The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Session 2: Outline and Birth

  Beatitude 1 (review from Session I)

A.    Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”

B.    humility in spirit, nothing of our own take our place humbly in the will of God.

C.    Within the Kingdom, certain attitudes are operative.

D.    Weekly, take one beatitude and make it part of your life.

  Beatitude 2: (cf. Jer.13:17, 14:17; Ezek. 9:4, Hos. 6:1-3, Heb.12:11-13, 2 Cor. 4:17)

A.    Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

B.    Challenging our value system. If we are “blessed”, why do we “mourn”?

C.    Beatitudes in pairs, first and second beatitude taken together, lead us to Him.

D.    In the Gospels Jesus frequently implores us, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. Yet were still humans living in this world.

E.     Although, we are human we have something the world cannot provide…The very presence of God.

F.     If we take the first beatitude to heart, we realize our complete insufficiency. (Ps. 40:12. Rom. 7:24)

G.    Comfort takes precedence over mourning in the Kingdom.

H.    When we do not have to sorrow, but we enter into the sorrow of others.

I.       This must be actualized to be understood. “Go and do thou likewise”.

I. Brief Outline of Jesus Life.

1.     Birth and Early Years

2.     Beginnings of Public Ministry

3.     Galilean Ministry

4.     travels outside Galilee

5.     Perean and Judean Ministry

6.     Last week and death

7.     Resurrection.

8.     Historical Timeline

II. The Gospels and their writers:

A.    What is a gospel?

1.     An new form of literature.

2.     Not a biography, or history as we would know it?

3.     A purpose…..to spread the “good news”  Note John 20:31.

B.    Who are the writers, and what are their credentials:

1.     Matthew - written to a Jewish audience (Note Matthew 3:2, and Mark 1:15)

2.     Mark - The shortest account, Mark was very close to Peter,

3.     Luke - probably a Gentile, a physician, attentive to detail.

4.     John - The apostle whom Jesus loved.

C. What “impact” do think the gospel writers wanted their books to have on their readers?

1.     What impact would they intend for you?

2.     What impact would you like to receive?

3.     Why is the assurance of accuracy by the writers important?

III.  Historical Background.

A.    Dating of the birth of Christ.

1.     Luke 2:1 - born in the reign of Ceasar Augustus 44 B.C. - 14 A.D.

2.     Matt 2:1, Luke 1:5 - during the reign of Herod the Great,  which ended March/April of 4 B.C. (According to Jewish Historian, Josephus.

3.     Earliest records, Hippolytus (165-235 A.D.) ascribes the date December 25.

4.     Eastern church held birth and arrival of the Magi on 2^nd birthday, January 6.

B.    Social background

1.     Mary lived in Nazereth, a town in Galilee. (Individuals in Jerusalem had a condescending attitude towards these “country” people) Jerusalem as center of learning and religion.

2.     Mary and Joseph betrothed. (a sacred relationship, any breach treated as adultery, nor could this bond be broken except for divorce.)

3.     Mary probably quite young by our standards.

4.     Jewish Religious Groups:

a.      Pharisees - resisted foreign influence, zeal for traditions, Oral Law, the Scribes were the Pharisaic representatives of the people, concerned with “preserving the traditions of the Fathers”, were the most prominent.

b.     Sadducees - did not believe in oral law, nor the afterlife. Included the wealthy class, and were political pragmatists.

c.      Essenes - isolated sects, removed themselves from society.

d.     Herodians - supported Herod politically, were like Pharisees in belief.

e.      Zealots - certain Pharisees who were politically strong resisters of Rome.

5.     Homelife:

a.      Formal education commenced at six years of age.

b.     12 was the customary age to attend first Passover.

c.      Jesus offering of “two turtledoves” in Luke 2:23, reflected modest means.

6.     Roman World

a.      In Rome 2,000 Owners over 1,300,000 slaves.

b.     Herod the Great and his family (chart)

c.      Moral climate

IV. Gospel Writer’s Book Introduction and Geneologies.

A.    John 1:1-18 John’s Prologue. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (Cf. 2 Peter 1:3.)

B.    Geneologies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23-38.

1.     Geneologies is general.

a.      Their significance to us, even our own.

b.     Why are these so important in the gospels.

2.     Note differing lists, and the purposes/audiences of both gospel writers.

3.     Matthew includes neatly into 3 blocks of 14 names, see Matthew 1:17.

4.     Note the inclusion of 5 women. (very specific women). Also, bear in mind that the audience for Matthew is Jewish. Why?, Why these women?

a.      Tamar (Gen. 38:15-30), The wife, first of Er the eldest son of Judah (Gn. 38:6ff.), Then married Onan next oldest male. After Onan’s death his father Judah, not recognizing Tamar  as she dressed as as a prostitute became by her the father of twins, Perez and Zerah.

b.     Rahab, the prostitute who aids Joshua’s spies @ Jericho (Joshua 2:1-24; 6:21-25)

c.      Ruth (Ruth 1:1-19, 4:13-17) a Moabitess, who married Boaz.

d.     Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), The wife of Uriah the Hittite, and mother to Solomon through David.

e.      Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

5.     Questions for insights?

a.      How does Jesus’ geneology affect who he was?

b.     Why does Matthew start w/Abraham?

c.      Why 3 groups of 14 in Matthew?

d.     Why does Matthew focus on the line of Kingship from David?

e.      What is the significance of Luke beginning his geneology with Adam?

f.       What do these accounts reflect about the Biblical view of history?

C.    Announcements from on High.

1.     Angel promises the birth of John to Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25).

a.      Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, childless (typically interpreted as a sign of the absence of God’s blessing in Jewish culture.). How did they react? What is promised that will happen through their son? How can this be applied to us? What (expectations) holds us back?

2.     Angel promises the the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

a.      Mary a “young virgin”.

b.     What does Mary have in common with Zechariah and Elizabeth?

c.      What insight is manifest in Mary’s response?

3.     Mary visits Elizabeth. (Luke 1:39-56)

a.      Mary and Elizabeth’s friendship.

b.     Mother Theresa’s citation of Luke 1:41.

4.     Angel appears to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25, Isaiah 7:14)

a.      Joseph, engaged to marry, now had the legal right to divorce. (Dueteronomy 22:23-27).

b.     What “peer” was Joseph very likely exposed to?

c.      Look @ his concern in Matt. 1:19.

d.     Greek Ieµsous (v. 21) corresponds to the Hebrew yeáhoÆsûua‰, which means Yahweh is salvation. Joshua served Yahweh’s saving purpose, but Mary’s child is the Savior himself. He is named Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” [1]

            5. John the Baptist announces on earth (to be looked at further next week).

V.    Jesus Birth and Early Years.

1.     The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20).

2.     Jesus’ circumcision (Luke 2:21).

a. bears the sign of the covenant.

3.     Jesus presentation at the Temple. (Luke 2:21-40).

a.      Mary’s purifucation (Lev. 12:1-8)

b.     Firstborn male to be redeemed (Ex. 13:13, Nu.18:15,16). The price of two turtledoves was less than the 5 shekels, but reflected a family that was not in poverty.

4.     Wisemen from the East. (Matt. 2:1-12).

a. Jesus called a child in 2:9,11

5.     Escape to Egypt/Herod’s Fury. (Matt. 2:13-18).

a.      Herod the Great, killing young males in Bethlehem, a small village. (est. 20-200? Myron Augsburger, William Barclay commentaries.)

b.     Herod Archelaus, (4 B.C. to 6 A.D.) in Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, led to installation of Roman procurator (Pilate), leads Joseph to avoid Judea and settle in Nazereth.

c.      Herod Antipas (4 B.C. to 39 A.D.) in Galilee and Perea. Important for later interchange and Jesus’ sent to him for trial.

6.     Summary of Jesus’ childhood (Luke 2:52).

VII.  Summary Notes and Comments:

Selected Bibliography:

Shephard, J. W.  “The Christ of the Gospels”, Erdman’s Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI 1946

Scroogie, Graham, “A Guide to the Gospels”, Pickering and Inlis Pub., London, 1948

Machem, J. Gresham, “The Virgin Birth of Christ”, Harper and Row, New York. 1930.