Section B: Part 5 Foundations of Christianity: Faith in Christ
Jesus after Resurrection Jesus appeared to the disciples many times after the Resurrection, and continued to teach them about the Kingdom of God. Then Jesus appeared to the disciples for the last time before he ascended into heaven. He told them: To go out and tell the world about Jesus, his life and his teachings. That he would send the Holy Spirit to help them do this work. Jesus then returned to God the Father in Heaven
Ascension Almost 40 days after the resurrection, the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples for the last time They were gathered together in a room when he appeared he told them what he wanted them to do to carry on his work preaching the word of God He promised they would not be on their own, he would send the Holy Spirit to help them
Ascension Jesus led the disciples to Bethany (outside Jerusalem) He stood before them, raised his hands, and blessed them As they watched, a cloud hid him from their sight he returned to the presence of God the Father The Disciples realised at that moment that Jesus was the Son of God. They knew he hadnt left them, he was with them in a new way and they looked forward to the Holy Spirit coming.
Pentecost Pentecost: the day the apostles received the Holy Spirit and began spreading the message of Jesus. In Jerusalem, ten days after the Ascension (fifty days after the Resurrection) the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. The experience of Pentecost was hard to put into words, it was like the disciples were on fire with the Spirit of God. It made them brave and strong and eager to continue the work that Jesus had begun.
Pentecost It was the first time Peter and the apostles went out in public to announce the Good News that: - Jesus had risen from the dead - Jesus was the promised Messiah In Jerusalem a large number of people were baptised and became followers of Jesus. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian Church. After Pentecost, the 12 disciples became known as the Apostles: someone who is sent on a mission to do Gods work
Early Faith Communities After Pentecost the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, began their work in the city of Jerusalem. They began teaching in the Temple and celebrating the Eucharist in people s homes. The apostles served the followers of Jesus by: Teaching the Good News Healing illness and disability Baptising believers Celebrating the Eucharist in people s homes
Early Faith Communities Under the guidance of the apostles, small groups of believers formed themselves into communities of faith. They followed Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God and they became known as the People of God. People of God: Christian communities past and present who believe in God and follow the teaching of Jesus.
Early Faith Communities Faith - They had faith in Jesus, the Son of God & Messiah. Worship - On Sunday, the day of Resurrection, they met in each other s homes for a meal and to pray. They celebrated the breaking of bread (Eucharist) as Jesus had requested. Way of Life - They shared everything with each other and helped people in need. They took the commandment Love your neighbour as yourself very seriously.
Early Faith Communities The first followers of Jesus may not have realised that they were starting a new community of faith. They were simply a group of Jews who: Believed Jesus was the Messiah Followed Jesus commandment to love God and love their neighbour. Slowly, over time, Jesus followers began to see that their faith, worship and way of life was different to other Jews. At a certain point, Jesus followers realised they could no longer continue being Jews. They became known as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ.
Persecution of Early Faith Communities In Jerusalem, the Sadducees warned the apostles against preaching the message of Jesus in the Temple. The apostles continued their work even though they were threatened and sometimes imprisoned. Jesus followers were soon brought before the Sanhedrin. Stephen, one of their group, was accused of blasphemy and stoned to death. Widespread persecution followed, forcing many Christians out of Jerusalem to other parts of Palestine.
Persecution of Early Faith Communities The apostles left Jerusalem too. They began to spread the message of Jesus among the new Christian communities that were becoming established all over the country. The first Christian communities in Palestine consisted only of Jews. Eventually Gentiles (non- Jews) were welcomed and accepted. Christians came to realise that Jesus message of the Kingdom of God was not just for Jews, but for all people, in Palestine and beyond.
St. Paul Missionary: someone who is sent on a journey to spread the Gospel by preaching St. Paul is the most outstanding Christian missionary of the early Church. He spread the Christian message beyond Palestine to the rest of the Roman Empire. He was originally a Jew, a strict Pharisee who persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. He became a follower of Jesus as a result of a vision he had on the road to Damascus (Click here to read more) Paul felt called by God to spend the rest of his life as a Christian missionary.
St. Paul Guided by the Holy Spirit he began to: Preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. Baptise new believers. Establish new Christian communities throughout the Roman Empire. Write letters or epistles to spread the message of Jesus.
St. Paul Paul set out on three missionary journeys, travelling by land and sea to towns and cities around the Mediterranean. As a Roman citizen he spoke four languages, so he could move freely from place to place and be understood everywhere he went. St. Paul brought the Gospel to Gentiles (non- Jews) all over the Roman Empire.
St. Paul He wrote letters, or epistles, offering support and advice to each community he established. He didn t have an easy life he was called names, had stones thrown at him, was chased out of towns, was put in prison a few times but he kept going! St. Paul was arrested and brought to Rome where he was put to death for his faith in 65CE (as a result he was a martyr)
Modern Christian Communities L Arche is a community of faith. It is an example of a modern Christian community. Jean Vanier, a Catholic layman, is the founder of L Arche. He felt God calling him to create a community where people with an intellectual disability and their assistants could live together in a spirit of friendship. Jean believed deeply in Jesus teaching to love God and to love one s neighbour as oneself. He wanted to build a community where people could live as Jesus did.
Modern Christian Communities Guided by the Holy Spirit, Jean Vanier founded the first L Arche community in Trosly in France in 1964. Today there are over 120 communities in different parts of the world, including four in Ireland.
Characteristics of the Modern Christians Communities: L Arche is a modern faith community where core members and their assistants: Share their faith in Jesus and his teaching. Pray and worship together daily, especially at meal times. They attend Mass on Sunday, and celebrate Christmas and Easter together as a community. Have a family way of life, working alongside each other in the house, the garden and the workshops; valuing and respecting one another and sharing what they have.
New Titles for Jesus A new understanding of Jesus: In the early years of the Christian Church, the apostles thought a lot about Jesus true identity; they tried to work out exactly who Jesus was. The apostles needed to understand the connection between God and the risen Jesus so that they could tell others what they believed. The apostles did not use the term God for Jesus straight away. Instead they used certain words from the Old Testament such as: Son of Man Son of God Christ/Messiah
New Titles for Jesus 1. Son of Man: a title that shows the human nature of Jesus, and the fact that his suffering and death is a sacrifice to benefit all humanity. 2. Son of God: a title that shows the divine or holy relationship between Jesus and God the Father. 3. Christ/Messiah: a title meaning anointed one ; Jesus is a spiritual leader sent by God.
1. Son of Man This is the only title that Jesus applied to himself to indicate who he was. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus took his disciples aside and explained to them what the title Son of Man means: Jesus is like all humanity, he has feelings and will suffer and die like everybody else. Jesus is different in that he is sent by God to establish the kingdom of God on Earth. His suffering and death is a sacrifice that will benefit everyone.
2. Son of God A title the early Christians used for Jesus but only after the Resurrection. In ancient times an extremely good or holy person was referred to as a son of God. This term takes on an additional meaning when applied to Jesus. He is not simply the best or the holiest person who has ever lived. Jesus life and work shows that he has a unique and very close relationship with God. Jesus is not just a son of God, he is the Son of God.
3. Christ/Messiah Both words, Christ/Messiah, mean the anointed one, that is someone chosen by God to carry out a special task. All Jewish kings including King David were anointed at the beginning of their reign. The Jews expected the promised Messiah to be another great king who would bring peace and liberty to Jews in Palestine. However Jesus idea of the anointed one was different from that of the disciples and other Jews at the time. For Jesus, the Messiah is not a political leader but a spiritual one who must suffer, die and rise again. His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom in people s hearts, not a political kingdom in a particular place. After the Resurrection the disciples finally understood and believed. Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, was specially chosen to do God s work not just in Palestine but among all people everywhere.