Ch.4: The Ministry and Message of Jesus Christ - REVIEW

OUTLINE:

Jesus Announces the Kingdom of God

•Jesus’ ministry and message centered around the proclamation of the Kingdom of God—a Kingdom of peace, justice, truth, and goodness.

•As the Messiah, Jesus himself not only announced but also inaugurated the Kingdom of God.

•Jesus’ taught the following essential points about the Kingdom:

–The Kingdom begins small in the present but flourishes in the future.

–Ex. parable of mustard seed (Mt 13:31-33)

–Although the Kingdom is open to everyone who accepts it, Jesus announces the Kingdom in a special way to the poor and lowly.

•God’s mercy to sinners is a characteristic of the Kingdom of God.

–Ex. Jesus dining with Levi (Lk 5) and Zacchaeus (Lk 19)

•The Beatitudes instruct us how to live in and be a part of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus Teaches About the Kingdom of God in Parables

•Jesus taught using parables, short and memorable stories that relate common experiences to religious truths.

•Jesus’ use of parables demonstrate that he was an outstanding teacher and give an idea how he was able to defend himself against his opponents.

•Jesus’ parables taught important lessons about the Kingdom of God:

–Salvation is here

–the Kingdom is a pure gift of love

–the requirements of the Kingdom for the present and promises of the Kingdom for the future

–God loves even sinners

–the Kingdom requires an urgent response

–the Good News demands repentance

–following Jesus may bring suffering

Jesus’ Miracles: Signs of the Kingdom of God

•These “wonders, words, and signs” of Jesus accomplish many things:

–testify to the coming of God’s Kingdom in the world

–attest that Jesus is the Son sent by God the Father

•demonstrate Jesus’ dominion over Satan and the forces of evil

•invite people to faith

•demonstrate God’s love and compassion for us

Jesus’ Miracles: Physical Healings

•demonstrate Jesus’ power over sin, reveal the coming of God’s Kingdom, and reveal who Jesus is

•Ex. Jesus healed paralytics and blind men

•performed by Jesus to establish his power over Satan

Jesus’ Miracles: Exorcisms

–attest to Jesus’ power over nature

–Ex. calming the storm and multiplication of loaves and fishes

•demonstrate Jesus’ mastery over life and death

•The primary purpose of these miracles was not to abolish earthly suffering but to lead us to the Kingdom of God.

The Two Great Miracles of Jesus

The Transfiguration

•Provided his apostles with a glimpse into the glory Jesus, the Son of God, would enjoy after his Resurrection

•Confirmed Peter’s faith but also revealed Jesus’ coming death

The Transfiguration is significant because:

–it indicated how Jesus reflects the light of God

–the appearance of Moses and Elijah recall how the Law and the Prophets had announced the coming of the Messiah

–it revealed all three persons of the Trinity (voice = Father, Jesus = Son, shining cloud = Holy Spirit)

The Institution of the Eucharist

•Jesus commanded his disciples to celebrate the Eucharist as a memorial of his Death and Resurrection

The Eucharist is significant because:

•it fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church into the glory of the Kingdom

•it is the source of our nourishment for this world and beyond.

FOR REVIEW QUESTIONS

Pg. 89

  1. What two things did Jesus ask people to do when he announced the coming of the Kingdom of God?
  1. Repent and believe the Good News (Gospel).
  1. How do the parables of the mustard seed and yeast (Mt 13:31-33) stress both the present and future dimensions of the Kingdom of God?
  1. Like the seed or yeast in dough, the Kingdom is now present, but it will flourish in the future when the seed sprouts and blossoms and when the yeast expands the dough.
  1. What is the meaning of the parable of the wheat and weeds (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43)?
  1. God will separate the good from the bad and will reward the faithful and punish the evildoers.
  1. According to the parable of the sower (Mt 13:1-9; 18-23), name two situations that keep people from entering the Kingdom of God.
  1. Situations include: lack of understanding; temptation of the devil; giving in to trials and persecution; lure of wealth; or other worldly concerns.
  1. Identify Levi and Zacchaeus. Why did Jesus associate with tax collectors?
  1. Both were tax collectors. They were hated individuals because they worked for the Romans and, since they were not paid on commission, routinely skimmed money fron their tax collections. Jesus wanted to let outsiders in, to offer sinners the opportunity to repent, and to make it clear that repentant sinners were welcome in the Kingdom of God.
  1. List three things from the Sermon on the Plain (Lk 6:17-49) that the Lord requires of his followers.
  1. Jesus requires his followers to love even their enemies; follow the Golden Rule; imitate God, and listen to the words of Jesus and make them come alive in their hearts.

Pg. 93

  1. What is a parable?
  1. A parable is a short story with a striking, memorable comparison that Jesus used to reveal a religious truth about some aspect of the Kingdom of God.
  1. What is the general message of Jesus’ parables?
  1. Every parable is an invitation to become part of the Kingdom of God.
  1. What is the meaning of the parable of the Prodigal Son?
  1. God is a compassionate, loving, non-judgmental father whose love cannot be earned or depleted.
  1. Why did Jesus tell the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Lk 18:9-14)?
  1. To reject the notion that the outwardly religious are superior to other people and to show that God welcomes the humble sinner. (Note: Both the tax collector and the Pharisee were spiritually bereft. It was only the sinful tax collector, however, who recognized his spiritual poverty. At the end of his rope, he understood that only God could save him. Unlike the rich Pharisee, the tax collector was so “poor” he didn’t even have pride to swallow.)
  1. Explain how the parable of the Tenant Farmers (Lk 29:9-16) is an allegory that applies to Jesus himself?
  1. The vineyard owner is God, the tenants are the religious leaders of Israel, the servants are God’s prophets, and the son is Jesus himself.

Pg. 98

  1. What was the purpose of Jesus’ miracles?
  1. The purpose of Jesus’ miracles were to announce the presence of the Kingdom of God.
  1. Name the four kinds of miracles Jesus performed.
  1. Jesus performed physical healings, exorcisms, nature miracles, and he raised people from the dead.
  1. Why did Jesus’ opponents think he committed blasphemy?
  1. Because he claimed a power reserved to God – the power to forgive sin.
  1. How did Jesus show through a miracle that he had the power to forgive sin?
  1. He healed a paralyzed man.
  1. What do Jesus’ miracles accomplish?
  1. Jesus’ miracles accomplish many things:
  • They show that God’s power has broken into human history through the coming of his Son.
  • They show that Jesus Christ has dominion over Satan and the forces of darkness and evil. God’s Kingdom is here; Satan’s reign is ending.
  • They reveal that because he is God, he has the power to forgive sins.
  • Therefore, they reveal his identity as God’s only Son, the Savior and the Messiah.
  • As signs of God’s Kingdom that has broken into human history, the miracles demonstrate in a remarkable way God’s love and compassion for us.
  • They lead people to put their faith in him, helping them recognize who he is: Emmanuel – “God-with-us.”

Pg. 103

  1. What were some common opinions of who Jesus was that were held by some of his contemporaries?
  1. Some thought he was John the Baptist come back to life, others Elijah, still others a prophet, but not the Messiah.
  1. What did Peter confess about Jesus’ identity?
  1. He declared that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Son.
  1. What was the Transfiguration of Jesus?
  1. The Transfiguration was an epiphany event in which the glory of God was revealed through the Son.
  1. Who appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration?
  1. Moses and Elijah.
  1. How were all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity present at the Transfiguration?
  1. The Father in the voice, Jesus in the flesh, the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud.
  1. In Luke’s Gospel, why does Jerusalem play a central role for Jesus’ ministry?
  1. Jerusalem was Jesus’ destination because as a prophet, Jesus knew he must go there to die.
  1. What is the significance of Jesus celebrating a Passover meal with his Apostles?
  1. Jesus chose to transform the Passover meal into the new Passover, to become our Passover Lamb, and to leave us a memorial of his Death and Resurrection.
  1. How did Jesus institute the Eucharist? Why did he do so?
  1. He instituted the Eucharist by identifying himself with the broken bread and the wine poured out and shared. He gave us the Eucharist to remember him, to enable us to share in his sacrifice on the Cross and his rising to new life.
  1. Why is the Eucharist the center of the Church’s life?
  1. The Eucharist both creates and celebrates the Church, allowing Jesus to dwell in us and transform us.

TERMS

Allegory - a story involving a sustained comparison in which people, things, and events symbolically represent something else.

Beatitudes - means "supreme happiness"; as preached by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount respond to our natural desire for happiness

Blasphemy - any thought, word, or act that expresses hatred or contempt for Christ, God, the Church, saints, or holy things.

Parable - a favorite teaching device of Jesus in which he told a short story with a striking, memorable comparison that taught a religious message, usually about some aspect of God's Kingdom

Prejudice - an unsubstantiated or preformed judement about an individual or group.

Real Presence - the presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated species of bread and wine.

Transfiguration - the mystery from Christ's life in which God's glory shone through and transformed Jesus' physical appearance while he was in the company of the Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah. Peter, James and John witnessed this event.