Ch 2: Who is Jesus Christ?
Read: The Power of Words Why is our language we use so important? Why is it good? Why is it bad? Mere Christianity: Charity p129
Section 1: Learning About Jesus KEY IDEAS: Jesus is the Word of God The Incarnation is the belief that God became flesh in Jesus Christ Jesus childhood and youth are called the hidden years because we know so little about them Because of the Incarnation, humans can have everlasting life History confirms that Jesus lived, taught, and was executed KEY TERMS: Incarnation Annunciation Jesus Nativity Docetism
Christians believe that Jesus is both God and man He is the unique Son of God and at the same time the fully human son of Mary This belief is what we call the Incarnation Incarnation: Teaching that God became flesh through the birth of Jesus Christ
In the Gospel of Luke, we learn about the Annunciation Annunciation: the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that God wanted her to be the Mother of Christ Mary would become the Mother of the Son of God through the Holy Spirit Mary was to name her child Jesus, which means YHWH is Salvation or Savior
The Nativity, or Birth of Christ, is celebrated as the feast day of Christmas Today we associate Christmas with giving, connected with God s giving humanity the greatest gift of all, His Son John s Gospel used the expression the Word became flesh to counteract the 1 st century heresy of Docetism Docetism: the teaching that Jesus only seemed to be human
Docetism comes from the Greek word meaning to seem Docetists could not believe that God would lower Himself to become like humans (in their weakness and faults) Docetists believed Jesus was a ghostly figure who appeared to instruct us Why are the beliefs of Docetists dangerous to our faith?
If Jesus only appeared to be human, his Death and Resurrection (the key to our faith) would be an illusion and we were not really saved
Who is the real Jesus? Where do we learn about him? Where do we find him? The answer is simple: The Jesus we read about in the Bible is the real Jesus Everyone gets their information about Jesus from Scripture Where did the information for the Gospels come from?
If we follow the process all the way back, all that we know about Jesus comes from the Apostles 12 Galileans had direct contact and experience with Jesus Most importantly, they saw Him after His Death
Jesus performed wondrous works and miracles He: Cured lepers Restored sight to the blind & hearing to the deaf He fed crowds Exorcised demons Also: Matthew 9:18 Luke 7:11 John 11:1 Jesus called the Apostles to witness firsthand his life, teachings, and miracles
Historical records verify that Jesus existed He lived in Nazareth and learned the trade of carpentry from his foster father, Joseph Life of Jesus He actively studied the Old Testament and practiced the Jewish religion Around AD 28, Jesus was baptized by his cousin John and withdrew to the desert to prepare for his ministry (we will examine this more in the next section)
Jesus also experienced human pain, fatigue, and other emotions What does Jesus experience in: Mark 11:12 John 4:7 John 4:6 Mark 14:34 John 11:34 Matthew 21:12 Jesus experienced great love and compassion for everyone he met
Some of the things Jesus did and said threatened and angered the authorities He associated with prostitutes and tax collectors, which horrified and distressed many people Eventually, Jewish authorities conspired to have Jesus arrested Judas betrays Jesus for money Jesus was found guilty of blasphemy because He claimed to be God s Son
Quiz Section A tomorrow Review note packet and check class page for any missing material Be sure to study vocab terms
Section 2: Proclaiming God s Kingdom KEY IDEAS: Through the Sacraments, Jesus remains with us today A mystery is something about God we can never truly understand The Kingdom of God is open to everyone The Paschal Mystery is the saving Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ KEY TERMS: Resurrection Mystery Kingdom of God Paradox Blasphemy Paschal Mystery
Like our belief in the Incarnation, believing in the Resurrection of Jesus is a fundamental part of being a Christian Resurrection: the rising of Jesus on the Third day after his Death on the Cross Jesus was able to conquer death because he is God
Because Jesus is the Risen Lord, we can meet him today How do we encounter Jesus? 1. In the Bible Remember, the Bible is Revelation, God s selfcommunication with us We especially encounter Jesus in the Gospels 2. In the Sacraments Jesus left His Church seven visible signs of grace called Sacraments
How do we encounter Christ today? 1. The Bible 2. The Sacraments In the Sacraments, Jesus comes to us in special times in our lives: Ex: When we are initiated into the Church (Baptism) When we receive the love of the Eucharist
How do we encounter Jesus? 1. In the Bible 2. In the Sacraments 3. In Prayer We also meet the Lord in prayer In our hearts, we can talk to Jesus as we would talk to any friend This is especially true when we gather together to pray (Mass)
How do we encounter Christ today? 1. In The Bible 2. In The Sacraments 3. In Prayer 4. In the Body of Christ What makes up the Body of Christ? Jesus lives today in the Body of Christ, the Church Jesus is in every one of us Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me
A mystery is a truth about God that will always be beyond human understanding It also refers to God s saving plan that is gradually revealed in human history Jesus is the link between God and his saving plan Jesus is Revelation
The public life of Jesus begins with his Baptism in the Jordan River by John The Baptist John s mission was to prepare for Christ s coming He preached about baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins Why did Jesus get baptized?
By freely submitting to baptism, Jesus accepted and launched his mission as God s Suffering Servant Read: Catholic Update: Suffering Servant
Jesus was without sin and therefore, not in need of baptism When Jesus humbly accepted John s baptism, he was showing his solidarity with all humans who do need forgiveness Jesus identity as Messiah is revealed at his baptism when the Holy Spirit appears as a dove and God proclaims This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased Mt 3:17
After Jesus was baptized, he retreated to the desert for 40 days of fasting and praying This time prepared Jesus for his ministry The devil tempts Jesus in 3 ways Read Matthew 4:1-11 Answer the questions regarding this passage
What are some temptations that people face today? Temptation to be dishonest To be greedy To make fun of those that are different Sexual temptation To take drugs or drink alcohol To
Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven) is near Kingdom of God/Heaven: the beginning of God s new reign on earth which establishes peace and joy Jesus calls for conversion and repentance 1. true sorrow and turning away from sin 2. firm effort to not sin in the future
Jesus chose 12 men to be his followers He eventually shared his authority with them and sent them out to preach about the Kingdom of God Peter and his successors (the Popes) were to safeguard the Church from false teachings
When asked why Jesus associated with sinners, he replied Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do The Kingdom of God is open to sinners What if it wasn t? Sinners must repent When they do, there is great joy in Heaven
Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven must be in our lives We must imitate the Father who forgives our sins Video: Our Father Drama The disciples asked Jesus Who can be saved? Jesus responded For humans it is impossible, but for God, nothing is impossible
Jesus often used a figure of speech called a paradox Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory but actually contains hidden truth Ex: The more money people earn the less they have Jesus taught: Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant Jesus as God-made-man is the perfect paradox: all powerful Son of God who serves and dies for us
Jesus angers scribes by telling the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven They claimed Jesus was guilty of blasphemy Blasphemy: any thought, word or act that expresses hate or contempt for God To show that he did indeed have this power to forgive sin, Jesus healed the man
The Paschal Mystery Jesus predicts his own death on multiple occasions When he returns to Jerusalem, he knows his time has come Jesus was welcomed into the city On Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his Apostles, then went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray Jesus suffers great fear and anxiety over his coming death
The Paschal Mystery Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, led the authorities to Jesus in the Garden Judas identifies Jesus by kissing him; Jesus continues to refer to Judas as a friend (Mt 26:50) Throughout his arrest, he remained the Prince of Peace, never resisting All the disciples abandon Jesus Jesus was turned over to Pontius Pilate for questioning Pilate had Jesus scourged, then sentenced to death
The Paschal Mystery Jesus accepts humiliation, torture, and eventually his death and forgives his persecutors They publically executed him for his crime of blasphemy The Paschal Mystery is the saving Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus The sacrifice Jesus makes repairs the broken relationship between God and humanity
Quiz Section B tomorrow Review note packet and check class page for any missing material Be sure to study vocab terms Chapter Test on: