WHO IS JESUS? LESSON 1: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

Transcription

1 Essentials fr Christian Living Leader s Guide WHO IS JESUS? LESSON 1: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? INTRODUCTION This lessn is part f a Disciple Essentials mdule titled Wh is Jesus? This series f seven lessns intrduces the persn and wrk f Jesus frm a Christian perspective, cnsidering His identity, wrk, teachings and death. Because Jesus is central t the Christian faith and religin, it is vital fr the disciple t knw Jesus, and fr thse explring Christianity t knw what makes Jesus Christ unique, and wrthy f ur discipleship and devtin. Yu may have participants frm a variety f cultural and religius backgrunds wh have differing ideas abut wh Jesus is and what He taught. This series will be an excellent fundatin fr their future studies in discipleship. INTENDED AUDIENCE The intended audience fr these lessns is new Christians, thse wh wuld like a refresher n the basics f Christianity, as well as thse preparing t teach these Christian practices and beliefs. Als, thse with an interest in Christian thught will find value in these lessns as they pertain t daily living and chices. The Leader s Guide is intended t help yu as a leader in yur preparatin. These lessn utlines may be used in cnjunctin with ther Discipleship Essentials materials fund nline at Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide 2014 Trans Wrld Radi Canada. Scripture qutatins are frm The Hly Bible, English Standard Versin (ESV ), cpyright 2001 by Crssway, a publishing ministry f Gd News Publishers. Used by permissin. All rights reserved. Unless therwise specified, yu may reprduce any lessn, in whle, in any frmat, withut charge r further permissin. Fr all ther purpses r uses, cntact Trans Wrld Radi Canada by visiting

2 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? WHO IS JESUS? LESSON 1: WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? PURPOSE The purpse f this lessn is t examine wh Jesus is where and when He lived, and what He claimed abut Himself. LEADER S NOTE Yu may have participants wh have had a lifelng faith in Jesus Christ, r participants wh have cme frm ther religius backgrunds and are just explring Christianity. This series f lessns are ideal fr thse wanting t learn wh Jesus is in the Christian religin. Yu will have t adapt this cntent t suit yur audience. This material may be beneficial fr thse learning hw t teach thers abut Jesus. Having crrect infrmatin abut wh Jesus is and what He claimed t be is the first step in putting ne s faith in Jesus as the Sn f Gd, the ne wh can frgive us frm ur sins. INTRODUCTION Select tw r three f the fllwing questins t ask the grup. When yu think f significant peple in the histry f the wrld, wh d yu think f? Hw did they change the wrld by the life they lived, and what legacy did they leave behind? What des the name Jesus mean t yu? Christians use many titles fr Jesus such as the way, the truth and the life. Can yu think f any thers yu have heard? If smene asked yu wh Jesus is and why He is imprtant t Christians, what wuld yu say? STUDY Instruct the grup n the fllwing pints. TEACH Jesus in Histry: S many f the wrld s religins talk abut Jesus! Sme peple may say He was an imprtant figure in histry r a gd mral teacher, even thugh they say they are nt religius but believe in science r humanity instead. S every student f histry r religin shuld lk int wh Jesus was, and what He claimed t be true abut Himself. Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 2

3 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? When He lived: The Bible and histrical recrds place Jesus as having been brn in Bethlehem in Judea, near the beginning f the first century. Several Bible verses help us place Jesus at a specific time in histry. Matthew 2:1 tells us Jesus was brn in the era f Herd the Great wh died in 4 B C. Luke 2:2 tell us that Jesus was brn during the time f the Census f Quirinius, gvernr f Syria. There are recrds f a census that included Judea in 6 B.C. Luke 3:1-2 tells us that Jesus was baptized during the 15 th year f the reign f Tiberius Caesar, when Pntius Pilate was gvernr f Judea. Each f these specific dates tells us that Jesus was a real persn in histry, nt a mythlgical figure r the main character f a stry made up many years later. These Gspel accunts cntain specific verifiable details that are written as precise histry. The Genealgy f Jesus: Jesus was unique in His ancestry. The reprts in the Gspels state that He was nt brn in the usual way, but was the prduct f a virgin birth. His mther, Mary, cnceived Him by way f the Hly Spirit rather than thrugh marital relatins. Matthew 1 gives us Jesus lineage and ancestrs back t Abraham, thrugh David. This is the lineage f Jesus earthly adptive father, Jseph. As Jseph s first sn, this lineage makes Jesus a descendant f Abraham and an heir t the thrne f King David. Luke 3:23-38 gives us Jesus lineage thrugh David all the way back t Adam. This genealgy, hwever, is that f Mary, Jesus mther, wh was married t Jseph, whse father was Heli. This ancestry prves that bth by bld and by right, Jesus was f the family f David. The genealgies are imprtant fr shwing wh Jesus was, and what He came t be. He was t fulfil the prphecies abut an eternal King cming frm the line f David. This frever King wuld be Jesus Himself. Jesus Life and Ministry: The Gspel accunts the bks f Matthew, Mark, Luke and Jhn tell us abut Jesus life and ministry frm fur different perspectives. Frm them we get sme basic facts abut Jesus. Jesus was raised in Nazareth in Galilee, travelled abut the area, and finished His ministry in Jerusalem. Jesus studied as a carpenter under His adptive father, Jseph (Matthew 13:55). He had several brthers James, Jses, Judas and Simn. While it is demnstrated that Jesus culd read, reasn, and debate, we d nt knw if He received frmal educatin ther than what He received in the Temple. He was baptised by Jhn the Baptist. Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 3

4 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? He taught in synaggues, n the streets, in varius places and perfrmed miracles. He had many disciples and fllwers, and twelve f His clsest disciples were later named Apstles. He was tried fr claiming t be the Messiah. These trials tk place in the Jewish curt by the high priest, Caiaphas, and then finally by the Rman gvernr, Pntius Pilate, wh cndemned Jesus t death. Jesus was crucified, died, was placed in a tmb and miraculusly returned t life three days later. He then was seen by many peple wh had watched Him be crucified (1 Crinthians 15:3-8). What Did Jesus Say Abut Himself? In ur study f wh Jesus Christ was in histry and what He means t us tday, we must understand bth what Jesus said abut Himself and what thers said abut wh He was. The statements He made are nt vague r neutral. They make specific claims abut wh He is and what He came t d. These are nt the claims f smene wh was merely a prphet, r wh set ut t be a gd teacher. They are much mre! He claimed t be the Messiah: When speaking t a wman frm Samaria, Jesus clearly tld her He was the Messiah. The wman said t him, I knw that Messiah is cming (he wh is called Christ). When he cmes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said t her, I wh speak t yu am he. (Jhn 4:25-26). He claimed t be sinless: When Jesus walked the earth, He ften had religius leaders and pwerful peple test Him. He said that n ne is free f sin, but that He was withut sin (Jhn 8:46-47, Jhn 8:28-29). What is mre remarkable still, n ne was able t find fault with Jesus! The crime He was guilty f and punished fr was being king f the Jews (Jhn 10:36-38, Luke 23:40-43). Later, the Apstle Paul explains the significance f this claim (2 Crinthians 5:21). He claimed t be the nly way t Gd: Jesus taught peple wh He was by claiming that He alne was the way t Gd the Father, and that Gd was revealed in Him. At times He used the wrds I AM, wrds that Gd used t identify Himself in Exdus 3:14. Read these statements: Befre Abraham was, I am (Jhn 8:58). I am the dr. If anyne enters by me, he will be saved (Jhn 10:9). I am the gd shepherd. The gd shepherd lays dwn His life fr the sheep (Jhn 10:11). I am the resurrectin and the life. Whever believes in me, thugh he die, yet shall he live (Jhn 11:25). I am the way, the truth, and the life. N ne cmes t the Father except thrugh me (Jhn 14:6). He claimed t be able t frgive sins. Jesus went arund nt nly healing peple, but frgiving their sins. Since sins are cmmitted against Gd, hw culd anyne but Gd frgive them? (Luke 5:20-21, Luke 7: 48-49) Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 4

5 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? He claimed He culd give eternal life. Jesus didn t tell peple hw t find eternal life, He tld them He culd give it t them Himself. It is thrugh belief in Jesus that life is fund. This is nt smething a man (even a special prphet f Gd) can ffer (Jhn 10:17, Jhn 10:28-30). All f these statements f Jesus reveal that He truly is the Sn f Gd, the Sn f Man, the prmised Messiah and in fact, Gd Himself all in ne! Jesus did nt tell peple He was a prphet f Gd, a teacher, r a guide; He claimed t be the prmised gift f Gd. What D Others Say Abut Jesus? The bks that fllw the fur Gspels in the New Testament are mstly letters written t different churches by Apstles r aninted teachers, wh shared revelatin they had received frm Gd. These letters explain sme f the statements made abut Jesus in the Gspels. Sn f Gd Jesus is called the Sn f Gd. This des nt place Him lwer than Gd, but rather He shares equal pwer, authrity and hnur. Jesus als identified Himself as the Sn wh had cme frm the Father, and wh culd speak t Gd with the clseness f a Sn speaking t His dear Father. Other peple als identified Him as Gd s Sn. 1 Jhn 5:20 Matthew 14:33 Luke 22:70 Jhn 20:31 Sn f Man This is the term Jesus preferred fr Himself, and it is used 88 times in the New Testament. At face value it might appear t be an rdinary term fr persn. Hwever, it clearly identified Him as being fully divine and fully human at the same time; therefre, Jesus had tw natures. It als pints back t prphetic statements in Daniel 7:13-14 that fretld a pwerful figure that wuld have an everlasting kingdm, and be wrshipped by all peple. In additin, Jesus said it was blasphemy t speak ill f the Sn f Man. Matthew 12:40 Matthew 16:27 Acts 7:56 The Messiah r Christ the Lrd The Jews were anxiusly awaiting the cming f Messiah, r Christ, wh wuld save them. They were expecting a military r ryal leader t rescue them frm their plitical ppressin. But Jesus came instead t save them frm their sinful selves. Jesus fllwers recgnized that He fulfilled the prphecies abut the Messiah. The term Christ means the aninted ne. The term Lrd means ruler r King. Bth are terms that refer t the Messiah. Jhn 1:40-42 Mark 8:29 Galatians 3:16 Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 5

6 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? Wrd f Gd The Bible writers identify Jesus as the Wrd f Gd. This is a specific title that presents Jesus as existing befre His physical birth in Bethlehem. He is the ne wh culd execute Gd s will, wh created the wrld, and wh was Gd revealing Himself t mankind. The wrd Wrd, t the Greeks wh first heard it, wuld have meant a bridge between the transcendent Gd and humanity. This title shws that Gd s will and His nature are revealed in Jesus Christ. Jhn 1:1-3 Jhn 4:25-26 Jhn 14:9 Clssians 1:15-17 Wh d yu say Jesus is? The claims Jesus makes abut Himself require us t decide if we believe them r nt. Jesus claimed t be the Almighty Gd in human frm equal and ne with Gd the Father. He said He pre-existed, and that all f creatin was made thrugh Him and fr Him. Jesus frgives sins and yet is sinless Himself. Martha, the sister f Lazarus wh Jesus resurrected frm the dead, believed Jesus. This excerpt frm that tremendus accunt in Jhn 11 asks Martha the key questin we t must answer: D yu believe this? Jesus said t her, I am the resurrectin and the life. Whever believes in me, thugh he die, yet shall he live, and everyne wh lives and believes in me shall never die. D yu believe this? She said t him, Yes, Lrd; I believe that yu are the Christ, the Sn f Gd, wh is cming int the wrld. (Jhn 11:25-27). We must decide if we believe what Jesus said is true, and if we will put ur faith in Him. Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 6

7 Essentials fr Christian Living: Leader s Guide Wh is Jesus? DISCUSSION Which claim that Jesus made abut Himself is mst surprising t yu? Why d yu think that the identity f Jesus is such a cntentius issue? If we accept that Jesus is wh He says He is, what changes wuld it require us t make in ur lives? Why d yu think Gd made sure the writers f the Bible were s specific abut the details f Jesus life? Hw is this different than the writings f ther religins r mythlgies? PRAYER Clse with prayer fr yur participants. Pray that they wuld understand wh Jesus is, and knw the truth that Gd revealed thrugh the persn f Jesus. Pray that they wuld hnur Him as Lrd and Messiah and see their need fr a Saviur. Wh is Jesus Christ? Page 7