The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Session 5: Jesus travels outside Galilee

Beatitudes

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

B.    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”

C.    “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”.

D.    “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled”.

E.     “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

F.     This Week, Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they will see God”

            1. This has been my refuge for many years.

I. The Beginning of Jesus’ Public ministry.

II.    Summary of Galilean Ministry.

1.     Performing miracles

n      walk on water, still the storm, feed 5000, raise the dead, (Jairus’ daighter and the widow’s son @ Nain.

2.     Engaged in healings.

3.     Casting out demons.

4.     Ministering to people’s needs

n      individual contact, touch, talk, encouragement.

5.     Gathering disciples

n      No fixed pattern nor characteristic.

n      Most of the people return home and live their lives.

6.     Some conflict evident and begins to rise.

7.     Jesus’ necessity for close communion with God.

8.     Train the disciples by example and delegation, and preparing them for the future.

9.     Jesus Himself living out the example of what it meant to live in the Kingdom.

n      Humility

n      Embodied breaking down social barriers.

n      Accepted people on their own terms.

n      Breaking down religious prejudice

n      Stressed relationship with God the Father.

10. Summary of the teaching and preaching in this period

n      Repent and believe the gospel, the Kingdom has arrived.

n      Explain His role and meaning of Messiah, by showing how it will not come (by war), and how it will come (by the Spirit) in the hearts of humankind.

n      Growing unfolding of the cross.

n      On being the right kind of person (living in the Kingdom) and trusting (believing) in the right things - the Father.

n      The use of parables.

III. Key episodes of The Galilean Ministry: (period of time is longest)

A.    Jesus calls and commissions the Disciples

B.    The Sermon on the Mount

C.    Jesus’ extensive Prayer (Mark 1:35-38 and Luke 4:42-43)

D.    Trip to Jerusalem (Jn 5:1) and the beginnings of conflicts with the Pharisees.

1.     Conflict over eating grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, Luke6:1-5)

2.     Conflict over healing on the Sabbath. (Mark 3:1-5).

n      Jesus was “angry” at the Pharisees (only time this word is used, we do not see this emotion later when we would expect it.)

n      They were trying to stop him from healing.

n      Getting in the way of God’s grace, mercy and power.

D.    Healings. (Notice 3 circuits around Galilee in this period.

E.     The Sermon on the Mount. (Matt. 5:1-7:29, Luke 6:17-49).

F.     Widow’s Son at Nain. (Luke 7:11-17).

G.    The Death of John the Baptist (Matt. 14:3-12, Mark 6:17-29)

H.    Feeding the 5000 (Matt. 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, Luke 9:11-17, John 6:1-13).

1.     Jesus has compassion on his followers earthly needs.

2.     Shows Himself to be the essence of the Kingdom (I am the bread of Life).

3.     If you only see food in this miracle, you’ve missed the point.

4.     Jesus set the terms, would not allow others to do so. (same today).

I.       Jesus came precisely to reveal God. Do you want to know God? then know Jesus’ care, compassion, and life.

IV. Jesus’ Travels Outside Galilee

A.    Travels to Tyre and Sidon (travels outside Herod Antipas territory after conflict.)

1.     John 6:66 “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him”

2.     Conflict with the Pharisees over the healing in Point III. D. above, the Pharisees conspiring with the Herodians.

3.     John 7:1-23, Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23

a.      Jn. 7:17 “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” This is very reminiscent of this week’s beatitude!. The very same point.

b.     Unless your willing to give up your will, you cannot see.

4.     More miracles.

a.      Syrophoenician Woman (Mark 7:24-30)

b.     Deaf and Mute Man (Mark 7:31-37)

B.    Jesus proclaimed Messiah at Caesarea Phillippi. (Matt. 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-21). Look @ Matthew and Luke’s descriptions.

1.     Most important event of this period.

a.      At an ancient pagan site.

b.     Outside Judea.

2.     First account of Jesus plainly revealing.

3.     The Kingdom of Heaven placed in the hands of men.

4.     Power to bind/loose - preaching the gospel.

a.      Verb (future perfect passive paraphrastic) - plural.

b.     It will have been bound, It will already have been loosed.

c.      ratified

d.     Power on the basis of what God has done, on the basis of the word of God. (recalls the temptation in my mind).

e.      Christ died, your sins are forgiven. “already have been”

5.     “This rock”

a.      Peter/Petros/Petra

b.     The church itself

c.      The proclamation - the gospel.

C.    Increasing unfolding of the Cross. (In the context of Messiah proclamation by Peter)

1.     Jesus predicts His death (Matthew 16:21-28)

a.      “Not so, Lord” - This is a contradiction of terms.

b.     Jesus rebuke of Peter.  (note p.i. immediately after “rock”)

2.     Deny oneself (Luke 9:23-27.)

D.    The transfiguration.

1.     A glimpse of the other side of the cross.

2.     The 2^nd explicit time the Father speaks. - God himself ratifies and affirms)

E.     Point about this period in Jesus’ ministry.

1.     Jesus continuing to explain who He is, and the cost of discipleship.

2.     Continued inability by the disciples to really perceive.

3.     Explicit unfolding of the cross and meaning of discipleship.

4.     God the Father affirming and ratifying.