lift them in resurrection from the grave." This statement describes the nature of mankind, but God's grace can transform this nature and fully restore His image. God's Stairway "Step by step we climb day by day Closer to God with each prayer we pray For "the cry of the heart" offered in prayer Becomes just another "SPIRITUAL STAIR" In the "HEAVENLY STAIRCASE" leading us to a beautiful place where we live anew. . . . So never give up for it's worth the climb To live forever in "ENDLESS TIME" Where the soul of man is SAFE AND FREE To LIVE IN LOVE THROUGH ETERNITY!" --Helen Steiner Rice Expressions of Grace. God's grace is expressed in various ways. First, God expresses His grace toward people generally in creation. Then He expresses His grace specifically in redemption. In Creation. God was not forced to create the world or people. God did not create because He needed companionship or lacked anything in himself. God created for His own pleasure because He sovereignly chose to create. God gave Adam and Eve (our first parents) everything they would ever want or need in the garden, and they enjoyed a daily fellowship with their Creator. All of God's creation was at complete peace. Sin changed this peace and fellowship as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After sin, God's creation began to change. Turmoil and fear appeared in the lives of God's created people. Adam and Eve were driven from God's presence in the garden and were forbidden to enter into it again. Then man had to toil and labor to obtain any fruit from the earth because of sin's effects upon the earth. Adam and Eve realized their nakedness and attempted to hide with a covering of fig leaves. This has been the kind of "bloodless sacrifice" that humanistic religions have often promoted ever since. What a sad picture we see as our first parents left their beautiful paradise never again to return. If we leave this drama at this point in history, surely all hope was banished for future mankind. However, the Word of God does not leave us in this despairing state of utter helplessness. We read in Genesis, Chapter 3, that God's grace is found in full redemptive expression even at this early point in history. In Redemption. God clothed Adam and Eve with skins of an animal. At this point in the early pages of Genesis, we find the first animal sacrifice because of sin. In Genesis, there is the suggestion that the shedding of innocent blood was necessary to provide Adam and Eve with clothes because of their personal disobedience to God's law. God could have left them naked, without help, but He chose to sacrifice an innocent animal to provide a covering. We learn from this beautiful act of God's redemptive grace the symbol of the future sacrifice, which would be God's only Son Jesus. God's Son, who was guilty of no sin, died to redeem us, to pay the punishment for our sins. Grace provided Jesus in order that you and I might have an opportunity to receive forgiveness for sin and to obtain eternal life. It was divine grace that provided the abundant life (John 10:10), which Jesus came to offer all mankind. Our daily life can be one of close fellowship and fulfillment in Jesus Christ as He is allowed to direct our paths. God places a great responsibility upon us, requiring a personal decision to accept God's Son as our Savior through faith or to reject the only way we can ever receive eternal life. John 3:14-16, tells us that God's intention for Christ was not to condemn the world. This condemnation had already come by sin. Rather, we read that God's purpose was that the world through Jesus might be saved.

The Method of the First Advent The central theme of the Bible is the coming of God's only Son into the world as Savior. The Old Testament people of God were looking for God's Son to come as a strong king and not as a little baby born in a stable. However, Jesus was born exactly as prophesied hundreds of years before by many of God's prophets. In this section you will study various Bible prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus Christ and how the Gospel of Matthew relates that these prophecies were fulfilled. You will also study the mission of Jesus Christ as foretold in Old Testament prophecy and Christ's fulfillment of that mission as recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify Old Testament prophecies concerning the birth of Messiah Compare Old Testament prophecy to passages in the book of Matthew concerning Christ's birth Understand that Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah Vocabulary advent Coming; arrival. curse To bring great evil upon. divinely Heavenly; superbly. enmity A condition of being at odds, or enemies. Immanuel Means "God with us." inspired Guided by God. intercession Prayer of petition in favor of another. Messianic Pertaining to the expectant king and the deliverer of Jews. noble Of high quality. prophet One who gives divinely inspired revelations. redemption The act of buying back; releasing from blame and guilt. scepter A staff carried by a king as a symbol of authority. Testament A main division of the Bible. ultimate Final. virgin A pure, untouched woman. Vocab Arcade Read Genesis 3:15; Numbers 24:16-19; and Isaiah 11:1-10. Prophecy of the First Advent foretold in the Old Testament. The Bible contains many verses that foretold the birth of Jesus. Some of these verses have been selected for you to study. God judged Adam and Eve because of their willful disobedience to God's Law. God, however, cursed the serpent, Satan. He stated, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15). God pronounced a curse upon the devil by telling him there would be a division between him and the seed of the woman. Then God gave a specific word of how this event would occur by telling Satan that his defeat would come through the seed of the woman. The devil would manage to bruise the heel of Jesus by His crucifixion. The seed of the woman, Christ, would be raised from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is implied in the verse (when God reveals what the seed shall do to the devil). The ultimate victory belongs to Christ because He will "bruise thy [the devil's] head." In this early Old Testament verse, we find God's promise of hope in Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve, our first parents, were driven from God's beautiful paradise because of their disobedience. However, the Messianic seed mentioned in the first book of the Bible tells us that through the woman will come a Savior who will restore that which was lost through disobedience. Another Old Testament Scripture related to the First Advent of Christ is Numbers 24:17. Four things are given in this passage concerning the coming Savior: 1. A star out of Jacob 2. A scepter out of Israel 3. He shall come out of Jacob's seed 4. He shall have dominion Let us carefully study exactly what is being predicted in this part of Old Testament Scripture. The verse predicts a star (light) out of Jacob. It is foretold here that a light and direction will come forth from Jacob's seed. This light will have the right of rule (scepter) which implies He will be of noble birth. Certainly we find little difficulty in seeing that Christ fulfills this description. Jesus' purpose was to be the light for blinded mankind who had lost God's fellowship. Related to this Scripture is Isaiah 11:1-10, which also foretold the birth of Christ. Isaiah 11:1 stated He shall come out of Jesse (King David's father) and refers to the natural parentage of Jesus, who was to be born of a virgin. The Old Testament predicted the First Advent of Christ to earth many years before it actually came to pass. One final Old Testament Scripture to be considered which foretold the coming of Jesus is Isaiah 7:13-14. Notice that verse 13 states His origin as the house of David. In verse 14 the prophet states that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and be named Immanuel. This portion of the Scripture gives specific details about the birth of Christ. Jesus would come from the seed of David, be born of a virgin, and his name would be Immanuel, or "God with us." Many have attempted to discredit Isaiah 7:14 by saying that the Hebrew word for virgin simply means, "young woman." This "young woman" interpretation is wrong for three reasons. First, the Hebrew word implies that the young woman is pure; a virgin. Second, the word is translated in the inspired New Testament passage (Matthew 1:23) with a Greek word that can only mean virgin. And third, Isaiah says, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14). What kind of wonder would a young woman bearing a child be? This happens every day! But a virgin mother--now that is a wonder! Prophecy of the First Advent Fulfilled in Matthew. Matthew's Gospel shows how many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the First Advent of Christ were fulfilled. We begin our study with Matthew, Chapter 1, since here is where we can show the family line of Jesus and compare this information to early prophecies. Matthew 1:1 begins by stating: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. In this very first verse, we can see that Matthew seeks to establish the earthly bloodline of Christ through His mother, Mary. Genesis 3:15 promised that the Messiah would come through the seed of the woman; that is, the Messiah would come by childbirth. Numbers 24:17 teaches us that this star will come out of Jacob's house. Jesus is the star, the light of men, and in Matthew's Gospel we read that, Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; (Matthew 1:2). Thus, the generations of Jesus began and continued all the way through His legal father, Joseph. We find that Jesus is a descendant of Jacob through His earthly and legal father, Joseph. Although Jesus was born of a virgin, God supplied Joseph to be the guardian and legal father of Jesus. We realize that God is the real father of Christ, but He provided Joseph, a man of Jacob's house, to care for Jesus. The supernatural element of God's Word begins to take place as Old Testament prophets predicted a coming Messiah. A specific Old Testament prophecy concerning the coming of Christ as the Savior of the world is found in Isaiah 11:1. This passage tells us that, And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: We find that a rod, a ruler, and a guide shall develop and come forth from Jesse, the father of David. This verse gives indication that Jesus who is the "Branch," a main life center, shall come forth from Jesse. Many would ask why would God choose to bring His Son through mankind. To become our Redeemer, Jesus had to be born a man to suffer being human and to bear sins, yet be sinless. God's ways are not our ways, and He does all things well and perfectly. God knows the beginning and the end, and His justice was satisfied when Jesus fulfilled the role of the Old Testament sacrifice. He was without blemish and could carry our sins to the Cross once and for all.The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10). The fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1 is recorded in Matthew 1:5 and 6. Matthew writes that Jesus came from the seed of Jesse just as the Old Testament prophet predicted hundreds of years earlier. We have proof that God's Word was divinely inspired by God as His Spirit moved upon men to write. Even the place where Jesus was born was prophesied hundreds of years before the actual event. Micah 5:2 records, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. This fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 2:1: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. The book of Isaiah is considered to be one of the greatest prophetic books in the entire Bible. Isaiah is the prophet of redemption. The name Isaiah means "Salvation of Jehovah" and is appropriately the central message of the entire Bible. We shall study Isaiah, Chapter 11, in more detail at a later time when we consider the mission of Jesus. At this point it is sufficient to say that Isaiah's prophecy was in harmony with all Scripture that Jesus would come from a woman. Isaiah 7:13-14 gives specific details of the birth of Christ. In Isaiah 7:13 the coming of Jesus from the house of David is prophesied. In Isaiah 7:14 it is foretold that Jesus is to come from a virgin, and His name would be called Immanuel. In Matthew 1:23, the prophecy of Isaiah is quoted: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1:25 records the fulfillment of this prophecy: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. In this section, we have briefly studied selected portions of Old Testament prophecy concerning the birth of Christ. Comparing Matthew's account to these prophecies, we were able to see the fulfillment of the Scriptures which were given hundreds of years before the arrival of Christ. These prophecies and their fulfillment are some of the Christian evidence of the inspiration of the Word of God and the theme of salvation found throughout the Bible.

The Lord's Provision Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe the private Galilean ministry of Jesus to His disciples. Explain the importance of Peter's recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. Vocabulary enroute On the way to somewhere. priority Something that is more important than other things. tempest Violent storm. Vocab Arcade We have seen how Jesus trained His disciples before He sent them out to minister. When they returned from their ministries, Jesus would continue to teach and to train them. Many of Jesus' miracles taught the disciples a specific principle of divine truth, such as the necessity to have a strong faith or the importance of persevering in prayer. Jesus also used many of the parables to train the disciples for service. Jesus was always willing to answer the disciples' questions, too. In this portion of the unit, you will learn about the earthly life and ministry of Christ, as well as how the Lord trained His disciples. First, you will study the miracles of Jesus. Second, you will learn about the parables that were used to teach the disciples truth and to encourage them for service. Third, you will investigate some of the specific teachings that Jesus shared with His chosen disciples. Miracles. The miracles of Jesus Christ revealed certain truths. Miracles were often used to illustrate Old Testament teachings or prophecies about the Messiah. Those disciples who had learned the Scriptures were able to see Jesus fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah when he said, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." (Isaiah 35:5). The New Testament records the story of six men who had their sight restored by Jesus. In Decapolis, Jesus restored a deaf man's hearing and speech (Mark 7:31-37). Jesus' own testimony to John the Baptist included this statement, "Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." (Luke 7:22). Some of Jesus' miracles were occasions for teaching and training the disciples. Two such miracles occurred on the Sea of Galilee, an inland body of water which was very familiar to those disciples who were fishermen. While crossing the Sea of Galilee enroute to Gadara, a storm suddenly arose. The Gospel of Mark describes this tempest: "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." (Mark 4:37). While the disciples began to panic and fear for their lives, we find that "And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (Mark 4:38). When they could stand it no longer, the disciples cried out to Jesus for help, saying, "And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:38-39). Even though Jesus was right there with them, the disciples were overcome with fear and doubt. Jesus used this situation to encourage them to grow in faith by asking them (Mark 4:40), "And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? After witnessing the feeding of the five thousand, the disciples' faith was again tested. They were in a boat, returning to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was not with them, because He had gone to a quiet place to pray to His Heavenly Father. Throughout the night the disciples' boat was battered by the waves, but the Lord Jesus, their Master, kept a watchful eye on them (Mark 6:48). During the fourth watch, between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning, Jesus arose to comfort His disciples. He walked upon the water to reach the boat. As He approached, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost (Matthew 14:26). However, Jesus calmed their fears by saying to them, "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (Matthew 14:27). Wanting to make sure it was really Jesus, Peter called out to Him, saying, "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." (Matthew 14:28-29). All was well until Peter took his eyes off the Lord and began to worry about the waves surrounding him. Peter became afraid and began to sink. He cried out for Jesus to save him (Matthew 14:30). Jesus put forth His hand and saved Peter from the raging waves. The Lord used this occasion to remind Peter of his need to grow in trust. Jesus said to Peter (Matthew 14:31), "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Mark 5:22-43 records several miracles that occurred in one day in Capernaum of Galilee. Jesus was in the midst of a large crowd when Jairus, a synagogue ruler, begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter, who was near death. Meanwhile, the crowd continued to press in on Jesus. A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his garment. Power went forth from Jesus, and the woman was immediately healed. Jesus asked who had touched him. The woman fell before Jesus in fear and trembling and told him the truth. Jesus declared to the woman that her faith had made her well. While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, someone from Jairus' household declared that Jairus' daughter had died. Jesus ignored this statement and told Jairus, "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (Mark 5:36). Upon arriving at Jairus' home, Jesus was ridiculed by the crowd, because Jesus remarked that the girl was not dead, but only asleep (Mark 5:39-40). Jesus dismissed the people and took only the girl's parents and Peter, James, and John into the house to witness the miracle (Luke 8:51). Mark 5:41-42 describes what happened next: And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. The Son of God had once again demonstrated to His disciples that He had authority, even over death. Parables. Although many of Jesus' parables were taught publicly, a number of them were spoken only to the twelve disciples. Jesus first ministered in parables to the crowds of people gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. After teaching publicly, Jesus left the crowds and went into the house (Matthew 13:36). Once inside what may have been Peter's home, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. (Matthew 13:36). The disciples had heard the public teaching about the tares (sometimes translated "weeds") of the field. Now they wanted to understand the meaning. Jesus took this occasion to teach His disciples privately about the Kingdom of God. After Jesus explained the parable of the tares to the disciples, He told them four more parables to make sure they understood the value of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the hidden treasure tells about a man who sold all that he had to buy a field where a treasure was hidden (Matthew 13:44). The parable of the pearl of great price told about a man who would give all he had to possess the one most valued pearl (Matthew 13:45-46). Similar to the parable of the tares, the parable of the net explains how God will use angels to separate believers from unbelievers at the end of the age (Matthew 13:47-51). The parable of the householder ended this series of parables and encouraged the disciples to be able to use both the teachings of the Old Testament and Jesus' new teachings about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:52). As the Twelve listened intently to these parables, Jesus asked them (Matthew 13:51), Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Thus, through the parables, Jesus continued to train His followers for future service. Teaching. Jesus often taught the multitudes and the disciples directly and together. This method of training the Twelve began early in Jesus' Galilean ministry. The direct teaching of the disciples is clearly illustrated in many of Jesus' sermons. The Lord also taught the disciples when He answered their questions. In the beginning of the Sermon of the Mount, Matthew 5:1-2 tells us this about Jesus' teaching: "And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," On this mountain in Galilee, Jesus sat with his disciples and taught them among the crowds. During Jesus' fourth withdrawal from Galilee, He and His disciples visited the region of Caesarea Philippi, north of the Sea of Galilee. While there, Jesus asked His disciples a very important question (Matthew 16:13): "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? The disciples responded (Matthew 16:14), "And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus then asked His disciples the most important question that anyone can be asked (Matthew 16:15): "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Jesus cared very much that His disciples knew who He was. They would need to be very clear about this in the future as they shared the gospel throughout the world and built up the early church. Yet, it was not easy to exactly determine who Jesus was. That is why people had many answers to Jesus' first question. However, God the Father gave Peter a special revelation to identify Jesus and to proclaim who He was. Peter responded to Jesus' second question (Matthew 16:16), "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. This answer was very important for Jesus to hear and for Peter to say. Jesus pointed out that only the Father could reveal this divine truth to Peter (Matthew 16:17): "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Peter's answer was very important to the whole Galilean ministry of Jesus. Peter and the other disciples now knew that Jesus was the Christ—the Messiah. This identification of Jesus as the Christ by Peter near Caesarea Philippi represented something of a turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Now Jesus could begin to set His sights on going to Jerusalem to complete His mission through His suffering, death, and resurrection. It is also very important for us to be able to answer Jesus' question, "But whom say ye that I am?" It is one of the most important questions that anyone can be asked. The answer has eternal consequences. Jesus wants us to be able to share the good news of the gospel with others that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Mark stated that as Jesus and the Twelve made a journey through Galilee (Mark 9:31), Jesus "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. Perhaps the Lord believed that such an important revelation of truth must be directly stated to those who would directly preach the gospel after His resurrection. On one occasion, the Scriptures record that the disciples came to Jesus, asking Him to teach them. Being aware of the priority their Master placed upon prayer, the disciples came to Jesus and asked (Luke 11:1), "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples represented a model that they would follow when praying. Jesus wanted them to know that God was their Father, also. Jesus taught them many things about His Father during their time together, in addition to teaching them how to pray.

The Transfiguration revealed the true glory of Jesus Christ to His closest disciples. Eight days earlier, Jesus had told the disciples that He "Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (Luke 9:22). By His transfiguration, Jesus wanted to strengthen His closest disciples for the hardships and sufferings to come. Jesus wanted them to know about His true glory so that they would not be traumatized by the sufferings of the cross. Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the events of the Transfiguration. Vocabulary Transfiguration The revealing of Jesus' glory. Vocab Arcade Jesus had summoned Peter, James, and John to go with Him upon a mountain to pray. The traditionally accepted site for this mountain is Mount Tabor, located in Galilee southwest of the Sea of Galilee, about midway toward the village of Nain. Another possibility for the mountain of the Transfiguration was Mount Hermon, located north of the Sea of Galilee near Caesarea Philippi, the probable location of the last scene in this Gospel (Luke 9:19-27; also see Matthew 16:13 and Mark 8:27). Luke 9:29-31 records the awesome transfiguration of Jesus that occurred when they reached the mountain: And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Jesus' appearance and clothing changed so that the glory of the Lord shone through Him. In addition, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory with Jesus during the Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament. Moses and Elijah were speaking with Jesus about His death and resurrection, which would occur later in Jerusalem. Through His transfiguration, Jesus revealed that He was greater than Moses or Elijah. He revealed His Glory as the Son of God. With the appearance of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, Jesus revealed that He would fulfill the Law and the Prophets, just as He had said at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17). At the beginning of the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John had fallen asleep. When they awoke, they saw the glory of Christ and Moses and Elijah with Him. Just then, it appeared that Moses and Elijah were about to depart, so Peter said to Jesus, "And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said." (Luke 9:33). Peter apparently wanted this glorious gathering to continue. However, Peter did not know what he was saying. It was not God's plan for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah to remain this way. It was God's plan for Jesus to go to Jerusalem and suffer, die, and be raised from the dead. Furthermore, Peter may have thought that the three before Him represented three equal cornerstones of Israel's faith: the Law, the Prophets, and Jesus—the Messiah. However, God would later make it clear to Peter that Jesus was to be the only cornerstone of the church (1 Peter 2:6). While Peter was still speaking, a cloud came upon them all, and the disciples were very afraid. In the Old Testament, a cloud represented God's presence that went before the people of Israel in the desert (Exodus 13:21-22) and appeared to them on Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai, the voice of God had come from the cloud and had spoken to the people and to Moses. Now, at the Transfiguration, the voice of God again came from the cloud, and He said to them (Luke 9:35), "And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. God the Father revealed to the disciples that only Jesus was His Beloved Son and His Chosen One—the Messiah. He also told them to listen to Him. So God the Father emphasized to the disciples that Jesus was much greater than Moses or Elijah. When the voice of God was gone, only Jesus remained. After this extraordinary event, the disciples kept silent and told no one. They had seen and heard a tremendous revelation from God; yet, they told no one about it until after Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter later wrote about the Transfiguration in one of his letters (2 Peter 1:16-18): For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. The Transfiguration was Jesus' greatest revelation as part of His private ministry to the disciples during His Galilean ministry. Even then, He was transfigured only before His three closest disciples. Jesus and the Father wanted these disciples to know for sure that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God, the Chosen One who was fully God and fully man. Strengthened by this extraordinary revelation during Jesus' private ministry to them, the disciples could now make their way toward the climactic events of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem. © 1999, 2002, 2005, 2011 Glynlyon, Inc. Terms of Use

HUMAN LIFE AFTER THE FALL Sin increased with the spread of the human race after the Fall. In fact, the problem of wickedness and evil became so bad among humans that God decided to flood the earth and make a new start with the human race through Noah. All human life was destroyed through the Flood except for Noah and his small family. After the Flood, God made a covenant with Noah that never again would He destroy the earth through a flood. Even after the Flood, sin and evil continued in man's history because the inclination to sin still existed among men. They could not save themselves. In their pride, men began to build a tower to the heavens at Babel. God saw the evil that would result from this effort, and He confused their language. Man abandoned the building of the city at Babel and scattered over the whole earth. God limited the evil that man could do at that time. At this point in history, God was about to begin something new with the human race that would eventually bring the Savior to earth many generations later. Among all the men on earth at that time, God chose Abram of Ur to initiate His new plan of salvation and bring new life to the human race. Through Abram, God would build a family and nation that would be His special possession and from whom the promised Savior would come. God told Abram to go to a new land. God also told Abram that all people on the earth would be blessed through him. Abram put his faith in God and obeyed. Over the years, God blessed Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham. Abraham continued to have faith in God and His promises, and Abraham obeyed God. Eventually, Abraham did have descendants, and God promised Abraham's descendants that He would bless them and help them also. Because of a famine in their land, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob eventually settled in Egypt. God's divine preparation of Joseph, one of Jacob's sons who had become a man of great authority in Egypt, made this possible. There, the Israelites multiplied, but the Egyptians reduced them to cruel slavery. God raised up a deliverer, Moses, to help free the Israelites from the bondage of the Egyptians. Through Moses, the Lord led them out of Egypt and to the desert near Mt. Sinai. There, God made a covenant with the people as a nation, and He gave them His Commandments and His Law. However, the people sinned against God terribly and disobeyed God's law. Sin continued to have power over people— even God's chosen people—despite the Law. Eventually, the people of Israel settled in the Promised Land of Canaan. They had trouble following the Law of Moses because of sin. When they cried out to the Lord, God would send judges to help the people defeat their enemies and turn the Israelites back to the Lord. Finally, God gave them a king, David, who united the Israelites into one nation. God gave David a promise that one of His descendants would reign forever. Unfortunately, most of the kingly descendants of David continued to sin. God raised up prophets during this time to call the people to faithfulness and to keep their hope alive for the future Savior, who would be a prophet like Moses and a descendant of David. Over the centuries, it became apparent to man that the Mosaic Covenant would not be able to solve the problem of human sin and evil in the world. Therefore, God revealed more of His eternal plan for a Savior through the prophet Jeremiah. God revealed through Jeremiah that He would make a new covenant with the people and place His law in their hearts. Through this new covenant, the sins of the people would be totally forgiven. This new covenant would one day be fulfilled through the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Human Life After Christ Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe human life after the time of Christ. Vocabulary Incarnation The union of divinity with humanity when Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit. Vocab Arcade Over many centuries, God's providential plan unfolded through His chosen people, Israel. Finally, in the fullness of time, God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior of the whole world. From all eternity, this was God's plan in Christ. Human life changed forever with the coming of Christ. Incarnation. The Incarnation was part of God's plan for a new creation in Christ. God was united to the material world as the Son of God took on flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Through the incarnation of the Son of God, new life for man was provided for the world. The apostle Paul called Jesus "the last Adam." He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:45, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." This means that God made a new beginning for the human race in Jesus Christ. The last Adam, Jesus, came to give new life. As the apostle John wrote, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4). The life that Jesus brought will eventually cast out the power of sin and darkness and bring new life to all who will accept Him. The Life of Christ. In the next section of this unit, more emphasis will be placed on examining the life of Jesus Christ in much more detail as opposed to reviewing the details of His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. It is enough to mention at this point that Jesus fulfilled God's plan to redeem the human race from sin. Jesus also defeated death and Satan. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit was sent from Jesus and the Father in order to help believers live a new life in Christ. Jesus opened the way to new life for those who receive Him. He allowed them to become children of God and to be restored to a right relationship with God (John 1:12-13). Through faith in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we receive a new life. We become a new creation. Paul said, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through his church—the body of believers in Jesus Christ—Jesus has brought about a new humanity. These are a people that He has redeemed and who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Paul's letter to Titus says, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:14). In Titus 3:4-7, Paul also writes: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. For human life after Christ, there is now a great body of people who have been cleansed of the power of sin through faith in Jesus. They have received the promised Holy Spirit and are living a life of faith and good works. They are awaiting the hope of eternal life to come. Some Problems Remain. The presence of sin has not been eliminated through the coming of Jesus because sin and evil still exist in the world today. There are many people alive who do not know about the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. Others have heard about Jesus but have not accepted Him as Savior. Therefore, these people remain in their sins, and the power of sin still has control of their lives. Even Christians continue to struggle with temptation and sin. As you will study in Section Four of this unit, Christians must still contend with three main obstacles to showing new life in Christ. They continue to sin after receiving Christ as Savior. Fortunately, even when Christians sin, they can continue to receive forgiveness by confessing their sins. The apostle John writes, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). Christ continues to strengthen us on our journey to heaven. He not only offers us help through His Spirit living in us, but He gives us additional helps to keep us strong in our battle against sin and the devil. You will learn more about these helps in the last section of this unit. The Hope of Eternal Life. Not only did Jesus bring new life to those who have faith in Him, He also brought the promise of eternal life with God forever (John 3:16). Jesus opened the path to heaven for man. For those who believe in Jesus and remain faithful to Him, Jesus will give eternal life. When Jesus comes again on the Last Day, He will forever destroy Satan and all the powers of darkness, and a new heaven and a new earth will be established. There will be no more death and no more sin. This will fulfill God's ultimate plan for man in Christ.

The Pre-existence of Christ In this section, you will investigate Christ's deity and humanity by studying His pre-existence, His birth, and His childhood. You will read passages of Scripture which attest to Christ's pre-existence. Through this study you will be learning about a unique person, a unique life, a unique ministry, and a unique, life-giving work. The life of Jesus Christ is like no other. Here are your goals for this lesson: Investigate Christ's deity Cite direct and indirect evidence of Christ's eternal existence Memorize John 1:1 Vocabulary assume To take for granted; to accept without question. attest To give proof of; to confirm the truth of a thing or person. decree An order or statement made by one in authority. Jehovah An Old Testament name for God; equivalent to Yahweh. pre-existence Previous existence, having "being" before something. Vocab Arcade Read John 1:1-18. When we think of a birth, we often think of a beginning. Christ is the Son of God who lived before His birth. His divine existence prior to His birth in Bethlehem is called Christ's pre-existence or His eternal existence. The emphasis is properly placed upon Jesus as God the Son when considering His eternal existence. An ancient Latin inscription which parallels what Jesus might have said about Himself states: I am what I was--God, I was not what I now am--Man, I am now both--the God-Man. Christ's birth was not His beginning: Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5). God the Son, existing before He had a human body, took on human form at His birth. This is called the Incarnation. Deity and Eternal Existence. The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. As God, He shares a place in the Trinity equal to the Father and the Spirit. Christ is neither less nor more God than God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. One of the attributes of God is eternal existence--no beginning and no end. Each member of the Godhead is eternal. The very first verse of the Bible assumes the eternal existence of God: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1). The Bible does not try to prove God's existence. When we use the title God, we speak of the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:1--and throughout the entire Bible--the eternal deity of God is an understood fact. Since Jesus Christ is God, His eternal existence is also an understood fact. The Gospel of John begins, for example, by declaring the eternal existence of Jesus, referring to Him as the Word, which later became flesh and lived among us: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). In their writings, no human author of the Scriptures even questioned the reality of Christ's eternal existence. They knew He was God. Only those who try to make God into the image of man dare to deny Christ's eternal existence. Even while Jesus walked among mankind, some denied that He was God. However, those who knew Him as their Lord and Savior declared that, And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16). Our faith that brings personal salvation is belief in Christ, the God-Man. When we believe in Christ and receive Him as our Savior, we are attesting to His deity and to His eternal existence.

Memory Verse: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) Direct Evidences of Eternal Existence. The major passage in the Bible that teaches Christ's pre-existence is John 1:1-18. John began his Gospel by stating, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1). As John unfolded the story of the Savior, he explained that the Word was the Lord Jesus Christ. As God, Christ is not bound by time. Indeed, He created time by setting the sun and moon in the heavens (Genesis 1:3,16). People are bound by time, and we have difficulty understanding the One who knows no limitation of time. Even when we speak of time before Creation, we must use the word time. If we consider Christ in His eternal existence, we think in our terms of years and dates; but as God, Christ is not limited to these things. Jesus Christ in His deity was with God in the beginning of time and existed prior to the existence of time. In John, Chapter 8, Jesus was in the Temple and was being questioned by the Pharisees. They tried to compare Him to Abraham, but, Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58). Christ said that same thing previously to Moses, And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14). Jesus Christ is who He is. Our Lord said I am, not I was nor I will be, but I am. Abraham had lived over two thousand years prior to that time in the Temple; even then Christ existed in an ever-present, eternal state of being. In John 10:30, the Apostle recorded Christ's declaration: I and my Father are one. Hebrews records God the Father declaring that His Son is God. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8). Both these passages demonstrate the deity of Christ. As Christ the Messiah was revealed to believers in Old Testament times, His existence was also mentioned. In both Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 9:6 the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is said to be from everlasting. He is from everlasting because He has no beginning. Indirect Evidences of Eternal Existence. Any Biblical reference to the Trinity--the unity of God as the Father, Son, and Spirit--is also a reference to each individual person of the Godhead. In the New Testament, the Trinity is taught in such passages as John 10:30 and Matthew 3:16-17. Even in the Old Testament the existence of God in three persons, the Trinity, is mentioned. Genesis 1:26 states, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. In that divine decree the members of the Godhead agreed to create Adam. Only in the Old Testament do we find pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus Christ; that is, Jesus appearing on the earth before His birth as a baby in Bethlehem. There are frequent Old Testament references to "the angel of the LORD." LORD in all capitals refers to Jehovah. This angel of the LORD (or Jehovah) was Jesus Christ who is God and who can speak to God the Father. The angel of the LORD is not mentioned in the New Testament because Christ had come to earth to dwell among men. Additional proof of Christ's pre-existence can be found in the Bible's reference to His work preceding His earthly birth. In John 1:3 we find that, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Christ was the Creator of heaven and earth, and now all things are sustained by Him. Paul stated, For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (Colossians 1:16).

Public Ministry in Judea and Perea In this third section of the unit, you will examine the last months of Jesus' public ministry performed in the regions of Judea and Perea. Jesus conducted this latter stage of His ministry shortly before He entered Jerusalem for the last time to undergo His suffering and death on the cross. Two of the Gospels help us to understand these final months of Jesus' public ministry outside Jerusalem. It is primarily from the Gospel of John that we learn about Jesus' latter public ministry in Judea. The Gospel of Luke describes Jesus' final journey and ministry through the region of Perea on His way to suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. The first part of this section will cover the Judean ministry, and the last part of the section will describe Jesus' Perean ministry. Here is your objective for this lesson. Categorize the problems encountered during Jesus' later Judean ministry. Vocabulary confrontation The clashing of forces or ideas. deduced Inferred from a general principle or evidence. indignant Filled with anger which has been aroused by something seemingly unjust, unworthy, or mean. religiosity Excessive or obtrusive devotion to religious beliefs or observances. severity Harshness or highly critical. Vocab Arcade JUDEAN MINISTRY The later Judean ministry of Jesus apparently lasted about two months. This time frame is deduced from the Gospel of John. Jesus' later Judean ministry began with the Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths) that occurred each year in October. This feast commemorated the days when the Israelites wandered in the desert and lived in booths (or tents). The nearness of this feast is mentioned in John 7:2. Shortly afterwards, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:10, 14). As described in the Gospel of John, Jesus seemed to continue to minister in Jerusalem and the Judean area until He attended the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem (John 10:22). This feast was also known as Hanukkah, and it commemorated the rededication of the Temple in 165 B.C. after it had been defiled by the Greeks. This feast was always held in late December. Apparently, during this feast or shortly afterwards, Jesus left Jerusalem and Judea and went across the Jordan River to the region of Perea (John 10:40-41). Therefore, the period of Jesus' later Judean ministry lasted from the Feast of Tabernacles to the Feast of Dedication, or from October to late December— a period of about two months. Jesus' last ministry in the Judean area is marked by contention and confrontation with the religious leaders. In this portion of the unit, you will study the severity of the accusations made against Jesus while He was in Jerusalem and Judea during this period of His ministry. First, you will learn about the accusations made against Christ during this time. Next, you will study the response of Jesus to the accusations made against Him. The following chart of Jesus' later Judean ministry is given to show some of the significant events that occurred during this time. The Accusations Against Jesus. The stories about Jesus had reached Jerusalem just before His own arrival at the Feast of Tabernacles. Many people had already made up their minds about Jesus even before they met Him. John 7:12 relates that "And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Whoever they thought Jesus was, His arrival at the feast caused great excitement. When Jesus decided to go to the Temple and teach during the feast, the people marveled because Jesus said, "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16). The emphasis of Christ's initial message to the people of Jerusalem was that He was sent by God to them (John 7:29). The religious leaders had long before plotted to destroy Jesus if he aroused the people (John 7:25, compared with Mark 3:6). Because Jesus taught the people that he was sent to them by God, the religious leaders feared they would lose their power and control over the people. Their fears came true because John 7:31 records: "And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? The Pharisees were determined to have Jesus arrested and brought to trial (John 7:32). Their plot failed, however, when the officers of the guard listened to the truth of Jesus and declared (John 7:46), "The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. The situation was quieted for a short time by the intervention of Nicodemus. This respected Pharisee, who had visited Jesus during His first tour of Judea (John 3:1-21), addressed the Jewish council of learned religious leaders and said, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? (John 7:51). Thus, the man who had once sought Jesus by night (John 3:2) now had the privilege of defending the Savior before the Jewish leaders. The first incident of near-violence during Jesus' later Judean trip occurred as Jesus was teaching, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32). The Pharisees, who were keeping people in bondage by trying to keep them from hearing Jesus' message, intruded upon Jesus' authority by attempting to trap Him in blasphemy. Jesus answered their repeated accusations and questions by saying, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:58). By this Jesus was saying that He existed before Abraham. Furthermore, and more importantly, Jesus was saying that He was God, because God's revealed Name to Moses at the burning bush near Mt. Sinai was YHWH, meaning "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). This infuriated the Pharisees, and they took up stones to throw at Jesus (John 8:59). Jesus quickly escaped from them, however, and went back to the Temple (John 8:59). Further conflict with the Pharisees occurred in Judea when Jesus healed those who sought Him. When the disciples posed questions to Jesus concerning blindness and sin (John 9:2), Jesus restored the sight of a man who was born blind. Because this miracle occurred on the Sabbath (John 9:14), the Pharisees seized the opportunity to bring the healed man before their council. As the religious leaders questioned the man's parents and then the man himself, a simple answer of faith frustrated their plot to ridicule Jesus. The blind man who could now see said (John 9:25), "He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Furthermore, the man said about Jesus: If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. (John 9:33). The former blind man was beginning to not only see with his natural eyes, but he was also now seeing who Jesus was with the eyes of faith. This was too much for the Pharisees. They cast him out from their presence. Jesus came to the man after that and asked him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The man finally made the confession of faith in Jesus and said "Lord, I believe"; then he worshipped Jesus (John 9:38). By worshipping Him, the man who was once blind now "saw" that Jesus was truly God. The former blind man had come to full faith in Jesus, while the angry Pharisees had become blind to the truth about Jesus (John 9:39).

The Response. The later Judean ministry could be called a ministry of conflict. Jesus presented a way of life to the people that excluded the bigotry of the Pharisees and included freedom in Christ. At every turn, the Lord was opposed by the religious leaders, yet He continued to teach the truth of God. Jesus was not turned from His divine mission by those who sought every opportunity to accuse Him and criticize Him. Jesus' response to the accusations of the religious leaders was to speak the truth and to continue His mission to the very end. John had written about Jesus near the beginning of his gospel: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:4-5). While in Judea, Jesus said, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12). Jesus meant for His life and teaching to give light to the minds and hearts of men and women everywhere, yet most of the Pharisees and religious leaders did not accept Jesus. They preferred darkness rather than light (John 3:19). The Pharisees and religious leaders continued to attack Jesus during His Judean ministry. Once, when dining with a certain Pharisee, Jesus was criticized for not participating in the proper religious washings. Jesus responded forcefully to such legalism and such outward displays of religiosity. He said, And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?" (Luke 11:39-40) Furthermore, He said to them (Luke 11:44), Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. According to the Old Testament laws, if a Jew came into contact with a grave, he was considered unclean. Jesus responded forcefully to the criticism of the Pharisees by comparing them to graves by which people became unclean! Later in His Judean ministry, Jesus told the parable of the fig tree which also included a condemnation of the Jewish religious leaders (Luke 13:6-9). Jesus told of a man who had a fig tree that would not bear fruit. After three years (the approximate duration of Jesus' ministry), the man told his workers to cut down the tree. However, the vinedresser who worked for the man said (vs. 8-9), And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. This parable spoke of the religious leaders' lack of bearing good fruit for God and His Kingdom. Jesus had given these Jewish leaders time to repent and would give them a little more time. If they continued to be barren without producing good fruit, they would surely be "cut down." The fulfillment of this parable occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The old system of Jewish worship and leadership was no more! Instead, Jesus had established the Kingdom with his disciples as the new leaders of God's people. On another occasion in a synagogue, when Jesus had healed a crippled woman on the Sabbath, He directly confronted those who accused Him of breaking the Law. The Jewish ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed the woman on the Sabbath because he thought Jesus was improperly doing "work" on the Sabbath. Jesus said (Luke 13:15-16), "The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? Jesus had directly confronted the hostile Jewish religious leaders, and he put them to shame; however, the people of Judah rejoiced at the glorious things that Jesus did (Luke 13:17). The twelve disciples were aware of the many arguments and accusations made against Jesus. This made it difficult for them, and they were in need of comforting. Jesus used these events of trials and difficulties to teach the disciples the value of steadfast faith. Jesus said to them in Luke 12:4-5: And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." Jesus was telling His disciples that those who opposed them could really do no harm to them if they killed them, because they would go to Heaven if they obeyed God and followed Jesus. They had no need to fear. Jesus also assured them in Luke 12:11-12: And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. Jesus assured His disciples that they would be defended by the Holy Spirit in times of trial. Jesus had foretold His disciples about His mission that would lead to suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. He had assured them that they would be helped by the Holy Spirit later. Jesus was not finished with His disciples, however. He continued to minister to them in word and service. Following their last time of ministry in Judea, they left for the region of Perea (John 10:40-41).

Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the key events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Vocabulary diversity A wide variety. itinerant Traveling from place to place. obscurity Little known or unknown. Vocab Arcade Unique in His Ministry. Jesus' public ministry began when He was thirty years old and lasted approximately three and one-half years. Just as Jesus' birth was a unique event, His ministry was a series of events unlike any other in history. The relative silence of the Scriptures concerning the first thirty years of Christ's earthly life create a contrast to His entrance into public ministry. All was being accomplished according to a divine plan. Jesus was ready to move into the arena of public ministry where He would eventually die for all mankind. As He began His ministry, Jesus was baptized by John. He was then led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan for forty days. Upon His return from the desert, Jesus called His first disciples. During the Lord's public ministry, He and His disciples served the Father in Judea, Galilee, Perea, and finally Jerusalem. Although a year extended from Jesus' baptism to His removal to Galilee, little is recorded of the events during that period. Some scholars have called Jesus' first year of ministry the year of obscurity. Numerous events are mentioned, especially in the Gospel of John, but these events only reveal a partial picture of Jesus' early Judean ministry. Prior to the early Judean ministry, Jesus introduced His public ministry at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' very presence at such a joyful occasion established a pattern for those who would seek Him. Jesus offered joy to the world. His first miracle, turning the water into wine, brought happiness to all who partook of that which the Lord offered. Jesus offers to all who believe in Him the happiness and joy that can only be found in eternal salvation. Following this miracle, Jesus visited Capernaum, the home of Peter and other disciples. John 2:12 relates that, "After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days." Capernaum would later become the major city of Jesus' ministry, but it was initially only a place to spend a winter and to begin a ministry. Luke 4:23 states that Christ carried on a ministry in Capernaum during this early visit to that city, but it does not indicate the extent of the ministry. As the Passover drew near, Jesus and His company of family and friends traveled to Jerusalem. That journey marked the initiation of Jesus' early Judean ministry, one that would continue for about five months. It would not resume until six months before His crucifixion. During the initial Judean ministry, Jesus cleansed the Temple, conversed with Nicodemus, and oversaw the baptism of those who believed in Him (John 3:22). Upon leaving Judea, Jesus met with the woman at the well prior to His arrival in Galilee. Jesus' most active public ministry occurred in the early months in Galilee. There, He taught publicly in the synagogues and afterward sought out those who were in need of His divine touch. His listeners found Jesus' message to be full of power and authority. Mark 1:22 tells us, "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." As Jesus traveled out from Capernaum, He taught wherever He traveled. Included in these itinerant ministries was the Sermon on the Mount, given north of Capernaum. Throughout this period of ministry, He taught the multitudes and gave special training to the twelve disciples (Matthew 5:1). This period was also marked by many great public miracles. The Scriptures record that Jesus performed more miracles in Capernaum than in any other single place. Jesus' authority was greater than that of the demons. This was demonstrated when he cast out an unclean spirit from a man in the Capernaum synagogue (Luke 4:33-37). Jesus also had power over sickness as was shown in the healing of the paralytic. This miracle was witnessed by the crowds outside Peter's home in Capernaum (Mark 2:1-12). There was a great diversity among the many people who came to Jesus, seeking His compassionate healing. The Gospels record the healing of a centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13), a nobleman's son (John 4:46-54), as well as many of the common people of Galilee (Mark 1:40-45). The greatest of the Lord's Galilean miracles demonstrated that He had power and authority even over death. On a visit to the small village of Nain, the Lord Jesus was moved with compassion and raised a widow's son from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). As a result of His public ministries, the religious leaders plotted to silence Jesus. In an attempt to trap Jesus and accuse Him of breaking the Jewish Laws, they began to raise what are referred to as the Sabbath Day controversies. The first occurred in Jerusalem when Jesus healed the lame man on the Sabbath (John 5:1-9). The fact that this miracle took place on the Sabbath, along with Jesus referring to God as His Father, caused some of the Jews to desire Jesus' death. The second controversy took place as the Lord and His disciples returned to Galilee (Matthew 12:1-8). The Pharisees accused them of willfully breaking the Law by plucking grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:24). To this accusation, Jesus declared to them, "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:27-28). The final controversy became the basis for a conspiracy which was formed against the Lord. After Christ healed the man with the withered hand in the synagogue at Capernaum, the Pharisees held a council with the Herodians in an attempt to plot how they might destroy Jesus (Matthew 12:14). This opposition to Jesus' ministry from the religious leaders resulted in a decrease of public miracles and an increase in the use of parables. Matthew 13:34 notes the change by stating, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:" This new thrust in teaching can be seen in the parables recorded in Matthew 13:1-54 which were spoken to the crowds by the sea and later to the disciples in a private home. These parables would continue, demonstrating Christ's attitude of departure that preceded His actual withdrawal from Galilee. After leaving Galilee and prior to His crucifixion, Jesus ministered in Judea and Perea. The ministry in those areas was rich in miracles and parables, and the religious leaders intensified their opposition to the Lord. Jesus used both parables and direct teaching to expose the evil nature of those who attacked Him as He carried out His Father's will. Soon, however, the time drew near for the Savior to offer up His life for the sins of the world. The Master and His disciples began their journey toward Jerusalem where Jesus would be put on the cross to die.

Unique in His Death and Resurrection Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the key events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Unique in His Death. The death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ illustrate His uniqueness as the Son of God. By His death, He secured the plan of salvation. By His resurrection, He was brought forth from the grave to be the living Savior. In His ascension, He is seated in glory at the right hand of God to forever rule over all things. Jesus endured six illegal trials which resulted in false charges being brought against Him. Even so, Jesus accepted the penalty of death by crucifixion. He knew that at the cross He would take man's sins upon Himself and become the perfect and final sacrifice. Matthew 27:45 tells us that as Jesus hung on the cross, there came a darkness over the land from the sixth until the ninth hour. Out of the darkness, those who stood around Golgotha heard Jesus cry out in agony. Prior to these hours of darkness, Jesus had spoken words of compassion, forgiveness, peace, and love. However, as Christ bore the sins of man upon the cross, the mood intensely changed as the Savior exclaimed, "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark 15:34). These words of Jesus reveal how deeply he felt abandoned by God as he bore the sins of mankind. Confusion and grave misunderstanding on the part of the people resulted in them thinking that Jesus was calling for Elijah. It was commonly believed among the Jews that Elijah would come in times of critical need to protect the innocent and rescue the righteous. However, it was not the Father's plan for Jesus to be rescued. Instead, it was God's will for His Son to be the once-and-for-all, final, perfect sacrifice for the sins of man. No more would Temple sacrifices be necessary to atone for sins. Jesus truly fulfilled the Law. Following the hours of darkness, John 19:28-30 tell us that "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." The work He had come to accomplish had been completed. The world now had a Savior who had suffered and had borne their sins. Upon completing His mission, Jesus gave up His spirit so that He might return to the Father to be forever in glory. Jesus' body could not be immediately removed from the cross because Roman custom required the body of a crucified man to hang publicly on the cross as a warning to others. This requirement would have defied the Sabbath of the Jews; therefore, an alternative was sought. (This Sabbath was particularly important as it was a Passover Sabbath.) John 19:31 explains: The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. By breaking the legs of a condemned man, the suffocation of crucifixion would come sooner, allowing the bodies to be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath. However, "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." (John 19:33-34). The blood and water that came from the spear wound proved that the Lord had already died physically and that the blood had begun the natural process of separation. Jesus was put upon the cross to suffer as a criminal. Humiliation accompanied His crucifixion, but glory began with His burial. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, both religious leaders but also followers of Jesus, requested of Pilate that they might have the body of Jesus (John 19:38-39). Matthew 27:59-60 describe the tender care Jesus' body received: "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." Later, Pilot ordered the tomb sealed and secured by temple guards (Matthew 27:61-66). The burial of Jesus' body fulfilled the prophecy spoken by Isaiah more than seven hundred years earlier: "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." (Isaiah 53:9). Resurrection. On the third day following His crucifixion, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He had completed His work upon the cross by paying the penalty for the sins of the world. In I Corinthians 15:20, the apostle Paul declared, "...now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Elsewhere, Paul uses the resurrection of Christ to teach about the divine nature of the Lord's person and work. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. We can't begin to imagine how wonderful it would have been to have seen or spoken with the resurrected Savior. However, because of the record of the Holy Scriptures, we can join those who proclaimed on that Sunday many centuries ago, "The Lord is risen indeed..." (Luke 24:34). We have the privilege of worshipping the One who has died for our sins, but we also serve a risen Savior, who is seated in glory at God's right hand. Luke records the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 1:3-11. His account begins by telling us that Jesus "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3). At one time during these forty days, Jesus and His disciples were together on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus had earlier taught His followers of the things to come. Acts 1:8 recounts that Jesus commissioned His disciples a second time and more specifically outlined their mission: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. After Jesus gave His disciples this great and precious promise of the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:9-11), And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. We can have a confident assurance that just as Jesus has secured salvation for all who believe in Him, He ascended into heaven and will come again. This is, indeed, the Good News!

The Feeding of the Five Thousand. The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels. Therefore, this miracle must be very important in the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus used this miracle to teach His disciples, and us, many things about His person and work. Among other things, Jesus used this miracle to teach that He is "the bread of life" (John 6:35). The five thousand people who approached Jesus were made up of two groups. One group of people had followed Jesus because they had heard of His many wonderful works (John 6:2). A second group included those Jews who were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover (6:4). When evening came, Jesus was concerned about feeding the whole multitude of people. Jesus decided to test the faith of His disciples by asking them where they could find enough bread to feed the people. Philip made an estimate of how much food they would need and answered, "...Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little" (John 6:7). Two hundred pennyworth (or denarii) would be about equal to wages for 200 days, or eight months. Philip recognized that to provide adequate food for each person would be quite expensive and was probably much more money than they had available that evening! Another disciple, Andrew, answered by saying, "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John 6:9) Jesus knew, however, what He intended to do and how He could make such a small amount of loaves and fish to be more than enough to feed the multitude. Jesus told the disciples to have all the people sit down. The Gospel of Luke says that the people sat down in groups of about fifty. Jesus gave thanks to His heavenly Father for the food, broke it, and had it distributed to all the multitude. The food miraculously multiplied so that the people had more than enough to eat. In fact, there were twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten! This miracle caused the men among the multitude to remember the words of Moses that a prophet like Moses would come to the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). In fact, the people said, "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." (John 6:14). The people knew that this prophet was also the Messiah. By supplying food for five thousand people, Jesus demonstrated His authority in three ways. First, Jesus showed His omnipotence in being able to provide food for the multitude. As all-powerful God, Jesus was able to overcome natural laws to miraculously create new loaves and fish from the limited beginning supply. Second, Jesus revealed His Messiahship. This was recognized by those who knew that He was the Prophet of whom Moses had spoken. Third, Jesus demonstrated that He had the ability to provide for man's physical and spiritual needs. From this miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, we can recognize that Jesus Christ can supply our every need. Jesus also taught us through this miracle to have faith in Him and to trust Him to supply all of our needs. Jesus Christ can turn that which may seem unimportant or insufficient—such as a limited supply of bread and fish—into an abundant experience for His followers.

Parables Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the public Galilean ministry of Jesus. Vocabulary diligently Careful and hardworking. figurative Representing something by a likeness or a symbol. generated Something produced or brought into being. instituted Established or set up. narratives Stories. prodigal A person who is wasteful and careless with his possessions. Vocab Arcade Jesus used parables to teach divine truths in examples from everyday life. As we have mentioned before, He began using parables more in the latter part of his Galilean ministry after having first performed many miracles among the people. It is helpful to consider Jesus' ministry in Galilee as consisting of three stages. The first stage included the public ministry of Jesus in which He preached and worked miracles among the people. In the second stage, Jesus' emphasis in ministry shifted from working miracles to teaching in parables. He seemed to shift to parables as the opposition to his ministry from many of the Jewish religious leaders increased. The third stage included His special ministry of training the twelve disciples and occurred when many people rejected Jesus as the Messiah. In the remainder of this section of the unit, you will examine three aspects of Jesus' parables. First, as you study Jesus' ministry of parables, you will see the shift in Jesus' ministry from miracles to parables. Second, you will study the purpose of Jesus' parables. Finally, you will examine in some detail one of Jesus' most famous and longest parables: the parable of the prodigal son. Before proceeding further, it will be helpful to give an overview of some of Jesus' parables. Study the following chart that lists some of the many parables of Christ. Miracles to Parables. Following an increase in the opposition to His ministry from religious leaders and members of His own family (for example, Matthew 12:22-50 and Mark 3:20-35), Jesus instituted a change in His method of presenting the gospel. This change involved an increase in His use of parables and a decrease in public miracles. He also began to speak more to those who followed Him and less publicly to crowds of various people. Sometimes Jesus spoke these parables to great crowds of people. Other times, He spoke the parables to His disciples and explained the parables only to them. Although Jesus had occasionally used parables in His earlier Galilean ministry, they were most often used with His public teaching and miracles. Some Bible scholars believe that a shift in Jesus' method of ministry occurred after the accusation that Jesus' power came from the devil (Matthew 12:22-37 and Mark 3:22-30). From the Scriptures, we can see that the people's attitude of disbelief in Christ was the main reason why Jesus began to use parables more in His later Galilean ministry. The parables contained in Matthew 13:2-33 are typical of those told by Jesus as He shifted from miracles to parables. Some of these later parables were longer than earlier parables. Matthew tells us (Matthew 13:34-35) that Jesus used these parables to fulfill an Old Testament passage in Psalm 78:2, "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old." Purpose of Parables. Immediately after Jesus told the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), His disciples asked Him (Matthew 13:10), "...Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" Jesus' answer to them reveals the purpose of parables: to both reveal and conceal the truth. By His answer to their question, Jesus said that the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of God) were being revealed to His disciples, but it was being concealed from others, especially those who did not believe in Him. This hiding of the truth was a judgment for unbelief, as happened during the prophet Isaiah's ministry (Isaiah 6:9-10). By using these parables, Jesus was using something familiar (like a sower and seed) to explain truths that were unfamiliar (like the mysteries of the Kingdom of God). His ultimate purpose was to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; however, His listeners had to pay close attention and believe in Him if they were to understand what Jesus was saying. Parables make listeners pay attention to discover the truth, while they also conceal the truth from those who are too lazy, stubborn, or busy with other things. In the person of Jesus, the Kingdom of God was breaking in on the world in a new way. Jesus had to explain the realities of His person and the Kingdom gradually. Jesus used parables to help His disciples learn more about Him and the Kingdom of God. Jesus also wanted to be sure that He had adequate time to continue to proclaim the gospel to the world. The use of parables prevented Jesus' enemies from understanding what He was teaching and from trapping Him sooner than they might have done if He used other forms of teaching.

Early Galilean Ministry: Miracles Following Jesus' ministry in Judea, He returned to Galilee and established residence in Capernaum. The Lord's major ministry, both in time and activity occurred in Galilee while He lived in Capernaum. There in the land north of Jerusalem, Jesus ministered through miracles and parables. As He preached, the religious leaders took every opportunity they could to argue against Him. In this section, you will study some of Christ's miracles, the numerous controversies resulting from His ministry, and His early sermons. Because of the extensive activity of Jesus during the Galilean ministry, only certain events will be dealt with in this section. Here are your goals for this lesson: Review the chronology of Jesus' early Galilean ministry Examine some of the miracles Jesus performed and discover what they show Him to be Vocabulary critical Full of danger or difficulty. occult Beyond the bounds of ordinary knowledge; involvement in satanic practices. persistent Lasting, especially in the face of difficulties. residence A house or home; place a person lives. sequence Coming one after another; a set order of succession. Vocab Arcade Chronology of the Early Galilean Ministry: (Extended from the Fall of A.D. 27 to the Spring of A.D. 28.) Jesus arrived in Galilee John, Chapter 4 Jesus rejected in Nazareth Luke, Chapter 4 Jesus healed the nobleman's son John, Chapter 4 Jesus moved to Capernaum John, Chapter 4 Jesus called the four fisherman Luke, Chapter 5 Jesus healed the demoniac Mark, Chapter 1 Jesus healed Peter's wife's mother Mark, Chapter 1 First ministry tour of Galilee Mark, Chapter 1 Jesus healed the leper Mark, Chapter 1 Jesus healed the paralytic Mark, Chapter 2 Jesus called Matthew Matthew, Chapter 9 Jesus taught in parables Luke, Chapter 5 Jesus healed the lame man in Jerusalem John, Chapter 5 Sabbath controversy Mark, Chapter 2 Jesus taught by the sea Mark, Chapter 3 Jesus chose the Twelve Luke, Chapter 6 The Sermon on the Mount Matthew, Chapter 5-7 Read Mark 1-2. Jesus began His Galilean ministry with a series of miracles. Included in this series was the healing of the nobleman's son, the healing of the demoniac in the synagogue on the Sabbath, the miracle of healing Peter's mother-in-law who was sick with a fever, and the many healings among the multitudes. Jesus' ministry was accompanied by many signs and wonders which brought miracles and healings to those who sought after the Savior. Miracles of Christ The Early Ministry of Christ Miracle Place 1. Wedding feast of Cana Cana 2. Healing the nobleman's son Capernaum 3. Deliverance of the demoniac in the synagogue Capernaum 4. Healing of Peter's mother-in-law Capernaum 5. First miraculous draught of fish Sea of Galilee 6. Cleansing of the leper Galilee 7. Healing of the paralytic Capernaum 8. Healing of the infirm man at the Pool of Bethesda Jerusalem 9. Healing the withered hand Galilee Healing of the Nobleman's Son. The healing of the nobleman's son (John 4:46-54) is notable because it was the second miracle in Cana of Galilee. This miracle was unique from the previous healings because it was a cure performed while Jesus was a distance away from the one who was sick. This nobleman was probably a member of the government of Herod Antipas. This event, therefore, could have been the beginning of Christ's influence in the high court of Galilee. A critical illness had attacked the nobleman's son. Despair and fear had gripped the heart of the parents for the life of their son; there was nothing they could do for him. The news of the ministry of Jesus had spread abroad throughout Galilee. The nobleman knew about the power Jesus had and was determined to personally seek Jesus and to ask His help. In those days, as in ours, sickness and death brought grief to loved ones. The heart cried out in desperation, and the needed help was sought and secured. The nobleman must have traveled a great distance, bearing the heat of the day and the dangers of the night to reach Jesus. A desperate father with a desperate need reached out for Jesus. The nobleman requested that Jesus come to his home and heal his son. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. (John 4:48). The father was persistent. The child's life rose above the Lord's rebuke. The nobleman made a second appeal. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. (John 4:50). This reply from the Lord became a strong test of the nobleman's faith, to return trusting only in the spoken Word of God. Jesus demanded of the nobleman that he believe that his child could be healed with only the spoken word. In this type of healing, we witness an introduction to Jesus' power to heal without being in the immediate presence of the person in need. This power is the same divine power used by God when He spoke the world into existence--He said, And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Genesis 1:3).

Miracles in Galilee. Each writer of the Gospels approached the order of events of the life of Christ differently. Luke followed a chronological order of events; however, he did not use this procedure with every detail. Matthew used a topical arrangement as he grouped certain events together. In his account, Mark used a time factor. John used a topical sequence in his account. Because of these various approaches, we cannot always be sure of the sequence in which the miracles occurred. Demon possession was a continual problem as Jesus ministered to the people. In the synagogue at Capernaum one Sabbath, a man entered who had an unclean spirit (Mark 1:21-28). Everywhere Jesus went, men were set free from the bondage of Satan and the evil spirits. The evil spirit of this man immediately recognized Jesus who was in the synagogue, and Jesus immediately cast him out of the man. Jesus Teaching in the Synagogue This incident confirmed the continual conflict between God and Satan over the souls of men and women everywhere. In a day when so many young people are turning to the occult to seek supposed truth, we are faced with the reality of a personal adversary who roams the earth "seeking whom he may devour." Whenever we play with the devil's ways and tools, such as witchcraft, seances, palm readings and other devilish channels, we open ourselves to the attack of our soul's enemy, Satan. The miracle in the home of Peter was but another proof of the authority of the Son of God, even over disease (Mark 1:29-34). The disciples had previously met Jesus and had informed Him of the sick woman. Jesus went and stood over the feverish woman, rebuked the fever, took her by the hand, and raised her up. What a comfort this miracle can be to parents who may stand beside the bed of a feverish child, torn with fear and helplessness. We should remember that Jesus is our source of strength, and He can take away fever. Our hope should lie in Jesus in our times of trial. The Bible states, And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35). As Jesus' ministry progressed, there were more demands placed upon Him, and the Bible records more of His prayers as He was in communion with His Heavenly Father. Constantly drained of His strength and resources, Jesus needed renewal, encouragement, and even refreshment, which He received from the Father through prayer. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools ever placed into the hands of Christians, and yet it is also one of the most neglected. Like Jesus, we also need to continually fall before our heavenly Father to be refreshed, encouraged, and strengthened. Prayer is God's way of drawing close to each of us and the way we can talk and share with Him. If God's own Son needed prayer, how much more are we to be dependent on a continual prayer life before the Lord? The Bible commands us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and truly we must pray if our lives are to hold any purpose and to bear any fruit for the Lord. The dreaded disease of leprosy was one of the most feared among all the afflictions of Jesus' day. The leper, once pronounced unclean, had to remain outside of the city. In Luke 5:12-16, we read of one man who had leprosy who dared to enter the city and to approach Jesus for his healing. What appeal did the leper make to Jesus? And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Mark 1:40). Under the Old Testament Law only a priest had the right to touch a leper and to pronounce a leper either unclean or clean. Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6). Not only was Jesus the High Priest, but also He was the Great Physician. Leprosy was a disease that would literally eat up the face, hands, and feet of the victims. The disease would eventually eat its way into the joints of the bone and bring death to its tormented victim. Leprosy was used in an analogy as an example of what sin has done to every person born upon the earth. Until each of us personally comes to the place where we recognize our need to ask Jesus Christ to come into our life and to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness, we are as the unclean leper. Just as the leper would remain an outcast of the city, so we are outcast from God's presence until the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin. Healing of the lame Man. Jesus would travel to Jerusalem to observe the Passover each year (John, Chapter 5). The pool of Bethesda is usually identified with a pool southeast of the Temple area which today is called the Virgin's Pool. This pool had porches built over the entrance which led to the underground pool. The people apparently believed that a supernatural force moved the waters and that the first person into the pool would be healed. A great multitude of sick people were waiting near the pool. Jesus arrived on the scene and selected one hopeless and helpless man who was continually shoved aside each time the waters moved. This man, as far as we can tell, made no effort to seek help from Jesus. Jesus arrived to seek this man and to encourage his faith to reach out for the Savior. The miracle provided an opportunity for the man's faith to reach out to Jesus. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? (John 5:6). This man had been sick for thirty-eight years and was desperately trying to be healed. Why then did Jesus ask such a question? Through this question, Jesus was directing the man's attention from the pool to the Savior. Many times we want certain things from God when we have a need without wanting to completely give ourselves to the Lord first. As this man placed his entire trust in Jesus, he was healed. The man did not fully understand who Jesus was at the time of his healing. Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath, which was a violation of the Jewish interpretation of the Mosaic Law. Should it be wrong to heal on the Sabbath? Is it wrong to do good on the Sabbath? In this miracle of healing, Jesus confronted the pious religious leaders of His day with their false religious interpretations of God's Law. Jesus had changed the life of a tormented man, a man who for thirty-eight years had only experienced agony and suffering. Yet, little concern for this miracle is seen in the attitude of the religious leaders. They were concerned only that Jesus had broken their tradition. Again, we can see the blindness of the human heart. We can be church members and faithfully attend every service and still be lost, unsaved, without Christ as our Savior. Christianity is not a religion--our faith is a relationship with the living Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Obstacles to Growth in Christ. Even though we have received new life in Christ, we face many obstacles to growth in Him. There are three main obstacles to growth in the Christian life: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is the first obstacle. When we speak of the "world" as an obstacle to growing in Christ, we are speaking about a system of relationships, ideas, and values opposed to the Kingdom of God. The world, as an obstacle to Christian growth, is a set of ideas, actions, attitudes, norms, laws, and values in our cultures and societies that are against God and His people. The world's values are against those of Jesus Christ, and they do not support what God wants for our lives. The world's values are controlled by Satan, as the apostle John writes: "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19). Christians can overcome the world through a strong faith in Christ. The apostle John wrote (1 John 5:4): "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Jesus assured His disciples, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33). The second major obstacle that we face in growing in Christ is called in Scripture the flesh. In this sense, the flesh does not mean our physical body. The flesh is something within us that is an obstacle to living as Christ wants us to live. The flesh resides within our heart, mind, and intellect. It is part of that human nature that we have inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, that lingers on in us, even after we have received new life in Christ. Sometimes Scripture calls the flesh by other names; for example, the "old man," the "old nature," or the "old self" (Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:9, Romans 6:6). All of these are names for that part in our fallen human nature that wants to go against God and His will for our lives. The flesh in us wants to go its own way and satisfy our selfish desires. It wants to keep us from obeying God and causes us to do what we want to do. Through Jesus and the power of His new life working in us, we can overcome the flesh, resist doing evil, and do good instead. The third and final obstacle that tries to keep us from living a new life in Christ is the devil and other evil spirits. The devil, or Satan, is a fallen angel who hates and is opposed to God. Jesus said that the devil is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. (John 8:44). He is the main leader of all other fallen angels called evil spirits or demons. Satan and his demons hate God's people, and they will tempt people to turn from God and commit evil. Ultimately, Satan will be removed forever from harming God's people at the end of this age (Revelation 20:10). However, until Jesus comes again, Satan continues to cause harm and evil in the world. Through Jesus Christ and being joined with Him, we can defeat Satan and grow in Christ. As Paul's letter to the Ephesians points out (6:10-13), we are in a spiritual battle with the forces of evil. Satan will try to put obstacles in the way of our growing in Christ, but Jesus will help us to overcome the power of Satan and evil spirits. Always be confident that God wants you to continue to grow in Christ. He will help you overcome all obstacles that the world, the flesh, or the devil try to place in your way. Through Christ's help, you will grow more, even as you overcome the obstacles.

KEYS TO GROWTH IN CHRIST Once a person has been born again and received new life in Christ, God wants him or her to grow in Christ. Although God will give us many ways and opportunities to grow, there are four especially important ways. We can call them "keys" to growth in Christ. The four keys are: prayer; study, especially the study of God's Word; service, especially in sharing the gospel with others; and fellowship with other Christians. Let's consider each of these keys. Prayer is an important key to our new life in Christ. In order to grow in Christ, we have to remain "connected" to Him in prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God—spending time with God. For any relationship with another person to grow, we have to spend time with the person. The same is true with Christ. To grow in our relationship with Him, we have to spend time with Him. It is important that we try to spend time with Him each day. By setting aside some time each day for prayer, we will grow and be strengthened in Christ. A second key to growth in Christ is study, especially the study of the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, and God strengthens us through the study of His Word. As we read, study, and hear the Word of God, we learn more about God and Jesus Christ. We learn truths to live by. We are strengthened in our ability to do good and avoid evil. Our mind is transformed (Romans 12:2) and we can better judge what is God's will for our lives. Other books can help us to learn more about the Bible and about living the Christian life. They can also provide nourishment for us to grow in Christ. Service is a third key to growth in Christ. Jesus said that he came to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:28). He wants us to serve others and to "wash their feet"; that is, to be like a servant to them (John 13:12-17). To do kind deeds, to help the poor, to visit the sick—all of these and many more ways can be used to grow in Christ. One way that we can especially serve people is to share with them the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important in a person's life than to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. You could be instrumental in helping someone to come to Christ and to be born again. This is the greatest way that you could help and serve an unbeliever. The fourth and final key to growth in Christ is having fellowship with other Christians. It is very important that we gather regularly with other Christians to worship the Lord and strengthen one another. God wants Christians to be together and not to neglect meeting with one another. Hebrews 10:24-25 says: And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. All Christians need the help and support of other Christians. We can learn from one another and build each other up in the Body of Christ. THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US GROW IN CHRIST As part of His divine plan, God sent the Holy Spirit to His disciples on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit helps us greatly as we respond to God's plan and try to grow in Christ. As Jesus promised in Acts 1:8, the disciples received power to live a fervent and strong Christian life when the Holy Spirit came to them. Similar things can happen to anyone today who receives new life in Christ and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. One of the many ways the Holy Spirit helps us is in our process of becoming more like Christ. We call this "transformation in Christ." This means that our old way of life is changing into a new way of acting, thinking, speaking, and relating. We become more like Christ. We act, think, speak, and relate more like Christ would do. Paul wrote, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18). There are other ways in which the Holy Spirit helps us as we grow in Christ and are transformed in Christ. First, when the Holy Spirit comes to us, we can know God's love more deeply and share that love with others. Second, along with the Holy Spirit, we also receive gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us. Some of these gifts of the Holy Spirit are received to help us personally live the Christian life. They help us to be more like Christ, who also had these gifts of the Spirit (see Isaiah 11:2). Other gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us primarily to help others, to help the church grow stronger and to be renewed. They are called spiritual gifts or charismatic gifts (for example, see 1 Corinthians 12:4-10). THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT As the Holy Spirit helps us to grow in Christ, we will be able to observe the effects. Paul calls the effects of the Holy Spirit in our lives by an interesting name: the fruit of the Spirit. Just as a tree produces certain fruit depending on its type, so should Christians produce fruit that is characteristic of the Holy Spirit's action in them! In his letter to the Galatians, Paul lists nine virtues that are the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Holy Spirit is produced in us as we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Let's take a closer look at the fruit of the Spirit. Love should be the foundation and chief characteristic of our new life in Christ. It is the primary and most important fruit of the Spirit. Joy is another fruit of the Spirit. Christians should be characterized by a joyful disposition. Peace is a third fruit of the Spirit. This peace of God comes from being in right relationship with Him, and knowing that he is in control. It also comes from having Christ in our hearts. A fourth important fruit of the Spirit is long-suffering or patience. It helps us remain calm when difficulties or unknowns surround us and to wait on God, with anticipation, for what He is going to do in and through our lives. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. A person who is gentle is always nice to be around. He is tender and considerate of others, and he treats them gently. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit. As the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can do good to others with the goodness that comes from God. Faith or faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit that helps us to believe in God and what he is working in ourselves and others. It helps us walk consistently before Him and others. Meekness or kindness has to do with the way we respond to and treat others. It means that we do nice things for others and that we have compassion, even on those who have been unkind to us. Temperance or self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that helps us exercise restraint, with God's help, over our thoughts, actions, and desires. Self-control helps us to live for God and to grow in the new life that Christ has given us. Just before the final test is the Memory Verse Quiz. Be sure and review the verses listed in the Reference section to prepare for this quiz. Play Farmer Frank's for a unit review before your quiz and test.

The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—tell the story of the most important person who ever walked the face of the earth. They tell the story of Jesus, the Son of God. These Gospels tell us about the events of Jesus' life and the words that He spoke in different ways and in a different sequence of events. The reason for these differences among the four Gospels is that the human writers of the Gospels were writing the story of Jesus from different perspectives, guided they were by the Holy Spirit. Each human author, whether it was Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, wanted to emphasize a particular aspect of Jesus' life. For example, John emphasized the divinity and majesty of Jesus. Luke, a physician, emphasized Jesus' healings and His ministry to the lowly and unfortunate. Luke also showed Jesus at prayer more than the other three Gospels. Mark, who wrote the shortest of the four Gospels, tells us the bare essentials of Jesus' life and ministry and often emphasizes the sufferings that Jesus and his disciples endured. Matthew is the most "Jewish" of the Gospels. Matthew emphasizes in several places how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament. Even though there are distinct differences among the four Gospels, there are also many similarities. In the essentials, all four Gospels are the same. All four Gospels are in substantial agreement about the importance of Jesus Christ and about His life, death, and resurrection. They all agree in the essentials because the one true author of all four Gospels is God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspired all four human writers of the Gospels to write the truth about the life and ministry of Jesus. Over the centuries, many people have attempted to write a continuous historical narrative about the life and ministry of Jesus by drawing from all four Gospels. Modern people usually expect such a continuous historical narrative when reading about the life of an important person; that is, they want to know the sequence of events in a person's life from one year to another. This series of three units— Bible 707, 708, and 709—are written in such fashion. They attempt to draw from all four Gospels in order to give a historical account of Jesus' public life and ministry over a period of about three-and-a-half years. While it is possible to write such a historical narrative of the life of Christ, we should remember two things: The original Gospels were not written this way, and the writer of each Gospel did not try to assure the same historical sequence of events as the other Gospels. Bible scholars will differ over details of when particular events happened in the life of Jesus and in His ministry. Therefore, the account of the life of Christ that you will study in this series of three units represents an approximation of the historical events in the life of Jesus based upon the information revealed in the four Gospels. In the preceding unit, you studied the eternal preexistence of the Son of God and His incarnation as Jesus Christ, true God and true man. You then studied some aspects of his childhood. Finally, you learned about the initial events of his public ministry and His early ministry in the region of Galilee. In this unit, you will study an extended period of Jesus' ministry that began in Galilee and ended in Judea near Jerusalem. In Section One you will examine some of Jesus' public miracles and some of the parables that He told to the crowds in Galilee. In Section Two you will examine Jesus' ministry to His disciples and closest followers. This ministry was often performed in private. Finally, in Section Three you will examine the last stage of Jesus' public ministry performed in the regions of Judea and Perea. Jesus conducted this latter stage of His ministry shortly before He entered Jerusalem for the last time to undergo His suffering and death on the cross. This final part of Jesus' life in Jerusalem will be covered in the next unit. Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the public Galilean ministry of Jesus. Vocabulary approximation Quality or state of being close or near to. campaign A course of action for some special purpose. compassion Sympathetic consciousness of another's distress together with the desire to alleviate it. parable A story that teaches a divine truth. paralytic Affected with loss of the ability to move. sequence Order of succession. synoptic Presenting or taking the same or common view. It is often used to describe the three similar Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke; i.e., the "synoptic Gospels." Vocab Arcade In the previous unit, you studied the early ministry of Jesus in the region of Galilee. In this section, you will examine more of Jesus' public ministry in Galilee. To better understand Jesus' Galilean ministry, you should understand two important aspects of this ministry. First, Jesus conducted two types of ministry in Galilee—one that was public and one that was private. In his public ministry in Galilee, Jesus spoke and ministered to the crowds and people who came to Him from various places. In His private ministry in Galilee, Jesus spoke and ministered mainly to his disciples, especially the twelve that He chose to be His apostles. In His public ministry, Jesus was very open and healed the hurts of all who came to Him. In his private ministry, Jesus tried to help His disciples learn more about Him and about the Kingdom of God. In private, He often explained to His disciples the meaning of His teachings known as parables. The second important aspect of Jesus' Galilean ministry is that Jesus conducted both tours in Galilee and retreats from Galilee during the period of time in which He ministered there. Jesus made the small village of Capernaum His home and "mission base" in Galilee. During His three tours in Galilee, Jesus publicly presented Himself as the Messiah. During His retreats from Galilee, He thoroughly taught His chosen disciples and trained them to carry His Word into the world. In the previous unit, you covered the first tour that Jesus made in Galilee which ended with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In this section of this unit, you will study Christ's second and third tours in Galilee. You will first study some of the miracles performed by Jesus during those two tours, or campaigns, then you will study some of the parables taught by Jesus to those who followed Him during these campaigns. MIRACLES Much of Jesus' public ministry was accompanied by miracles. These miracles were extraordinary and supernatural occurrences in nature and in the lives of people. Examples of miracles included physical healings, deliverances from evil spirits, calming of storms and winds, restoring the dead to life, and multiplying food. In all, thirty-five specific miracles of Jesus are recorded in the four Gospels. Sixteen of those miracles occurred in the latter part of Christ's public Galilean ministry. You will study some of these miracles in this section of the unit. Most of Christ's miracles occurred during the first portion of His three-and-one-half-year public ministry. As opposition to Jesus increased from Jewish religious leaders during the time of His public ministry, Jesus decreased the performance of miracles and increased the use of parables as a way of explaining the nature of His mission and the Kingdom of God. You will examine some of Christ's parables later in this section. Four Main Purposes. The miracles of Jesus had four main purposes, and they could accomplish more than one of these purposes at the same time. First, Jesus' miracles were a sign of His Person and of His work. In other words, these miracles gave people insight into who Jesus was and what He had come to do. For example, when He healed a paralytic, Jesus said, "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)" (Mark 2:10). Jesus wanted people to know that He had the power to forgive sins, and He demonstrated that power by physically healing the paralyzed man. A second purpose of Jesus' miracles was to reveal His divine compassion. There are many places in the Gospels where Jesus portrays his compassion for people. For example, when great crowds followed Him, Matthew records (Matthew 9:36), "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." A third purpose of Jesus' miracles was to instruct His disciples about the importance of faith. The synoptic Gospels tell the story of a storm that blew up on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus and the disciples were crossing it on a boat (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). The disciples became fearful and thought they were going to drown. Jesus rebuked the storm, and the wind and the waves calmed down. The disciples were amazed at this nature miracle of Jesus. Jesus then asked them (Luke 8:25), "Where is your faith?" Jesus used this situation and performed a miracle in order to teach the disciples to have faith in Him and not be afraid. A fourth purpose of the miracles of Jesus was to glorify the heavenly Father. You will soon study the miraculous raising from the dead the son of a widow from the village of Nain in Galilee. When the boy was miraculously raised to life again, the townspeople who saw the miracle "glorified God" (Luke 7:16). When Jesus displayed the marvelous power of God, many people were moved to give glory to the Father in heaven. Jesus' miracles both revealed and demonstrated His power and authority. The following chart shows the miracles that were performed during the later Galilean ministry of Jesus. Study this chart to learn more about these miracles of Jesus. In the following parts of this section of the unit, you will study three of these miracles in more detail: the raising of the widow's son at Nain, the deliverance of the Gadarene demoniac, and the feeding of the five thousand. It would be helpful to read about some of the other Galilean miracles listed in the chart in order to see the ways that Jesus ministered to many people. Miracle: Place: Authority Over: Scripture Reference: Healing of the centurion's servant Capernaum Illness Matthew 8:5-13 Raising of the widow's son Nain Death Luke 7:11-17 Casting out the blind and mute spirit Galilee Demonic powers Matthew 12:22 Stilling of the storm Sea of Galilee Nature Matthew 8:23-27 Deliverance of the Gadarene demoniac Gadara Demonic powers Mark 5:1-20 Raising of Jairus' daughter Capernaum Death Mark 5:21-43 Healing of the woman Capernaum Illness Mark 5:25-34 Healing of the two blind men Capernaum Blindness Matthew 9:27-34 Feeding of the five thousand Bethsaida Nature Luke 9:10-17 Jesus walking on the water Sea of Galilee Natural Laws Mark 6:47-56 The Syro-Phoenician's daughter Phoenicia Demonic powers Matthew 15:21-28 The deaf man with a speech problem Decapolis Deafness and Speech Mark 7:31-37 Feeding of the four thousand Decapolis Nature Mark 8:1-9 Healing of the blind man Bethsaida Blindness Mark 8:22-26 Demon cast out of the boy Mt. Hermon Demonic powers Matthew 17:14-20 Money in the fish's mouth Capernaum Nature Matthew 17:24-27

Miracles II Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the public Galilean ministry of Jesus. Vocabulary bier A platform supporting a coffin. demoniac A person who is possessed by evil spirits. entourage A group of people who usually accompany someone; an association of people. inhabited Populated. legion Very many in number. omnipotence Being all-powerful. Vocab Arcade The Widow of Nain and Her Son. The first miracle that we will consider from Jesus' later ministry in Galilee is the miracle of Jesus' raising of the widow's son from death as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. This miracle occurred while John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. This miracle was so great that it caused John to send two of his disciples to see if Jesus was the Messiah, "And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" (Luke 7:19). Nain, where this miracle took place, was a small village of Galilee located about six miles south of Nazareth. The village was built upon a rocky hill and was protected by a wall, which was common even for small villages in that day. Although Nain is not inhabited today, the remains of its ancient cemetery can still be seen. Many people, including His closest disciples, followed Jesus as He traveled throughout Galilee preaching the Word of God and performing miracles. This entourage came to the village of Nain while a funeral procession was carrying a young man's body out through the gate of the village. Luke relates that the young man who died was the only son of a widow. (Luke 7:12). Jesus had compassion on the mother and told her, "Weep not" (Luke 7:13). This widow had not only lost the son she loved, but she had also lost the only means of support that she had. Since both her husband and son were dead, she now had no one to care for her and support her. After Jesus comforted the woman, He touched the funeral bier on which the dead boy lay and said, "And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." (Luke 7:14). The young man sat up and began to speak. With great love and compassion, Jesus gave the boy back to His mother. What joy and gladness must have come to the woman and the whole village of Nain that day! Jesus Christ had power even over death. The news of this event was spread throughout all of Judea and the surrounding regions. Jesus had compassion on the widow, and He used His power to correct the situation. As Christians, we may encounter those who are in desperate situations, like the widow in this miracle story. We should have compassion on them and do all we can to help them. As Christians who are moved with compassion to help those who are without hope, we can spread the good news of our Savior. The Demoniac of Gadara. During Jesus' second tour of Galilee, He and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee and went eastward to a place called Gadara. The descendants of the Hebrew tribe of Gad lived in this region of the Decapolis. There were also many Gentiles (or non-Jews) living in this region. The mighty miracle Jesus worked in Gadara demonstrated His authority over the devil's evil powers. It showed the truth of the apostle John's statement (1 John 3:8): "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." In this story from the Gospel of Mark, a legion of unclean spirits possessed a man from Gadara and drove him mad. This man lived among the dead in the tombs of a cemetery. It shows that Satan's purpose for man is sin and death. The townspeople were afraid of this possessed man, and they often tried to chain him. However, the man would always break the chains by the strength of the demons in him. The townspeople could hear the man screaming in the cemetery, and they knew that he was cutting himself with stones; however, they could not help him. His life seemed hopeless until Jesus came. When Jesus came close to the man, the unclean spirits became terrified and spoke out through the man. The man yelled at the top of his voice. Jesus had authority over the demons, and he commanded them to come out of the man (Mark 5:8). The demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the country (Mark 5:10). A herd of about 2,000 swine were in the area. The Old Testament law did not permit the Jewish people to eat swine or pork. They were considered unclean. However, the Gentiles, and even some of the Jews, still raised swine and sold them for a profit. Jesus got rid of the unclean demons and the unclean swine with one miracle. He permitted the demons to go into the swine, and the swine rushed over a cliff and drowned in the sea. Mark records this miracle (Mark 5:13): "And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea." When the townspeople learned that the swine had been destroyed, they went out to see Jesus. Even though a great miracle occurred, these people were afraid of Jesus' power. They were also concerned about their economic security in the raising of swine and probably feared future loss of income. They begged Jesus to depart from the place! They did not seem to appreciate the fact that Jesus had freed the man of Gadara from the power of the devil. Material and economic success were more important to them than the salvation that Jesus brought. As Jesus boarded the boat to leave their area, the man who had been freed from possession approached Jesus. He asked Jesus to let him travel with Him. But Jesus refused and said to the man, "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." (Mark 5:19). The man did so and proclaimed this miracle of Jesus in the region of the Decapolis nearby. The Lord Jesus has conquered all the powers of the devil and demons. We need not fear them. Instead, we simply need to have faith in Jesus and tell the devil to depart from us. James says (James 4:7), "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Jesus has also died for our sins. Through Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and we can have a new life. Just as the demoniac of Gadara told others of the wonderful things that Jesus had done for him, we also should tell others about our new life in Christ and how they can also have a new life in Christ.

Life Before and After Christ Vocabulary concupiscence The inclination and tendency in human beings toward sin and evil. discord Lack of agreement or harmony. momentous Important or consequential. perspective The capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. tendency The way a person or thing usually behaves; trend. Vocab Arcade The purpose of this first section of the unit is to give a broad overview of the nature of human life before and after the ministry of Jesus Christ. In a way, it is intended to give an illustration of what has happened to the human race since God created man and woman in the beginning. When viewed from this perspective, we can see how a momentous change came into the world when Jesus Christ appeared! The possibilities for human life and the way that it is lived changed drastically after Jesus Christ walked among us. First, you will examine life before Christ. You will learn about God's initial creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Created good and in the image and likeness of God, something tragic happened to our first parents after they were tempted by Satan and disobeyed God. You will learn more about the disastrous consequences of their disobedience and how it affected human life ever after. Fortunately, God did not give up on human beings, but sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and to bring new life to the human race. You will learn more about the ways Christ brought about this new life. You will learn also how all people have the opportunity for a new life in Christ. Finally, you will learn how human life has both changed and remained the same after the appearance of Jesus Christ. People can now live a new life because of Christ. When people have new life in Christ, they can live in a way that pleases God and prepares them to be with Him forever in heaven. The final part of this first section of the unit will explain more about the possibilities of this new life in Christ. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe characteristics of human life before the first coming of Jesus Christ. Explain the ways that Jesus Christ brought new life to the human race. Describe aspects of human life after the coming of Jesus Christ. LIFE BEFORE CHRIST God created humans to be different than the angels, spirit creatures He had already created even before He made the world. God gave humans eternal spirits, just as the angels were given, but He also gave them something different—physical bodies. The physical body meant that humans had limitations to their strength that angels did not experience. The body also meant that the humans could experience physical pleasures planned for them by God and could have children and know the joys of family love. They could worship God with their spirits, souls, and bodies. What a wonderful plan! Although created by God, many people think only about the life they have upon this earth. If you compare your years of life to the history of mankind, you realize as did James, that life appears for a little while and then vanishes. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14). When a person dies, his spirit leaves his body. According to Ecclesiastes 12:7, Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Physical death must be faced by everyone: And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27). Original Paradise. After God created man and woman, He saw that they were very good. God placed them in the Garden of Eden to care for his creation. Their work for God was not a burden. God gave man an intellect with which to think and make decisions. He also gave humanity free will in which man and woman had the freedom to make choices. They could freely choose to obey or disobey God. Their free will also gave man and woman the ability to freely love God and serve Him in truth. They were created to live forever in Paradise. As they were originally created, man and woman were in harmony with God. They walked in friendship with God. They experienced original holiness and justice; that is, they were in a right relationship with God. They experienced His ongoing presence and friendship, and they were not ashamed. In the beginning, man and woman were also in harmony with each other. They loved each other perfectly, and there was no discord between them. They lived and worked together in peace, and they were in a right relationship with each other. Finally, man and woman were in harmony with the animals and plants that God placed in their care. They were free to eat from any of the plants of the garden. The exception was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from which they were forbidden to eat. The Fall. Unfortunately, something happened to change the nature of the life God gave to man and woman in the beginning. Tempted by the devil, a fallen angel who is the father of lies (John 8:44), man and woman disobeyed God and sinned. Sin is the deliberate turning away from the love of God and choosing to disobey Him. It is an offense against God and His commandments. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; yet, they did so. They disobeyed God. When they did this, their eyes were opened to their sin and they were ashamed. They hid from God when He approached. Their relationship with God changed for the worse, and they were no longer in a right relationship with him. The disobedience and sin of Adam and Eve is called "the Fall." Because of their sin, Adam and Eve "fell" from the position of original holiness and justice that they had enjoyed with God. Their life was forever changed after the Fall. You will examine some of the consequences of the Fall in the next part of this unit.

Consequences of the Fall. Human life was drastically changed by the sin of Adam and Eve. God made several changes to the nature of man and Creation (Genesis 3:14-24). Among these changes, man and woman would now die. Death entered the world. Man's body became mortal and would return to the dust from which it was made. The woman would bear children in pain, and the relationship between husband and wife would be more difficult. The ground was cursed because of Adam's sin, and man would now labor and work with difficulty for the things that God once gave to them freely. In addition, Adam and Eve were banished from Paradise and the Garden of Eden. No longer would they enjoy the original holiness and justice that they experienced in Paradise. Ultimately, God's judgment on Adam and Eve because of the Fall meant that man's relationships were changed. First, the relationship between man and God was changed. Man no longer walked in fellowship and friendship with God as He had in Paradise. Humans became afraid of God, and their image of Him became distorted. Man was now separated from this close fellowship with God. Second, human relationships were changed. From then on, hostility, domination, and oppression would be part of human relationships. Finally, the relationships between man and the environment around him changed. The ground was now cursed, and it would yield thorns and thistles. Difficulty would exist in the relationships between man and animals, and there would no longer be the harmony which was enjoyed in Paradise. Because our first parents, Adam and Eve, represented the whole human race to follow, God made these changes hold true for all humans thereafter. In other words, the sin of Adam and Eve would affect all human beings after them. All human beings would now have lives characterized by sin. All human life from that time forward would be trapped in the condition of sin. The apostle Paul wrote, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12). Paul also wrote in (Romans 3:9-12). What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. The sin of Adam and Eve affected all human life to follow, and it affected human nature. Human nature was now corrupted from its original holiness and justice. Human life was under the power of sin. Suffering and evil were now part of human life. Man was now inclined to sin and evil. His tendency was to sin and turn away from God. This inclination and tendency in all men to sin is called concupiscence. Every human being after Adam and Eve would be affected by the tendency to sin This power of sin over the human race had even worse consequences. Very quickly after man's fall, human history records occurrences of murder and war. For example, Cain murdered his brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). The whole world was corrupted through sin, and Satan was given power to rule over this corrupted world and over mankind (1 John 5:19). The Hope of a Savior. Fortunately, God did not abandon man after the Fall. In fact, right at the beginning of His judgment of Adam and Eve, God made a promise that offered hope for the future. God told the serpent (Satan) that the offspring (seed) of the woman would bruise his head and that he (Satan) would bruise her seed's heal (Genesis 3:15). This meant that one of Eve's male descendants would eventually appear in human history, defeat Satan, and give hope to the human race. This man would redeem men from bondage to sin and restore a right relationship of man to God. This man would be the Savior. God's promise of a future Savior, given at the beginning, right at the Fall, would ultimately be fulfilled in God's own Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus' Sufferings and Crucifixion Just after the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus traveled with them outside the walls of Jerusalem. He went east to the Garden of Gethsemane where He began the sufferings that eventually culminated in His death on the cross the next day. It was necessary for Christ to enter this period of suffering, pain, and death so that our sins might be forgiven and that we might be healed from our unrighteousness. Many years after Jesus' suffering, Peter wrote in his first letter (1 Peter 2:24), "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." The author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote (Hebrews 13:12), "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." The crucial events of the redemption and salvation of all people began with the sufferings of Jesus on the night before He died. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Know the key events and participants of Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and His arrest there. Describe the trials of Jesus before the Jewish and Roman authorities. Explain the significance of Jesus' death on the cross. Vocabulary deadlock Opposing forces at a standstill. graft The acquisition of money or power in dishonest and questionable ways. persevered Persisted in a state or undertaking despite opposition or discouragement. scapegoat One who is blamed. undeterred To not be turned aside or discouraged from acting. Vocab Arcade AGONY AND ARREST Jesus knew what was about to unfold in His life. He knew that suffering and death lay ahead of Him. The first part of this drama of suffering was about to unfold: His agony and arrest. The Agony in the Garden. To gain strength in His human nature, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His three closest disciples—Peter, James, and John. He went a little further by Himself in the garden, and fell to the ground in prayer. Jesus experienced agony as He prayed in the garden. In Mark 14:36) he prayed, "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. The "cup" that Jesus asked the Father to remove was the cup of suffering. Jesus asked the Father to remove His upcoming sufferings; but even more important to Jesus than avoiding His sufferings was doing the will of His Father. He prayed that His Father's will might be done and not His own will. To redeem the human race, it was the Father's will that His only Son, Jesus, would suffer and die for us. Jesus accepted the Father's will as He prayed in agony. Unlike Jesus, the three disciples did not stay awake and pray as Jesus had asked (Mark 14:38). They were sleepy. Even though Jesus came back to them three times, they continued to be too sleepy to pray. Finally, coming to them the third time and finding them asleep, Jesus said (Mark 14:41), "And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." Jesus was just about to be betrayed by Judas, one of His own disciples. What suffering that betrayal must have caused Jesus! Judas would betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities so that Jesus could be arrested. The prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane gives us a great model of prayer. He persevered in prayer. By doing so, Jesus was strengthened so that He would be able to do what the Father wanted. Likewise, we, too, should learn to persevere in prayer. God will always strengthen us to do His will if we turn to Him in prayer. The Arrest of Jesus. Judas knew the place where Jesus would be with His disciples that night, since they often met in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:2). Judas led a band of Roman soldiers and Jewish officers of the Temple to seize Jesus while He was away from the crowds. As they approached, Jesus asked them, "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? (John 18:4). The Gospel of John shows that Jesus, the Son of God, was full of authority and in control of His fate. When they replied "Jesus of Nazareth," Jesus said (John 18:6), "As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." He had so much authority in His voice that the soldiers drew back and fell down! After regaining their composure, the soldiers were again asked by Jesus, "Whom do you seek?" They responded "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: (John 18:8). Through this action, Jesus showed his authority again, for the soldiers did not arrest those disciples who were with Jesus. Suddenly, Peter recognized what had happened, drew a sword, and cut off the ear of the high priest's slave, a man named Malchus (John 18:10). Jesus, however, told Peter (John 18:11), "Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Jesus knew that it was His Father's will for Jesus to be arrested and taken to die upon a cross. It was not the time to resist and try to escape. Luke's account notes that Jesus then touched the ear of the high priest's slave and healed him (Luke 22:51). In the end, Jesus, the Son of God, submitted to the Father's plan and was arrested. John 18:12 says, "Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him," Jesus was led off to continue his sufferings through various trials before the Jewish and Roman authorities.

THE TRIALS OF JESUS After was Jesus was arrested, He was to undergo additional sufferings before the Jewish and Roman authorities as they brought Him to trial. Six separate trials of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels. In this portion of the unit, you will study the six trials of Jesus. These trials began on the eve of the Crucifixion, shortly after Jesus was arrested. Jesus was arrested at night, and the first two trials were held during the night hours. The remaining four trials occurred the following morning on the day of Jesus' death. Before Annas. Following Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane, the combined forces of the Jewish and Roman authorities brought Him to Annas. Annas had formerly been the high priest and still retained that title (John 18:19). Annas held no official position at the time of this trial, but he was an important man in Jerusalem. Having the political power necessary to make his son-in-law high priest, Annas retired and became something like the Jewish "political boss" of Jerusalem. He knew all the right people and exerted considerable influence on them whenever he wanted his way. Eventually, Annas gained sufficient power in Jerusalem to make the decision about who would be tried for a crime against Jewish law and who would not. When Jesus was brought before him, Annas inquired about Jesus' disciples and His teaching. Hoping to hear something that might be twisted into either treason or blasphemy, Annas asked several questions seeking a cause for a charge against Jesus. Jesus related to him the history of His ministry by saying (John 18:20), "Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing." Jesus was telling Annas that He had nothing to hide, unlike Annas who probably had much to hide because of his corrupt political activities. How this comment by Jesus must have stung the conscience of Annas! Jesus continued to answer Annas by saying, Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. (John 18:21). Jesus was telling Annas that His disciples and others knew the truth of Jesus' teaching, and they could witness to it. Fearing that Jesus might be getting the best of Annas, one of the Jewish officers standing by Jesus struck Jesus with his hand. The blows and sufferings of the Christ continued. The officer tried to intimidate Jesus by saying (John 18:22), "And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Undeterred, Jesus said (John 18:23), "Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Jesus knew that He had always spoken the truth. He was telling the officer and all who were in the room that He was innocent and should not rightfully be beaten. Jesus knew that He was wrongly accused, but He accepted these sufferings also as part of the Father's plan. Jewish law required two witnesses to bring an accusation against a fellow Jew. Yet, no one at this first trial before Jesus could say how Jesus had spoken wrongly. No one could recall anything that could become the foundation for a charge against Jesus. Foiled in his attempt to find a charge against Jesus, Annas decided to send Jesus to his son-in-law Caiaphas for another trial. Before Caiaphas. Caiaphas, Annas' son-in-law, had probably become the ruling high priest through graft and corruption and with the help of his father-in-law. As high priest, Caiaphas presided over the Sanhedrin, a Jewish council composed of the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. Some of these men were also Pharisees and some were Sadducees. Following the raising of Lazarus from the dead and the news of that miracle spreading to Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin met to consider what should be done about this Jesus, whom some believed to be the Messiah. Many of the Jewish leaders feared that Jesus would gain such a strong following that the Romans would see it as a revolution. This would cause the Romans to suspend the Sanhedrin's official position and power, destroy the Temple, and perhaps even the nation of Israel (see John 11:48). Caiaphas, however, masterminded a plan at that time to put Jesus to death in order to show Jewish allegiance to the Romans. He wanted to make Jesus a scapegoat, and now Annas made it possible for Caiaphas to implement his diabolical plan. Caiaphas desired a death sentence for Jesus to appease Roman authority, but God the Father would use Jesus' death to defeat Satan and bring about salvation for all people! Under Jewish law (Deuteronomy 19:15), any accusation against an Israelite had to be made on testimony by two or three witnesses. Therefore, the public nature of Jesus' second trial—the one before Caiaphas—made the following of this Jewish law necessary. This trial was not fair, however, because Caiaphas and others wanted testimony to condemn Jesus, not to try Him fairly. Mark writes (Mark 14:55-56), "And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together." Even though many bore false witness against Jesus, it became obvious that their testimonies were not in agreement. No substantial charges could be brought against Jesus under Jewish law. This deadlock probably angered Caiaphas, so he decided to examine Jesus himself. The Gospel of Mark records what happened (Mark 14:60-61): And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Jesus knew it was best not to answer the confusing false charges brought against Him. However, Caiaphas' question regarding His role and mission could not be left silent. Jesus Himself now had to give the true testimony. He said in response to Caiaphas (Mark 14:62), "And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. With this response, Jesus was not only affirming that He was the Messiah (the Christ) and the Son of God (the Son of the Blessed), but by saying, "I am," He was also identifying Himself as God. The Jews knew that God told Moses at the burning bush that His name was "I AM THAT I AM." Therefore, Jesus' response implied that he was God. Furthermore, Jesus' response also warned these representatives of the Sanhedrin that He would come in power one day at the end of time to be their Judge! What an awesome response Jesus gave! This was more than Caiaphas could take! He tore his robes as a sign of distress and cried out (Mark 14:63-64), "Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." Caiaphas not only rejected the truth of Jesus' statement, but he also ignored the requirement of the Jewish law for the testimony of two or three witnesses. He used Jesus' own truthful testimony against Jesus. With Caiaphas' urging, all of the Sanhedrin present condemned Jesus as worthy of death. Then Jesus' physical sufferings increased as some of them mistreated Him. Mark records their actions (Mark 14:64-65): Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands." Thus did the prophecy of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 about the "Suffering Servant" began to be fulfilled: Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Love In this section, you will learn what real love is. The Bible reveals to us the real and true meaning of love. Only this love satisfies and brings lasting peace to mankind. You will learn about God's love for all of creation. You will gain a better understanding of how much God loves you and how He sent His only Son to die for your sins. Here are your goals for this lesson: Examine the true meaning of love Give examples of God's love for us Memorize 1 John 4:8 Vocabulary attribute A word describing a characteristic or quality of someone. eternally Timeless; forever. everlasting Lasting through all time. immutable Not able to change; the same forever. love To hold dear; cherish; unselfish concern; to adore. manifested Made evident by showing or displaying. mercy Compassion shown to someone guilty; a blessing that is an act of divine favor. ultimate Final; the extreme. variableness Able and likely to change. Vocab Arcade Love: God's Nature Memory Verse: He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8) Love is not merely a characteristic of God; it is the very essence of God--God is love. To understand the meaning of love and the aspects of love, then, is to understand God better. Meaning of Love. In 1 John 4:8, God's Word tells us that God is love. The meaning of this verse is not simply that God loves, but that He is love. Love is not merely one of God's attributes; rather, love is God's very nature. Aspects of Love. Several aspects of God's love should be studied. The first aspect is that God's love is unconditional, that is, not influenced by the object of His love. Simply put, nothing in you and me attracted God's love. We read in God's Word, The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). We love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Because God loved us when we were unlovable, clearly God's love was not influenced by what He saw. Another aspect of God's love is that it is without beginning or end--it is eternal. God's Word tells us in Jeremiah 31:3, The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. This Bible truth becomes a real source of joy as we realize that God's love is stable and unchangeable. His love is not based upon what we are or what we do but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. God's love is not only eternal but His love has no limits. The Bible teaches in Ephesians 2:4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) Our minds are unable to fully understand the greatness of God's love as Ephesians 3:19 says, And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. A good word to learn concerning God's love is immutable. Immutable simply means no change. God's love shows no change at all. In James 1:17, the Bible states, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. A wonderful comfort is ours when we realize that God's love is not as our love--subject to alter with our feelings. Rather, Romans 8:35-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from God's love if we are in Christ. © 1999, 2002, 2005, 2011 Glynlyon, Inc. Terms of Use

Love: an Expression of God God expressed His special love in the ultimate expression--redemption through Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve plunged mankind into bondage to sin. They were separated from God by sin. We are born with natures that desire to follow the world instead of God. In Creation. God's nature of love in His creation can be seen as we behold the beauty of a simple flower. In love, God made the world and placed man as the keeper of all creation. God's love gave Adam the very desires of his heart--it even gave Adam his wife, Eve, because he was lonely. In Redemption. Sin ruined the beauty of God's creation and separated man from God's love, but God's greatest love was manifested in the redemption of man's soul. Jesus agreed to take your place and mine upon the cross to pay the price for sin. God's love sacrificed His only Son that we might have an opportunity to live eternally with God in fellowship once again. The greatest love story the world has ever known is found in this supreme act of love. God's Word tells us, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). God is love!

Forms of Hebrew Poetry Here are your goals for this lesson: Summarize the variety of Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament. Compare and contrast the parallels of Hebrew poetry. Explain the patterns of Hebrew poetry. The poetry of the Old Testament is unlike any type of poetry or prose found in the English language. English poetry rhymes words, but Hebrew poetry rhymes or relates ideas. To the ear accustomed to English poetry, Hebrew poetry does not sound like poetry. It is, however, balanced in ideas; it balances thought against thought and word against word. This balance of thought is called parallelism. Parallelism puts one line of the poem into balance with a second line. When properly understood, the parallels of Hebrew poetry will greatly enhance your study and reading of the Book of Psalms. Vocabulary antithetical To make a contrast or show the opposite. climactic A parallel using repetition of important words or phrases. emblematic To use an image or an emblem to illustrate an idea. interlude To fill time between two points or two parts of music. parallelism A balance of one phrase against another phrase through either comparisons or contrasts. synonymous To have the same or almost the same meaning. synthetic A parallel that builds one idea upon another idea. Vocab Arcade Once the psalmists made the parallels of thought and words, the lines were made to correspond or contrast. Students of the Psalms have found three major types of parallel grammatical construction: synonymous, synthetic, and antithetical. Other forms of parallelism and poetry also occur in the Psalms. Synonymous. The term synonymous means to have the same or almost the same meaning. When referring to the parallels of Hebrew poetry, synonymous lines are two lines that mean nearly the same thing. The second part of a verse restates the first part of the same verse. English example: I love to go to school, I like to learn new things each day. Hebrew examples: Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me (Psalm 36:11). Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were (Psalm 39:12). Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man (Psalm 140:1). In each of the preceding examples, the writer said the same thing twice. The second line repeats the idea of the first line. The synonymous parallel poem includes two lines of thought which share a common meaning.

Synthetic. The synthetic parallels found in Old Testament poetry are those that build an idea upon a previous idea. The second line further develops the first line. The thought or idea always begins in the first line and is expanded in the second line. English examples: I love to go to school; my favorite class is Bible. Mrs. Jones is our teacher; she is a very good teacher. I like to be in sports; I like to play basketball. The synthetic parallels used in the Psalms are used as a way to teach us truths about God. Through a synthetic parallel, our understanding of a truth will be deepened as we read from the first line to the second line. Hebrew examples: In Psalm 54:4 David recognized that his help is from the Lord, and that the Lord helps those who are friends of David. Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. Psalm 57:5 declares that God is exalted in heaven and also above all the earth. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. Psalm 136:1 states that God is good and that He advances His goodness and mercy throughout all eternity. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. When you become aware of the synthetic parallels in the Psalms, you can learn more of God's truth from His Holy Word. Whenever you see this type of parallelism used, take the time to think about what God is really saying in His Word. Careful reflection on the Psalms will yield an abundance of truth, wisdom, and comfort for all who take the time to study them.

Jesus and the Woman at the Well As Jesus traveled to Galilee, He found a temporary resting place on the curb of the historic well at Sychar in hostile Samaritan territory. A lone woman came to the well with her waterpot. Her face must have shown agony, unspoken heartache, and even unconscious longings for peace and inner rest. Jesus again turned to meet another need of humanity. He turned to reveal Himself as the peace and rest this woman sought. Here are your goals for this lesson: Describe Jesus' discourse with the Samaritan woman at the well Review Jesus' revelation of Himself as the Messiah Read John 4:1-42. The Scriptures state, And he must needs go through Samaria. (John 4:4). Jesus often stated that He must be about His Father's work which was to seek and save those who were lost. Jesus' ministry would even extend to Samaria to share the good news. Here would unfold the story of the Samaritan woman who met the Messiah. The incident at the well tells us of the humanity of Jesus. He had become weary and stopped in Samaria to rest. The Bible informs us it was about the sixth hour (John 4:6), probably about noon. Jesus was weary from the long journey, and His disciples had left Him sitting upon the well while they went out to buy food. The Samaritans were a mixed race of people who had developed from intermarriages of the ten northern tribes of Israel with the heathen nations which came in when Samaria fell. Therefore, they were shunned by the Jews. In fact, Jews would travel many miles out of their way in order to avoid going through Samaria. The Samaritan woman gave evidence of being very intelligent as she responded to the discourse of Jesus with swift skill, following every argument of Christ. She showed remarkable ability to probe into the deeper meaning of Jesus. Her past life reflected that she neither regarded nor kept the Law of God concerning marriage and divorce. In His conversation with her, Jesus referred to her past life to reveal her present spiritual need (Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12). We realize from the narrative that this woman's conscience was still responsive and that her spiritual need was quickly awakened. As the Samaritan woman approached the well, she saw a man sitting on the curb of the well. Between Jesus and the woman we see a contrast of social and religious backgrounds, which the woman quickly reflected in her response to Jesus. John 4:9 records her response, Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. The amazement of the disciples when they returned and saw Jesus talking to this outcast indicates that Jesus had violated social custom. Jesus used the situation at the well to ask for a drink of water, allowing a conversation to develop through which He could reveal Himself as the Messiah to this lost woman. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13-14). Just like the ruler Nicodemus, this woman lost her sense of self-sufficiency in the presence of the Son of God and became aware of her desperate spiritual need. Upon hearing of the inexhaustible supply of water, The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. (John 4:15). The Samaritan woman was still speaking of the physical waters. Jesus stirred her mind to a keener awareness of her need by bringing her past before her. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. (John 4:16) The woman realized the stranger saw into her heart. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: (John 4:17). Jesus then confronted her with the truth by stating that she had had five husbands and that the one with whom she now lived was not her husband (John 4:18). Because of this revelation, the woman called Jesus a prophet. Jesus used her understanding to further point her to a real spiritual relationship. In John 4:24 the Lord related, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman knew about the promised Messiah, and Jesus revealed Himself to the woman as being the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:26). The woman returned to her home to tell others the news: She had met the Messiah. The disciples appeared at the close of the conversation between Jesus and the woman and were amazed. They heard the woman tell that she stood in the presence of the promised Messiah. They watched their Master tenderly unfold the solution to this woman's spiritual thirst as He shared the purpose of His ministry. Suddenly the woman recalled His earlier command to go and call her husband. She knew the conversation must stop for now, but as she hastened away to tell the wonderful news of Jesus, she left behind her waterpot. The waterpot set on the well as a pledge that she would return. It stood as a memorial that her thirst was satisfied with more than the cool waters of Jacob's well. She had tasted of the living waters, which shall never run dry (John 4:10). Play All Right for a review before your quiz!

slow purlil chicken

Growing in Christ: God's Desire Vocabulary confess To acknowledge; saying the same thing that God says about something. morality To live in a manner of right behavior. Vocab Arcade Through faith in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us, our sins are forgiven. We receive a new life. However, God does not want us to stop there. He wants us to grow in the new life that Christ has given us. You will learn more about God's desire for our growth in Christ in this section of the unit. Although God desires our growth, and we may desire that, too, there are some obstacles to growing in Christ. In this section, you will learn how to identify these obstacles and the ways that God helps us to overcome them. There are some "keys" to growing in Christ. By doing some basic things, we can nourish our new life in Christ and grow up healthy and strong as Christians. These keys to Christian growth will be explored in this section. Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the ways that God wants people to grow in Christ. Ephesians 4:15-16: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. GOD'S DESIRE FOR GROWTH IN CHRIST When Christians have received new life in Christ, they are meant to grow, just as a new plant springing forth from the earth is meant to grow. God desires that we grow in Christ. Paul writes, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Ephesians 4:15). Growth in Christ is normal for Christians. Much of the New Testament is concerned with the way Christians should think and act. It takes time for us to grow in the knowledge of Christ and this new way of life. Our growth should result in maturity as a Christian. We need to learn the basics of Christian living and cover more advanced aspects of life in Christ as we grow in His grace. The letter to the Hebrews says to Christians who have received the basic teachings of the Christian life, "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Hebrews 6:1). To "go unto perfection" is to grow in Christ. Even though we receive new life in Christ, we have to stop living our "old life." Paul wrote to the Ephesians (4:22-23): "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;" Our old nature of human life was under the power of sin. The old nature tends toward sinful thinking and acting. God wants Christians to put off that old man or old nature and put on the "new nature"; that is, the new nature resulting from Christ's life in us. Part of growing in Christ is learning to put off the old nature and to put on the new nature! It also means that our minds must be renewed. As we grow in Christ, our minds are renewed and we think more like Christ. We are to become more like Christ as we grow in the Christian life. Our lives should reflect Christ's life. Our words should be filled with love and compassion, as were His words. The "works" that we do should mirror those of Christ. Jesus promised His disciples that they would do the works that He did (John 14:12): "'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.'" As we grow in Christ, we will do more of the works that Christ did.

Obstacles to Growth Here are your objectives for this lesson. List and describe the three main obstacles to growth in the Christian life. List and describe the four main keys to growth in Christ. Although we have received new life in Christ, we face many obstacles to growth in Him. There are three main obstacles to growth in the Christian life: the world, the flesh, and the devil. You will learn more about each of these three main obstacles in this part of the unit. Vocabulary instrumental Serving as a means, agent, or tool. Vocab Arcade THE WORLD When we speak of the "world" as an obstacle to growing in Christ, we are speaking about a system of relationships, ideas, and values opposed to the Kingdom of God. When we speak of the world in this way, we do not mean the physical universe or creation. Genesis tells us that God saw the created world as "good" (Genesis 1). Nor do we mean the people of the world, when we refer to the "world." John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Rather, the use of the term "world" here is a reference to a set of ideas, actions, attitudes, norms, laws, and values in our cultures and societies that are against God and His people and become obstacles to Christian growth. The world's values are against those of Jesus Christ, and they do not support what God wants for our lives. The world's values are controlled by Satan, as the apostle John writes, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19). The world does not support a way of life that helps us grow in Christ. In fact, it tries to lead us away from Christ into a way of thinking and acting that is contrary to life in Christ. For example, many shows, commercials, and news programs on television and radio today reflect values and lifestyles that are contrary to the Christian way of living. They show relationships characterized by competition, greed, lust, power, and immorality. In contrast to the world's way of thinking and relating, Jesus wants us to be loving, kind, and humble toward one another. He wants us to serve each other in true love, harmony, and peace. The world glorifies money and material things. It would try to convince us that true peace and happiness comes from having money and many possessions. However, the Bible tells us, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10). Money, in itself, is not evil. In fact, it can be used to do much good, like supporting our families, building churches, and relieving the suffering of people. However, the love of money leads to evil and can prevent our growth in Christ. God's Word also tells us: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5). Christians can overcome the world through a strong faith in Christ. The apostle John wrote (1 John 5:4): "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Jesus assured His disciples in John 16:33, And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." Jesus has given us much help in our battle against the world, and you will learn about some of these helps later in this section of the unit.

The Purpose of the First Advent You will now study the specific purpose and mission for which Christ came to earth. Truly, it can be said that Christ was a man born to die, the just for unjust, that we might live. A comparison of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the mission of Christ and their New Testament fulfillment will also be presented. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify Old Testament prophecies concerning the ministry and sacrifice of the Messiah Compare Old Testament prophecy to passages in the book of Matthew concerning Christ's ministry, death, and resurrection Understand that Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah Vocabulary inspiration Divine manifestation enabling a person to receive and give sacred revelation. tithe A tenth part. Vocab Arcade Read Genesis 14:13-20; Leviticus, Chapter 16; Numbers 21:6-9; Psalms 110 and 118; Isaiah 4:2-6; 25:6-9; 26:1 and 19; and Chapter 60. The Mission of the First Advent. Genesis 14:13-20 provides us with a picture or a shadow of something which was yet to occur. Melchizedek, king of Salem, met Abraham returning from a war and blessed him. Abraham paid a tithe (tenth) to this priest. Who was this priest and king called Melchizedek? Hebrews 7:2-3 tells us that this priest was a king of righteousness and peace. He was without father or mother, having neither beginning nor ending of his life. He was made like the Son of God. Hebrews 7:15 states that another priest like Melchizedek will arise. The Bible shows Melchizedek as a type of Jesus Christ and of His priestly office for His people. The mission of a priest is to bring the people's sins before God and to offer a sacrifice which would bring His forgiveness. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was needed to cover the sins of the people; for God is a just God who cannot look upon sin but by his nature must punish it. The Old Testament priest had to present a lamb without blemish as sacrifice to God for sin. Hebrews 7:22-28 describes the priestly office which Christ would hold. Hebrews 7:25 states that Jesus is able to save His people to the uttermost if they will come to Him. He makes intercession on our behalf, ever pleading our case before the judgment seat of God. Christ becomes our lawyer (1 John 2:1-2) when we receive Him as our Savior. He transforms our lives and provides the abundant life to those who are His own. Romans 3:10 reminds us that the reason all human beings need Jesus as their personal Savior and Priest is because of sin: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:(Romans 3:10). Another prophetic portion of Scripture is found in Numbers 21:6-9. In that account, God's people had come into a serious situation. They were being bitten by serpents, and some were dying. This tragedy occurred because God's people had sinned by speaking evil against God and against His servant Moses. This message is applicable today since there are those who are quick to speak evil against God's servants instead of upholding them in prayer. God's mercy is seen (Numbers 21:9) as He instructs Moses to make a serpent out of brass resembling the one which had bitten God's people. Moses was instructed to place it high on a pole above God's people, and whoever would place their eyes upon it would be healed. This brass serpent became a type of savior for God's people as it was lifted up above them. Whoever would look toward the brass serpent in hope would be healed from the real serpent's bite. Here we see the mission of Jesus as the Savior of mankind. Christ has been lifted up as the world's hope, and those who look unto Him for their salvation shall be saved. John records Jesus' words, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14). Both the brass serpent and Jesus were lifted up, and in hope people looked to them for salvation and healing. One part of the mission of Jesus in coming to earth was to cleanse people from their sins and restore them unto fellowship with God. Isaiah the prophet foretold this aspect of Christ's mission in Isaiah 4:2-6. Jesus Christ is the Branch mentioned in Isaiah 4:2: In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. Isaiah 4:4 sets forth the purpose of Christ's death. Christ would purge mankind from their sins by His blood: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. (Isaiah 4:4). Jesus came to earth to set the captives free. The Fulfillment of the First Advent Mission. We must study the New Testament carefully to see if the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus were fulfilled. The Gospel of Matthew gives us specific examples of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Study this parallel comparison of Old Testament prophecies concerning the mission of Jesus and their respective New Testament fulfillment in Matthew's Gospel. Old Testament New Testament Prophecy About Jesus' Mission Fulfillment of Jesus' Mission Isaiah 9:7 Matthew 1:1 Heir to throne Book of generation of Jesus as Son of David Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 26:15 Sold for thirty pieces of silver And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. Psalm 27:12 Matthew 26:60 and 61 False witnesses accuse Him But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. Isaiah 53:4 and 5 Matthew 8:16 and 17 Wounded for our transgressions When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 27:38 Crucified with sinners Two thieves crucified with Him Psalm 16:10 Matthew 28:9 His resurrection Resurrected In this brief parallel comparison, you are able to see how various aspects of the mission of Jesus--His death and resurrection as Savior--were fulfilled. The fulfillment occurred and was completed in every detail. How Did Jesus Christ Die?

Offices of the Messiah Foretold Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill His mission as the Savior of the world. While on earth He fulfilled two specific offices, both related to His mission. In section one of this unit, we studied how the Old Testament prophets foretold Christ's coming hundreds of years before He came. In this chapter you will learn that early prophets foretold that Jesus would serve as the Redeemer of mankind. Our Savior came to redeem, to purchase back, mankind from the dominion of sin. Ever since the Fall of man in the garden, all people are in bondage to a sinful nature which seeks to disobey God and His ordinances. In this section you will study the prophecies of two Messianic offices that Jesus would hold: a servant and a redeemer. You will compare these prophecies to their fulfillment in the Gospel of Matthew. These provide more Christian evidences that Jesus Christ is God's Son and that the Bible is God's Word which revealed Him to the world. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify Old Testament prophecies concerning the offices of the Messiah Compare Old Testament prophecy to passages in Matthew concerning Christ's role as Servant and Redeemer Memorize Isaiah 9:6 Vocabulary capacity Maximum ability. humiliation The act of lowering dignity of self-respect. mutilation Cripple, deform. redeemer One who delivers, pays ransom. refuge A shelter or protection. Vocab Arcade Read Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Many Old Testament prophets foretold that Christ would serve in specific offices as the Messiah. In this section you will study both the prophetic aspects and the fulfillment of these specific offices. His redemptive office foretold. Psalm 22 relates a detailed account of the humiliation and suffering which Jesus was to endure as our Redeemer. The prophecy of the Messiah tells us that He will cry out, asking why His heavenly Father has forsaken Him. The writer of this Psalm pictures the terrible abuse, suffering, and rejection felt by Jesus as man's Savior. God could not look upon sin, and Jesus bore our sins upon the cross that we might have eternal life. In Psalm 22:5, the Messiah is said to be a deliverer and a redeemer of His people. While on earth, Jesus healed the sick, cast out evil spirits, raised the dead, and forgave people of their sins. Jesus worked and ministered to meet the needs of others. Psalm 22:6-8 predicted that the Messiah would be mocked, laughed at, and considered to be a reproach. When Jesus hung on the cross between heaven and earth, the people made fun of Him, ridiculed Him, poked their fingers at Him, and demanded from Him that He prove He was God's Son by coming off the cross. Psalm 22:12-17 describes the physical abuse, mutilation, torment, and suffering associated with the death of Jesus. Death by crucifixion was a form of punishment never used on a Roman citizen. Crucifixion was considered very cruel and very crude. Jesus suffered untold pain as He hung on the Cross. The weight of His body pulled downward on the spikes and His wounds bled freely. Jesus suffered all of this agony so that He could offer salvation to the world. He provided a new way of life, free of bondage and free of the domination of sin. Further humiliation is recorded in Psalm 22:18, which speaks of the casting of lots for the robe of Jesus. This brief study of Psalm 22 should help you see that the writer was foretelling specific details of Christ's death as our Redeemer. Later in this section, you will see how these details were fulfilled in the New Testament prophecies.

LIFE AFTER THE FALL Sin increased with the spread of the human race after the Fall. In fact, the problem of wickedness and evil became so bad among humans that God decided to flood the earth and make a new start with the human race through Noah. All human life was destroyed through the Flood except for Noah and his small family. After the Flood, God made a covenant with Noah that never again He would destroy the earth through a flood. However, sin and evil continued because the inclination to sin still existed among men. They could not save themselves. In their pride, men began to build a tower to the heavens at Babel. God saw the evil that would result from this effort, and He confused their language. Men abandoned the building of the Tower of Babel and were scattered over the whole earth. God limited the evil that men would do at that time. Now, God was about to begin something new with the human race that would eventually bring the Savior to earth many generations later. Abraham and His Descendants. Among all the men on earth at that time, God chose Abram of Ur to initiate His new plan of salvation and bring new life to the human race. Through Abram, God would build a family and nation that would be His special possession, and from whom the promised Savior would come. God told Abram to go to a new land. He also told Abram that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him. Abram put his faith in God and obeyed. Over the years, God blessed Abram, whose name was changed to Abraham. Abraham continued to have faith in God and His promises, and he obeyed God. Eventually, he did have descendants, and God promised them that He would bless and help them as well. Moses, David, and the Prophets. Because of a famine in their land, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob eventually settled in Egypt. God's divine preparation of Joseph, one of Jacob's sons who had become a man of great authority in Egypt, made this possible. While they were there, the numbers of their descendants increased; however, the Egyptians subjected them to cruel slavery. God raised up a deliverer, Moses, to help free the Israelites from the bondage of the Egyptians. The Lord, through Moses, led them out of Egypt and to the desert near Mt. Sinai. There, God made a covenant with the people as a nation, and He gave them His commandments and laws. The people were to be holy by following the Law of Moses. However, the people sinned terribly against God and disobeyed His law. Sin continued to have power over people, even God's chosen people, in spite of the Law. Eventually, the people of Israel settled in the Promised Land of Canaan. They had trouble following the Law of Moses because of sin. When they cried out to the Lord, God sent judges to help the people defeat their enemies and to turn the Israelites back to the Lord. Finally, after King Saul died in battle, God gave them a new king, David, who united the Israelites into one nation. God gave David a promise that one of his descendants would reign forever. Unfortunately, most of the kingly descendants of David continued to sin. During this time, God raised up prophets to call the people to faithfulness. They kept their hope alive for the future Savior, who would be a prophet like Moses and a descendant of David. Over the centuries, it became apparent that the Mosaic Covenant would not be able to solve the problem of human sin and evil in the world; therefore, God revealed more of His eternal plan for a Savior through the prophet Jeremiah. God revealed that He would make a new covenant with the people and place His law in their hearts. Through this new covenant, the sins of the people would be totally forgiven. This new covenant would one day be fulfilled through the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ Brings New Life You have learned how the original holiness and justice of man were lost in the Fall at the beginning of the human race. Sin and death changed human life from what God had originally intended it to be like. You also learned that, after the Fall, God did not abandon man, who was created in His own image and likeness. Rather, He cared for man and promised to send a Savior to bruise the head of Satan and deliver people from their bondage to sin. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Explain the ways that Jesus Christ brought new life to the human race. Describe aspects of human life after the coming of Jesus Christ. Over many centuries, God's providential plan unfolded through His chosen people, Israel. Finally, in the fullness of time, God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die for humanity's sin as Savior of the whole world. In this part of the unit, you will learn how Jesus brought new life to the human race and began a new creation. Incarnation. When Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, heaven was united with earth. At that point in the history of man, the Word became flesh (John 1:14). This event is called the Incarnation. The Incarnation was the first way that Jesus brought new life to the world. God was united to the material world as the Son of God became flesh in the womb of the virgin Mary. In addition, there was now a man upon earth, Jesus Christ, who was without sin. No stain of sin was contained in Jesus Christ. Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Through the incarnation of the Son of God, new life for man entered the world. The apostle Paul called Jesus "the last Adam." He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:45, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." This means that God made a new beginning for the human race in Jesus Christ. The last Adam, Jesus, came to give new life. As the apostle John wrote, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4). The life that Jesus brought to humanity would eventually cast out the power of sin and darkness and bring new life to all that would accept Him. Jesus' Life, Teachings, and Deeds. In the life of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God was made present in the world. Jesus told the Jewish Pharisees, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21). In Jesus, the Kingdom of God came into the world. This is the second way that Jesus brought new life into the world: His life, teachings, and deeds taught about the kingdom of God and made it more real for sinful humanity. Jesus revealed the Father to us, and He taught us about the Kingdom of God. Through His life, words, and deeds, Jesus taught us how to live a new life. Jesus showed that He had authority over, and was greater than, the powers of darkness, and death. In fact, the Bible says, "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" (John 11:25); and "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). True life, real life, new life, and eternal life came into the world in Jesus Christ through His life, teachings, and deeds. Jesus came to give us new life by being united to Him in faith and being born again of God. This is a third way that Jesus brought us new life. He united Himself to us through faith.

Trials, Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the trials of Jesus before the Jewish and Roman authorities. Vocabulary capital punishment The death penalty for committing a crime. corporal punishment Inflicted punishment directly on the body. facade A front. vehemently Marked by forceful energy or intense emotions. Vocab Arcade Before the Sanhedrin. The Gospel of Luke records a trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin that began after daybreak. It is possible that this trial involved the full Sanhedrin consisting of 71 members, whereas the trial the previous night had less than the full Sanhedrin assembled. Therefore, it is possible that Caiaphas realized that the trial the previous night might not be viewed as "legal" both because the full Sanhedrin was not assembled and also because it was held at night, which some Bible scholars believe was prohibited under Jewish law. Whatever the case, the full Sanhedrin assembled after daybreak in the hopes of adding a facade of legality to the activities of the night before. They acted quickly because the following day would be a holy day, the Sabbath. For religious reasons, the leaders of the Sanhedrin wanted a speedy execution of Jesus. They would defile themselves if they convicted Him on a holy day. Therefore, they preceded in haste with the third trial of Jesus. Repeating the examination of the prior trial, the council asked Jesus (Luke 22:67), Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: Jesus recognized the hardness of His accusers' hearts and answered (Luke 22:67), "If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me...." Their further inquiry posed the question as to whether Jesus was the Son of God. The Lord confirmed it by saying to them, "Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am." (Luke 22:70). The council compounded their violation of Jewish law by using Jesus' testimony as an admission of guilt. They said (Luke 22:71), "And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth." They confirmed the condemnation of the previous trial and wanted Jesus to be put to death. There were three problems in the Jewish legal proceedings at that time, however. First, the nature of the trial—with its numerous illegal aspects so far—no doubt bothered the religious leaders who understood the Old Testament Law. Second, the day of the trial was on the eve of a Sabbath during one of Israel's most important feasts. To encounter possible defilement so near a holy day could possibly incite criticism against the Sanhedrin. Third, Roman law at that time in Palestine prohibited the Jews from carrying out an execution. The Jews under Roman law could carry out corporal punishment, but they could not carry out capital punishment. Only the Romans were allowed to execute criminals, and these criminals had to be guilty of breaking Roman law, not Jewish law. The Sanhedrin hoped to eliminate all these problems by turning over Jesus to the local Roman authority, the governor Pontius Pilate. Luke records the outcome of this third trial (Luke 23:1): "And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate." Before Pilate. Pilate was the Roman authority in Judea. His position made him Rome's personal representative in Jerusalem and a man of great authority and power. In addition to wanting to eliminate the problems of the first trials, the Jewish council may also have hoped to demonstrate their loyalty to Rome by turning over to Pilate one whom they believed was a troublemaker. The fourth trial of Jesus before Pilate is covered in all four Gospels. John 18:28 tells of those who led Jesus to Pilate and that "Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover." Although these Jews were careful not to defile themselves by entering a Gentile place of government, they thought nothing of seeking a way to crucify an innocent man. Pilate went out to these accusers who would not enter the judgment hall and asked (John 18:29), "Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?" The Jewish council could not even cite a specific charge, but the fact that they brought Jesus to Pilate indicated His guilt of some crime. Pilate decided to question Jesus himself because the few charges the Jews finally made against Jesus (Luke 23:2) were too general and were not supported by any evidence. Pilate asked Jesus a number of questions in an effort to get at the truth of the matter. In 1 Timothy 6:13, the apostle Paul described this meeting by saying that Jesus "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;" Jesus would tell Pilate the truth. Pilate first asked Jesus (John 18:33), "Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?" Pilate, who was not really interested in matters pertaining to the Jews, attempted to identify Jesus. When Jesus asked Pilate about the source of his question (John 18:34), Pilate avoided a conclusion by saying (John 18:35), "Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?" Pilate continued to ask questions concerning Christ's kingdom and His kingship. Jesus replied (John 18:37) that He was a "king." He also said, "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." Pilate, whose spiritual blindness prevented him from understanding these divine words of truth, dismissed the entire matter by saying (John 18:38), "What is truth?" He did not understand who was before him. Nevertheless, Pilate reported his verdict to the Jews following his first examination of Jesus and said (John 18:38), "Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all." Jesus was found innocent by Pilate in this fourth trial. The Jews refused to accept this decision and pressured Pilate to reverse his verdict (Luke 23:5). Luke records that "And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place." When Pilate learned that Jesus was Galilean, he realized that he might be able to shift responsibility for the matter to someone else. Luke 23:7 states, "And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod�s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time." The fourth trial of Jesus ended, and a fifth one was about to begin.

Before Herod. Herod Antipas, who was the governor of Galilee and was responsible for putting John the Baptist to death, had heard many things about Jesus. Luke recorded (Luke 23:8) that upon seeing Jesus, Herod "And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him." Herod was curious about Jesus and wanted to be entertained by signs and miracles. Jesus, however, was not interested in performing signs merely to satisfy Herod's curiosity. The fifth trial of Jesus began with Herod questioning Jesus. Luke records it briefly as follows (Luke 23:9): "Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing." Jesus' silence continued to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Meanwhile, the Jewish chief priests and scribes stood by and vehemently accused Jesus. Soon Herod grew tired of this show and began to mock Jesus along with his soldiers. Making fun of Jesus, they ended this fifth trial and "...arrayed him in a gorgeous robe..." (Luke 23:11). Herod then sent Jesus back to Pilate. Before Pilate. Jesus' sixth and last trial was before Pilate again. Pilate had earlier found no charge of which Christ was guilty. The Jews of the Sanhedrin, however, were unwilling to abandon their scheme to have Jesus put to death. Their objective was to destroy Jesus, and the method of these religious leaders was to put pressure upon Pilate to carry out the execution. Pilate attempted to avoid making a final decision concerning Jesus by using a tradition that had been established in areas over which Rome ruled. John 18:39 records that Pilate said: "But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" Even though Pilate had found Jesus not guilty of any crime, his weakness made him begin to treat Jesus as a criminal. Barabbas was also a Jew and was being held under arrest by Pilate. Barabbas was a hardened criminal and had been found guilty of murder and robbery (Luke 23:19). He was a vile man, and yet the religious leaders, along with the crowd said, "...Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas..." (Luke 23:18). Pilate even encouraged the crowd a second time to consider releasing Jesus, but the Jews continued to cry out (Luke 23:21), "But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him." In blind rage, the Jewish leaders stirred up the crowd to not only kill an innocent man, but to release a hardened and murderous criminal. It was a perversion of justice. In what may have been a cowardly way to satisfy the rage of the mob, Pilate had Christ beaten and scourged with a whip. The soldiers who carried out this punishment set a crown of thorns upon the Lord's head and put upon Him a purple robe. Then He was brought before the crowd again, and Pilate shouted (John 19:4), "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." Pilate told the Jewish mob that they would have to deal with Jesus, but "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." (John 19:7). Perhaps Pilate had not known that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God or perhaps the dreams that troubled Pilate's wife (Matthew 27:19) caused fear to rise up in him. Whatever the reason, Pilate "...was the more afraid" (John 19:8). For the second time, Pilate sought to release Jesus (John 19:12,15), but the crowd and the Sanhedrin became even more insistent. They continued to cry out (John 19:15), "But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar." Pilate finally agreed to the demands of the mob and handed Jesus over to be crucified (19:16). As if to attempt to remove his own guilt, Pilate publicly washed his hands of the whole matter (Matthew 27:24). However, Pilate could not escape his own cowardly actions in allowing an innocent man to be killed. The condemnation of Jesus was a blatant perversion of justice. Yet, in all of this, the Father's plan would be fulfilled. Jesus would die for the sins of the whole world.

The Ascension Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Vocabulary mediator One who comes between two others to bring peace or to resolve a problem or situation. Vocab Arcade The ascension of Jesus refers to that time when Jesus "ascended" into heaven to be with the Father in His glorified humanity. Good Bible scholars and theologians differ as to when the Ascension occurred. Some believe that Christ ascended on the day of His resurrection and on numerous occasions after that until His final ascension as described in Acts 1. Others believe that there was only one ascension, the one described in Acts 1. Whatever the case, it is agreed by all that Acts 1 describes the final ascension of Jesus into heaven. Without the fact of Christ's ascension, a number of Christian truths would not be complete. First, Christ's ascension to the Father demonstrates that Christ's victory on the cross was acceptable to the Father. Second, the Lord's victory over Satan was secured when God said to Jesus (Hebrews 1:13), "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" Third, without the Ascension, the Holy Spirit would not have been sent to the disciples. Fourth, the Ascension permitted Jesus to be our mediator before the Father. To intercede on the believer's behalf, it is necessary for Jesus to be in the presence of the Father. As our mediator, Christ is also our priest and advocate; that is, He represents us before the Father in heaven. The most important fact about the Ascension is not that Jesus left the earth but that He entered heaven on our behalf. Hebrews 9:11-12 says, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." The holy place is heaven in the Father's presence. The writer of Hebrews describes this further (Hebrews 9:24): "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was acceptable to God and made unnecessary the sacrifices under the Old Testament. Jesus' sacrifice allows those who believe in Him to be made righteous and holy before God. Hebrews 10:14 states, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." As Christians, we can have joy, comfort , and hope knowing that Christ our Savior has ascended to heaven and has given us the perfection and holiness that we need to one day enter heaven ourselves. The final ascension of the Lord is recorded in Acts 1:3-11. This account begins by saying that Jesus "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" (Acts 1:3). According to Acts 1:12, the final ascension of Jesus took place at "the mount called Olivet." This is also called the Mount of Olives, and it is located just east of Jerusalem above the Garden of Gethsemane. During this final appearance to His disciples, Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received "the promise of the Father," that is, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). As recorded in Acts 1:8, Jesus promised that the disciples would "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The plan and geographical outline given by the Lord to His disciples just before His ascension was, in fact, the way the Gospel was spread through the world. First of all, the disciples did receive the power to share the good news of Jesus when they later received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). This occurred in Jerusalem, and the disciples quickly gained other believers by sharing the good news. Soon, there were converts in other villages in Judea. In Acts 8, the Lord used the deacon Philip to take the good news to Samaria. Peter and John also went to Samaria to share the good news and help the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-15). In Acts 10, Peter took the good news to the Gentile Cornelius at Caesarea, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, the book of Acts ends with the apostle Paul sharing the good news in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire and the most important city in the world at that time. The plan for the spread and expansion of the Gospel happened just as Jesus predicted before He ascended into heaven. After Jesus made the promise that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, the final ascension of Jesus took place. Luke describes it this way (Acts 1:9-11): And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Jesus fully completed His mission on earth, and He now intercedes for us in heaven. After His ascension, the Lord would depend upon His disciples to carry the good news of salvation to the ends of the earth. He would send the Holy Spirit to help them do this. He still depends upon His disciples today to spread the gospel. He depends upon you! He will always be with you to help you, as He promised (Matthew 28:20). Play Farmer Frank's for a unit review before your quiz and test.

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Patterns of Hebrew Poetry Hebrew poetry is not dependent upon the rhyming of words; therefore, the psalmists did not have to be concerned about rhythm or meter. English poetry follows certain established patterns and follows an established cadence. Although some flexibility is allowed in English poetry, it does not compare to the openness and flexibility of Hebrew poetry. The only way the modern reader can know that some pattern was used in certain Psalms is to study the titles and terms used to explain these writings. Here is your goal for this lesson: Explain the patterns of Hebrew poetry. Titles of the Psalms. Of the six technical names found in the Bible that describe the Psalms, two refer to the Psalms as being sung. A pattern, beat, and meter would have to be used by the writer and the singers in order to sing a Psalm. The word psalm is used in fifty-seven titles of the one hundred fifty Psalms in the book of Psalms. The word psalm refers to a song sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments. To sing a Psalm and to accompany the singing with stringed instruments, a pattern would have to exist within the Psalm. Twelve of the Psalms are called songs. This title would also imply some type of established pattern. Since we know that at least sixty-nine Psalms were sung and that they required a meter or pattern, why are we unable to determine the pattern? The reason is found in the structure of the Hebrew language itself. The Hebrew language was written without vowels--only consonants were used. Vowel sounds were either known or assumed by the reader. After the time of Christ, the scribes added vowel pointings beneath and within the letters. Although these vowel pointings helped the oral reader of Hebrew, they were partially developed through guesswork. We cannot be certain that we are reading Hebrew in the same way the psalmist read the words he wrote. Imagine trying to read English poetry not knowing how to pronounce the words. If the correct pronunciation is unknown, finding the pattern or meter is an almost impossible task. Musical Terms. In addition to the two technical names that indicate psalms to be sung, the introductions to the Psalms, or their superscriptions, include musical terms. Fifty of the Psalms use the phrase, "To the chief musician." Psalms 42, 44-49, 84 and 87-88 refer to the "sons of Korah" in their introductions. This phrase is not fully understood, but many scholars believe that it is a musical indication made to a special group of Temple musicians. Many Hebrew words found in the psalms are believed to be musical terms. The Hebrew word jeduthun found in Psalms 39, 62, and 77 is thought to refer to a special guild of musicians. The word neginoth found in seven Psalms indicated the need for accompaniment with stringed instruments. The one occurrence of the word alamoth in Psalm 46 calls for the use of the lyrics. Nehilloth in Psalm 5 refers to wind instruments, and sherninth in Psalms 6 and 12 calls for the use of an eight-stringed lute. These terms indicate that music and the Psalms were closely related. The music that was present in the Psalms called for pattern and meter. Unknown Terms. The most popular term used in the Psalms is also the one about which the least is known. The Hebrew word selah comes from a root word that means to cast up or to raise up. Some scholars believe that the term selah was used to mark a place where the singers were to raise up their voices in joyful praise. Others believe the term indicated a time of musical interlude or the crashing of cymbals. Still other scholars believe the word selah was used by the psalmist to mark a time of silence or whispering which would be accompanied by soft, stringed music. This quiet time was designed to encourage worship and meditation. Whatever the meaning of selah, a musical connection must be made when the word is used in the book of Psalms. Many Christian and Jewish scholars have studied the book of Psalms to learn more about the pattern or meter of Hebrew poetry. Their study continues to this day.

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The Cleansing of the Temple. At the end of the day of His triumphal entry, Jesus and His disciples returned to Bethany. What the Master had observed during His ministry in the Temple disturbed Him greatly. More than three years before, Jesus had entered that same Temple and cleared out the moneychangers and those who robbed the people (John 2:13-22). Although the first cleansing of the Temple temporarily interrupted the evil activity of the moneychangers, they quickly returned to their wicked trade. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple gives evidence of His authority over the spiritual affairs of Israel and demonstrates His eternal sovereignty. On the morning after His triumphal entry, Jesus again entered the Temple. Mark 11:15-16 tells us, And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. Because the religious leaders—the scribes and priests—profited from the sale of the sacrificial animals and from the exchange of foreign currency that took place in the Temple, they were greatly angered at Jesus. The Lord turned to these leaders of the people and proclaimed the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 7:11. The Bible says, "And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Mark 11:17). Rather than accept the rebuke of the Messiah and confess their sin, the Bible tells us, "And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." (Mark 11:18). The Gentiles Seek Jesus. One of the more astonishing events of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem occurred when certain Greeks sought the Messiah. Up to this point, Jesus' earthly ministry had been primarily to those who were both racial and religious Jews. During the Passover feast, however, certain Greeks came to the Lord's disciples asking to meet the Master. These Greeks were perhaps proselytes who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. Philip, who was one of the twelve disciples, was a Jew of Bethsaida although he had a Gentile name. The Greeks sought out Philip, whom they may have mistaken for a Gentile convert to Judaism. The Bible says, "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus." (John 12:21). This request from these Greeks surprised Philip, who had regarded Jesus as the Savior of only the Jews. He quickly shared this inquiry with Andrew. Andrew and Philip then explained to Jesus what had happened. "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." (John 12:23). These events clearly fulfill the testimony that is given earlier in the Gospel of John: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:11-12). The majority of the Jews and their leaders had rejected the Lord, but following the cross, salvation would be offered to whomever would call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus used this astonishing event to share with His disciples the divine mission that He had come to fulfill. He told them a parable, in which He stated, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24). In this parable, Jesus referred to His own mission—He must die to bear the fruit of man's salvation. Jesus also taught His followers directly about His death by stating, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32-33). God the Father validated the mission of Jesus by breaking forth from heaven in a voice and answering Jesus' request that He glorify His name, "Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." (John 12:28). Incredibly, even as the Lord Jesus taught the people and they heard the divine words of the Father, they argued with the Savior. John 12:37 sadly tells us that, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:" As we continue reading in the Gospel of John (John 12:38-41) we see that the eyes of the people had been blinded and their hearts hardened against the only begotten Son of God.

The Arguments of the Jewish leaders. Because of the Lord's cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem and His strong rebuke of the religious leaders and their evil practices, the rulers of the Jews sought how to get rid of Him. Preceding the Passover, Jesus and His twelve disciples came from Bethany to Jerusalem where the Master ministered in the Temple. He knew that His life was in danger, but He did not regard His own safety more than His ministry or His mission. No doubt, many had urged the Savior to flee from Jerusalem in order to avoid capture by the religious leaders, but Jesus stayed to fulfill His Father's will. Similarly, a Christian today may find himself in a situation where running away would be an easy way out of a problem. However, it is important to remember that the ministry and mission of a child of God is greater than the problems of any situation. If God has put us in a place, He will provide the power and wisdom we need to serve Him in that place. Jesus, of course, understood this truth and knew that by going to the Temple on the third day following His triumphal entry, He was placing Himself in an accessible position and leaving Himself open to the attacks of the religious leaders. The Gospel of Mark makes it clear that the Lord had not even begun to teach before the religious leaders were upon Him with their questions and arguments. Perhaps these Jewish rulers thought that Jesus had already done and said enough. Whatever the case, their main objective was to silence Him so that He could no longer influence the people. Four rounds of interrogation occurred on that day in the Temple and four different groups questioned the Lord's teaching and ministry. The first group included the chief priests, scribes, and elders, who together composed the Sanhedrin. The second group was an alliance of the Pharisees and the Herodians, whose only common ground was their dislike of Jesus. The third group was the Sadducees, who formed the aristocracy of Israel. The fourth group that approached the Savior included the scribes and overseers of the Law, one of whom asked Jesus a very specific question. These men demanded of Jesus, "And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?" (Mark 11:28). The very nature of their questions revealed that they did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. On many occasions, Jesus had taught the people of Israel that He was sent from the Father above and that He did the will of the Father. He knew the religious leaders would not believe Him even if He told them again. Therefore, Jesus responded to their questions with a question about the ministry of John the Baptist: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me." (Mark 11:30). These men desired Jesus' death, but also feared the people who were standing around listening. Therefore, they responded, "And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." (Mark 11:33). These religious leaders knew that John was admired and respected among the people, and that John himself had proclaimed Jesus as "...the Lamb of God" (John 1:36). They were caught, because they knew that if they criticized John, the crowd would get angry; but if they praised John, they would have to accept John's testimony concerning Jesus. Their unwillingness to answer allowed Christ to respond to their original question by saying, "And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." (Mark 11:33). The second confrontation occurred following Jesus' teaching of the parable about the lord of the vineyard, recorded in Mark 12:1-11. We learn from the parable that the lord of the vineyard would destroy those who dared to destroy the rightful heir. Jesus is the heir of all things; therefore, judgment awaits those who try to destroy Him. Mark 12:12 tells us that "And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way." These men did not give up. They devised a second plan of attack. Normally, the Pharisees and the Herodians would have nothing in common. The Pharisees were loyal to the traditions of Israel, while the Herodians were loyal to Rome. Often, these two groups openly argued with each other, but in Jesus, they found a common enemy. Both groups believed they would do well to remove Jesus from the scene. Mark 12:13-14 relates that a combined force of these two groups approached Jesus and attempted to lure him in with flattery, then trap Him with the following question: "...Is it lawful to give tribute [pay taxes] to Caesar, or not?" If Jesus answered by saying that it was not lawful, the Herodians would have charged Him with treason. If He had said that such tribute was lawful, the religious Pharisees would have accused Him of disloyalty to the Jewish people. The Lord first responded to them, saying, "Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it." (Mark 12:15). Jesus was well aware of their evil plan and was way ahead of them. Jesus then asked those standing nearby to bring Him a denarius, a Roman coin. Showing the coin to the Pharisees and the Herodians, the Savior asked (Mark 12:16-17), And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar�s. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar�s, and to God the things that are God�s. And they marvelled at him. The Lord's answer both satisfied the question and frustrated those who questioned Him. The Sadducees were the next group of religious leaders who came to question Jesus. The Sadducees were the wealthy and aristocratic Jews. They only accepted the first five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) as divinely inspired Scriptures. They rejected all other books from the Old Testament. Consequently, they had no faith in the Resurrection and certainly did not believe in the one who offered eternal life to all. Like many who amass wealth and position, the Sadducees sought happiness only in temporal things with little regard for eternal values. Their questions to the Master were very subtle. Their first question concerned a woman who had been widowed seven times. They inquired, "In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife." (Mark 12:23). Knowing that these hypocrites did not believe in the resurrection or in the Old Testament Scriptures which foreshadowed Him, Jesus rebuked them by saying (Mark 12:24-27), And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. Having no success with their foolish questions, the Sadducees swiftly left. The fourth questioner of Jesus came not to argue, but to learn. A scribe, who had listened to the answers that the Lord had given to the others, recognized that Jesus had answered them well. The scribe asked Jesus to tell him which of the commandments was the greatest. The Lord's answer went beyond the question as He declared (Mark 12:29-31): And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. The scribe would have been quite familiar with the first commandment Jesus cited in His answer. This commandment was known among the Jews as the Shema and was their pledge of faith. The second commandment that Jesus cited is just as important as the first one He mentioned. In other words, if one truly loves God with his heart soul, strength, and mind, he should also love his neighbor, who is created in God's image. By the grace of God, the scribe recognized that what Jesus was saying was the truth. He responded by saying to Jesus in Mark 12:32-33, And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Jesus, seeing that this scribe had answered wisely, declared to him, "And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question." (Mark 12:34). In other words, Jesus saw that this man sincerely wanted to learn and was, indeed, very close to being correct in his understanding of the truth of God. As the questions ended, Jesus began to teach the people about Himself and His work. The Lord and His disciples then left the Temple and journeyed to the Mount of Olives. The religious leaders had tried to entrap Jesus and thus end His ministry to the people. His mission, however, was the will of God the Father; therefore, no plan of man or scheme of Satan could stop Him.

The Temptations of Jesus Matthew, Mark, and Luke each mention Jesus' temptation in their Gospels. Matthew's account (Matthew 4:1-11) shows Jesus being led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness with the express purpose of being tempted by Satan. Although the Scriptures only record three of the intense temptations, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews declared, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15). Satan attempted to cause Christ to stumble. If Christ were to sin, He would no longer be qualified to be the Savior of fallen man. God's purpose in allowing His Son to be tempted by the devil was greater than any wicked plan of the evil one. God desired to demonstrate the sinlessness of the Savior, His qualification to go to the Cross and die in our place. Jesus withstood temptations that were far greater than any that man could ever know. This lesson reviews the inspired record of our Lord's resistance to Satan. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify the purpose of the temptation of Jesus List the temptations of Jesus and His responses to them Memorize Hebrews 4:15 Vocabulary appropriate To take for oneself, to set aside for a certain purpose. intense Very much; very great; very strong. Vocab Arcade Read Matthew 4:1-11. Memory Verse: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) The First Temptation. Jesus had gone forty days without food, fasting in the wilderness. His human body hungered for nourishment, and Satan tempted Him in that area of physical need. Although Satan is limited by God in power and in knowledge, he has a world system by which he can observe us and can know our weaknesses. Satan would not tempt us in an area of spiritual strength, but he would take every advantage to make us stumble in our weaknesses. Jesus was hungry, and He would be tempted to use His divine power to nourish His human body. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matthew 4:3). Jesus was the Son of God and Jesus had the power to turn stones to bread. However, His wonderful miracles were done for others in order to draw them closer to His Father in heaven. He would not perform this miracle, especially not at Satan's demand. Jesus answered the tempter by quoting a statement that He had revealed to Moses nearly fifteen hundred years earlier. Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4). While Satan was trying to make Jesus act independently of His Heavenly Father, our Lord was quoting the Word of God. We too can find strength to resist temptation by clinging to the principles and promises of God's Holy Word. A promise is given to believers in 1 Corinthians 10:13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The Second Temptation. Having failed at his previous attempt to persuade the Savior, Satan changed his plan of attack. Satan would try to weaken the relationship Christ had with the Word of God. Transporting Jesus to the wing of the Temple in Jerusalem Satan quoted a passage from Psalm 91. Notice the slight contrast in these passages: Psalm 91:11-12: For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Matthew 4:6: And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Although Satan made an accurate translation of the Hebrew text, he made two serious errors. These same errors in handling the Word of God continue to be made even today. First, the tempter took the passage out of its proper context. In Psalm 91, the previous verse (Psalm 91:10) speaks of evil and plagues--not jumping purposely off a building. Second, Satan added to the Word of the Most High God his own interpretation by saying, "at any time." This phrase is not found in Psalm 91. Jesus countered the misuse of the Word of God with another passage of Scripture which specifically applied to Satan's temptation. Quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Matthew 4:7). When others around us misuse the Bible for their own evil intentions, we must cling all the more to the full counsel of God. To do this, we need to know what the Bible says. The Final Temptation. Failing to persuade Jesus through any prior temptations, Satan would now offer to Christ that which Christ rightly deserved. Taking our Lord to a high mountain, the tempter unveiled all the kingdoms of the world and said in Matthew 4:9, And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Satan was no longer attacking the Son of God Himself, but he now leveled his temptation at the very plan of the Father. God's plan was for His only begotten Son to have these kingdoms as His own eternal inheritance. Satan's plan was to have Jesus appropriate the kingdoms. Christ, however, knew that His Father's plan was what He would follow. As Jesus carefully and fully followed God's plan, so should we. God's plan is not merely one of the ways we are to seek, but it is the only way we can find true happiness and purpose in our Christian lives. Jesus resisted Satan's offer by a command and by quoting Scripture. Quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, He said, Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:10). Whenever anything or anyone comes before our worship of God, we fall into idolatry--putting things and people before our love for our Heavenly Father.

The Disciples of Christ The initial step of Jesus' public ministry was the training of other men to proclaim God's truth. One who follows another and learns from another is called a disciple. Many disciples followed our Lord at various times during His ministry. At times we find thousands of men, women, and children following the Lord and learning from Him. A small group of disciples, however, were the closest to the Lord. The Twelve, as they are called, began as occasional followers of Jesus, then they became disciples, and eventually they were commissioned Apostles. Here are your goals for this lesson: Define the term disciple List the original twelve disciples of Christ Vocabulary campaign A number of connected activities that accomplish a course of action. commission To appoint and give authority to. lucrative Bringing in money; yielding profit. Vocab Arcade Read John 1:35-51. The twelve disciples did not come to Jesus at the same time. Although some were related, the majority did not know one another before they came to know Jesus. Some disciples such as Andrew (Luke 24:13-35), were with Jesus from the early days of the Lord's ministry. Others such as Matthew (Luke 5:27-32), did not follow Jesus until a year and a half after the inception of the Lord's ministry. Some of the disciples came to follow Jesus through miracles, others through His message, and still others by the compassion the Savior showed to them. All the disciples were from Galilee except for one Judean, Judas Iscariot, who would betray the Lord. Call of the Four. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, many people followed Him for brief periods of time, only to return to their homes at a later time. The economic base of Palestine made most work seasonable or temporary. People could leave their homes for periods of time having only to return when they were needed for work. The fishing industry especially was such an occupation. Andrew, Peter, James, and John were fishermen as well as disciples. They followed Jesus but when work needed to be done, they would return to the sea of Galilee. Jesus had ministered in Judea for nearly a year prior to going to Capernaum. The four disciples, along with Philip and Nathaniel, had followed the Lord before that time, but they had later returned to their homes and occupations. In Luke 5:1-11, the Lord Jesus called Andrew, Peter, James and John for the final time. No doubt these fishermen were pleased as the Lord moved to Galilee. Here they could fish and work as well as continue an association with Jesus. Jesus, however, had other plans for these four. Jesus had been preaching to the crowds while the disciples were fishing by night. Having caught no fish, the four fishermen came to the shore and were caring for their nets. Jesus spoke to Peter (also called Simon) telling him to put out to sea and let down his nets again. Peter did so and soon the catch of fish was beyond his ability to handle. Peter called for James and John and along with Andrew filled their boats until they began to sink. Jesus used this miracle to show these four that He did not want part-time disciples. If the Lord could fill their boats with fish He could also provide their every need. The four disciples gave up a lucrative business to follow Jesus. Jesus promised them that they would become fishers of men (Luke 5:11). Peter, James, and John would become the disciples who were closest to Jesus. Together they would share in seeing Jesus raise Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5:1-20) and witness the Transfiguration of Jesus near Caesarea Philippi. Call of the Twelve. Following Jesus' extensive Galilean campaigns, which occurred during the second year and the first part of the third year of His public ministry, Jesus began special training of the Twelve. Mark 3:13-14 relates, And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, The four lists of the Twelve are found in Mark 3:17-19; Luke 6:14-16; Matthew 10:2-4; and Acts 1:13. The Twelve were trained by the Lord and commissioned as Apostles to minister God's Word to God's people. The following charts lists the Twelve and their activities. Biblical mention after Acts, Chapter 1: Peter Became leader of the Twelve. Martyred in Rome. James First disciple to be martyred. John Outlived all the disciples. Died A.D. 96. Philip Preached in Phrygia. No Biblical mention after Acts, Chapter 1: Andrew Ministered in Greece. Bartholomew Ministered in India. Matthew Ministered in Judea for fifteen years. Thomas Preached in Persia. James the Lesser Unknown after Acts, Chapter 1. Thaddaeus Unknown after Acts, Chapter 1. Simon the Canaanite A political zealot. No mention after Acts, Chapter 1. Judas Iscariot Betrayed the Lord. Committed suicide. The twelve commissioned Apostles were given privileges by Jesus as mentioned in Mark 3:14-15. The Apostles were to continue to be with their Lord. Jesus would send them to proclaim His truth to the world. They would also have authority over demons. Following the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, these Apostles were used by God to build the faith, and lead the body of Christ.

THE GRACE OF GOD The third key attribute of God toward human beings is grace. Grace is the undeserved favor of God toward those who have no merit of their own. Grace cannot be bought, earned, or won by any person. If it could be, then it would not be grace. Grace is freely given by God. The greatest treatment of God's attribute of grace found in the Bible occurs in the writings of the apostle Paul. In his writings, Paul contrasts grace with works; that is, the works performed by men in obedience to the Laws of Moses. In Romans 11:6, Paul writes about our being chosen by God through Christ: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." In another very important passage of Scripture (Ephesians 2:8-9), Paul says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Therefore, it is by God's grace that we are put into right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The word grace simply means unmerited favor. We receive something that we neither earned nor deserved. There are two aspects of God's grace that are worth noting. First, God's grace is eternal. God's grace existed before the Fall of man and before it was needed to help man obtain salvation. In 2 Timothy 1:9, we read that God, "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," In other words, Paul is saying that God's plan long ago, before the world began, included the grace that He would give us when His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared on earth. The second aspect is that it is a free gift. Romans 3:23-24 says: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" (Romans ). God's grace is freely given to human beings. It is not earned, and it is not owed to us by God. His grace is a free gift to us. The message of God's grace to us is good news! God's grace is so important that it is mentioned in the bible over two hundred times! When we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, we should tell them that they can have eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and the peace of God simply by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Plan of God Here is your objective for this lesson. Explain the eternal plan of God, especially for man. Vocabulary pinnacle The highest point of achievement or development. redeem To free from captivity by payment of ransom. Vocab Arcade In His love and wisdom, the eternal God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) planned to create all that exists and set man as the pinnacle of all His material creation. Yet He knew from all ages that man would sin and fall from God's grace. He therefore planned from all ages to send the Savior, Jesus Christ, to redeem man from the slavery of sin and help those who believe in Jesus to become children of God (John 1:12). In the next section of this unit, you will cover the history of man in more detail, both human life before Christ and human life after Christ. In the remainder of this section, you will study a brief overview of the plan of God that was accomplished in Jesus Christ. This plan of God is sometimes called "the plan of salvation." It is God's plan that would solve the problem of sin in the universe. This plan has both a provision and a process. The Provision. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and of God, His Father. Jesus is the most unique person in the universe. He is fully God and fully man. Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins. While Jesus hung upon the cross, God the Father allowed Jesus to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, both past, present, and future. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the apostle Paul wrote, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Even though we are dead in our sins and by nature rebel against God, we can have hope in Christ. Through Christ's death on the cross, our sins are forgiven and we can have a new life in God. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved. Their answer was brief and to the point, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31). When we believe in Christ, we receive the Savior and His wonderful gift of eternal spiritual life. Have you believed in Christ as your Savior? If not, you can receive the gift of eternal life now by repenting of your sins, believing in Jesus, and asking Him to live in your heart. When we receive Christ into our hearts, we receive new life! In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote to the believers there, reminding and encouraging them, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" (Ephesians 2:1). John 10:10 promises us not just life, but abundant life: Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Salvation brings us into God's family and provides grace and blessings so that we might live a life pleasing to God. The Process. Paul wrote to the Ephesians reminding them of the source of their great and precious gift of salvation: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8). Man is unable to save himself. A man can try to produce human good to save himself, but the truth is that man's good cannot save him. Adam's sin of disobedience led to condemnation for all men, but Jesus' act of obedience provides redemption for all men: "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18). What should our reaction be when we realize our own inability to save ourselves? We should be thankful and rejoice that God has given us a Savior whom we can depend upon to remove all that stands in the way of our fellowship with our Creator. The apostle Peter explains in 1 Peter 2:24 that the sin problem was solved because of Christ, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." Romans 6:23 tells us that the penalty of sin is death, but that Christ "...died unto sin once..." (Romans 6:10). Thankfully, we are born again when we accept Christ as our Savior (1 Peter 1:23). We should be especially thankful that "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21). When you accept Christ, God's righteousness is credited to you. God's perfect character was satisfied at the cross by the work of His Son (Romans 3:25). Man's human life, which limited him to human things only, was overcome at the cross. No longer is the Christian in Adam; he is now in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22).

In the history of mankind, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is second in importance only to the death of Christ. Indeed, in Christ's humble birth was the destiny of the cross. In the miracle of His birth the eternal Son of God came to earth to live among men and to die for their sins. His birthday foreshadowed His death day. The Old Testament prophets revealed many things about the Messiah. People knew he was coming. Those who studied the Scriptures knew of the coming Messiah and the events that would occur surrounding His birth. Miracles occurred at Christ's birth which further confirmed the uniqueness of this event. The manner of His birth--in a manger in Bethlehem--was a humble entrance for the Son of God who chose to come and die on behalf of men. Here are your goals for this lesson: Review the prophecies concerning Christ's birth Reflect on the miracles surrounding Christ's birth Vocabulary betrothed Engaged to be married. frankincense A gum resin which gives off a sweet smell when burned. myrrh A bitter-tasting, fragrant gum. Vocab Arcade Read Luke 1 and 2. Prophecy of Christ's Birth. The first prophecy of Christ in the Old Testament (Genesis 3:15) was also a prophecy of His birth. God told Adam and Eve that their deliverer, Christ, would come through the human race and be from the seed (offspring) of the woman. Genesis 12:2 refers to the blessing that would come from Abraham and the nation that would come from him. No greater blessing could be given to mankind than the Son of God Himself. This blessing, the Lord Jesus Christ, would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Many specific details are also found in the Old Testament regarding Jesus' humble birth. The prophet Micah foretold that Bethlehem would be the place of the Savior's birth (Micah 5:2). Isaiah, over seven hundred years before Christ's birth, wrote that this birth would be unique. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14). Christ would not come from the family of Adam. His Father was God. His mother, Mary, qualified Christ as fully man. Through the virgin birth the God-Man, Jesus Christ, was born into the human race and yet was forever without sin. Additional names of Christ our Lord were given in the Old Testament Scriptures. Isaiah 9:6 states, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. All of these names referred to Jesus, and His birth brought Him to fallen mankind. Such prophecies found in the Old Testament concerning Christ's birth relate to His pre-existence. The prophecies also validate the divine purpose of Jesus' birth. As we study the New Testament account of Christ's birth, we can observe the grand fulfillment of these prophetic promises. Miracles of Christ's Birth. The first miracle attending the birth of Christ occurred prior to Mary's conversation with the angel Gabriel. Elisabeth, Mary's cousin (Luke 1:36), had no children. Elisabeth's husband, Zacharias, was a Temple priest. He was visited in the Temple by an angel who announced to him that they would have a child. Although Elisabeth and Zacharias were old, they would have a son who would be named John and would proclaim the coming of the Messiah. Six months after Elisabeth conceived (Luke 1:24-27), the angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. Mary had been betrothed to Joseph. In ancient times the betrothal was the final event prior to the marriage itself. Gabriel told Mary that she would miraculously conceive a son. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (Luke 1:31). Although Mary had many questions, she accepted this experience as a privilege in the will of God. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38). Later, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Joseph also had many questions, but the Scriptures state that, Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: (Matthew 1:24). Because of the decree of Caesar Augustus requiring all citizens to return to their native cities for taxation purposes, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7). Outside Bethlehem on that eventful night, there were shepherds caring for their flocks. As these shepherds gathered in the still of night, an angel of the Lord came to them. While the glory of the Lord shone all around them, the angel announced, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11). The shepherds left their sheep to seek the one who was their Shepherd, their Savior, in a manger in Bethlehem. Following the circumcision of Jesus, which identified Him with the nation of Abraham, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Old Testament Law prescribed a sacrifice to be made unto the Lord when a child was born (Exodus 13:2 and Leviticus 12:1-8). During the Temple visit, which occurred forty-one days after Jesus' birth, two individuals testified of the God-Man Jesus. A righteous and devout man named Simeon was led by the Spirit to Jesus in the Temple. He took Jesus into his arms and said, For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, (Luke 2:30). Looking at Jesus, Simeon knew that this Baby was the Savior of the world. Luke 2:38 tells of a prophetess named Anna, who was faithful in her worship at the Temple. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. After they left the Temple, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Nazareth, their own city (Luke 2:39). Wise men from the East also sought out the Lord Jesus after His birth (Matthew 2:1-12). When they came to Jerusalem, their search brought them before the king of Palestine, Herod the Great. Learning that a king had been born to the Jews, Herod calculated when this King would have been born. Herod attempted to have the wise men help him in his plan to destroy the King of kings. However, the wise men worshiped the young child, Jesus, when they found Him and gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to their Lord. Being warned by God, the wise men did not report back to Herod, but left immediately for their own country. Manner of Christ's Birth. John 3:16 states that For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The miracle of the virgin birth of Christ brought the Savior to live among men and to redeem those who would believe in Him. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:10-11). At the first Advent, the birth of Christ, Jesus came as the Lamb of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for man's sins. The second Advent, when Jesus comes again, will see Jesus as the Lion of God who will judge the nations and will establish His eternal reign. Many of those who lived during Jesus' birth knew their Messiah was to come to redeem them. However, they sought a Lion who would deliver them from earthly rulers as well as spiritual forces of darkness. Jesus' birth in a lowly manger was not understood by those who sought the Lion and not the Lamb. Satan has his grip on the world and influences all members of the human race. Sin had blossomed and caused people to be separated from God, their Creator, but Christ would come as the only begotten of God to win victory over Satan and over sin. The simplicity of His birth was a prelude to His victory on the Cross. Jesus' birth may have been humble in the eyes of man, but God made the greatest sacrifice of all by sending Jesus, Whom He loved, to earth. Paul mentioned the importance of Jesus' birth in Galatians 4:4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Paul further stated that Christ, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:6-7).

The Youth of Christ Little is found in the Scriptures about the early years of Jesus' life from His birth to the formal beginning of His public ministry. The few glimpses we have of Jesus' youth reveal a remarkable child who was obedient to His earthly parents and grew in wisdom and stature. Here is your goal for this lesson: Explore the youth of Christ as revealed in Scripture Vocabulary drastic Extreme; vigorous. Vocab Arcade Read Matthew 2:13-23. The initial event during the early years of Jesus' life was His removal to Egypt. When the wise men from the East failed to return to Herod, he chose to take a drastic measure to prevent the king of the Jews from ever becoming an adult. Herod ordered that all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger were to be put to death. Before the order was made and carried out, an angel again appeared to Joseph in a dream--this time instructing him to take Jesus and Mary into Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod. God was taking care of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus even before they knew there was a problem. Following their departure, Herod's troops moved into the area of Bethlehem and carried out the dreadful order. All boys aged two years old and under were murdered. The words of Jeremiah 31:15 had been fulfilled: Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Only after Herod's death did the angel appear to Joseph in a dream telling him to return to Israel (Matthew 2:19-33). As the family returned to their land from Egypt, Hosea 11:1 was fulfilled: When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. God led Joseph to reside in Nazareth of Galilee, the original home of Mary's and Joseph's families. The only other event we find concerning the youth of Christ is His visit to the Temple when He was twelve years old. Once a year, Jesus' parents would go to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. As was the custom in those days, entire families and groups of families would travel together to the feasts. Children did not necessarily walk with their parents. No wonder then, with such a large company, that Jesus was not immediately missed as He stayed behind at the Temple. Once His absence was noticed, Mary and Joseph hurriedly returned to Jerusalem to find Jesus. When His parents found Him, He was in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Jewish scholars. As these teachers of the Law asked and answered questions, they listened to Jesus. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. (Luke 2:47). Jesus had been about His Father's business in His Father's house. Nothing is recorded about the following years of Jesus' residence in Nazareth. We know from Luke 2:40, And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. In Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55, Jesus' earthly father Joseph was referred to as a carpenter. Following the custom of the day--that boys learned the trade of their fathers--we can assume Jesus also learned this trade as He grew up in Nazareth. When Jesus did enter His period of public ministry at about age thirty, Joseph was not mentioned. One can only assume that perhaps Joseph had died; his death would have left Jesus as the head of the family. During those silent years in Nazareth, Jesus was obedient and responsible as a child should be. Luke related that And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52). Jesus was being prepared by His Heavenly Father for the most important mission ever undertaken in the history of the human race.

Types of Psalms There is a rich variety of psalms spread throughout the psalter. There are groups of psalms that share the same characteristics and structure. Since this is so, many people have classified the psalms into "types". You will now learn about the various types of psalms. It should be noted that various Bible scholars and churches may have other names and groupings for the types of psalms; however, the types given in this unit are generally agreed upon today by most commentators. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify the types of Psalms. Explain the use of the Psalms. Vocabulary anatomy The structure or the inner part. attributes The individual aspects of God's character. imprecatory Statements that call for judgment upon an enemy. Messianic Having to do with the Messiah, Jesus Christ. precept A rule, a law, a direction. unique Only one of a kind. Vocab Arcade The major types of Psalms fall into three categories: hymns, laments, and thanksgiving. In addition to the major types of Psalms, there are other types of Psalms. For example, the Royal (Messianic) Psalms, Wisdom Psalms, and others will be discussed later in this section. Some of the Psalms will fit into more than one type or category of Psalms. In the following discussion of Psalm types, we will list the typical Psalms in each one of the categories. We will also comment on the structure of these Psalm types, while recognizing that each Psalm will not always incorporate every aspect of typical structure for that Psalm type. Let us first examine the three major types of Psalms: Hymns. Hymn psalms are songs of praise of God. While many of these hymns are the prayers of individuals, it seems that most of them were composed for public worship at Israel's major festivals. The reasons for praising God allow us to further categorize the hymns as (1) general Hymns of Praise, (2) Hymns of the Lord's Kingship, and (3) Songs of Zion. The general Hymns of Praise include the following Psalms: 8, 19, 29, 33, 100, 103, 104, 111, 113, 114, 117, 135, 136, and 145-150. The structure of this type of Psalm is quite simple and has three basic parts, as follows: Introduction. The Call to Praise. The hymn opens with a call to the community, or to the individual himself—to come and praise the Lord and worship Him. Main Section. The Reason or Motive for Praise. In this main section of the Psalms, the reason or motive for praising God is stated. Depending upon the Psalm, God is praised for His glorious majesty in creation (for example, Ps. 8) or in history, especially for what He has done for the people of Israel (for example, Ps. 114). Conclusion. Repetition of the Call to Praise. The general hymn often ends with a repetition of the initial call to praise, although there may be a closing exaltation of God or a plea for God's blessing. Hymns of the Lord's Kingship are a second sub-category of Hymn Psalms. They include Psalms 47, 93, and 95-99. These Psalms focus on the Lord, the universal King. They are sometimes called the "Enthronement Psalms. Their structure usually fits well with the one for the general hymns of praise. The Songs of Zion are a third sub-category of hymns. They include Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, and 122. These hymns extol Zion (the name for the Temple mount or Jerusalem in general) as God's holy mountain and Jerusalem as the City in which God chose to dwell. The structure of these Psalms does not include the introduction or conclusion typical of hymns; however, the main section of the Psalm still praises and celebrates the mighty God who protects Zion and dwells there. Laments. Nearly a third of all the Psalms in the Psalter fit this type of Psalm. A Lament Psalm usually has the psalmist or community in a situation of trial, suffering, and/or distress. The psalmist "laments" the predicament; that is, he expresses sorrow or distress over the situation. However, what characterizes most of these Psalms is not the distress or sorrow but the confidence that God can change the situation if He chooses to intervene. There are two sub-categories of Lament Psalms: individual and community. Individual laments were probably prayerful responses to personal misfortunes, illness, sin, or persecution. Psalms that can be classified as individual laments are the following: 3-7, 13, 17, 22, 25-28, 31, 35, 36, 38-40, 42, 43, 51, 52, 54-57, 59, 61, 63, 64, 69-71, 77, 86, 88, 102, 109, 120, 130, and 140-143. Community laments were probably written for occasions when the people gathered to pray and (perhaps) fast in times of national humiliation and distress. These community laments often recalled God's marvelous deeds in the past in order to instill confidence in God's help for the present circumstances. Community laments would include these Psalms: 12, 14, 44, 53, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89, 90, 94, 106, 123, 126, and 137. Some of the Psalms deal with very difficult situations. David often found himself pursued by his enemies. Whenever he was in the midst of a problem, he prayed. Many of these prayers are found in the book of Psalms. The writers of the Psalms faced two types of enemies: others and themselves. Some of the Lament Psalms, both from the individual and communal varieties, are sometimes difficult to understand and difficult for Christians to pray. They are called the imprecatory or "cursing" Psalms (5, 11, 12, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 83, 109, 137, and 140). In these, the psalmists cry out for vindication and judgment against their enemies. Lament Psalms, both individual and community, usually exhibit a definite structure. There are variations to the structure in some of the Psalms, but the general six-part structure of the Lament Psalms is as follows: Address to God. God's name is usually invoked with a brief cry, although sometimes this may expand into praise or the recalling of God's past deeds. Lament or Complaint. A description of the present situation or need is expressed to God. The individual or community describes the present trial, sorrow, or problem. Confession of Confidence. This is an expression of confidence or trust in God in spite of the present circumstances. Petition. The psalmist petitions God to intervene and deliver, sometimes adding reasons to support the requests. Words of Assurance. The individual or community's trust in God finds expression in the certainty that the prayer will be heard and answered. These "words of assurance" were sometimes actually spoken by a priest or prophet in the communal celebration of the Psalm (for example, Psalm 12:5). Vow or Exclamation of Praise. Confident that God hears and answers, the psalmist vows to call upon the name of the Lord, or actually praises the Lord in response to the "words of assurance". As can be seen from the overall structure of these Lament Psalms, these cries of distress are motivated by the confidence and trust that God is compassionate and will hear and answer our prayers. Thanksgiving. Some of the Thanksgiving Psalms are not always easy to distinguish as a particular type. These may actually contain parts that are similar to the Lament Psalms, but the aspects of confidence and trust dominate the theme of these Psalms. For this reason, a number of Psalms have been grouped into a sub-category of Thanksgiving Psalms that is sometimes called the "Psalms of Trust." Like Laments, these Psalms of Trust can be either individual or community. The individual Psalms of Trust include Psalms 4, 11, 16, 23, 62, 91, 121, and 131. The communal Songs of Trust are Psalms 115, 125, and 129. There are other general Psalms of Thanksgiving, which are distinct sub-categories from the Psalms of Trust. Like the Laments and Psalms of Trust, they can be either individual or communal. The general Psalms of Thanksgiving written as individual Psalms are 9, 10, 30, 32, 34, 41, 92, 116, and 138. Thanksgiving Psalms of the communal variety are Psalms 65-68, 75, 107, 118, and 124. The nature of the content, rather than the structure, characterizes the thanksgiving type of Psalm. Thanksgiving Psalms are similar to Hymns in that they extol the marvelous works of God. They differ in the sentiments evoked. Hymns call for praise. Thanksgiving Psalms express gratitude. In general, the structure of a Thanksgiving Psalm is in three parts: Introduction. An indication is given of the psalmist's intention to give thanks to God. Main Section. This is a telling of the psalmist's experience. Description of the distress that the psalmist once experienced The psalmist's cry for help The deliverance from trouble Conclusion. The psalmist again testifies to God's gracious act of favor or deliverance. A prayer for future help, or a confession that God is gracious, or some other formula may be added.

The majority of the Psalms fit into the three main types: Hymns, Laments, or Thanksgivings. You will now learn about some other types of Psalms found in the Psalter. Among them are the Royal (Messianic) Psalms and the Wisdom Psalms. The basic content and examples of these other Psalm types will be discussed, but not their structures. Royal Psalms. The Royal Psalms are those in which the king of Israel is either the speaker or the focus of attention. Among these are the following Psalms: 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132, and 144. The Psalms are also called "Messianic Psalms since they also describe a future king and "anointed one" who would be the perfect king. Jesus Christ fulfills these Psalms as the Messiah. He is also the "priest forever" as described in the Royal Psalm 110:4 and confirmed in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 5:6). Wisdom Psalms. The Wisdom Psalms are concerned with issues covered in some of the other Old Testament wisdom books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). These issues include the problem of evil, the suffering of the righteous, and the justice of God. Some of these Psalms also highlight the importance of the Law of God. The Wisdom Psalms include 1, 37, 49, 73, 112, 119, 127, and 128. The longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119, is one of the Wisdom Psalms, as is the first Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 1. Some of the Wisdom Psalms contain a unique literary feature known as an "acrostic" arrangement. In an acrostic Psalm, the initial letter of the first word in each successive line of the Psalm has the same letter of the alphabet. For example, Psalm 119 is arranged so that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is used through the whole Psalm. Acrostic Psalms in the Bible include the Wisdom Psalms 37, 112, and 119. (Note that other types of Psalms are arranged in the acrostic format: Hymn - Psalm 145; Lament - Psalm 25; Thanksgivings - Psalm 9, 10, 34.) Other Various Types of Psalms. There are other smaller groupings or types of Psalms in the Psalter. These Psalms usually fit into other types or categories of Psalms, too. A group of Psalms known as the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) was used during pilgrimages to or processions around Jerusalem or the Temple. They were called Songs of "Ascent" because a pilgrim would literally ascend in elevation as he went up to Jerusalem or to the Temple mount. In addition to this group, other Psalms were sung during processions: 15, 24, and 95. Some Psalms may be called Historical Psalms. Historical Psalms recount God's great works throughout the history of Israel. They include Psalms 78, 105, 106, 135, and 136. You can see that God used a great variety of Psalms to help His people pray and come to know Him better. By using and praying all of these different types of Psalms, you also may learn better how to pray and to know better the God who loves you.

Man's History: Life Before Christ You have learned that the plan of God before time included the sending of Jesus Christ as Savior of the human race. In this section of the unit, you will review more about human life as God planned it, both before Christ and after Christ. This section will also include a brief review of the changes that the life of Christ brought to man. In the next section of this unit, you will examine the life of Christ in more detail. In the first part of this section, you will learn about God's initial creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve. They were created in the image and likeness of God; however, something tragic happened to our first parents after they disobeyed God when tempted by the devil. You will also learn more about the consequences of their disobedience and how it affected human life ever after. Fortunately, God did not give up on human beings, but He eventually sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to bring new life to the human race. You will learn more about the ways Christ brought about this new life. You will also learn how God provided the opportunity for all people to have a new life in Christ. Finally, you will learn how human life has both changed and remained the same after the appearance of Jesus Christ. Now, people can live a new life because of Christ. When people have new life in Christ, they can live in a way that pleases God and prepares them to be with God forever in heaven. Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the key events in the history of man before Christ. Vocabulary discord Lack of agreement or harmony. intellect The capacity for knowledge and rational or intelligent thought. Vocab Arcade The Bible tells us that God created man and woman in the beginning (Genesis 1:26-31). He created man and woman in His own image and likeness. Man was created from the dust of the ground. He is a material being. Man became a living being when God breathed into him the breath of life. Therefore, man is also composed of spirit, or soul. Unlike the angels, who are pure spiritual beings, man and woman are both physical and spiritual beings. They have body and soul. You can see the body, but you cannot see the soul. God created man and woman as living beings and gave them life. Human life began with our first parents, Adam and Eve. Original Paradise. After God created man and woman, He saw that they were very good. God placed them in the Garden of Eden to care for his creation. Their work for God was not a burden. God gave man an intellect with which to think and make decisions. He also gave man free will in which man and woman had the freedom to make choices. They could freely choose to obey or disobey God. Their free will also gave man and woman the ability to freely love God and serve Him in truth. They were created to live forever in Paradise. As they were originally created, man and woman were in harmony with God. They walked in friendship with God. They experienced original holiness and justice; that is, they were in right relationship with God. They experienced His ongoing presence and friendship, and they were not ashamed. In the beginning, man and woman were also in harmony with each other. They loved each other perfectly, and there was no discord between them. They lived and worked together in peace, and they were in right relationship with each other. Finally, man and woman were in harmony with the animals and plants that God placed into their care. They were free to eat of any of the plants of the garden, with the exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Fall. Something happened to change the nature of the life God gave to man and woman in the beginning. Tempted by the devil, man and woman disobeyed God and sinned. Sin is the deliberate turning away from the love of God and choosing to disobey Him. It is an offense against God and His commandments. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; yet they did so. They disobeyed God. When they did this, their eyes were opened to their sin, and they were ashamed. They hid from God when He approached. Their relationship with God changed for the worse—they were no longer in right relationship with him. The disobedience and sin of Adam and Eve is called "the Fall." Because of their sin, Adam and Eve "fell" from the original holiness and justice that they had enjoyed with God. Their life was forever changed after the Fall. You will examine some of the consequences of the Fall in the next part of this unit.

Human Life After the Fall Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe the key events in the history of man before Christ. Memorize Romans 5:12. Vocabulary concupiscence The inclination and tendency in human beings to sin and evil. mortal Subject to death. Vocab Arcade Consequences of the Fall. Human life was drastically changed by the sin of Adam and Eve. God made several changes to the nature of man and Creation (Genesis 3:14-24). Among these changes, man and woman would now die. Man's body became mortal and would return to the dust from which it was made. The woman would bear children in pain. The relationship between husband and wife would be more difficult. The ground was cursed because of Adam's sin, and man would now labor and work with difficulty. Finally, Adam and Eve were banished from Paradise and the Garden of Eden. No longer would they enjoy the original holiness and justice that they experienced in Paradise. Ultimately, God's judgment on Adam and Eve as a result of the Fall meant that the humanity's relationships were changed. First of all, the relationship between man and God was changed. Man no longer walked in fellowship and friendship with God as he had in Paradise. Humans became afraid of God, and their image of Him became distorted. Man was now separated from this close fellowship with God. Secondly, human relationships were changed. From then on, hostility, domination, and oppression would be part of human relationships. Finally, the relationships between man and the environment around him changed. The ground was now cursed, and it would yield thorns and thistles. Difficulty would exist in the relationships of man and animals, and there would no longer be the harmony between man and the animals that was enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. Because our first parents, Adam and Eve, represented the whole human race, God made these changes hold true for all humans thereafter. The sin of Adam and Eve would affect all human beings after them. All human life from that time forward would be trapped in the condition of sin. Paul the Apostle explains this reality in his letter to the Romans: Memory Verse: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) Paul also wrote in Romans 3:9-12: What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. The sin of Adam and Eve affected all human life to follow. This "original sin" affected human nature. Human nature was then corrupted from its original holiness and justice. Human life was under the power of sin. Suffering and evil were to be part of human life. Man was inclined to sin and evil. His tendency was to sin and turn away from God. This inclination and tendency to sin in all men is called concupiscence. Every human being after Adam and Eve has been affected by concupiscence, the tendency to sin. This power of sin over the human race had even worse consequences. Very quickly in the history of the human race, murder and wars began. For example, Cain murdered his brother, Abel (Genesis 4:8). The whole world was corrupted through sin, and Satan was given power to rule over this corrupted world and man (1 John 5:19). The Hope of a Savior. Fortunately, God did not abandon man after the Fall. In fact, right at the beginning of His judgment of Adam and Eve, God made a promise that offered hope for the future. God told the serpent (Satan) that the offspring (seed) of the woman would bruise his head (Genesis 3:15). This meant that eventually a male descendant of Eve would appear in human history who would defeat Satan and give hope to the human race. This man would redeem men from bondage to sin and restore the right relationship of man to God. This man would be the Savior. God's promise of a future Savior—given at the beginning, at the time of the Fall—would ultimately be fulfilled in God's own Son, Jesus Christ.

Man's Response to God Human beings are given freedom by God, their Creator. With this freedom, man can choose to respond to God's plan in Christ. From God's Word, we know that it is God's will that all people might come to the Lord Jesus and be saved. Jesus said (John 3:17), For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." In addition, the apostle Paul wrote,"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Therefore, God desires that man respond positively to His plan in Christ. The first and primary response of man to God's plan in Christ should be faith. God desires that we have faith in Him, in what He has revealed, and in the One that He has sent: Jesus Christ. By God's grace and through this faith, we are saved (Ephesians 2:8). God also desires other responses in man to His plan. Among these responses, two are very important: worship, and growing in Christ. In this last section of the unit, you will review some aspects of worship and of growing in Christ. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Explain how man is called to respond to God's plan in Christ. Explain the meaning and some forms of worship. Vocabulary adoration Worshipping or paying homage to God. humility A humbleness of mind; the opposite of being proud. reverence Extreme respect mixed with love and awe. subjection Being under some power or influence. Vocab Arcade WORSHIP God's plan in Christ includes the worship of God in Christ. Worship is defined as the act of giving recognition, respect, and high honor to a person or object of esteem. Worshipping God means that humans give God the recognition, respect, and highest honor that God deserves. Included in the Biblical meaning of the word worship is a reverent attitude toward God, adoration of God, and obedience to God. To give God proper respect and honor, man must act with reverence and humility. In true worship, man places himself in subjection to God and, therefore, willingly serves Him. In the Old Testament period, worship looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah. God slowly taught man to worship Him according to forms that were shadows of the things to come in Christ (Hebrews 8:5). The collective worship of Israel in the Old Covenant occurred first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple in Jerusalem. The various ceremonies and sacrifices all foresaw the coming of the Savior and His divine mission and work. In the New Testament era, Christ brought about a change in worship. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:23-24): But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Jesus was telling the woman—and all of humanity through her—that the time would come when true worship would be in accord with the truth that is in Jesus. It would also be worship conducted with the help of the Holy Spirit. It would be this worship—Christian worship— that would be"in spirit and truth." In New Testament times, the sacrifices, festivals, and Temple worship ceased. Forty years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Now, the"temple" of God is the individual Christian's body (1 Corinthians 6:19),"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" The"temple"of God is also Christ's Body, the church. The apostle Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 3:16-17),"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."The New Testament "temple" is both the individual Christian and the church, the assembled body of believers in Christ. Today, all people are called to accept Christ and become members of His Body, the church. As they do, they become part of His "temple" and will worship God in spirit and truth. In this way, man can respond in worship to God according to God's plan in Christ. Even though many of the forms of Old Testament worship are no longer appropriate, many other forms of worship given in the Old Testament are still appropriate for man today. All of these forms of worship are also described in the New Testament. Let's consider six forms of worship common among Christians today. Prayer is the first form of worship that is still appropriate. Jesus prayed, and the early church was clearly gathered in prayer many times. The Scriptures describe many types of prayer. Among them, five types are usually part of Christian worship. These five types of prayer are adoration, intercession, petition, thanksgiving, and confession. A second form of worship is praise. The New Testament calls us to praise God. For example, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says (Hebrews 13:15), "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Testimony is a third form of worship to God. When we give a testimony as to what good things God has done, it gives God recognition and honor. Giving a testimony is a form of worship. Bible reading can be a fourth form of worship. In reading and reciting the contents of the Bible, we learn about and tell others of God, giving Him recognition. Bible reading can give God recognition, respect, and honor; therefore, it can be worship. Preaching is a fifth form of worship. When a sermon is being preached, the worship of God is taking place. Worship happens in preaching because God's nature and works are declared. God is given the recognition and praise when a sermon is preached. It is worship. Finally, a sixth and very important form of worship is The Lord's Supper. Jesus Himself told us to celebrate the Lord's Supper "in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Observing the Lord's Supper, or communion, is worship because we are recognizing that the Lord Jesus gave Himself on the cross as a sacrifice to save us. We join in this great act of Christ's love as we give worship to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Prayer, praise, testimony, Bible reading, preaching, and the Lord's Supper are all forms of worship. These activities should make up part of the worship services that we attend at church. All of these are part of the way that man should respond to God's plan in Christ.

Maturing in the Lord Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe how all are called to grow in Christ. Vocabulary disposition Prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination. fervent Marked by great warmth of feeling; exhibiting deep sincere emotion. instrumental Serving as a means, agent, or tool. maturity The state of being developed or perfected. transformation To be changed in character or condition. Vocab Arcade (Remember, the unit Memory Verse Test is coming up. Review the list of verses in your Reference section.) GROWING IN CHRIST Through faith in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us, our sins are forgiven. We receive a new life, but God does not want us to stop there. God's plan is for man to grow in the new life that Christ has given him. You will learn more about God's desire for man's growth in Christ in the last part of this unit. God's Desire for Growth in Christ. Christians have received new life in Christ. Just as a new plant springing forth from the earth is meant to grow, so also are Christians meant to grow in Christ. God desires that we grow in Christ. Paul writes that we "may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). Growth in Christ is normal for Christians. Much of the New Testament is concerned with the way Christians should think and act. It takes time for us to grow in the knowledge of Christ and this new way of life. Our growth as a Christian should result in maturity. We need to learn the basics of Christian living, and we then go on to cover more advanced aspects of life in Christ as we are able. The Letter to the Hebrews says to Christians who have received the basic teachings of the Christian life, "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God," (Hebrews 6:1). To go on to maturity is to grow in Christ. Even though we receive new life in Christ, we have to stop living our "old life." Paul wrote to the Ephesians (4:22-24): That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Our old nature of human life was under the power of sin. The old nature tends toward sinful thinking and acting. God wants Christians to put off that old nature and put on the new nature; that is, the new nature resulting from Christ's life in us. Part of growing in Christ is learning to put off the old nature and to put on the new nature. It also means that our minds must be renewed. As we grow in Christ, our minds are renewed, and we think more like Christ. We are to become more like Christ as we grow in the Christian life. Our lives should reflect Christ's life. Our words should be filled with love and compassion, as were His words. The "works" that we do should mirror those of Christ. Jesus promised His disciples that they would do the works that He did (John 14:12): "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." As we grow in Christ, we will do more of the works that Christ did.

THE FLESH The second major obstacle to growing in Christ is called the "flesh." In this sense, flesh does not mean our physical body. The flesh is something within us that is an obstacle to living like Christ wants us to live. The flesh resides within our heart, mind, and intellect. It is part of that human nature that we have inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and still lives in us, even after we have received new life in Christ. Scripture sometimes calls the flesh by other names; for example, the "old man," "old nature," or "old self" (Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:9, Romans 6:6). All of these are names for that part in our fallen human nature that wants to go against God's will for our lives. The "flesh" in us wants to go its own way and satisfy selfish and sinful desires. It wants to keep us from obeying God and doing what he wants us to do. The apostle Paul wrote about the struggle with the flesh in his own life, even after he was a Christian. In Romans 7:18-25, he wrote: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Although Paul had received new life in Christ, he still struggled with these evil desires within him. However, Paul knew that his hope for overcoming the tendencies of the flesh was found in Jesus Christ! Through Jesus, and the power of His new life working in us, we can overcome the flesh, resist doing evil, and do good.

THE DEVIL The third and final obstacle that tries to keep us from living a new life in Christ is the devil and other evil spirits. The devil, or Satan, is a fallen angel who hates God and is opposed to God. Jesus said that the devil is a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies (John 8:44). He is the leader of all other fallen angels called evil spirits or demons. Satan and his demons hate God's people, and they will tempt people to turn from God and commit evil. It is important to remember that Satan is not equal to God. God is infinitely greater and more powerful than Satan is. Satan only operates because God allows him to. In addition, Jesus Christ has defeated Satan. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are freed from the power of sin and darkness, and the kingdom of Satan. God's Word says, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" (Colossians 1:13). Ultimately, at the end of this age, Satan will be removed forever from harming God's people (Revelation 20:10); however, until Jesus comes again, Satan will continue to cause harm and promote evil in the world. Through Jesus Christ and being joined with Him, we can overcome Satan and grow in Christ. We will continue in a spiritual battle with the forces of evil, as the letter to the Ephesians points out (Ephesians 6:10-13). Satan will try to put obstacles in the way of our growing in Christ, but Jesus will help us to overcome the power of Satan and evil spirits. Satan usually causes the most problems by tempting us to sin. Just like he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, Satan will try to get us to disobey God and do something sinful. Yielding to Satan's temptation will cause us to sin. For example, Satan may tempt us to use illegal and harmful drugs or to behave improperly towards members of the opposite sex. He may tempt us to fight and cause harm to others. He may tempt us to get involved with occult practices or non-Christian religions, including the New Age movement. Another means to overcome the devil and evil spirits is to use the authority that Christ gives to Christians. We do not have to submit to the devil because we have submitted ourselves to Jesus Christ. When we feel we are being tempted by Satan or evil spirits, or when we sense the activity of Satan or evil spirits trying to harm us or others, we can take authority in the name of Jesus and resist Satan and the evil spirits. The epistle of James says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). In addition, Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." (1 Peter 5:8-9). God wants us to resist the devil and use the authority of Jesus to resist the power of evil. Always be confident that God wants you to grow in Christ. He will help you overcome all obstacles that the world, the flesh, or the devil tries to place in your way. With Christ's help, you will grow more, even as you overcome the obstacles.

Private Ministry in Galilee The opposition to Jesus' ministry in Galilee eventually resulted in the Savior's decision to return to Judea. During the approximate one and-a-half-year period, during which He revealed Himself as Messiah to the people of Galilee, He performed many miracles and taught the people with numerous parables. About midway through this time, however, the Jewish religious leaders increased their hostility toward Jesus. The teachers of the Law accused Him of driving out demons by the power of Satan (Mark 3:20-30). Eventually, the religious leaders began to plot how they might kill Jesus (Matthew 12:14). Since Jesus knew their thoughts and intentions, He began to spend more time training His disciples. In this section of the unit, you will study the latter portion of Jesus' Galilean ministry and discover how He dealt with and trained His disciples. You will learn about some of the problems that the disciples faced. You will also study some of the methods by which Jesus trained His chosen disciples. Finally, you will read about the climactic events of the Transfiguration, when Jesus revealed His glory to His closest disciples. As you study this latter portion of Jesus' Galilean ministry, remember that this period was marked by four times of retirement from public ministry. While the people of Galilee were rejecting Jesus, the disciples were recognizing that He was indeed, "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16). A study of the following chart of the events of Christ's later Galilean ministry will increase your understanding of this section. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe the private Galilean ministry of Jesus to His disciples. Summarize the Lord's training of the twelve disciples in Galilee. The Region of Galilee Vocabulary contention Argument or dispute. critical Finding fault; judgment or disapproval. Transfiguration The revealing of Jesus' glory when His appearance and clothing changed. zeal Enthusiasm. Vocab Arcade THE DISCIPLES' NEED Jesus Christ, the perfect and only begotten Son of God, chose imperfect men to be His witnesses in the world. Instead of important religious leaders, Jesus chose common men to be His disciples. Although some of the disciples were fishermen, Jesus also called individuals from many other walks of life to follow Him. The twelve disciples represented ordinary men who were trained and empowered by Jesus to minister and to serve Him. Over an extended period of time, the twelve disciples grew to be mature believers in Christ, as well as servants of God. It was necessary that they, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18). This growth, however, was often marked by problems, arguments, misunderstandings, and a lack of faith; however, as the disciples were faithful in following Jesus, they grew and matured in their understanding. Like those first disciples, all Christians need to grow and mature in their faith. Paul encouraged the Christians in Rome by writing, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2). As children of God today, we are also faced with problems and failures. Thankfully, we can also grow and mature in our faith through prayer, reading of God's Word, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Problems of the Twelve. Like all human beings, the disciples were not perfect; however, they were forgiven. As they were trained by Jesus and came to understand His ways more fully, they realized their own sinfulness (Luke 5:8), but they continued to respond to His grace. Peter, who is often viewed as the leader of the disciples, was at times overcome by mistaken zeal and misunderstandings. John, who was one of Jesus' closest disciples, sometimes had problems with pride. At times, all of the disciples struggled with lack of faith. Sometimes, these wrong attitudes kept the twelve disciples from exercising the power that Jesus wanted them to have. An example of this is shown in Luke 9:37-42. A man who had a demon-possessed son sought help for him from the disciples. The disciples, however, were not able to cast out the demon. The man said to Jesus, And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. (Luke 9:40). Luke 9:1 tells us that Jesus had given His disciples "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases." In this case, however, they were not able to cure the demon-possessed boy. It appears that their inability to help the boy was due to their lack of faith. Jesus gave His response in Luke 9:41, And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. Luke 9:46 tells us that the disciples argued among themselves about which one of them was the greatest. This event shows us that the disciples were at times guilty of pride. When Jesus saw the contention that was among them, He taught them by taking a small child in His arms, "And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. (Luke 9:48). After this happened, the apostle John commented to Jesus about another man who was casting out demons in Jesus' name. John was critical of this man because he was not one of them: "And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. (Luke 9:49). Jesus swiftly corrected John, saying, "And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (Luke 9:50). During Jesus' second withdrawal from Galilee, a Gentile woman came to Him and asked for His help in casting out a demon from her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). When she recognized Jesus as her Lord, she cried out for help. The disciples tried to urge Jesus to "But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. (Matthew 15:23). The disciples could not understand why a non-Jewish woman would seek Jesus. They thought that Jesus was the Savior only for the Jewish people of Israel. Jesus himself remarked that He had come to the lost sheep of Israel. However, because of the woman's persistence and great faith, Jesus granted her request. It is important to remember that Jesus was sent as the Messiah to the Jewish people, but He came as the Savior for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. Simeon prophesied this truth at the presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:29-32) when he proclaimed, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Over time, the disciples came to understand this truth about Jesus: He was sent as Savior for all people, Jews and Gentiles. The book of Acts tells how the early church, especially Peter, came to understand Jesus' saving role for the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-11:18; 15:5-21). Of course, we also know from the New Testament that the apostle Paul was a great servant of the Lord to the Gentile people. How blessed we are to have such a loving Savior who came to bring salvation to all people!

The Solution of Jesus. To dispel the pride of the disciples and to train them to be men of God, the Lord taught them and then sent them out to minister in His name. On two occasions, Jesus commissioned those who followed Him to go out to the people and proclaim that the Messiah had come. While still in Galilee, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples in groups of two (Mark 6:7-13 and Luke 9:1-6). During His later ministry, He sent out the Seventy to proclaim His message in Judea and Perea (Luke 10:1-24). We can see that after Jesus had spent time with His disciples teaching and training them, He sent them out on their own while He was still among them so that He could evaluate them and help them to become more effective in their ministry and service to Him. In Mark 6:7-13, Jesus commissioned the twelve disciples to go out to the regions of Galilee and preach "And they went out, and preached that men should repent." (Mark 6:12). Luke 9:1-2 states that "Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Matthew 10:5-6 specifies to whom they were to minister: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." We learn from the Gospel of Mark (Mark 6:31) that when the disciples returned to Jesus, He took them in a boat to a quiet place to rest. While Jesus and the disciples were resting beyond the Sea of Galilee, many people came to Jesus: "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things." (Mark 6:34). How good it is to know that Jesus never turns anyone away, but is always ready to receive and have compassion on all who earnestly seek Him! We have seen that the twelve disciples struggled with sin. Many Christians today have the same kinds of problems. Jesus, however, did not reject His disciples because they sometimes failed. He patiently trained them and gave them opportunities to grow by sharing with them His miracles, parables, and teachings. God, our loving Father, has revealed His ways and truth to us through His Word, the Bible. He has also given us the gift of His Holy Spirit to help us in our faith journey. Romans 6:17 reminds us that we must also be obedient to the teachings of Christ if we hope to grow in Christian maturity.

Mercy: Divine Choice In this section, you will learn the legal meaning of the word mercy. In the Bible, the term mercy is used to show a relationship between justice and love. In our legal systems today, we hear a great deal concerning justice. When a law has been violated, the responsibility of the court is to administer punishment for that legal violation. This punishment is called justice. When a guilty person who should be punished for breaking a law is freed because someone else pays the price, he has received mercy. You will learn how God gave us mercy instead of our due punishment for sin by allowing Jesus Christ to pay the penalty. You will understand how God fulfilled justice without overlooking sin. Studying the meaning of mercy, you can gain a better understanding of how God has been merciful to you. As a sinner, you deserved justice, but God gave you mercy--God gives salvation to you in Jesus Christ. Here are your goals for this lesson: Define mercy List examples of God's mercy, extended towards His creation as a whole as well as to the redeemed Memorize Psalm 106:1 Vocabulary alternative A situation offering a choice. deliverance A setting free; rescue; release. distinction Seeing or making a difference between things. A thing that differentiates. heir One who is entitled to receive. justice To administer punishment for a violation; treat fairly, righteously; responsibility Reliability; something for which one is responsible; a burden. unjust Unfair; not righteous. violated Broke a law or disregarded something. Vocab Arcade Read Psalm 145:9: The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Memory Verse: Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 106:1) Meaning of Mercy. We should continually rejoice that mercy is one of God's attributes. Mercy revealed itself when God offered an alternative to punishment for sins. God would have been perfectly just to allow all of mankind to be forever separated from Him, but He didn't do this. God allowed His Son Jesus to step before Him and pay the full price for our sins. When God looks at a Christian, He only sees a perfect child of His under the shed blood of His Son. In the Bible, many words are used to describe mercy; His mercy is great (1 Kings 3:6), plenteous (1 Peter 1:3), and it is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him (Psalm 103:17). God's mercy is ever ready, ever prepared to relieve the misery of His fallen creatures. He offers Himself to assist, to forgive, and to restore each of us if we will come to Him. Consider God's attitude toward those angels that were cast from heaven with Satan. He has never attempted to redeem them, He has never allowed His Son to pay the price for their rebellion, and yet He fully permitted Jesus to die a cruel death upon the Cross to set us free from sin. Aspects of Mercy. If we look carefully at God's Word, we will see two aspects of God's mercy. The first aspect, or distinction, of God's mercy is its general aspect. God's general mercy is extended to all believers, unbelievers, and to all His creation. Psalm 145:9 tells us that His tender mercies are over all His works. Again in Acts 17:25 we read, Neither is worshipped with men�s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; God's Word tells us in Matthew 5:45 that it rains upon the just and the unjust without respect to persons. God gives to all men the provision of life. This mercy supplies even the wicked with material provisions. A second aspect of God's mercy is toward the redeemed. God shows a specific mercy toward those who receive His provision to become heirs with His Son, Jesus. The Old Testament teaches this truth quite clearly as a study is made of Israel, God's chosen people. God worked many wonderful and mighty miracles for Israel as He worked out their deliverance from bondage to Egypt. We read in the Bible how God continually dealt in mercy to Israel while they continually disobeyed Him. We can receive comfort by remembering that God's mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1). God will never cease to be merciful because this attribute is a part of His very nature, but how God exercises His mercy is regulated only by Himself. He is ever merciful, but He will not endlessly offer His mercy. God's Mercy Toward Israel Red Sea Crossing (Exodus 14:13-31)

Mercy: Divine Provision Man's greatest problem in life is sin. Sin brings a penalty of death. The only solution to man's sin problem is salvation in Jesus Christ, the ultimate display of God's mercy. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify man's problem and God's solution List two types of mercy that God shows to mankind Vocabulary fellowship Friendliness; personal communication between two or more persons. repentance Changing one's mind. Vocab Arcade The Problem. The Bible teaches us in Romans 3:23 that all people have sinned. Each of us is guilty of disobeying God's laws. We are reminded that there is absolutely no one who is righteous. Each person needs to ask Christ into his or her life as personal Savior. Because our very natures are separated from fellowship with God, we need to be saved from the bondage of sin. Each of us deserves to be eternally separated from God to suffer the torments of hell. However, mercy allowed God's only Son Jesus to take each of our places on the cross and to pay for each of our sins, offering God's only solution for man's sin problem. Only Christ could take the penalty of our sins. Since Adam had sinned, it would take a sacrifice to pay our debt of sin. Our works or even death could never do because of our sinful nature. The Solution. Jesus became the person to suffer the torment of punishment for sin because justice had to be served. The perfect Son of God had to become one of us so He could take our sin as mankind's representative before God. As a perfect man, He could take our sin, but if He were not God our sins would not have been forgiven. In mercy, God allows each of us the opportunity to accept or reject the work of His Son Jesus. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, no one has to remain separated from God. Just like Adam and Eve, we have the choice to make, whether we will obey God or disobey Him. God has completed a perfect way by which we can be saved. The Bible tells there is only one way to be restored to fellowship with God, and that way is to individually come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. General Mercy. Mankind benefits daily from God's general mercy through enjoying daily material needs. God provides the warmth of the sun, the cool spring rains, and the seasons. God feeds the sparrow, clothes the lilies of the field, and rains upon the just and the unjust alike. God has given us natural laws which we can obey and by which we can be blessed. The law of sowing and reaping guarantees we can reap only what we sow. But God's mercy has also provided a specific blessing for those of us who will accept His Son as Savior and Lord. To accept Christ is not a command, it is a request. Specific Mercy. The Word of God explains that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God's love and mercy work together in this special expression. The Bible tells us that God so loved and because of that love, Jesus came to earth. God's mercy provided an alternative to hell for each of us. God's mercy made salvation available to all of us, but each one of us is personally responsible to accept Christ as our substitute for punishment. The decision you make will affect your life here on earth and certainly your eternity after death. In His mercy, God is willing to forgive your sins if you accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We read in God's Word that Jesus sat on a hill that overlooked the city of Jerusalem and wept over this city--but why? He wept over Jerusalem because the citizens had been given many opportunities to be delivered from the terrible destruction awaiting them. These words of Jesus clearly indicate the serious responsibility of our personal decision: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks but you would not." God's mercy tells you He is willing to forgive you of your sins and to make you a new person--but the final choice must be yours.

Meaning of Psalm 100 Like most poetry, psalms say a great deal in a small space. This lesson considers the important truths of Psalm 100, which are highlighted by the poetic language used by the Psalmist. Here are your goals for this lesson: Discover the statements of facts about God found in Psalm 100 Explore the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep Identify the instructions for worship found in Psalm 100 Vocabulary analogy To use something known to teach something unknown. To show a likeness between two things that are otherwise unlike. Vocab Arcade Read Psalm 100:5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100 was used as a processional hymn of thanksgiving, calling all people to praise God. The writer of Psalm 100 used statements of fact about God and made analogies regarding man's relationship to God. He also gave advice about how to properly worship God. Statements of Fact. The author of this Psalm included a number of facts about God in his Psalm of praise. A statement of fact refers to a doctrine about God. These statements tell us who God is, what He has done, and what He continues to do for His children today. Statements of fact usually remind us of things that we need to know about God and His dealings with us. Facts about the Lord are found in verses three and five of this Psalm. These statements of fact yield a great amount of information about God. The more we know about God, the closer our walk with Him can be. Worship of our heavenly Father can increase when we realize that we belong to Him, and that His mercy and steadfast love toward us is everlasting. It is encouraging to also know that His faithfulness will endure throughout all generations. These facts about God become promises we can claim as we live the Christian life. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Analogy. An analogy is a way to explain a truth by referring to something we know and understand. By balancing one line with another, the psalmist used an emblematic parallel to explain our relationship with God. In Psalm 100:3, the statement of fact is, "..we are his people." Then, an analogy is used to help explain that fact: "...and the sheep of his pasture." Many of the Israelites were shepherds or had family or friends who made their living tending sheep. When an Israelite came to the Temple to worship God and heard a priest read Psalm 100, the worshipper could understand the meaning of the statement of fact. Through the analogy, he could apply what he knew about sheep to his relationship with God. Today, many Christians do not know very much about raising and caring for sheep. To understand the full meaning of verse three, the analogy must be explained in greater detail. Read and ponder the following seven items to understand the analogy of the sheep. Only when we know something about sheep can we fully understand this analogy. As God's sheep we can rejoice because we have a perfect Shepherd to care for us, the Lord Jesus Christ! Sheep have no sense of direction. Christians must rely on God for direction. Sheep cannot cleanse themselves. Christians must be cleansed by Christ's sacrifice. Sheep are helpless when injured. God will care for His injured child. Sheep are defenseless. God protects the Christian. Sheep cannot find food or water. God will lead us to spiritual food and the water of the Word. Sheep are easily frightened and must be calmed by night songs. Christians are calmed by the promises of God found in God's Word. Sheep's wool belongs to the shepherd. The Christian's production and prosperity belongs to God. Instructions for Worship. In Psalm 100 the writer included a number of instructions for the believer as he or she approached God in worship. Such instructions or orders for worship can be discovered by reading Psalm 100 and finding the phrases that tell the believer to do something. The instructions for our worship are found in three of the five verses of Psalm 100. The method you have used to study Psalm 100 can be applied to your study of other Psalms. As you study the Psalms, your love for the Lord Jesus Christ will grow and your relationship with God the Father will take on new meaning. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

KEYS TO GROWTH IN CHRIST Once a person has been born again and received new life in Christ, God wants him or her to grow in Christ. Although God will give us many ways and opportunities to grow, there are four especially important ways. We can call them "keys" to growth in Christ. These four keys will open the way to solid growth in our life in Christ. The four keys are: prayer; study, especially God's Word; service, in particular sharing the "Good News" with others; and fellowship with other Christians. Each of these keys will now be considered. Prayer. Prayer is an important key to our new life in Christ. In order to grow in Christ, we have to remain "connected" to Him in prayer. Prayer is simply spending time talking with and listening to God. For any relationship with another person to grow, we have to spend time with the person. The same is true with Christ. By setting aside time each day for prayer, we will grow and be strengthened in Christ. Study. A second key to growth in Christ is studying the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God, and God strengthens us through the study of His Word. As we read, study, and hear the Word of God, we learn more about God and Jesus Christ. We learn truths to live by. We are strengthened in our ability to do good and avoid evil. Our mind is transformed (Romans 12:2), and we can better judge God's Will for our lives. Other books can help us to learn more about the Bible and about living the Christian life. They, too, can provide nourishment for us to grow in Christ. Some books can also give us the wisdom and experience of other Christians who have gone before us. We can be inspired by their lives and about the way they grew in Christ. Service. Jesus said that he came to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:28). He wants us to serve others and to "wash their feet;" that is, to be a servant to others (John 13:12-17). One of the keys to growing in Christ and becoming more like Christ is to serve others. To do kind deeds, to help the poor, to visit the sick, and many other ways can be used to grow in Christ. Another way that we can serve people is to share with them the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important in a person's life than to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. You can be instrumental in helping someone come to Christ and be born again. This is the greatest way that you can help and serve an unbeliever. You may also need to serve them in other ways before being able to share the Good News with them. God wants you to have the heart and mind of a servant to others so that you might truly grow in Christ. Fellowship. The fourth and final key to growth in Christ is having fellowship with other Christians. It is important that we gather regularly with other Christians to worship the Lord and strengthen one another. God wants Christians to be together and not to neglect meeting with one another. Hebrews 10:24 says, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:" All Christians need the help and support of other Christians. Every member of the Body of Christ is important because each one helps others to learn and to be encouraged in the Lord.

At the Last Supper, on the night before He died, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send "another Counselor," the Holy Spirit, to be with and to dwell in them. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach them (John 14:26). Jesus also told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would bear witness (testify) of Him (John 15:26). After Jesus rose from the dead and just before He ascended into Heaven, He told His disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). He also said that they would be His witnesses because of the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. A few days after Jesus ascended into Heaven, His promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and helped them to boldly proclaim the gospel and bear witness to Jesus. The book of Acts records how the Holy Spirit helped them and guided them to spread the gospel to many places beyond Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit did many other things for them as the church grew. The Holy Spirit does similar things today for Christ's disciples. In this section of the unit, you will learn more about the way the Holy Spirit helps us to live a new life in Christ. You will learn more about what it means to live a "life in the Spirit." You will also learn about the ways the Holy Spirit helps us to be transformed into Christ as we grow in the Christian life. You will see that God can even use problems and difficulties to help us grow and be transformed in Christ. You will learn about the importance of grace in the Christian life. Finally, you will learn about the "fruit of the Holy Spirit." The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence we can see when someone is living a life in the Spirit and being more like Jesus Christ. Here are your objectives for this lesson. Describe some of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us grow in Christ. Explain what is meant by "transformation in Christ." Vocabulary charismatic Manifesting a gift of grace from the Holy Spirit to be used for the good of the church. fervent Marked by great warmth of feeling; exhibiting deep, sincere emotion. transformation To be changed in character or condition. Vocab Arcade TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST In the Introduction to this section of the unit, you learned some of the ways that the Holy Spirit helped the disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit taught them, guided them, and helped them to be witnesses for Jesus. The Holy Spirit helped them to boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Jesus promised, when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, they received power to live a fervent and strong Christian life. Similar things can happen to anyone who receives new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit. In many ways, the Holy Spirit helps us in our process of becoming more like Christ. We call this "transformation in Christ." This means that our old way of life is changing into a new way of acting, thinking, speaking, and relating. We become more like Christ. We act, think, speak, and relate more like Christ would. Paul wrote, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18). Let's now consider other ways the Holy Spirit helps us as we grow and are transformed in Christ. God's Love. When the Holy Spirit comes to us, we can know God's love more deeply and share that love with others. Paul says, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:5). How comforting it is to know that God's love dwells in us to help us! Receiving God's love and sharing it with others is one of the most important ways that the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Along with the Holy Spirit Himself, we also receive gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us. Some of these gifts of the Holy Spirit are received to help us personally live the Christian life. They help us to be more like Christ who also had these gifts of the Spirit. Some of these personal gifts of the Spirit are listed in Isaiah 11:2: "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" Wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord are all personal gifts of the Spirit given to strengthen us in the Christian life. Other gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us primarily to help the church grow stronger and to be renewed. They are called spiritual gifts or charismatic gifts. They are gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us to be used primarily for others. In turn, the spiritual gifts of others can help us. There are a great variety of these gifts of the Holy Spirit. Teaching, prophecy, service, and exhortation are examples of some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible. Many of these charismatic gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and 1 Peter 4:10-11. You can be sure that God has given you some of these or other charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit to help others grow in Christ. Problems and Difficulties. Another way that God helps us be transformed in Christ is through the problems and difficulties we face as we live our lives. Yes, even trials and troubles can help us! The Holy Spirit helps us go through these times of problems and difficulties. In Romans 8:28, God's Word says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Quite often, God helps us to grow in faith, hope, and love as we face the difficulties of life and overcome them through God's help and through patient endurance. By doing so, we become more like Christ. We undergo transformation in Christ. The Lord teaches us as we overcome difficulties. We become wiser and stronger in Christ through this process. God can and does make all these things turn out for good for those who love Him. By going through trials and difficulties, our faith can be purified and strengthened. Peter likens this to the process of refining gold. He says in 1 Peter 1:6-7: Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: As gold is refined by fire, its impurities are burned off, and the gold becomes more pure. Likewise, as we go through the "refining" of trials and difficulties, God can purify us and make us more pure in faith, hope, and love. We will be more like Christ. We experience transformation in Christ.

The Baptism of Jesus The relative silence of the Scriptures concerning the first thirty years of Christ's earthly life creates a contrast to His entrance into His public ministry. All was being accomplished according to a divine plan that had been decreed from eternity past. Jesus was ready to move into the arena of public ministry where He would eventually die on behalf of sinners. As He began His ministry, He was baptized by John, tempted by Satan, and followed by a handful of disciples. In this section, you will study Christ's baptism, temptations, and His disciples. Jesus was ready to minister as the Messiah to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Here is your goal for this lesson: Identify the purpose and significance of Christ's baptism Vocabulary procedure A way or a method of completing a task. Vocab Arcade Read Matthew 3:13-17. The ministry of John the Baptist was foretold in the Old Testament four hundred years before he began preaching to the Jews of Palestine. Malachi spoke of Christ's forerunner. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1). Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament period, and God did not reveal His truth to man again until the time of John the Baptist. John was a prophet and spoke the Word of the Lord to the people of Israel. John's Baptism. John understood his responsibility of announcing Jesus' public ministry. As he preached he taught the people: And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Mark 1:7-8). Part of John's ministry was baptism. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11). John's baptism, which is one of seven baptisms mentioned in the Scriptures, was a baptism for the believing Jew and demonstrated that sins were washed away by the grace of God. The mode of water baptism would have been understood by the Jews of John's day because of the similar washings prescribed in the Old Testament. John taught that his baptism was for the repenting sinner who was willing to confess his sins to the Lord God. Because John's baptism was for repentance and confession of sin, we can easily understand his confusion when Jesus Christ, the Son of God who had no sin to confess, came to the banks of the Jordan River to be baptized.

Christ's Baptism. Matthew recorded in his Gospel the most detailed account of Christ's baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). Jesus, who was well known by John, came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John could not understand this request. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (Matthew 3:14). Like many Christians today, John did not understand something; therefore, he was opposed to it. We must always remember that God will teach us new things every day. One major responsibility we have as children of God is to remain teachable. And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:15). John then baptized Jesus in the water of the Jordan River. Why was Jesus, who knew no sin, baptized by John? No single answer can successfully resolve that question. The baptism Jesus received was not the same baptism as others had received from John the Baptist. Although the baptism appeared to be like any other, the reason and purpose for the baptism of Jesus was like no other. John was the only prophet God had raised up to minister to His people since Malachi. Jesus was the King Who had now come to His people. The Old Testament custom required the king to receive approval of the prophet of the day. Sometimes this approval would come through the prophet's spoken word or through anointing with oil (1 Samuel 10:1 and 16:13). By being baptized by the prophet John, Christ the King of kings followed the procedure for the appointment of kings established in the Old Testament. Jesus' baptism also served as a public sign of His entrance into His public ministry. People who stood round about the river on that day saw John, a man of God, humble himself before Jesus, the Son of God. Prior to Jesus' baptism He had lived in silence and seclusion, but following His baptism His ministry would be one of speech and service. Another Old Testament principle was fulfilled through Christ's baptism. The priests of the Old Testament would be ceremonially washed prior to the function of their priestly duties. Jesus Christ was a prophet, a king, and a priest. His baptism paralleled the official entrance of the priest of the Old Testament into priestly service. The most significant purpose of Jesus' baptism was His submission to His Father's will. The plan of God provided man with a Savior, the very Son of God. The decree was made in eternity past and Christ agreed to carry out the plan. At His birth, He voluntarily became the unique person of the universe, the God-Man, and demonstrated His will to come and live among men (Hebrews 10:5-6). The baptism was a further sign of His willingness to eventually die on behalf of sinful man. Three signs of divine approval accompanied Christ's baptism. First, And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: (Mark 1:10). God was indicating to John that Jesus was His Son, the Messiah. Second, And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (Matthew 3:16). God the Holy Spirit would empower Christ to perform the will of the Father even unto the death on the Cross. Third, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22). This direct approval of Jesus by His Heavenly Father came as Jesus submitted to do His Father's will. Luke further mentioned that these wonderful events occurred when Jesus was about thirty. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, (Luke 3:23).

The Use of the Psalms The Psalms may be used in different ways to help us. Christians throughout the ages have found the Psalms useful for a number of purposes. In this section of the unit, we will focus on four uses of the Psalms: theological, historical, practical, and devotional. Here is your goal for this lesson: Explain the use of the Psalms. Theological Use. The Psalms comment on, refer to, and give instruction about almost every area of theology—the study of God and the Christian faith. The great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, said that the Book of Psalms contained a summary of all the truth of the Old Testament. The psalmists covered three major theological themes. First, the psalmists wrote and sang about God's relationship to His creation. Second, the Psalms tell about man's relationship with God. Third, the psalmists wrote about Israel's relationship with God. Each of these three theological themes is approached from God's viewpoint as well as from man's viewpoint. The psalmists often asked questions about God's relationship with His people, and God revealed the answers in the same Psalm. Many colorful illustrations are used in the Psalms to teach important theological truths. For example, in Psalm 1:3, the Bible describes a person who is growing by reading and meditating on God's Word: "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." A major theological emphasis in the Psalms is the importance of the Law of God. The Psalms reveal the value of living a good life before God. Much is said in the Psalms about the need for true righteousness. The motive and standard of this righteousness was to be the Law of God. In all 176 verses of Psalm 119, the psalmist repeatedly stated that strength comes from following God's Law and walking in His precepts. As Christians, we know that our righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by doing the works of the Law. Nevertheless, God wants us to live a moral and upright life. We can learn much about righteousness and be strengthened in it by making theological use of the Psalms and knowing the Word of God. Historical Use. The history of Israel in the Old Testament spans over two thousand years. The Psalms speak about much of that history. The more you read and pray the Psalms, the more you will know about God's dealings with His people. Some of the Psalms refer to events as early as the days of Abraham. Some of them speak to events regarding God's deliverance of the Jewish people from Egypt. Many of the Psalms reveal information from the time of King David and other Kings of Israel. Other Psalms give us historical information down to the times of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The historical information revealed in the Psalms is more than just facts, figures, and dates. The Psalms allow us to see what men experienced, what made them sad, what made them cry out for God's mercy and help, and what made them praise Him. Reading and praying the Psalms is like looking deep into the souls of those who were part of God's chosen people. It helps us to know better the God of history and all time. Practical Use. Another great Protestant Reformer, John Calvin, said that the Psalms would teach Christians the anatomy of their own souls. The Psalms provide a great source of strength for us as we see how God provided for the needs of the psalmists during times of trial and distress. For example, when David faced the enemies of Israel, he prayed to God (Psalm 60:11), "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man." We may not be facing armed enemies like David faced, but when we are facing difficult situations, we can also be inspired by David's example and call upon the Lord for help. When we are afraid, we can pray as David did (Psalm 23:4), "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." As we find ourselves in sin, we can make this prayer of David our own: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me (Psalm 51:1-3). As we see in these examples, the Psalms can be put to practical use for the situations we face in our own lives and souls. Devotional Use. A fourth use of the Psalms involves our devotion to God and our relationship with Him. To devote means to apply yourself to something with all seriousness and earnestness. Our devotion to God can be expressed in such activities as personal prayer and public worship. Since the Psalms were written as prayers to God and praises sung to God, they are primarily devotional materials. The Psalms are the primary prayer and praise book of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Throughout the history of the Jews and Christians, the Psalms have been used in devotions and worship services. Psalm 30 was originally written and used when the house of David was dedicated to the Lord. The Jews established a system of worship within the home by reading one Psalm for every day of the week. Psalm 92 has been read on every Jewish Sabbath day for over two thousand years. Both Jewish and Christian calendars include the reading and praying of selected Psalms throughout special days and events of the year. Jesus prayed the Psalms during His life upon earth. During the Last Supper, as the Lord celebrated the Passover Meal with His disciples, they prayed the Psalms. Jewish tradition for Passover called for the drinking of five cups of wine. The third cup was the cup of blessing and included the reading of Psalm 103, a general Hymn of Praise. The fourth cup was the cup of song and was accompanied by the reading of Psalms of Thanksgiving (115-118). The final cup of Passover was the cup of great song. This cup was partaken as Psalms 120-138 were being read. Jesus, the Word of God, knew the Psalms and prayed the Psalms for devotional use during His time on earth. Certain Psalms are appropriate for devotional use according to the needs and certain situations. The Hebrew prayer book lists the following prayers to be read aloud in specific situations and in specific times of need: Psalm 20 In times of illness Psalm 23 Upon the death of a friend Psalm 29 On the morning of worship Psalm 100 Special times of joy Psalm 121 Special gatherings Psalm 145 Morning prayers Psalm 150 Upon entering the house of God Psalm 121 When traveling Psalm 130 When having to wait Psalm 128 When moving to a new home As you use the Psalms in your daily life, you may find some that are particularly fitting for an occasion in your own life. We should seek to use the Psalms in our daily lives as we live and worship God.

Hebrew Poetry: Variations Almost one-third of the Old Testament was written in the style of Hebrew poetry. Only a few of the Historical Books (Leviticus, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther) and the Prophetic Books (Haggai and Malachi) contain no specific poetical sections. The remaining books of the Old Testament either contain Hebrew poetry or are written entirely in the form of Hebrew poetry. Psalms, Proverbs, and the Song of Solomon were written entirely in the form of Hebrew poetry. One who has studied only English poetry will not recognize the Psalms as being poetry. In English, the rhyme of words and rhythm of sentences most commonly characterize a poem. Hebrew poetry is written by rhyming or relating the ideas of a sentence or paragraph. For example, Psalm 101:7 is written as follows: He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. Notice that the ideas of deceit and lying are related, as well as the ideas of being in God's house and presence. These lines show how ideas are rhymed in Hebrew poetry. In addition, English poetry usually has a certain meter or cadence. Hebrew poetry seems, to an extent, to be unconcerned with meter. To study and understand Hebrew poetry, you will need to set aside your knowledge of English poetry and learn some new concepts. In this section of the unit, you will study the variety of Hebrew poetry; then, you will study some examples of Hebrew poetry from the Psalms. Finally, you will observe several patterns of poetic lines in the Psalms. Here is your goal for this lesson: Summarize the variety of Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament. Vocabulary meter Poetic rhythm, the arrangement of accents in a line of poetry. penitential Of or relating to sorrow for sin or faults. Vocab Arcade VARIETY IN HEBREW POETRY Christians divide the Old Testament books differently and put them in a different order than the Jews do. Jews divide the Old Testament into the Torah (the first five books of the Bible, also called the Law of Moses), the Prophets, and the Writings (includes books like the Psalms). The first division, the Torah, contains the least poetry. When writing historical accounts, as in the Torah, the writers used little poetry. The prophets, speaking God's Word to His people, used more poetry. The most poetry is used in the Writings. They overflow with Hebrew poetry. As men came into the presence of God, they used poetry in speaking, singing, and writing to God and about God. The psalmists expressed their poetry in the Psalms in a variety of settings. This produced something of a variety in Hebrew poetry in the Psalms. In this part of the unit, you will examine four of the settings or situations commonly used for the Psalms: celebration, daily events, lament, and personal prayer. Poems of Celebration. The writers of some of the Psalms and other poetry of the Old Testament intended them to be read or sung at special events. Psalm 30, which praises God for delivering Israel, was written to dedicate the Temple in Jerusalem. Other prayers of praise were read or sung publicly and became part of Israel's worship. A simple song of celebration is recorded in Numbers 21:17-18: Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it: The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it, by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves. And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah: Great national events were marked by poetry in the Old Testament. Moses celebrated the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by writing Psalm 90. Psalm 147 was sung when Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Important occurrences in the life of God's chosen nation became occasions for prayer and praise to God who brought these events to pass. Important times of worship were celebrated in Israel by singing Psalms. Delight in worshipping in the house of the Lord is the theme of Psalm 84. Psalm 81:1 called Israel to the worship of their Almighty God: Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. The children of Israel were instructed in the Psalms to have a right attitude in the worship of God. Psalm 100:4 taught the Hebrews how to enter the house of the Lord: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 95:2 also taught the Israelites how to celebrate their worship of God: Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. The Psalms were indeed poems of celebration for the Israelites. Poems for Daily Events. Simple daily occurrences brought about praise to the Lord and soon became part of Israel's poetry. The psalmists were especially fond of Psalms that marked certain times of the day. We can picture David, king of Israel, arising in the morning to pray and give thanks to God his Savior with the Psalms. The morning Psalms reflect David putting his trust in the Lord as he faces difficult situations in the day ahead. On some occasions when David rose early to await the rising sun, he might have sung (Psalm 130:5-6), I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. David probably prayed and sang this Psalm in the mornings (Psalm 5:3) My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalms were appropriate for other times of the day. Psalm 4 might have been a song giving praise to God before retiring in the evening. Psalm 134 was probably sung at the Temple at night: For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. Poems were also given to the ancient Hebrews to mark the normal events of life. Old age is the theme of Psalm 71. Many Psalms sing of joy and were used by God's people to express and share their happiness with the Lord. For example, the Hebrews would shout their joy to God by singing (Psalm 33:1-3), Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. David Poems of Lament. As you have already learned, the Lament Psalms made up the largest type of Psalms in the Psalter. They were written and used by both individuals and the community. The individual lament followed a pattern in which the psalmist both stated his grief and confessed his confidence and trust in the Lord. Many times the psalmist thanked God while in the midst of a crisis. When facing his enemies, David prayed (Psalm 141:3-4), Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.. David realized how easy it would be to lose his godly communication in such situations. He asked God to guard his words so that he could thank God for all things. The Lament Psalms also were used when the entire nation fell into difficulty. The Psalms of national lament would include the statement of the crisis, a confession of trust in God, and a vow of praise. Psalm 44 was sung following Israel's defeat in battle. Although many Hebrews were taken into captivity and the nation was weakened, the Israelites prayed (Psalm 44:6-7), For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.. Israel was broken and defeated; yet, the nation praised God for the eternal victory of righteousness and salvation. Poems of Personal Prayer. Most of the Psalms were personal prayers. They became public prayers because they expressed the feelings and emotions of so many other believers. In Psalm 43, the psalmist asked God to look deep into his soul and judge any wrongdoing. Psalms that praise God for personal deliverance are found throughout the Book of Psalms. When one prayer was answered, a Psalm of Thanksgiving was offered to testify to God's faithfulness (Psalm 28). The most personal Psalms present the confession of sin of the psalmist. After David's sin with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11-12), David cried out to God for mercy. He confessed his sin to the Lord in the awesome penitential prayer of Psalm 51. Among other things, he prayed (Psalm 51:1-2), Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.. These personal prayers became public Psalms because they said what so many of God's children experienced. Ultimately, it is because God has inspired these Psalms and given them to us that they have such profound meaning to us. Although many centuries have passed since these prayers were first made, they are still the heartfelt response of God's people. We can learn how to pray, how to confess our sin, and how to ask for mercy from the Lord by reading and praying the Psalms.

Jesus' Cleansing of the Temple Although a year extended from Jesus' baptism to His removal to Galilee, little is recorded of the events of that period. Some scholars have called Jesus' first year of ministry "the year of obscurity." Numerous occurrences are mentioned, especially in John's Gospel, but these events only reveal a partial picture of Jesus' Judean ministry. Nonetheless, some of the ones that are recorded are among the most memorable of all His ministry. This lesson looks at one of these, the cleansing of the temple. Here are your goals for this lesson: Examine the chronology of Jesus' first year of ministry Explore the causes of Jesus' cleansing of the temple Vocabulary encroach To go beyond proper or usual limits. obscurity Lack of clearness, difficulty in being understood. revenue Incoming money or income. synoptic Being similar in content and order. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic Gospels. Vocab Arcade Read John 2:13-22. Background. Prior to the early Judean ministry, Christ further introduced His public ministry at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' very presence at such a joyful occasion established a pattern for those who would seek Him. His first miracle, turning water into wine, brought happiness to all who partook of that which the Lord offered. Jesus offers all who believe in Him happiness and joy that can only be found in eternal salvation. Chronology of the First Year of Jesus' Early Ministry: Jesus baptized by John July A.D. 26 Jesus tempted by Satan August A.D. 26 Jesus called His first disciples October A.D. 26 Jesus worked His first miracle October A.D. 26 Jesus briefly visited Capernaum November A.D. 26 Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem April A.D. 27 Jesus met with Nicodemus April A.D. 27 Jesus left Judea August A.D. 27 Jesus and the woman at well August A.D. 27 Jesus arrived in Galilee August A.D. 27 Following this first miracle, Jesus visited Capernaum which was the home of Peter and other disciples who followed Jesus. John 2:12 relates that, After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. Capernaum would later become the major city of Jesus' earthly ministry but was initially only a place to spend the winter and to begin a ministry. In Luke 4:23 a reference is made to Christ's early Capernaum ministry through the information the people of Nazareth had concerning Jesus' activities in Capernaum. As the Passover drew near, Jesus and His company of family and friends traveled to Jerusalem. That journey marks the initiation of Jesus' Judean ministry, a ministry that would continue for about five months. The Judean ministry of the Lord would not be resumed until six months prior to His Crucifixion. During the initial Judean campaign, Jesus cleansed the Temple, conversed with Nicodemus, and baptized those who believed in Him (John 3:22). Upon leaving Judea, Jesus confronted the woman at the well before arriving in Galilee. In this section, you will study those events of Christ's early ministry. The synoptic Gospels omit all but a mention of Christ's early Judean ministry. John's Gospel, although clearly showing that the ministry was of considerable length and covered extensive territory, is limited to only two incidents, which are the cleansing of the Temple and his talk with Nicodemus. Jesus' ministry started in Jerusalem and later moved into all Judea (John 2:23 and 3:22). What was the success of this evangelistic tour? The Pharisees were enraged over the miracles and the success of this particular movement of God; therefore, they banded together and plotted to kill Jesus, the Messiah of Israel (John 2:24 and 4:1-2). The Passover was a special feast for Israel, and Jews from all over the world arrived in Jerusalem to participate in the spiritual activities. One of the responsibilities of the believing Jews was to offer sacrifices at the Temple. These sacrifices required oxen, sheep, and doves to become the substitutes for the offerers' sins. This requirement, along with the need for exchange of foreign currency, fostered a thriving business which encroached upon the holiness of the Temple of God. Jerusalem's merchants, desiring to make a profit from the visiting worshipers, established places for buying sacrificial animals and exchanging currency within the Temple grounds. Their businesses were licensed by the priests who sold the favorable locations for the highest prices. The Temple authorities would also tax each business according to a percentage of their revenue. This system encouraged the priests to reject animals for sacrifice unless they had been purchased from the Temple merchants. Years before this Passover celebration, Jesus had entered the Temple as a twelve-year-old boy and had amazed the lawyers and learned men of the Law. However, He now returned in the full measure of His public ministry as God's Son and man's Savior. Many people had crowded the city's streets for the Passover celebrations. When Jesus approached the Temple, the noise of animals and the rattle of money met His ears. The Holy Temple of God had been changed into a market place. At that moment Jesus was righteously angered and full of divine wrath. He began to drive out these people who were misusing the Temple. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers, drove the animals out, and scattered the coins over the Temple pavement. The startled disciples were reminded of the prophecy recorded in Psalm 6:9, And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. (John 2:17). God's place of worship had been defaced, abused, and made unholy by the greed of man. Jesus had burned with righteous anger at the hardness of man's heart.

Jesus' Conversation with Nicodemus Jesus revealed the heart and core of His purpose on earth during His early Judean ministry. Some who followed Him thought He had come to set up a military kingdom, others thought He was one of the Old Testament prophets returned from the dead. In His discourse with Nicodemus, He explained His purpose, the reason for His suffering, His death, and even His birth. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Here are your goals for this lesson: Compare Nicodemus' expectations of the Messiah with Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy Memorize John 3:5 Read John 2:23-3:21. Memory Verse: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews and a scholar of good reputation. He came to Jesus by night as a person willing to admit the validity of the miracles of Christ. Nicodemus was a man with many questions. He had some difficulty accepting Jesus as the promised Messiah. Nicodemus was also a man of courage. He would one day stand in defense of Jesus before the Sanhedrin council (John 7:50). Nicodemus was bothered by the character of Jesus' kingdom and was perplexed by the personality and ministry of Jesus. Because Jesus did not organize the Jews to fight the Roman leaders, Nicodemus thought that He might not be the Messiah. His limited knowledge of the Old Testament prophets restricted his thinking to a Messiah who would overthrow Roman rulers and free the Jews. Nicodemus would have also been bothered by the character of Jesus in such actions as the Temple cleansing. Nicodemus could not reconcile Jesus with the man the Scriptures prophesied as the coming Messiah. During His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus told Nicodemus that the most important thing to recognize was that he must be born again. This didn't make sense to Nicodemus. He could think only of physical birth and replied that a person could not be born a second time. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5). Some have used this verse to further the incorrect teaching that baptism is needed for salvation. However, the common interpretation of this verse is that being born of water refers to the natural birth. When a confused Nicodemus asked Jesus how a person could be born again, he was thinking of a physical birth. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that he needed two births--the one that brought him into this world, and one that would bring him into the God's Kingdom. Jesus spoke of a transformation that must take place in our life by and through the work of the Spirit of God. Nicodemus had to turn in faith and repentance to believe in Jesus as his Savior. The Holy Spirit comes into contact with man's spirit through the Word of God. As the Word convicts the unbeliever, he is made accountable for his sins to God. He is unable, of himself, to do anything to escape a just punishment except to receive the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Bible does not record Nicodemus's conversion experience. We do know, however, that he later defends Jesus in front of the Sanhedrin and helps Joseph of Arimathaea with Christ's burial. Jesus placed the emphasis of His entire conversation with Nicodemus upon the necessity of being born into God's kingdom. Nicodemus was an educated man and was a religious leader, but these characteristics were not sufficient for his salvation. The concern of Jesus was that Nicodemus needed to encounter the reality of a spiritual change through Christ wrought by the Holy Spirit. This same necessity exists for each of us today. If we never receive forgiveness for our sins nor ask Jesus into our life as our own personal Savior and Lord, then we would spend an eternity in the torment of a literal burning hell. God loves each of us, and for this very purpose He sent His own Son that we might have life through His name (John 3:16).

JESUS' DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION Jesus fulfilled the plan of the Father to bring new life to the world. Jesus did this through His death, resurrection, and ascension. The combination of all three events was the fourth and greatest way that Jesus brought new life to the human race. Jesus offered Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world for all time. The problem of sin, brought upon the human race by Adam and Eve, was solved through the death of Jesus Christ. When Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, He brought God's great mercy and forgiveness for all sins for all time (Romans 5:6-11). He provided redemption from the Fall and the sin of our first parents. By His death on the cross, Jesus freed us from the bondage and the power of sin. Jesus brought salvation to sinful humanity. Likewise, the power of death was overcome when Jesus rose from the dead to new life. In addition, Satan was defeated forever through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews says, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14-15). Paul says, "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." (Romans 6:9). Jesus destroyed death and its power over the human race. Furthermore, He destroyed the devil and his works. The apostle John writes, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8). Finally, when Jesus ascended into heaven, His risen humanity ascended with Him. A new humanity was raised to new life though Jesus Christ. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-7: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. The Sending of the Holy Spirit. Jesus completed the work of bringing new life to man when He sent the Holy Spirit upon his disciples. This is the fifth way that Jesus brought new life to us. The Bible says, "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:" (John 20:22). He sent the Holy Spirit publicly to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) when the Spirit fell on them and they went out and witnessed publicly to the people of Jerusalem. Through the reception of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' disciples received the power to live the new life that is possible through faith in Jesus. You will learn more about the role of the Holy Spirit in the new life of Christians in the third section of this unit. The Hope of Eternal Life. Not only did Jesus bring new life to those who have faith in Him, He also brought the promise of eternal life with God forever (John 3:16). Jesus opened the path to heaven for man. For those who believe in Jesus and remain faithful to Him, Jesus will give eternal life. In addition, on the Last Day, when Jesus comes again, He will forever destroy Satan and all the powers of Hell, and a new Heaven and a new earth will be established (2 Peter 3:10-13).

LIFE AFTER CHRIST New Life in Christ. Jesus opened the way to new life for all people. He allowed those who received Him to become children of God and to be restored to a right relationship with God (John 1:12-13). Through faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we receive a new life. We become a new creation. Paul said, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through His church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ, Jesus has brought about a new humanity. These are a people that He has redeemed and who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Paul's Letter to Titus says, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:14). Paul also writes in Titus 3:4-7: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. After having made His atoning sacrifice on the cross, there is now a great body of believers in Christ who have been cleansed from the power of sin through faith in Him. They have received the promised Holy Spirit and are living a life of faith and good works. They are awaiting the hope of eternal life to come. Some Problems Remain. The presence of sin has not been eliminated through the coming of Jesus, because sin and evil still exist in the world today. Many people, throughout history and today, do not know about the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. Others have heard about Jesus but have not accepted Him as Savior; therefore, these people remain in their sins, and the power of sin still has control of their lives. Even Christians continue to struggle with temptation and sin. As you will study in the next section of the unit, Christians must still contend with three main obstacles to new life in Christ. We continue to sin after receiving Christ as Savior. Fortunately, even when Christians sin after receiving Christ as Savior, we can continue to receive forgiveness by confessing our sins. The apostle John writes, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). Christ continues to strengthen us on our journey to Heaven. He not only offers us help through His Spirit living in us, but He gives us additional help to keep us strong in our battle against sin and the devil. You will learn more about these times when He helps people in this ongoing battle with sin, the devil, and temptation in the next section of this unit.

The portions of Scripture studied in this lesson portray Christ as our Redeemer. The word redeemer carries the idea of to purchase something back. Jesus purchased us back from the bondage of Satan and provided a full and complete salvation for whosoever will believe on Him. The Old Testament prophecies may hold both a present and a future meaning. This is seen in another Old Testament account, which portrays Jesus as Redeemer. In Jonah 1:17 we read, Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. This verse foretold the exact number of days Jesus would remain in the grave, a prediction of the Redeemer's burial before He was to confirm His victory over death (Matthew 12:40). Often, the Old Testament Scriptures bear two purposes. A passage may present truth for that specific time and need, as well as foretell (prophesy) a future event which may occur in a manner similar to that which happened historically. These two purposes are seen in Jonah's being swallowed by a great fish. Because of Jonah's rebellion toward God, he was swallowed by a great fish and was in the fish's belly for a period of three days and three nights. However, not only did this event actually happen, but it also looked ahead to the time when Jesus would also spend three days and three nights in the grave. Both would be released by the power of God, and both would be used to help free mankind from bondage. By the Book--Jonah

Memory Verse: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) His Servant's Office Foretold. Zechariah, Chapter 3, portrays God's Son as a servant: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:8). Isaiah 42:1-4 tells us that, as a servant, Christ will be humble. Both of these Old Testament Scriptures teach that Jesus came as a servant, not someone to be served. Christ came to meet the needs of people. This meeting of needs was exactly what He did. Philippians 2:7 tells us, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Our Lord came as a servant to minister to the needs of sinful mankind. Think of what God has done for you. The Creator of the universe, the One who spoke the world into existence, has volunteered to allow His Son to be spat upon, humiliated, tortured, and hung upon a Cross by the very beings He created. God's mission for His Son Jesus was to serve and meet the needs of a dying world. We next need to study some of the various ways Christ served as a servant. In Isaiah 32:1-2 you will find still another way Christ served in the capacity of a servant, but in the role of a king: Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. In this portion of Scripture, we can see several aspects of the position of servant held by Jesus. Jesus is titled as king and is rightly called the King in many passages of the Bible: Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Isaiah 43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Jeremiah 46:18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. John 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass�s colt. 1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Therefore, we must conclude that the Bible recognizes Jesus as the absolute fulfillment of Isaiah 32:1 as the King of Kings. Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace, and Acts 3:15 calls Jesus the Prince of Life. The remainder of Isaiah 32:1-2 calls Jesus a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm. Second Samuel 22:2-3 refers to Jesus as a rock and a refuge. Jesus becomes our abiding place when we receive Him as our Savior and Lord. With Christ as our Savior and Lord, we can face the tempest and the storms and can find rest, security, and peace in Him. We must place our trust and confidence in God as the storms of life attempt to overcome us. Jesus is compared to the rivers of water in a dry place in Isaiah 32:2. The Apostle John confirms this portion of Isaiah's prophecy when he cites Jesus as saying: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38).

Perean Ministry Here is your objective for this lesson. Describe the events of Jesus' ministry through Perea. Vocabulary receptive Ready to receive. Vocab Arcade Perea was the region just east of the Jordan River. The last months of Jesus' earthly ministry were primarily conducted there. In contrast to the previous Judean ministry (covered in the first part of this section), the Perean ministry allowed Jesus to publicly minister to those who desired the truth. The Perean ministry, like Jesus' early Galilean ministry, was filled with Jesus' miracles and parables. Jesus left Jerusalem and the Judean ministry for Perea in December during (or after) the Feast of Dedication. We know that He returned to Jerusalem for the final time in the spring, just before Passover. Therefore, Jesus' Perean ministry lasted only a few months. Although the scribes and Pharisees would continue to attack Jesus, the people of Perea were receptive to Him and His teachings. In this final portion of the unit, you will investigate some of the events of Jesus' Perean ministry. You will study the parables He told and the miracles He worked there. Study the following chart of Jesus' Perean ministry to enhance your learning of the material in this part of the unit. Parables. The Perean parables of Jesus were designed to increase the faith of doubters and to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead in Jerusalem. While dining with a chief Pharisee, Jesus used a group of parables to teach that mercy is proper on any day, including the Sabbath. One of these parables that Jesus told in Perea concerned a man who gave a great banquet (Luke 14:16-24). After extending an invitation to many of his friends and receiving only excuses for why they couldn't come, the man told his servant to invite anyone that he could find. The man said to his servant (Luke 14:23), And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Jesus was telling this parable about Himself. He had presented Himself as the Messiah to the leaders and lost sheep of Israel and invited them into the Kingdom of God, but most of these people (the invited guests) rejected Him. Therefore, Jesus would offer salvation to the whole world, including the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). Many Pereans followed Jesus as he ministered in their region. Jesus taught the Pereans about the cost of discipleship. The parable of the tower (Luke 14:28-30) warned of a man who would begin building a tower and not have enough money to finish it. The parable of the king (Luke 14:31-33) advised Jesus' Perean followers to consider the ruler who must count the costs of battle to insure victory rather than defeat. Through these parables, Jesus was instructing the people to carefully count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. The twelve disciples also received additional training while in Perea. The parable of the unjust steward taught the disciples the importance of using their money for spiritual purposes rather than for selfish reasons (Luke 16:1-13). Jesus teaches His disciples in this parable by saying, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16:10). This is a truth for Christ's disciples today. Our faithfulness must be expressed in small matters before we are offered greater responsibilities.

Miracles. During the time of His Perean ministry, Jesus' miracles demonstrated His power and His authority as the Son of God. Although some of His most spectacular miracles during this time were actually performed on trips outside Perea, they occurred during the time that Jesus primarily based His ministry in Perea. For example, Jesus' great miracle in raising his friend Lazarus from the dead occurred in Bethany, near Jerusalem; but Jesus first heard of Lazarus' illness while He was ministering in Perea. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44), Jesus demonstrated His authority over death. In addition, while traveling through Jericho (just outside Perean territory), Jesus restored the sight of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) and again fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 35:5. Jesus showed His power and authority through such miracles as these. One of Jesus' most extraordinary miracles occurred near Bethany. Jesus' friend Lazarus lived in Bethany and was the brother of Martha and Mary. Jesus loved this family of faithful followers. When Jesus first heard of Lazarus' illness, he did not immediately depart for Bethany but stayed an extra two days in Perea. When He knew that Lazarus had "fallen asleep" (that is, he was dead), Jesus left Perea for Bethany in Judea (John 11:11-13). When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead and buried four days. After speaking with Mary and Martha, Jesus went to the grave site of Lazarus. He instructed those present to move the stone that was covering the tomb. Jesus prayed, and then "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (John 11:43-44). What a tremendous miracle! Many of the Jews who witnessed Jesus' power over death were astonished, and they believed in Him (John 11:45). At the end of His Perean ministry, Jesus decided to go to Jerusalem for the final part of His earthly life. On the way from Perea to Jerusalem, He passed through the ancient town of Jericho. A large crowd of people gathered as Jesus and His followers walked through the town (Mark 10:46). Alongside the dusty road sat a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, a name meaning son of Timaeus. As Jesus approached, Bartimaeus decided to call out to Jesus for help. Mark records the event (Mark 10:47): "And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. Bartimaeus' persistence in trying to attract Jesus' attention caused the crowds to try and quiet him. However, Jesus called for Bartimaeus to come to Him. Jesus spoke to Bartimaeus and asked him what he desired. Bartimaeus quickly said to Him, "And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. (Mark 10:51). Jesus then spoke to him with great love and said, "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." (Mark 10:52). Bartimaeus was immediately healed and became a follower of Jesus! The City of Jericho Today, Jesus wants all people to come to Him and receive the gift of faith to believe in Him. Jesus wants to not only heal physical sight, but He also wants to give spiritual sight, so that all people may recognize and believe in Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Other Events in Perea and on the Way to Jerusalem. As Jesus' public ministry was coming to a close in Perea and He traveled to Jerusalem for the last time, many people received Him as the Messiah and Savior, but others rejected Him. For example, the money and wealth of the rich young ruler kept him from following Jesus (Luke 18:18-27). However, on the outskirts of Jericho, the small tax collector named Zacchaeus came to Jesus, received Jesus into his home, and experienced salvation (Luke 19:9). Jesus also continued to prepare His disciples for the last part of His earthly ministry: His suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. Just before they left Perea, Jesus again spoke to them (Luke 18:31-33) about the events that will be described in the next unit: Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

The Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible. It contains 150 Psalms, and each psalm is a chapter of the Bible. It has the longest chapter (Psalm 119 with 176 verses) and the shortest chapter (Psalm 117 with 2 verses). The Psalms are also one of the most beautiful parts of the Bible. The Psalms are primarily prayers. These prayers incorporate just about every human emotion possible, from the greatest joy and praise to the most profound sorrow and despair. Athanasius, one of the great Christian leaders of the early church in the fourth century, said that the rest of Scripture is God's Word to us, but the Psalms are God's Word for us. By this he meant that the Psalms are God-given prayers for us to pray. Furthermore, the Psalms help teach us how to pray. In Old Testament times, Jewish people originally composed the Psalms. David, who became the great king of the Jewish people, composed many of the Psalms. Other Jewish people, including Moses and Solomon, also wrote Psalms. Many people had a hand in writing and collecting the 150 Psalms that we have today. Through it all, God was the One inspiring the writing and collecting of these ancient prayers. We can be sure that the Psalms are, indeed, God's Word to us and for us. Throughout the history of the church, the Psalms have been considered the church's primary "prayer book." Jesus Himself prayed the Psalms, and He quoted the Psalms during His ministry (for example, in Mark 15:34, Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 on the cross). If the church has found the Psalms to be a good source of prayer, it is because God inspired these prayers to nourish the life of the church and the life of the individual Christian. Furthermore, the church has always seen Christ throughout the Psalms. Jesus also showed the disciples that the Psalms referred to Him in many places (Luke 22:44). It is important to know about the Psalms. The purpose of this unit is to help you learn much more about the Book of Psalms. It is even more important to learn to pray the Psalms. By studying this unit, you will not only learn much more about the Psalms, but you will also come to love the Psalms more and pray them more. The Psalms are God-inspired prayers that can help you grow closer to God all the days of your life. In this unit, you will learn more about what Psalms are. You will learn about the history of the Psalms and the types of Psalms. In Section Two, you will learn about Hebrew poetry, since the Psalms are actually examples of Hebrew poetry. Finally, in the last section of this unit, you will study one psalm—Psalm 100—in much detail, in order to help you explore the riches contained in God's Word through the Psalms. Here is your goal for this lesson: Describe the Psalms and tell what they are. God is the object of the Psalms. As David writes in Psalm 62:1-2, Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. All of the 150 Psalms of the Bible are ultimately about God. The Psalms express in poetic form the drama of human relationships with God, especially as lived by the people of Israel. We learn much about God and ourselves in the Psalms. The Psalms are chiefly about God and our relationship with Him. They tell of all kinds of events concerning the people of Israel and God. The Psalms are about God and the relationship he has with His people. They are prayers and songs from individuals and groups of people to God. Vocabulary Psalter The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament. Septuagint The Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament accomplished in Alexandria, Egypt about 250 B.C. Vocab Arcade WHAT ARE THE PSALMS? The words "Psalms" and "Psalter" (as the Book of Psalms is sometimes called) come to us from the Greek translation of the Bible known as the Septuagint. The Greek word most used in that translation for the writings we have in the Book of Psalms was psalmoi, referring to "songs sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments." Therefore, the very name "Psalms" helps us to begin to answer the question: What are the Psalms? They are religious songs, written by various ancient Jewish authors. Most of the Psalms were originally intended to be accompanied by stringed instruments that are plucked, such as the harp, lyre, psaltery, or zither. The Hebrew word used for these writings of the Bible was tehillim, meaning "praises." This word also helps us understand that many of the Psalms are songs of praise to God. The Psalms are also prayers. In fact, one of the first collections of the Psalms in the Bible was titled "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse" (Psalm 72:20). As mentioned in the introduction of this unit, the Psalms were given to us by God as prayers inspired by Him. The Psalms are not only prayers, they help us learn how to pray. They express in all forms of human language and emotion the prayers of God's people. Finally, the Psalms are also Hebrew poetry. The Psalms were written in the distinctive fashion of Hebrew poetry. Almost one-third of the Old Testament was written in the form of Hebrew poetry, so there are many other passages outside the Book of Psalms that use Hebrew poetry. Much more will be said about the Psalms as Hebrew poetry in Section Two of this unit. It should be noted that Psalms are found in other parts of the Old Testament, too, not only in the Book of Psalms. A few of the many examples of other Psalms in the Old Testament are: The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:1-18) celebrates God's deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. The Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43) contrasts God's faithfulness with Israel's unfaithfulness. The Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10) is a psalm of thanksgiving to God. David's Song of Deliverance (2 Samuel 22:2-51) is a psalm of thanksgiving. It is also preserved as Psalm 18 in the Book of Psalms. King Hezekiah's Song (Isaiah 38:9-20) is a thanksgiving psalm used when presenting a thank offering in the Temple. Jonah's Prayer from the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:2-9) is actually a psalm of thanksgiving! The Prayer of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:2-19) is a hymn praising God for divine victory on behalf of the people Israel.

ORGANIZATION OF THE PSALTER The Book of Psalms is actually composed of several collections of Psalms. It consists of five distinct "books" or collections of Psalms. Each one of these five books concludes with a doxology. Psalm 150, which concludes the last of the five books, is actually a fitting doxology to the entire Psalter. The organization of the Book of Psalms into five books is as follows in Table 1: Book I Psalms 1-41 Concluding doxology: Ps. 41:13 Book II Psalms 42-72 Concluding doxology: Ps. 72:18-19 Book III Psalms 73-89 Concluding doxology: Ps. 89:52 Book IV Psalms 90-106 Concluding doxology: Ps. 106:48 Book V Psalms 107-150 Concluding doxology for the entire Psalter: Ps. 150 Table 1: Organization of the Book of Psalms The arrangement of the Psalms into these five books was probably in imitation of the five books of Moses (the Torah) found in the beginning of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Some people find a general likeness in themes or topics of the five books of the Psalms when they are compared to the corresponding five books of Moses. This topical likeness is shown in the following Table 2: Book of Psalms Book I (1-41) Book II (42-72) Book III (73-89) Book IV (90-106) Book V (107-150) The Five Books of Moses Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Themes in Common Man and Creation Deliverance and Redemption Worship and Sanctuary Wilderness and Wandering Scripture and Praise Table 2: Topical themes of the Books of Psalms and the Law of Moses The whole Book of Psalms ends with a wonderful psalm of praise. It begins with two Psalms that are keynotes to the faith of the people of Israel. Psalm 1 opens the Psalter and extols the virtue of meditating on the Law of God (the Torah). Psalm 2 offers a meditation on the Messiah (literally, "the Anointed One"). These two themes—the will of God in the Law and the future coming of the Messiah to begin God's Kingdom—were the two most important beliefs of the Jewish people at the time the Psalter was arranged in its final form. You will learn more about the history and formation of the Book of Psalms in the next part of this section of the unit.

Poetry of Psalm 100 In this lesson, you will examine Psalm 100 as a beautiful example of Hebrew poetry. Here is your goal for this lesson: Identify the Hebrew poetry of Psalm 100. Read Psalm 100:4: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Although Psalm 100 contains only five verses, many of the Hebrew poetic parallels are used in it. The Hebrew parallel creates a balance of ideas within a verse of Hebrew poetry. The balance may compare, contrast, develop, or illustrate the main idea of the verse. All parallels of Hebrew poetry share a common purpose: to make clear God's truth and to teach great things about God and His plan. Review the definition of the forms of Hebrew poetry: parallelism The two lines are balanced one against the other. synonymous The two lines mean nearly the same thing. synthetic The second line builds upon the idea given in the first line. antithetical The second line contrasts or is the opposite of the first line. emblematic This parallel uses an image or illustration. climactic This parallel uses repetition to stress an idea. alphabetical The lines are divided and outlined through the use of the Hebrew alphabet.

Of the five types of Hebrew poetic parallels, four are found in Psalm 100. Only the climactic parallel, which uses repetition of important words and phrases, is not used. In the first example found in Psalm 100:1-2, you studied three lines of the Psalm. You should have identified these lines as being either a synthetic or a synonymous parallel. Both answers can be correct because the elements of both types of parallels are found in the verses. The synonymous parallel can be found in the first and third lines: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. In the first line a joyful noise is made, and in the second line singing occurs. Both verses describe similar activities of worship. The synthetic parallel is found in the first and second lines of the verse: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. The writer moves the concept of worship from making a joyful noise, an overt expression, to serving the Lord from inner obedience. The general statement in the first line is developed by the second line.

Antithetical. The word antithetical means to make a contrast or to make two things the opposite of each other. Antithetical poetry in the Psalms occurs when the second line contrasts with, or opposes the first line. In synonymous parallelism, the second line repeats the idea in the first line. In synthetic parallelism the second line advances, or develops, the first line. In antithetical parallelism, the concept of the first line is explained by showing the opposite position in the second line. When a reader knows what the opposite of the first line is, he is often better able to understand the first line of the parallel. English examples: I love the days when the sun is shining. I do not like rainy days. The teacher rewards the obedient students; she punishes the disobedient students. The sun shines by day; the moon glows by night. In the English examples given, the second line contrasts with the first line. You will more fully understand God's truth by investigating the antithetical parallels in the poetry of the Book of Psalms. Hebrew examples: In Psalm 40:17, David explained the grace of God by telling of his condition in contrast with God's love. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me... In Psalm 37:9, a contrast declares the fate of believers versus the fate of unbelievers. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Two antithetical parallels are found in Psalm 20:7-8. David explains the different attitudes of the believer and unbeliever. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. The antithetical parallels become a way of further teaching and understanding God's Word. By seeing ideas in contrast and learning their opposites, you can more fully understand their meaning.

Other Forms. In addition to the synonymous, synthetic, and antithetical parallels, other minor forms of Hebrew poetry can be found in the Psalms. These forms include the emblematic and climactic parallels and the alphabetical Psalms. Emblematic parallels use an image or illustration to further the understanding of an idea. One line of an emblematic parallel will teach the main point; the other line explains the main point through an image. Psalm 42:1 is a very good example of an emblematic parallel. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. In this parallel, the believer's soul is compared to the deer (hart) that thirsts for the cool water of a stream. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. The Climactic parallel brings the reader to the important point in the Psalm by using repetition. The second line of the climactic parallel repeats the first part of the first line. An illustration of the climactic parallel is found in Psalm 29:1. Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. By repeating the important words of the first line, the writer of the Psalm emphasizes the main point. The final type of Hebrew poetry that occurs in the Book of Psalms is the alphabetical acrostic form. The lines of an alphabetical acrostic poem begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 111, 112, 119, and 145 are included in this category. Psalm 119, which is the longest Psalm, is probably the most obvious example of this type of poetry.

Offices of the Messiah Fulfilled Old Testament prophecy contains accurate and detailed predictions of the First Advent of Christ to earth. To assist us with a better understanding of prophecy and how it relates to our present day, we should study some of the principles of Biblical prophecy. Here are your goals for this lesson: Identify eight characteristics of Biblical prophecy Analyze prophetic texts to identify characteristics of Biblical prophecy Vocabulary authenticity Trustworthiness, genuineness. omniscience Having complete knowledge of all things. pervade To spread through every part. rebellion Opposition to one in authority. Vocab Arcade CHARACTERISTICS OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY 1. Prophecy is a declaration of future events, knowledge which belongs exclusively to the omniscience of God. 2. Prophecy is, by its nature, a manifestation (revelation) of the supernatural light of God. 3. Prophecy is explained by God in Deuteronomy 18:18-22, which set forth points concerning prophecy: (a) God put the words in their mouths; (b) The prophet spoke "only" what God commanded; (c) People are to pay strict attention to words of God's prophet; and (d) If a prophecy is from God, then the test is that the prophecy will happen exactly as spoken. 4. Real prophecy is a vital part of the Bible. Biblical prophecy is deeply buried throughout the Old Testament and was also a means of establishing the New Testament. 5. Prophecy pervades the entire Bible. Prophetic material is found in the historical books, the poetical and wisdom books, and in the books of the prophets. It is found in the Gospels and the Epistles, and the Bible ends with a large prophetic book, Revelation. 6. Prophecy, in many cases, is very specific. People are named before their birth, kingdoms are outlined before their existence, battles are described before they occur, and personal destinies are described before the persons are born. 7. Prophecy often deals with events remote in time and with people or kingdoms that do not exist yet. Example: Daniel speaks of Rome as the fourth kingdom. 8. Fulfillment of prophecy is clear. Fulfilled prophecy constitutes a supernatural act. (The Bible is full of many.) Reread each characteristic and, as you study Bible prophecy, try to recognize these principles.

Read Deuteronomy 18:9-19. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 provides the condition by which a person can know if a prophecy is of God. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. If a prophecy is not fulfilled, then it did not come from God. The fulfillment is the evidence as to whether a prophecy is of God. In this section, you will study the fulfillment of the specific office of Christ as Messiah. Redemptive Office Fulfilled. Psalm 16:10 describes the triumph of Jesus Christ over death: For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Taking sin's punishment as our substitute, Jesus Christ then triumphed over death. The writer of Psalm 16 declares that the Holy One will not be left bound to death, nor will He see any corruption. Here we have a prophecy given many hundreds of years before Jesus Christ actually died upon the Cross at Calvary and was buried. Matthew 16:21 substantiates the prophecy, From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Again in Matthew 28:6 we read, He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew's Gospel not only supports the earlier prophecy of Psalm 16:10 but also contains the actual fulfillment of this prophecy recorded in Matthew 16:21 and 28:6. He is not here: for He is risen Fulfillment is the historical evidence of the authenticity of Biblical prophecy. In Isaiah 4:4, the prophet predicts, When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. Turning to Matthew 26:28, you can read the description of the fulfillment of this prophetic promise. Here, Jesus sits at the Last Supper with His disciples and tells them, For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. These verses provide ample proof that, historically, the many prophecies of Jesus as Savior were fulfilled. When Christ died on Calvary and was resurrected the third day as foretold hundreds of years before, God's plan for salvation was complete. Read Matthew 18:1; Roman 3:23; and Acts 16:31. Servant's Office Fulfilled. Zechariah 3:8 says, Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. In Philippians 2:7, Paul tells of Jesus, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: The Jews had expected a powerful king, but Christ came as a humble servant. As the Son of God, Jesus served His heavenly Father. Christ was an obedient servant and was loyal to the plan of salvation and to His part in that plan. Jesus also served those He came in contact with here on earth. He healed and helped both those who loved Him and also those who abused Him. Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was a servant. He was obedient and submissive to His Father. God's power and strength came through Christ, the humble servant. As a servant, Christ was under orders from the Father. This submission was made clear in the garden the night in which Christ was betrayed. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39). Jesus came as a servant, to do His Father's will (John 4:34). Many Scriptures throughout the Bible prove the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning the Son of God. We have merely dealt with a few. However, if the Bible is God's Word, a supernatural, divinely-inspired book, then its message is of vital importance. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. He who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. Who is Jesus?

The Life of Grace Vocabulary sheer Pure and complete; not mixed with anything else. virtues Particular moral excellence; a commendable quality or trait. Vocab Arcade Here are your objectives for this lesson. Define grace and its importance in the Christian life. List and describe the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, Christians fall into a trap of thinking that they can be more like Christ and live the new life in Christ simply by deciding to do better. They think that if they do enough good deeds, say enough prayers, or think enough godly thoughts, they will be more acceptable to God and more like Christ. However, the Bible tells us that we are saved by grace and not by works. The Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is the unmerited favor of God to make us acceptable and give us right standing in His sight. Grace is also God's life in us. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation because Christ has already done it all for us. Jesus has earned our salvation for us. Through faith in Jesus, we receive salvation as God's gracious gift to us. It is sheer grace. Our part is to accept it and to receive it. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia to correct their thinking about God's grace and following the Jewish law. Many in the Galatian church were beginning to follow Jewish practices of the Law after having received salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. They had also received the Holy Spirit through faith. After that, they were trying to be more acceptable (justified or made righteous) by following the Jewish Law (doing the works of the Law). Paul told them they were foolish for doing this! He reminded them that they received the Spirit through faith, not works (Galatians 3:1-2). He taught them again that their salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ, totally as a gift of grace to them! Once we receive Christ as our Savior, we receive His life within us. It is His grace in us. His grace helps us to live a life pleasing to Him and to grow in Him. His grace helps us to be transformed in Christ.

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT As we live a new life in Christ, we will be able to observe the effects of the Holy Spirit. In fact, these effects are one way that we and others will know we are living a new life in Christ. Paul calls the effects of the Holy Spirit in our lives the "fruit of the Spirit." Just as a tree produces a certain kind of fruit depending upon its type, so should Christians produce fruit that is characteristic of the Holy Spirit's action in them! In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul lists nine virtues that are the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit of the Holy Spirit is produced in us as we yield to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Love. Love should be the foundation and chief characteristic of our new life in Christ. It is the primary and most important fruit of the Spirit. As we saw earlier, "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:5). As God's love dwells in us, it flows back to God and to others. Love is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us. Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34). Jesus' own life was characterized by love. As we experience transformation in Christ, His love will be evidenced in our lives. His love will be produced as a fruit of God's Spirit in us. Joy. Joy and a joyful disposition should characterize a Christian's life. The joy that we have should be the joy of the Lord. Scripture says, "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:" (Nehemiah 8:10). This joy comes from knowing God and the salvation that He has given us. When the angel appeared to the shepherds, and told them about the birth of Jesus, he said, "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11). Knowing the Good News of Jesus, and having His Spirit living in us, will produce the fruit of joy. Peace. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from having Christ in our hearts. God gives us this peace as we abide in Him and make our cares and requests known to him. Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Even in the midst of trials and difficulties, we can have the peace of God through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Others will take comfort from the peace of Christ that we bring to them. The peace of God comes from being in right relationship with Him. Paul said, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:1). Long-suffering or Patience. An important fruit of the Spirit is patience. It helps us remain calm when difficulties or unknowns surround us. Patience also helps us receive the promises of Christ to us. The book of Hebrews advises, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12). Long-suffering or patience is also a sign of love. Paul writes, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (1 Corinthians 13:4). When we are patient with others, we show them love. Sometimes it is not easy to be patient with others, but the Spirit in us can help us do what the natural man cannot do. Longsuffering or patience is a very important fruit of the Holy Spirit working in us. Gentleness. A person who is kind and gentle is always nice to be around. He is tender and considerate of others and treats them gently. Jesus said that He was gentle: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:29). Paul reminded his Christian converts in Thessalonica that he had been very gentle with them when he wrote, "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of gentleness in us. Goodness. God is good. Many Scripture passages remind us of this truth. "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:5). "Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 106:1). When we do good to others, we are being like Christ. Peter told Cornelius and his household that Jesus went about doing good. He reminded them of the word that was preached about Jesus: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10:38). Jesus said that no one was good but God alone (Mark 10:8). However, as the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can do good to others with the goodness that comes from God. It is a fruit of the Spirit's power in us. Faith or Faithfulness. God's Spirit in us helps us to be faithful to God and to others. Faithfulness is an attribute of God. The Bible says, "Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." (Psalm 36:5) The fruit of faithfulness helps us to keep our word to God and others. It helps us walk consistently before him. Faith helps us to believe in God and what he is working in ourselves and others. It helps us to be true to our promises and responsibilities. Faithfulness helps us to be known as one who is dependable and as a person who can be counted on when he is needed. The Spirit of God helps us in faithfulness. Meekness or Kindness. God's Word also tells us that "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (1 Corinthians 13:4). Kindness has to do with the way we treat others. It means that we do nice things for others and that we have compassion for them. It means that we are helpful to others. Through the Spirit's presence in us, we can treat even the most difficult people with kindness. When we are kind to others, we imitate God who is kind both to the good and the bad. The Bible says that we should, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;" (Colossians 3:12). Temperance or Self-control. The Holy Spirit helps us to control our thoughts, actions, and desires. As you learned earlier, our "flesh" wants us to indulge in things that can be harmful to us or to others and that are against God's will. In contrast, the Holy Spirit helps us to be in control of the flesh and to desire the things that God wants for us. Self-control also means that we look to the interests of others, and we seek to help them rather than focus on our own selfinterests. One who has self-control is also modest and humble toward God and others. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit that helps us exercise self-restraint, with God's help, over our thoughts, actions, and desires. Self-control helps us to live for God and to grow in the new life that Christ has given us.

The Memorial Meal. During the Last Supper, Jesus did something that had never been done before at a Passover meal. He took bread and then a cup of wine and changed their meaning for the disciples. Many years later, the apostle Paul wrote what the Lord had taught Him concerning this part of the Last Supper and what Paul, in turn, had passed on to the Christians at Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:23-25): For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For the Jews, celebrating Passover meant celebrating God's great deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. It meant offering the sacrifice of the Passover lambs, whose blood originally made it possible for the destroying angel to "pass over" those whose homes were marked with the blood of the lambs. God used the lamb's blood to save His people. Now, at the Last Supper, Jesus was teaching His disciples that His body would be the sufficient sacrifice acceptable to God. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would obtain the forgiveness of sins; animal sacrifices would no longer be needed. Jesus was teaching that His blood would be shed to save God's people. Jesus intended His words to bring new meaning and effect to the Passover celebration. Jesus wanted His disciples to take bread and the cup in the future in order to remember and celebrate the Lord's salvation of His people by Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. Through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, Jesus would help all who believed in Him to "pass over" from death to life. Partaking of the bread and the cup (the "Lord's Supper") would become a new "memorial meal" for His disciples. Jesus was leaving a lasting memorial for His disciples. He wanted them to celebrate this meal in the future "in remembrance" of Him and what He had done though His death and resurrection. That is why the apostle Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 11:26), "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord�s death till he come." For Paul, "proclaiming the Lord's death" meant calling to mind the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus and what they mean for us. Paul expected that Christians would continue to celebrate this memorial meal until Jesus returned in glory at the end of time. By taking the Passover bread and saying "This is my body," and by taking the final Passover cup of wine and saying, "This is my blood of the new testament [covenant], which is shed for many" (Mark 14:22-24), Jesus was pointing His disciples to His sacrifice on the cross which would occur the following day. It would be the sacrifice of His body and the shedding of His blood on the cross which would obtain the salvation and deliverance of all people who would accept Him. Farewell Discourse and High Priestly Prayer. John's gospel records many additional words that Jesus shared privately with His disciples at the Last Supper (John 14-17). Chapters 14-16 of the Gospel of John are sometimes called the "farewell discourse" or "final discourse." In addition, John 17 records a long prayer of Jesus, sometimes called the "high priestly prayer." As Jesus began His final discourse at the Last Supper, He wanted His disciples to not be troubled. Even though He was going to die, He was going to see them again (John 14:1-4). Jesus also taught His followers (John 14:6): "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." It is only through Jesus that people have access to the truth of the Father and to the life that the Father offers all people through His Son. Jesus also made a very important promise to the disciples in this farewell discourse. He promised that the Holy Spirit would be sent to them. Jesus said (John 14:16-17), And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. The Holy Spirit (the "Counselor," the Spirit of truth) would greatly help the disciples in the future to know the truth about Jesus and to spread the good news of Jesus. The Holy Spirit would also help the disciples remember what Jesus had said to them. Jesus told them (John 14:26), But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Using the illustration of a vine and branches, Jesus taught His disciples the importance of an on-going personal relationship with Him. He said (John 15:5), I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." He also reminded the disciples of His new commandment of love: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13). Jesus would prove His great love for His disciples—and for you—by laying down His life the next day on the cross. Jesus continued to encourage His disciples and teach them during the remainder of His final discourse. At the end, He said (John 16:33), These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jesus ended the Last Supper with a tremendous prayer to His Father. It is sometimes called "high priestly prayer" because Jesus intercedes on behalf of His disciples and many others, just as the high priest was called to intercede for the people of Israel at the Temple before God. Among other things, Jesus prays for their protection and that they may be consecrated in the truth of God's Word (John 17:15, 17). Jesus also prayed for the unity of His disciples (John 17:11, 21). Finally, Jesus prayed that the love of God—and Jesus Himself—might dwell forever in the disciples (John 17:26), "And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

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