STUDIES ON JESUS' LIFE AND TEACHING
CELEBRATING THE 2000th YEAR OF HIS BIRTH

 

 

 

The purpose of this book is, firstly, to dissociate Jesus from the world organisations and individuals that collectively are called 'The Church,' which in their imperfection, both historically and currently, have often brought discredit to his name, thus discouraging others from becoming his followers. Secondly, to outline his life and teaching as presented in the gospels so that the reader will learn the secret of his greatness and be challenged to become worthy to be called his disciple. It is intended for either individual or group use.

Jesus arouses our curiosity because he is so famous. There was something outstanding about him that made him popular in his own lifetime. But the biggest mystery is why he is still the most famous person in the world 2000 years later. He is known and revered in every nation and young people continue to respond to his simple and direct rallying call of "Follow me." They willingly accept personal discipline and many devote their lives to making his message of good news known to people of every race and class of society. His example and teaching on compassion and forgiveness continues to be an inspiration for countless organisations devoted to the relief of human need. Our education is not complete without a study of this remarkable man and the effect he has had on our human society.

"I was absolutely thunderstruck by the extraordinary reality of the man I found in the gospels . . . I discovered a man so incredibly real that no one could have made him up." --M. SCOTT PECK       Further along the Road Less Travelled. Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. Copyright © M. Scott Peck, 1993.

When used as a group study, each person will need his or her own copy so that they can study the chapter and prepare their contribution to the discussion questions prior to the group session.

The discussion questions are only a suggested way to review the material in each chapter. Feel free to discuss other related issues members of the group may wish to raise. It is not necessary, or even desirable, to reach agreement on some of the questions raised; it is more important to allow liberty of opinion and honest diversity than to aim for conformity to another's understanding of orthodoxy.

The overall purpose of these studies is to bring into sharper focus the nature and purpose of God as revealed through the life, teaching and spirit of Jesus who said "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9.) By drinking from the pure well of God's self-revelation through Jesus as portrayed in the gospels, it is our hope to replace the multifaceted creedal Christianity and splintered orthodoxy of Christendom with our own personal understanding of God's nature and purpose, even though it will, of necessity, be a portrait seen through the prism of our own unique background and experience. When we are thus free to form our own understanding of Jesus spirit and teaching we become tolerant of the views of others whose understanding may differ from ours.

INTRODUCTORY:
Preface.
Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

JESUS' CLAIMS:
Chapter 1. Son of Man & Son of God.
Chapter 2. Jesus' Personal Claims.

JESUS' EXAMPLE:
Chapter 3. Jesus' Miracles of Compassion.
Chapter 4. Jesus' Respect for All People.

JESUS' TEACHING:
Chapter 5. Moses' Laws Reinterpreted.
Chapter 6. The Kingdom of God Introduced.

JESUS' DESTINY:
Chapter 7. The Final Tragedy and Triumph.
Chapter 8. The Commissioning of the Disciples.

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:13-17.)

This passage is foundational for an understanding of who Jesus was. He is described both as the Son of Man and the Son of God. Jesus, knowing who he was, emphasised his humanity; Simon Peter, believing who he was, emphasised his divinity. Jesus often spoke of himself as the "Son of Man." Why did he choose this title and description of himself? Probably because it emphasised his identity with the human race; he became one of us. Many people can identify with Jesus because of the things he experienced. His young Jewish mother was pregnant before she was married; his parents were poor; they were subject to a foreign occupying power; the Roman soldiers were the police; his mother was required to travel to Bethlehem for a census despite her advanced pregnancy, the inn was full and he was born in a stable; his life was threatened in infancy and he became a refugee in Egypt; he later lived in a town with a bad name (Nathaniel commented "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" John 1:46).

He grew up in Nazareth with his brothers and sisters. His father was a humble carpenter and, being the eldest in the family, he continued the same trade to support his widowed mother. He never married or knew the love of a wife or had a home and family of his own. When he was 30 years of age he knew that God was calling him to fulfil the ministry for which he was born. He was baptised by John the Baptist in the river Jordan and experienced a supernatural anointing of God's Spirit to equip him for the ministry to which God had called him.

Following his baptism he faced the temptations that fame would bring when he began to exercise the miraculous powers God had given him. He submitted himself to God and banished Satan from his life with the words "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' " (Matthew 4:10.) This became the single principle that shaped his ministry. He lived henceforth to glorify God and do his will. His denial of self-interest and his submission to the divine will was total. God's wisdom and power was able to flow through him unhindered. For the first time God had a perfect instrument through whom he could reveal his compassion and his concern for the wayward and the sick; and demonstrate his anger against the injustices in society. Jesus was able to say to Philip "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father . . . Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." (John 14:9-10.)

Jesus' statement "I am in the Father and the Father is in me" shows that he saw himself as more than the Son of Man. Simon Peter recognised this when he said "You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God." Jesus always referred to God as "the Father" or "my Father." On one occasion he said "I and the Father are one." Since God is Spirit only, this Father/Son relationship of God and Jesus cannot be understood in the normal physical sense, but as a spiritual unity and common identity. Jesus must have always recognised this but at his baptism the eternal Spirit of God entered into the carpenter of Nazareth in a new, unique way. Matthew records the event in these words. "As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said,'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' " (Matthew 3:16-17.) From that moment, Jesus the Son of God became dominant over Jesus the Son of Man.

Simon Peter's reply to Jesus' question also contained his belief that Jesus was the long awaited Jewish Messiah. The Jewish prophets had always affirmed that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. Genealogies are very important in Jewish culture. That is why Matthew's gospel begins with the genealogy of Joseph, who became Mary's husband and the legal father of Jesus. Matthew says "His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:18.)

When Joseph discovered this he decided to break off the engagement. Matthew says "An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." Matthew adds "All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet; 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:20 & Isaiah 7:14.) These and similar passages from the gospels gave rise to the doctrine of the incarnation; the conviction that the eternal Spirit of God was embodied in a human being. Carnal means flesh and incarnation means the implantation of God's Spirit in a human body. The apostle John in the opening words of his gospel stated this quite simply when he said "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:1, 14.) A word is the expression of a thought; one reason Jesus is called the Word of God is because he is the expression of God in human form.

When we move from the gospels to Paul's writings we find the same thought expressed. Here are two of his statements from his letter to the church at Colossae. "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God." (Col. 1:15.) "In Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form." (Col. 2:9.) In his letter to the church at Philippi he is even more explicit. He says, "Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:6-11.) The writer of the book of Hebrews also affirms the unity of the Father and the Son in these words "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son . . . The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being." (Hebrews 1:1-3.)

Simon Peter spoke from personal knowledge when he wrote of his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He says, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain." (2 Peter 1:16-18.)

Lest these claims of Jesus' divinity create confusion in our understanding of God and make it appear that Christians have three Gods; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it is important to reaffirm that Christians are monotheists; they firmly believe in only one God. Christians still adhere strongly to the declaration made by Moses to Israel. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one." (Deut. 6:4.) However, the Hebrew language has two different words for 'one,' yachid and echad. 'Yachid' expresses singularity and is generally translated 'only.' It was the word used to describe Isaac as Abraham and Sarah's only son. It is also translated 'darling' which means 'the only one.' We would have thought that 'yachid' would have been the right word to use to describe Israel's God as the one and only true God, but instead, when Moses said 'the Lord is one,' he used the word 'echad.'

'Echad' can be translated 'a unity' as it has the possibility of plurality. When Adam sinned God said "The man has now become like one (echad) of us, knowing good and evil." Also God said "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one (echad) flesh." (Gen. 3:22; 2:24.) When Judaism affirms that 'the Lord is one' it is not excluding the possibility of various expressions of that oneness. Jesus said "God is Spirit." If the Eternal Spirit chose to fashion a human body in which to dwell so that he could experience our human condition and at the same time express his essential nature by example and teaching, even sharing our death experience so that he could demonstrate that he had the power to impart life beyond death, this would not destroy his essential oneness. He would still be echad (one). And if he chose to impart his Spirit to all who believed in him in his human manifestation of Sonship it would be proper to call this his Holy Spirit, for all things associated with God are called holy. This unique relationship is outside our human category of thought and the early Christians struggled to express it in language that avoided the idea of three Gods yet retained both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus. Anyone who is familiar with the early Christian creeds is aware of the inadequacy of language to express the reality of Jesus as both man and God. In the end the church settled for the simple formula of "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit."

Now let us go back to the Matthew passage and look more closely at the significance of Simon's statement "You are the Christ." They were conversing in Greek so Simon used the Greek word, Christ, to declare his belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Because the New Testament was written in Greek this translation was used throughout, except in two instances. In a way, this is unfortunate, because many people do not realise the full significance of the term Christ and, as a result, the usual form, 'Jesus Christ,' has been reduced to little more than a surname. The meaning of the Hebrew word Messiah (Mashiach), of which it is a translation, is better understood. It is not generally known that Mashiach comes from the same root as the word for oil. This gives us the key to its meaning which is literally 'anointed one.' In Israel, kings and priests were set apart for their high office by being anointed with oil. David and Aaron are examples and in each case they were chosen, not by man, but by God. The looked for Messiah would be a man whom God chose and anointed for that role.

The Jewish hope of a Messianic king who would redeem both the land and the people of Israel and bring peace to the nations was born in God's promise to David that he would establish his dynasty for ever."He is the one who will build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever." (2 Samuel 7:11-16.) This was added to by the prophets and a specific Messianic concept was developed by the time of Jesus. Messiah would be a king who would redeem both the land and the people of Israel. His reign would be marked by righteousness, he would establish the reign or kingdom of God, and he would bring peace to all nations. (See Isaiah 9:6; 11:1-5; 52:13 to 53:1-12; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Zechariah 9:9; Hosea 3:4-5; Micah 5:2. Malachi 3:1-3.)

In the prophets the Messiah is described as a 'Branch' that would grow from the cut-down stump of David's kingly dynasty. In Isaiah he is called 'My Servant' and his sufferings are described in detail in chapters 52 and 53. The religious leaders of Jesus' day did not accept him as the Messiah but the hope has remained as one of the principles of Judaism. It has been a hope that has sustained Jews during their nearly 2000 year exile. The words of the great scholar Maimonides are still valid for Jews today "I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and, though he tarry, I will wait daily for his coming."

Andrew and Simon and the disciples believed that they had found the Messiah. When the people met Jesus and saw his many miracles and heard his stories and teaching they also believed. Saul, the chief persecutor of the Christians, was challenged by the risen Jesus on his way to Damascus and he believed and became the first missionary to the Gentile nations. As civilization spread to newly discovered continents the story of Jesus, the Messiah, has been gladly accepted by seekers of every race and culture. Now all nations in our war-weary world share the Jewish hope of a Messiah who will bring righteousness and peace to the world.

A totally human Messiah would be a mortal Messiah subject to ageing and death. Such a Messianic hope would be a temporary and vain hope. Just as Jesus prophesied his death he also promised to return and reign. The world's hope lies in an eternal Messiah who will banish evil from the hearts of people and establish the kingdom of God for all time. Jesus taught us to pray "Thy kingdom come." Our hope lies in the return of the eternal Son of God who for a brief time, 2000 years ago, became the Son of Man.

Let us look for a moment at Jesus' second question, "Who do you say that I am?" He still asks this question of us all. The question is a mirror of our soul. Our answer shows the kind of person we are for it shows our attitude to the values he lived and taught. He is the inescapable Christ because he unmasks our neutrality. He declared "He that is not with me is against me." There is really no middle position. If we are willing to take a step of faith, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we will make him our Lord and Master and pattern our life on his teachings. If we do not believe his claims we will go our own way and be our own Master. We answer his question by the way we live.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 1
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. Discuss the nature of God in the light of these statements by Jesus and Paul. Write down the ways in which Jesus has increased your understanding of God.

2. Look up the prophecies that relate to the Messiah and write down the characteristics of the promised Messiah. In what ways does Jesus appear to fit these prophecies?

3. Have you thought about Jesus' second question to Peter, "Who do you say that I am? Reserve your answer for the present. The material in chapter 2 will bring it to our notice again.

In John's gospel there are a number of metaphorical statements by Jesus that commence with the words "I am . . . " We will look at these first.

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." (6:35.) "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness." (8:12.) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (10:11.) "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (11:25-26.) "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (14:6.) "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (15:1-2.)

These statements require no explanation beyond saying that Jesus' claims to satisfy the deepest hunger of our hearts; he can provide guidance through the maze of issues that daily confront us; he will always be there to protect us from the dangers that we face. He proved his care for us by laying down his life to save us; by his own resurrection he has demonstrated that he can assure eternal life for us; he is the way to truth and life; he is the vine on which we, the branches, depend for our spiritual life, we need to allow him to prune things from our life that will not bear good fruit.

After his resurrection Jesus commissioned his disciples to take the teaching they had learned from him and make disciples of all nations. He made an astonishing claim. He said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:18-20.) By claiming all authority in heaven and on earth Jesus reaffirmed his claim to divinity. This was further emphasised by his command to baptise each new disciple using the three names that expressed deity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We should also note that this was a radical break with traditional Judaism which had been confined to the blood line of Abraham's descendants. You had to be born a Jew. Jesus showed that God's concern was for all descendants of Adam. The kingdom of God was now open to people of all nations. God's love and care had no boundaries.

Jesus' humility and submission to God's will are qualities that challenge us for human nature is proud and humility and submission do not come naturally to us. Jesus said "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38.) That is the remark of a servant. When two of his disciples asked to sit next to him when he established his kingdom he rebuked them with the words "Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant . . . For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45.)

Jesus demonstrated this at the Passover the night before his crucifixion by washing the disciple's feet. The meal was held in a borrowed room and there was no servant to perform the customary footwashing. The disciples were too proud to wash each others feet so Jesus took a bowl of water and a towel and washed their feet. Simon couldn't handle it. He said "No. You shall never wash my feet." Jesus knew he needed to be taught humility so he replied "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." (John 13:8.) It is a lesson many of Jesus' present day disciples still need to learn. Disciples of Jesus live to minister to human need; serving is not demeaning but is an expression of the spirit of Jesus. In the passage from Philippians we quoted earlier Paul says "He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross."

There is a beautiful invitation by Jesus in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." A yoke was a wooden cross-piece fastened over the necks of two oxen who worked side by side as they pulled a load. Jesus offers to share his strength with us as we toil in our daily responsibilities. He is always alongside to help us bear the load. He says, learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. This is not the ideal image most men have for themselves. We admire the strong and the proud and the fiercely competitive. That is because we feel inferior and we are always trying to prove that we are as good as, or better than others. Jesus showed us that greatness and power can go hand in hand with gentleness and humility. That is the way we find rest for our soul and spirit.

Jesus told his disciples that he would soon leave them but one day he would return. When he was being tried before the Sanhedrin he said to the High Priest and the court, "I say to all of you: in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:64.) Another feature of Jesus' claims was that God had appointed him to be the judge of mankind. He said "I did not come to judge the world but to save it." (John 12:42.) He came first offering people of all nations forgiveness on condition of their repentance. But he also taught clearly that he would come again at the end of time as judge. The continued existence of evil will not be tolerated by God for ever. Jesus said "The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father." (John 5:22.) This time of judgment is associated with Jesus' return.

How do we evaluate these remarkable claims? There seem to be only two alternatives. Was Jesus on an ego trip and had false grandiose notions of who he was? He may have really believed these outrageous claims or he may have consciously made them up in an attempt to gain status and power; the urge to be the greatest is strong in many people. The other alternative is that they were true. The only way to test them is to use the method used every day in our courts. If a claim is true it will be consistent with all other known facts; just as a correct segment fits into a jigsaw puzzle. If it is false it will be inconsistent and will not fit. Consistency is the principle that determines truth. So now we must examine the kind of person Jesus was, what he did, and what he taught. His example and his teaching will decide his claims.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 2
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. Think about each of the six "I am" statements and be prepared to discuss their meaning. Write down the answers you will contribute to the discussion.

2. Discuss the contrasting views of Jesus' status presented by his claim to have "all authority in heaven and on earth" and "the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many." Also compare Jesus' prediction of "the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One" with his action of washing the disciple's feet and offering to share his 'yoke' with us to help us with the burdens of life. He is pictured as the Servant King. How does this affect our understanding (1) of God (2) of greatness?

3. Apply the principle of consistency (referred to in the last paragraph) to Jesus' claims. If Jesus is not the Son of God and Messiah as he claimed, how shall we define him? Was he self-deluded? Did he have grandiose ideas of who he was? Or did the writers of the gospels collaborate to deify the Master they knew and loved? Before we answer the question "Who do you say that I am?", we need to consider his behaviour, his miracles, and his teaching and, using the principle of consistency, test his claims. We will do this in the next two chapters.

"When John heard in prison what Jesus was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?' Jesus replied, 'Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" (Matthew 11:2-5.)

If we have sometimes found ourselves doubting Jesus' claims, and wondering if he really was the Messiah, it will help us to know that this is quite normal. We have a very famous prophet for company. When John the Baptist was in prison he began to doubt the inner conviction he had when he baptised Jesus, that he was the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else." (Matthew 11:3.) Jesus' reply showed that he regarded his power to work miracles of healing as evidence that he was indeed the Messiah and that God was working through him. John's disciples were able to take back to John confirmation that his earlier belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah was correct.

Jesus then said to the people around him, "All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come." (Matthew 11:14.) Elijah's coming was prophesied in the last chapter of the Jewish Bible. "I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and terrible day of the Lord comes." (Malachi 4:5.) People of the Jewish faith still regard this as a very important promise that must be fulfilled before Messiah comes. At every Passover ceremony an empty chair is placed at the table, called Elijah's chair, thus keeping alive the hope that one Passover Elijah will return to prepare the way for the Lord.

When we study the life of Jesus we notice that the two outstanding features of his ministry were his compassion for the sick and his friendliness towards religious and social outcasts. He treated all people as God's children irrespective of who they were. He came to minister to all who were physically and spiritually imperfect. He showed the inadequacy of a religion that demanded ritualistic correctness but ignored the command to love God and to love our neighbours as ourselves. His major ministry was teaching about the kingdom of God; we will deal with that in the next section. In this section we will consider Jesus' ministry of healing physical illnesses and his ministry of restoring the spiritually sick to a new, vital relationship with God.

The gospels are so full of miraculous events and miracles of healing that if we rule out the miraculous we destroy their credibility. A miracle is a supernatural event which does not normally take place in the natural world; which appears to defy the laws of nature; and which is beyond the power of ordinary people to achieve. If we accept that the existence of the world, and all life on our planet, owes its being to the supernatural action of a Creator, we would expect that when the Creator appeared among us in human form, he could exercise his miraculous power. We are confronted here with a choice. We were not eyewitnesses of these miracles, we did not know the people personally, we are dependant on the historical record of the gospels.

We cannot prove or disprove these stories of healing. We may believe the record of the eyewitnesses who were present or we may disbelieve them. It is a simple matter of faith or unbelief. Christians are called believers because they believe Jesus' claim that he and the Father are one, and therefore his power to heal the sick and raise the dead are credible. Jesus' statement that he had power to lay down his life and power to rise again was confirmed by his own resurrection. There could be no greater miracle than the resurrection. It makes all lesser miracles credible.

Those who do not believe that Jesus performed miracles reduce him to the level of a natural man; his claims to a special relationship to God have to be dismissed; and the men who wrote the gospels must be regarded as deliberate deceivers for they were there and knew the facts. But this kind of speculation is not consistent with the ethical standards by which the apostles lived nor with the high moral tone of Jesus' teaching. When we apply our principle of consistency we find that unbelief will not fit the picture but belief does. Matthew says, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36.) Jesus never used his supernatural power for his own advantage, he only performed miracles to help others. His willingness to heal all who were brought to him was an expression of his love and concern for all people.

It would be a wonderful faith building exercise to stop reading at this point and read some of the accounts of healings in the gospels. The very wording gives a strong impression of an eyewitness account. The writer was there and saw it happen. Matthew and John were two of Jesus' disciples who would have been present. Scholars believe that there is good evidence that Mark wrote down what Peter told him and therefore his gospel is really Peter's account. Luke was not one of the twelve disciples but he says in his opening remarks that others, who were eyewitnesses, had made written records of the events, and adds, "I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:3-4.)

In chapters 8 & 9 of Matthew's gospel we have a number of healings recorded; this is a good sample of Jesus' healing ministry. It records the healing of a leper; the healing of the Roman centurion's servant without being present; the healing of Peter's mother-in-law of a fever; the casting out of evil spirits; the calming of a storm; the restoring to normality of two violent men; the healing of a paralysed man; the healing of the woman with a haemorrhage, the restoring of a young girl to life; the restoring of sight to two blind men and giving a dumb man the ability to speak. After reading these two chapters see how you feel about Jesus' miracles of healing.

We will now look at two of Jesus' miracles in more detail. Both show all the marks of actual events and neither would have been possible without supernatural power. The first is the healing of the man born blind recorded in John chapter 9. The fact that he was born blind made any restoration of his sight unlikely. It was a common belief that any catastrophe was a punishment from God for some sin, so the disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus." Some people still believe that the bad things that happen to them are a punishment from God. Jesus' reply should banish this false idea from our minds for ever. Many tragedies are caused by human ignorance or carelessness or neglect or are just unfortunate accidents. The laws of nature and the behaviour of either ourselves or others may have tragic consequences but it is a slander on the character of God to suggest that he deliberately punishes us for our mistakes.

Having had his attention drawn to the blind man Jesus did not ignore his plight but healed him. He used a little mud to anoint his eyes and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The mud had nothing to do with his healing except that it gave him something positive to do and may have raised his expectation. John says simply "So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." His neighbours noticed that he could see and argued whether it was him or not. He himself insisted, "I am the man." He said a man named Jesus had healed him so they took him to the Pharisees because his healing had taken place on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees said "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." Some bystanders said "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" The Pharisees did not believe that he had ever been blind so they sent for his parents and asked them "Is this your son?" They replied, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." So they turned to the man and said "Give glory to God. We know this man is a sinner." He replied "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see."

They continued to question him about his healing and he got annoyed and said "I've told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?" That insulted them and they retorted "We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." The man answered 'Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from yet he opened my eyes . . . If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. To this they replied . . . 'How dare you lecture us'!'' And they threw him out. Jesus found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?' 'Who is he, sir?' the man asked. 'Tell me so that I may believe in him.' Jesus said 'You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking to you' Then the man said, 'Lord, I believe' and he worshipped him." Why would the apostle John make up a story like this? It rings true.

Another miracle that is even harder for our modern skeptical minds to accept is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It is found in John 11 and it also has all the marks of a report by one who was present. Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, were close friends of Jesus. The sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. On hearing the news Jesus commented, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus deliberately remained where he was for two days then he said "Let us go back to Judea . . . Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe."

John says that on his arrival Jesus met Martha and said, "Your brother will rise again . . . I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."When Mary met Jesus she said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus came to the tomb and saw Mary and her friends weeping, he wept also. Some said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" When Jesus asked them to take away the stone at the tomb's entrance Martha objected saying, "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Jesus prayed saying "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." Then he said in a loud voice "Lazarus, come out." John says, "The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, 'Take off the grave clothes and let him go.'" This miracle marked the end of Jesus' public ministry because it aroused such popular belief in Jesus as the Messiah that the Pharisees decided that he must die. They even planned to kill Lazarus also because he was a living testimony of Jesus' power and a threat to their authority. These miracles demand an explanation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 3
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. Everybody has times of doubt as we seek to understand the mysteries of life. Do you have any particular doubts you would like the group to discuss? What does this passage suggest we could do to confirm our faith when it is challenged by ideas or circumstances?

2. Matthew says that Jesus' motive in healing the sick was compassion. We may not always be able to heal people's bodies by our prayers but we can have compassion for them and this may produce a healing in their spirit which may be more important than the healing of their bodies. Discuss whether we have placed too much emphasis on bodily healing, which is not always within our power, and neglected the healing of the spirit which is within our power.

3. Write down your impressions after studying the healing of the man born blind and the raising of Lazarus. Do you know of anyone who has been healed following prayer? Share this with the group. Is belief in miracles an integral part of our Christian faith?

The other outstanding feature of Jesus' ministry was his attitude to people. The Pharisees were the most influential religious leaders among the Jews. The word means 'separated ones.' They were strict legalists, we would call them Fundamentalists today. They separated themselves from others in a 'holier than you' attitude. They looked down on all others who did not live up to the strict code of law and ritual observance they had set for themselves and the people. Jesus challenged their authority by his behaviour and by open debate. He treated all people as important in God's eyes. He said that he had not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He said he came to seek and to save the lost, i. e. those who had wandered away from God and become lost spiritually. He rejected no one but accepted all as God's children. He declared that only the sick needed a physician and he had come to minister to all who did not have a healthy, vital relationship with God.

On one occasion when Jesus and his disciples were travelling through Samaria he stopped at the well at Sychar while the disciples went to buy food. The Samaritans were regarded as an heretical sect and religious Jews did not speak to them. A woman came to the well to draw water and Jesus asked her for a drink. She was surprised that he spoke to her as she was a woman and a Samaritan. In the conversation that followed it was revealed that she had been married five times and was now living in a defacto relationship. Yet Jesus treated her with respect and equality and sought to renew her spiritual relationship to God. This was radical behaviour indeed. (See John 4:1-42.)

When Jesus was in Jericho he met another spiritual outcast named Zacchaeus who was head of the local Tax office. He was considered to be a traitor because he was working for the despised Roman occupation forces and it was generally believed, probably rightly, that he had become wealthy by charging excessive taxes. He was despised by the people but not by Jesus who sought his reformation. He was a short man so he climbed a tree to get a better look at the famous visitor and, to his surprise, Jesus invited himself to his house for a meal. His acceptance of Zacchaeus, whom everybody else had shut out of their society, so pleased him that he became a reformed man. Jesus justified his behaviour by saying "This man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:1-10.)

Another incident that shows how Jesus refused to reject those whom society had rejected is recorded in John's gospel. The Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus with the accusation that she had been caught in adultery. They cared nothing for the woman or the public humiliation they inflicted on her. They were using her to try to trap Jesus into supporting the unpopular but legal punishment of death by stoning. They asked for his opinion. He said nothing but bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in their question he said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

I have often wondered what he wrote; the words apparently had some significance for her accusers. Perhaps he wrote names or sins that related to each of them, making them aware of their own guilt, for they left one by one, until only Jesus and the woman remained. Then he turned to the woman and asked "Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir." she said. "Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and sin no more." (John 8:1-11.) By replacing punishment with forgiveness he gave the woman back her self respect but at the same time maintained God's moral standard. This is an example for both parents and society when moral lapses occur.

There are two famous stories that Jesus told that illustrate his attitude of respect and acceptance of all people, irrespective of who they were and what they have done. The first is commonly called the story of the Good Samaritan. As mentioned earlier, the Samaritans were looked down on because they were considered to be religious heretics. Yet Jesus deliberately made a Samaritan the hero of his story about the man who was robbed and lay injured by the roadside. He also, pointedly, presented the Jewish religious leaders as indifferent and uncaring. The purpose of the story was to show that God did not despise the Samaritans even though the Jews did. The ones Jesus despised were the religious leaders who were more concerned about personal safety or ritual correctness than about attending to the needs of a wounded man by the roadside. Jesus makes it clear that God is more concerned with our behaviour than our beliefs and religious practices. (Luke 10:30-37.)

The second story, commonly known as the story of the Prodigal Son, is everybody's favourite. Many see something of themselves in the foolish son and we all love the father for the love he still had for his wayward boy. It ought to be called the story of the Forgiving Father because the Father is the hero here. It is a beautiful picture of God who never stops loving us whatever folly we have committed. Jesus was lavish in the way he pictured God's joy when someone who has gone their own way in life, ignoring God, comes to their senses and returns to a new relationship with him.

As he approached his old home the son was not only filled with shame but he was barefoot and his clothes ragged for the story says,"While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him,' Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." (Luke 15:20-24.)

It is, of course, a perfect picture of God's readiness to forgive us when we return to him. It is in striking contrast to the view that God punishes us for our sins. It is true that as we sow, so shall we reap. We do suffer guilt and shame and sometimes far reaching consequences of our behaviour. We find it hard to forgive ourselves but, when we change our ways, we can be assured of God's forgiveness. The father's total forgiveness of his young son was contrary to the attitude of the religious people of Jesus' day, and unfortunately, it still is of many parents today. Jesus could not have made it clearer that God never rejects anyone, no matter what they have done. A loving welcome always awaits us when we decide to change our ways and restore our relationship with our Father God.

People have often wondered what God is like. Because God is Spirit, having no visible image, we find it hard to visualise him. But when we think of people we know, we don't generally think of a visual image but rather of the kind of person they are; their nature and temperament; whether they are kind, caring and loving or selfish, uncaring and aggressive. In these stories Jesus showed us what God is like. He cares about people and doesn't just pass by leaving helpless, injured people by the roadside of life but does what needs to be done to restore them to normality. He doesn't join the ranks of those who criticise and reject persons who break the rules of society but gives them another chance. He is saddened when we waste our years doing selfish and foolish things but he never gives up hope that we will come to our senses and return to him where we will find forgiveness and new hope. Remember that Jesus said "He that has seen me has seen the Father."

We have been noting the caring, compassionate side of Jesus' nature but there was another strong, assertive side to his character. He was a fearless reformer. He publicly denounced the corruption and hypocricy of the religious leaders and attacked the many rules they had devised and imposed on the people as religious obligations. He exposed them as burdensome human traditions, which in some cases, cancelled out God's original intention. God's laws were intended to be a blessing to ensure the harmony of society and the rights of individuals but they had made them a burden. In seeking to reform both religion and society he was motivated for a passion for justice and equality.

He repeatedly clashed with the Pharisees, Scribes, and religious lawyers and became a serious threat to their authority. They decided that he had to be eliminated and they began to plan his death. His moral courage in openly challenging the traditional leaders and his physical courage in calmly facing the horror of death by crucifixion compels our admiration. He was as strong and fearless as he was caring and compassionate.

Now that we have examined Jesus' life and example and seen his power to work miracles, plus his acceptance of all people irrespective of their beliefs or behaviour, we are ready to look at the truths he taught that are still relevant for us today. The main theme of Jesus' teaching was about the Kingdom of God or, as it is sometimes called, the Kingdom of Heaven. It simply means the reign of God.

When Jesus taught us to pray "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." he was really asking us to pray that God would reign over us as our king. In praying that prayer we offer ourselves as his subjects ready to live by the laws of his kingdom. But, as we shall see, Jesus made no laws; he taught principles that would ensure a just, peaceful and happy society. Thus Jesus made a radical break with traditional Judaism. The apostle John summarised this succinctly when he wrote, "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."(John 1:17.) Let us approach this next section on Jesus' teaching with a certain eagerness for it has the power to transform society by lifting our individual lives on to a richer and more fulfilling level of living.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 4.
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. Jesus' friendly attitude towards non-religious people was considered radical and unacceptable by the Pharisees. Discuss why the Pharisees refused to associate with them, yet Jesus did. Make notes for your contribution to the discussion. Is the Pharasiac attitude still found among Christians today, and if so, why is this?

2. Society is particularly sensitive to irregular sexual behaviour and people tend to reject those who break the rules so that the accepted moral standards can be upheld, yet Jesus did not reject the woman in a defacto relationship or the woman caught in adultery. Are we too legalistic and too unwilling to rehabilitate such people with love and forgiveness?

3. What does the story of the Forgiving Father reveal about God's nature? We have all wasted our inheritance to some extent. Have we sought and received God's forgiveness and experienced his acceptance? Is there a danger that, as a Christian, we could adopt the attitude of the elder brother and feel that God is sometimes unjust?

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. Then he rolled up the scroll, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' " (Luke 4:18-21.)

This prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2 is the text Jesus chose for his first speech. Following his baptism he returned to Galilee and attended the Sabbath service in his home town of Nazareth. He was invited to read the scriptures and following the reading he addressed the people. His first words must have startled his audience for he claimed that Isaiah's prophecy referred to himself. The Spirit of the Lord had indeed come upon him at his baptism and he was aware of the mission the Father had entrusted to him.

The key to the significance of this prophecy is in the final phrase "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." This refers to the year of Jubilee. In Leviticus 25 Moses decreed that every fiftieth year was to be observed as a new beginning that would restore equality to all the people, both financially and socially. The ownership of all land reverted to the original owners and all who, through poverty, had bonded themselves to masters, were to be released from their servitude. Even the soil was to be rested as the people were given a year's holiday from toiling in the fields. The financial and social status that had grown unbalanced during the last fifty years was thus restored. Everybody was given a fresh start It was a time of renewed hope and national rejoicing. By linking his ministry with this ancient custom Jesus was declaring that he had come to initiate a new beginning for the poor and the oppressed.

Jesus gave this Jubilee festival a new spiritual significance. He came to restore the status of those who had forfeited their spiritual inheritance, he had good news for those who were aware of their spiritual poverty, he came to set people free from their burden of guilt, he came to give sight to those who were blind because of their ignorance of spiritual matters. He came with a message of hope that God was offering them a fresh beginning. His audience at first rejoiced at this announcement but he pushed the concept of Jubilee beyond their expectations by extending it to include non-Jews.

He cited two stories from the prophets telling how God had shown compassion to the non-Jewish widow from Sidon during a famine and had healed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy. He implied that God wished people of all nations to be included in the year of the Lord's favour he had come to announce. Luke says that all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. Were they not Abraham's descendants and had not God chosen them, and them only, to be his people? Moses had declared, "The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7:6.)

They had forgotten that God's promise to Abraham had included the words "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3.) Their earlier surprise and pleasure that a young man from their own town spoke so fluently now turned to indignation and they rose up and drove him out of town. Thus at the very beginning of his ministry Jesus took issue with the narrow nationalism of the religious Jews. He was never invited to participate in a synagogue service again and the spiritual leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees, began to view him with suspicion.

Jesus' break with tradition began when he was quite young. He discussed faith issues with the religious teachers in the temple when he was only 12 years of age. He was not a graduate of any Rabbinical school yet he always demonstrated a good knowledge of the Jewish scriptures. He did not choose his disciples for any religious academic qualifications, but he chose ordinary working men who understood the common people and whose minds were uncluttered with religious dogma and the legalistic casuistic minutiae of the Pharisees. By breaking down the barriers that confined God to a nationalistic deity of the Jews, Jesus prepared the way for his disciples to go to all nations to spread the ideals he taught them, and to announce the good news of the forgiving grace of God to all who would listen.

Soon after his experience in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus moved to the more heavily populated area around Lake Tiberius, commonly known as Galilee. Wherever he went he healed the sick and taught the crowds who gathered. The open-air became his synagogue and the non-religious people his congregation. Matthew says, "When he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them." (Matthew 5, 6 & 7) This is commonly called, The Sermon on the Mount, and is generally regarded as Jesus' policy statement. It marked a new departure in Jewish religious speeches.

In the customary religious discussions of his day, and even today, the opinions of various Rabbis were cited to support varying interpretations of the 613 laws of Moses. The Rabbis loved to discuss and argue but none could speak with authority for their views were only opinions and interpretations of Moses' laws. Jesus was different, he spoke with authority. He upheld the Mosaic law saying "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them." (Matthew 5:17.) He then proceeded to deal with some of the more common laws introducing them with the phrase "You have heard that it was said . . . But I tell you." He placed his own authority above that of the great Moses and went beyond the mere letter of the law to stress the importance of the thoughts of the heart, making motive as important as deed. He said "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

He denounced those who professed to love God but did not love their fellow men. They thought they were the salt of the earth but if they had no integrity their profession was worthless in God's sight. He spoke of murder, and denounced the anger that caused the murder as the real sin. He spoke about adultery and denounced lust as the underlying cause. He referred to revenge and the 'eye for an eye' ethic the law approved. He reversed this, saying, "Do not resist an evil person . . . You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." He spoke of public praying, and fasting, and donations to the poor, and denounced those whose motive was to show others that they were spiritually superior. There must be no ulterior motive in the things we do, especially in our religious observance.

He spoke about money and worrying about material security. He advised "Do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." He added "You cannot serve God and money." He encouraged his listeners to make their needs known to God in prayer, saying, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Then he summarised his teaching in a sentence that is so comprehensive and so important in all interpersonal relationships that it has been called The Golden Rule. "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the Prophets." Here is the whole of the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus reduced to a single principle.

He denounced the very human fault of judging others by using an unforgettable illustration, saying "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" He stated that God and people would judge us, not by our religious knowledge or profession, but by our deeds. He said, "By their fruit you will recognize them." He knew that not everyone would heed his words so he predicted that many would follow the broad way where they did as they pleased and only a few would live by the discipline of thought and deed of God's way.

He finished his comments with the story of two builders. One gave no thought to the foundations and built on the sand, the other found solid rock and built his house on that foundation. When the floods came the sand was washed away and the first house fell but the builder who built his house on solid rock was safe. Jesus concluded by saying, "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew added, "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as the teachers of the law."

The hidden meaning of some of the statements Jesus made was not immediately obvious. A good example is the two stories in Matthew 9:16-17. "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse." This was obviously directed to the women in his audience. Then for the men he added "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." Both these statements convey the same meaning but what do they teach?

The old garment and the old wineskins represent the old forms of the Jewish religion with its temple centered worship, its altar where animal sacrifices were offered daily, its officiating priests who mediated between a holy God and sinful men, and its high priest who entered the Most Holy section of the temple once a year with the blood of animals to atone for the sins of the people. These had served to teach the holiness of God and made the worshippers aware that God's laws could not be broken without a proper act of repentance and the death of an animal substitute. God's forgiveness was available at a price, and it was possible for man to be restored to favour and spiritual fellowship with God. But this symbolic form of worship had served its purpose and the time had come to replace it with spiritual worship from the heart. He stated this plainly when he said, "Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13.) Jesus would make animal sacrifice obsolete by substituting his own death as a sacrifice that would be effective for all people for all time.

Jesus came to introduce the next stage of God's plan for humankind. No longer would his people be only the descendants of Abraham but would include all the descendants of Adam. The earthly city of Jerusalem would give place to a spiritual new Jerusalem, not on this earth, but in the future spiritual kingdom which he called the kingdom of God. The magnificent temple of stone at Jerusalem with its altars for animal sacrifices would be replaced by the spiritual temple of the human heart. The apostle Paul wrote to the Gentile Christians at Corinth saying, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16.) There was no longer any need for the daily sacrifice of animals and the sprinkling of their blood on the altar. Jesus' death would become an eternally effective sacrifice for the sins of the world.

This new universal religious spirit Jesus taught could not be patched on to the old garment of traditional Judaism, the new wine of his spirit could not be contained in the old rituals and thought forms of the Judaism of his day. His followers would create new garments and winebottles, new ways of worship and rituals that would symbolise this new relationship with God. Within 40 years of Jesus' death the temple was destroyed, the daily animal sacrifices ceased, and the priesthood, having no function to perform, ceased to operate. The New Testament book of Hebrews explains this historic change more fully.

Mark says, "After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 'The time has come' he said. 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.'" There was a sense in which the kingdom of God was already present but there was also a sense in which it would only be consummated in the future. When the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him when the kingdom of God would come he replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20.) In human society the kingdom is always partial and incomplete, but wherever God reigns in a life, there the King is enthroned and the kingdom exists.

Jesus told many stories that showed various aspects of the kingdom. Matthew has collected seven of these in the thirteenth chapter of his gospel. His story of the sower lists four possible responses to the gospel and suggests that only about a quarter of the people who hear will become genuine disciples. Experience has proved this correct. His story of the tares (weeds) among the wheat suggests that there will be both true and false disciples and it will be hard to distinguish one from the other. The story of the mustard seed teaches that the kingdom will begin small but will grow very large and many will feel at home within it. The story of the yeast suggests that just as a small amount of yeast spreads its influence through the whole of the dough so Jesus' teachings will have a transforming effect on the whole of society.

The stories of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl have similar meanings; when a person seeking truth discovers the teachings of Jesus they know that they have found something they have wanted all their life; they are prepared to give up other things they had previously thought important, so that they can be part of God's kingdom. The story of the fishing net foretells that both good and bad will be gathered in by the net of the gospel message but some will never give Jesus' control of their lives. They will not allow God's spirit to banish their wrong thoughts, attitudes and habits. They will still be unchanged at heart. So, like the story of the weeds in the wheat, the useless fish in the net will be thrown away and will not have a place in God's kingdom.

These stories demonstrate how different Jesus' teaching was to the laws and rituals of traditional Judaism as taught by the Rabbis. Jesus made no laws; he told stories about things and events of the people's everyday lives. He spoke about robbers and inn keepers, farmers sowing wheat and getting patchy crops, weeds and wildflowers, he talked of sparrows and bird's nests, shepherds and sheep, pearls and pigs, camels and needles, guests arriving at midnight and arousing the neighbour for extra food, a widow pestering a judge to give her justice, a dog licking the sores of a beggar at a rich man's gate; tenants of a vineyard killing the owner's son to get the vineyard for themselves, weddings and bridesmaids, labourers haggling over their wages, losing and finding sheep and coins, and fishermen sorting their catch.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 5
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. What is the significance of Jesus' linking his mission with the year of Jubilee?

2. In what ways did Jesus' Sermon on the Mount both support and break with traditional Judaism?

3. How did the parable of the wineskins show the radical aspect of Jesus' teaching?

The stories Jesus told were more than just stories, every one was an illustration of some aspect of the kingdom of God. The people who were genuinely seeking to understand God's plan would generally see their deeper meaning. We will too, in most instances, and taken together, they give us a remarkably clear picture of God's nature and his attitude towards people who have made mistakes in life. They also show that every one of us must account to God for our words and actions. Those who do not allow God to reign in their life, by so doing, choose not to be part of the kingdom of God. If they reject God and his Son, God respects their choice, but since they have no king but themselves they are rebels and foreigners in relation to God's kingdom and cannot enjoy its benefits.

We cannot detail all the stories Jesus told but will comment on several that teach significant truths. The marvellous thing about his stories is that the message hidden within them is as relevant today as it was then. They are timeless. In chapter 10 of his gospel, the apostle John records Jesus' story about a shepherd and his flock of sheep. The eastern shepherd had a much more intimate relationship with his sheep than sheep farmers do today. The shepherd called each sheep by name and they knew the shepherd's voice. They were not driven, nor were dogs used; the shepherd led them out to pasture and they knew his voice and followed him. He protected them from wild animals during the day and led them back in the evening to the safety of the sheep pen. The whole scene was familiar to his hearers. Jesus then said, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep."

It is hard for us to reconcile this picture of Jesus in the role of an eastern shepherd, with his claim to be the Son of God. There could be no greater contrast between the trappings of kingship of earthly rulers and the humble servant role of a shepherd who gives his life for his sheep. It is the picture of a shepherd who really cares for his sheep, even dying for them. In this story he gives us a glimpse into the nature and character of God as a caring Father who knows each of us by name and is solicitous for our welfare. He also shows us that God is not just a Jewish God but the God and Father of all humankind for he added, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." This story provides a model for all who are in positions of authority over others and for the leaders of big business. It is a challenge to the economic rationalism of our day where profits matter more than people. His reference to his other sheep is a challenge to parochial nationalism and the barriers of colour and race that divide human society.

In Matthew 20 Jesus told the story of a vineyard owner who needed seasonal workers and went to the marketplace early and employed some men promising them the usual wage. He went again at the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours of the working day and each time found men seeking employment and he employed them. At the end of the day he paid them all a full day's wage. The men who had worked all day resented this anomaly, as any trade union worker would today. But the employer justified his action by saying that the men who had worked all day had received their proper wage; it was his generosity, prompted by the other men's need, that led him to give them more than their due. This story tells us that God has a real concern for the unemployed and provides us with a model of generosity. People need to be provided for according to the needs of their families. When their earnings are inadequate to meet these needs society should make up the difference. The story supports the principle of the welfare state.

Another story about a vineyard is in Matthew 21. It concerns a landowner who planted a vineyard and rented it to others to farm while he went on a journey. When he sent agents to collect the rent they were ill-treated and one was killed so the owner sent his son. The tenants saw this as an opportunity to acquire the vineyard for themselves so they killed him. This story was directed at the religious leaders. Jesus explained it by saying to them, "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." This was a very significant statement. The end of an era had come for Israel. The Jewish people would no longer be the custodians of God's message to humanity. It would be entrusted to believers from all nations who accepted Jesus as the Son of God and lived by the teaching he had received from his Father. Matthew adds, "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet." The whole earth is God's vineyard and this story reminds us that God will hold us accountable for the responsibilities that are entrusted to us.

Jesus was outspoken about the stewardship of wealth. He made it clear that we do not possess the things we own. Any assets we may acquire are to be treated as a trust from God and we are accountable to God for the use we make of them. In Matthew 19 we are told of a rich man who came to Jesus asking what he must do to get eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. He replied that he had always done this. So Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." Jesus then said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven . . . it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew adds, "When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished." This problem of the equitable distribution of wealth is one of the major problems in the world today. God is passionate about justice. Jesus adopted poverty as his lifestyle and set us an extreme example in his total renunciation of possessions. He was making a statement, not establishing the ideal life for us all.

We should note that there are two levels here. On the first level, Jesus said that eternal life may be gained by keeping the commandments. On the second level, if one wants to be perfect, they should be practical about loving others and distribute their possessions to the impoverished. When people are filled with God's love they do this. This was well illustrated following the day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came upon the waiting disciples the most important thing that happened was not that the Holy Spirit spoke through the disciples in languages they had not learned in order to communicate the gospel to the visitors who spoke other languages, but rather that their purses were opened and they shared their possessions with the poor. Acts 2:43 says "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." This was the practical effect of the coming of God's Spirit on Jesus' disciples. Love cannot be indifferent to others need. To ignore others need when it is in our power to assist is to be imperfect in God's eyes. Religious privileges always have social responsibilities.

In Luke 16 we have a disturbing story about a rich man who ignored an obvious case of human need right at his own gateway. Jesus pictured the rich man "dressed in purple and fine linen and living in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table." When they both died Lazarus went to be with Abraham but the rich man went to Hades where he suffered torment. Abraham said to him "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony." It is a story Jesus told to awaken his hearers to the truth that what happens in this life is only half the story. Indifference to other's need and failure to share our possessions with the destitute will result in eternal loss to ourselves. This problem of the equitable distribution of wealth is the major problem in the world today. It creates serious injustice that will always break out in violence and revolution. When people have nothing to lose they are willing to lose their lives to change their circumstances for the better.

In Luke 12 Jesus told another story to show that there is no real security in earthly possessions. Our real security is not in material things but in the spiritual qualities that survive death. It concerned a farmer who had a good year with bumper crops so he built bigger barns and said to himself, "'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Death readjusts all our values.

Chapter 12 of Mark's gospel records the beautiful story of the widow's gift. Jesus was watching worshippers at the temple putting their gifts into the treasury. Some rich people gave large amounts then along came a widow woman and put in two tiny coins worth less than a cent. Jesus turned to his disciples and said,"This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on." God does not evaluate our gifts to him by their amount but by the measure of sacrifice involved.

Jesus told another story about temple worship that reversed the values of his day. It is found in Luke 18 and is about a self-righteous Pharisee and a despised tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee reminded God how faithful he was in observing his religious duties saying, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector." He was proud of his goodness and scornful of the tax collector who was so aware of his sinfulness that he stood with bowed head and mumbled "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus was on the side of the humble tax collector and commented to his disciples, "This man, rather than the other, went home justified before God." Sincere worship is commendable but regular church attenders should never consider that they are spiritually superior to those who don't go to church regularly.

The Pharisees simply could not understand Jesus' associating with non-religious people. When Jesus invited Matthew (also known as Levi) to become one of his disciples he gave a farewell banquet for his friends and invited Jesus also. The religious elite were astonished and critical. They said, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them a story to explain his actions. He told of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep but one day found that one was missing so he left the ninety-nine feeding and went to look for the one that was lost. When he found it he joyfully put it on his shoulder and carried it home. He called out to his neighbours; "Rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep." Jesus drove his point home by saying, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." In this story we are given yet another picture of God's understanding love and care for all people. He does not ask why we wandered away or what we have done. He just wants us back, not for his sake, but for ours. It is very relevant for western society today where many families are fragmented and young people often leave home to 'do their own thing.' An independent lifestyle has become normal and there are many lost and lonely singles adrift in society. Jesus is saying that each one is loved and sought by God.

On one occasion Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times." Peter thought he was being generous but Jesus replied, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven." He then told a story to show why we should be willing to forgive one another. A certain king began to ask for payment of the money owed to him. One man owed him a huge sum and could not pay so the king ordered him and his family and all their goods sold to recover some of the debt. The man begged for mercy and time to pay. Out of pity the king forgave him his huge debt. Then this man went and found a man who owed him a paltry sum. This man did not have the money either and begged for time to pay but he was shown no mercy and thrown into the debtor's prison. When the king heard that the man he had forgiven had shown no mercy to his debtor he was angry and had him thrown into jail. Jesus added, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

God's willingness to forgive has set a standard he expects us to follow. Jesus gave us an astonishing example of this. He committed no crime yet he was arrested and tried. Pilate found him not guilty; yet he was mocked and spat on by the soldiers, flogged and nailed to a cross to die. As he hung in agony on the cross Luke tells us that he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This showed a new kind of spirit so different from the old "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" revenge spirit that was the accepted practice at the time. Every time we pray the Lord's prayer we say "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." God has made his forgiveness of us conditional on us forgiving others who have wronged us. Without forgiveness we cannot make a fresh start. Jesus' whole life was about reconciliation. He wants us to be reconciled to each other, especially husbands and wives and blood relations. But forgiveness with both God and man is dependant on an expression of regret. "I'm sorry "is the trigger that releases forgiveness. Somebody has to take the initiative and it should be the one who has, knowingly or unknowingly, caused the rift in a relationship. If the other person does not respond, that is their responsibility. We have done all we can. Fortunately, they generally do.

While Jesus pictured God as a loving, forgiving Father, he did not present him as an indulgent Father allowing us to do whatever we liked. In any skill we acquire in life there is always a right way to do it, we have to follow this discipline learned through long experience, to get the best results. If we don't do things the right way we will not get good results. The same is true about living. Right behaviour brings happiness and any deviation from that way will produce a less than perfect result; it will bring sadness and unhappiness to both ourselves and others.

We cannot please ourselves in everything because we live in a society with others, so we must follow a certain discipline that respects the rights of others. God gave certain rules for living to Moses centuries ago and they have become the basis of our laws today. Jesus accepted the discipline of those laws and taught the ideals that should govern our behaviour. He submitted his will to God. He asks the same of all who would be his disciples. He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself." The way of life to which he calls us is the narrow way of doing God's will, not the broad way of living to please ourselves.

Jesus often stressed the concepts of stewardship and accountability. We all come into this world with varying abilities. Some people are very talented, others less so, but we all have something to contribute towards our own support and for the common good. We speak of people as being gifted in certain areas and that is what these talents literally are; they are gifts bestowed on us from birth. Jesus told a story to show that we hold these gifts in trust and we are to develop them and use them as stewards who one day must give an account to God, the giver. In Matthew 25 we have a story Jesus told that likened God to a Master who entrusted his servants with varying degrees of capital; one man was given five talents, another two and another one. On his return the Master called his servants to account for the use they had made of the capital entrusted to them. Their reward was to be entrusted with a greater amount of responsibility. But one man was lazy and made no use of his talent so he was dismissed and became a man without a future. Many young people suffer from low self-esteem that hinders them from maximising their potential. Comparing ourselves with our peers can be very discouraging; we just need to be ourselves and value the potential we have. We often expect more of ourselves than God does. He accepts us as we are and donly asks that we develop the talents we have.

There is an interesting story about a wedding in Luke 14. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a wedding banquet. Matthew's account says that the wedding was for the king's son. Strangely, the invited guests did not appreciate the honour the king was bestowing on them; they considered their own business or pleasure more important so they did not attend. "The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' Another said 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' Still another said, 'I just got married so I can't come.'" Their interests were obviously more important to them than the king's invitation. The king was angry and said to his servants, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." But there was still room so the King said, "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full . . . Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet." This story was directed to the religious leaders who rejected Jesus' invitation to participate in the kingdom of God but it also indicated God's intention to invite everyone, both good and bad, from near and far, to participate in the kingdom of God.

What a wonderful story this is with its open invitation to God's wedding banquet which represents the inauguration of the kingdom of God. Those singled out for special mention are not the wealthy and the healthy or those who live in fine mansions but the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame and the homeless who sleep on the street. How different Jesus' picture of God is to that sometimes presented. He is not the stern judge who condemns sinners to a fiery hell but a loving Father who invites all who know that they are spiritually poor and needy to his wedding banquet.

He told another wedding story about ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive for an evening wedding. Apparently they anticipated that he would be late so some took extra oil to keep their lamps burning. When he finally arrived those who had not brought extra oil found that their lamps had gone out. They begged oil from the prudent ones but they had none to spare. They had to go to the shop and buy more but by the time they got back the bridal party had gone and they missed the wedding. This story was told to prepare his hearers for the time when he would return to earth to be united with his bride, the true believers. Jesus warned, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Mark adds, "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

We have not mentioned all the stories Jesus told but these are sufficient to show how different his teaching was to the legalism of traditional Judaism. They give a good idea of the ideals and principles by which he expects his followers to live. They also set a vastly different standard to the accepted attitudes and practices of our contemporary society. Greed, sexual freedom, pleasure, racism, national pride, war and revenge are the things that dominate our society, yet many have not found security or personal fulfilment and happiness. Genuine disciples of Jesus have found that from the time he was given control of their lives they experienced a new feeling of security and fulfilment, plus an inner peace and joy, and an real love for others. Jesus did not only live on our earth 2000 years ago; he still lives in the hearts of people today.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 6
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. In the story about the shepherd and his flock what do we learn (1) about Jesus (2) about the people of God?

2. Jesus spoke a lot about money and the responsibility it brings. Discuss the incidents referred to in Matthew 19 and Mark 12 and also the parables in Luke 12 & 16. Consider whether we need to change our attitude to possessions in the light of these scriptures?

3. What was your reaction to the vineyard owner's payment of his employees?

4. We all get hurt at times and have the need to forgive others. Have we really taken Jesus' example and teaching on this subject to heart? Share any relevant experiences.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:31-32.)

This quotation comes from the last public statement Jesus made before his arrest. It shows that although he knew his earthly ministry was finished, it was only the beginning of the destiny his Father had planned for him. Death could not hold him and in the Father's time he would return when human history had run its full course. He would come, not as saviour, but as judge, to banish evil for ever and to establish his kingdom of love and peace.

In the rest of this passage (vv. 33-46) Jesus announced the basis on which his judgment would be made. He says, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." They were surprised and asked when they had ministered to Jesus in this way. He replied, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

People will be judged according to the compassion they have shown to their fellow humans in their times of need. This is the important feature of this judgment. It is not our doctrinal beliefs, or our church membership, or our claim to be a disciple of Jesus, but our behaviour that determines our destiny. Those who show love and care and give practical help to anyone in need will inherit the kingdom of God, but those who lack compassion and are indifferent to the needs of others are punished with exclusion from the Kingdom of God. Jesus showed us that his Father is a God of love, and love is the principle on which his kingdom will be based. Selfish and uncaring people do not belong in the kingdom of God.

Some might be inclined to argue with this basis of judgment because of their belief that their eternal salvation depends on the grace of God and their faith in Jesus' atoning death. That is true; but faith that does not issue in discipleship and obedience is not faith, it is self-delusion. No one ever fulfils the perfection of love God holds before us as his ideal. Both the Hebrew and the Greek words for sin mean 'missing the mark.' They are picture words, conveying the image of an archer aiming to hit a target but the arrow falls short. His intention was good but his execution was faulty. This is where the grace of God, and the forgiveness that is based on Jesus' atoning death applies; our intention is accepted in place of our achievement. But we have to be sincere and make sure that our profession to love God and our fellow humans is not an empty profession.

The New Testament book of James shows us the importance of our behaviour being consistent with our beliefs. He says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister [any man or woman] is without clothes or daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead . . . You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." (James 2:14-17.) It should be noted that the Greeks had another word for sin which literally meant 'lawless.' It signified a rebellious attitude to law, an arrogance that knew God's law but refused to submit to it; an unrepentant person. This is the sin against the Holy Spirit of God and for this there is no forgiveness. But, even here, God has left the door open; if such a one renounces their rebellion and submits to God he or she will be forgiven and admitted to God's kingdom.

After this discourse about his return to judge and reign, Jesus took his disciples aside for a private time together to celebrate the annual Jewish festival of Passover. There is a significant symbolic parallel between the Passover and Jesus' death on the actual anniversary of this historic festival. Passover celebrated the freeing of Abraham's descendants from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Jesus came to free all people from the slavery of sin. Two of the symbols used in the Passover meal were the unleavened bread (made without yeast) and the cup of wine. The bread symbolised the hardship of their slavery and the wine symbolised their redemption by God's mighty power. Jesus gave these traditional symbols a new significance. Taking the bread, he said, "This is my body given for you." Then he took the wine cup and said, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins . . . Do this in remembrance of me."

By the words "This is my body" and "This is my blood" Jesus gave the Passover bread and wine a new symbolism and showed that his death was not just the death of a martyr, even though it was that; it had a redemptive significance that would free many who were slaves to various sins and lead them out into a new freedom from the tyranny of guilt. His blood would have a redemptive power because he was offering himself as a sacrifice, replacing the daily animal sacrifices that were then offered for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus' followers everywhere have made this the central ritual of their faith. Jesus did more than teach the highest moral and ethical code and give the world the example of a noble life. He presented himself as a mediator between a holy God and sinful humans, and as a redeemer, who, by his vicarious death, provided a basis on which God could forgive sin while still upholding his standards of holiness necessary for social harmony.

After the meal Jesus tried to prepare the disciples for what he knew awaited him on the morrow. He said, "My children, I will be with you only a little longer . . . Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later . . . A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13.)

The following four chapters, 14-17, contain the apostle John's remembrance of what Jesus said in his parting talk to his faithful remaining eleven disciples. For many Christians they are the most treasured words in the gospels. He assured them again, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." He then told them that they were to share the same intimate relationship he had with his Father. He said, "Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you," On the spiritual level the believing disciples were to share a unique oneness with God through the spiritual union they already had with Jesus. Just as Jesus was one with the Father, they were now to become part of this spiritual oneness. He went on to say, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

He explained that this would be made possible by the sending of God's Spirit to dwell within them. "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth . . . The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." The word Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit is an interesting word. Various English translations are 'Comforter,' 'Counselor,' 'Advocate.' The Greek word Jesus used was 'paraklete' which literally means 'one who is called alongside to help.' Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." In saying this Jesus was identifying the Holy Spirit with himself. Following the resurrection, when he commissioned them to take his message to the whole world, Jesus said, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He is present with us as the Holy Spirit.

In chapter 17 we have the words of the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of his remarks. His great concern for the disciples he was leaving behind to carry on his work was evident. His major concern was that they might experience and exhibit the same oneness that he had with the Father. Unfortunately, his concern was justified, for although many Christians experience a beautiful oneness in their faith, worship, and service for their Lord, the organisations of disciples that have been created to fulfil the Lord's commission, have been fragmented geographically, nationally and doctrinally. Instead of the mutual love and godliness which Jesus hoped would characterize his disciples and distinguish them from the rest of the community, the hydra-headed organisation we call 'the universal church,' has shown a bad example. That is one reason why it was felt necessary, in the writing of this book, to isolate Jesus from organised Christendom.

Jesus knew that the time had come to leave his disciples but he was reluctant to part with them all so he took Peter, James, and John, the three former fishermen who became his first disciples, with him into a quiet olive grove, called Gethsemane. But he had to face his imminent death alone, so he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." What happened next is so personal and sacred that we feel like a guilty eavesdropper invading his privacy. John, who was there, says that Jesus went a little apart and fell prostrate on the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." After some time he returned to the three disciples and found that they had fallen asleep. He awoke them, disappointed that they had left him to face his struggle alone. He went a little apart again and John heard him pray,"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." He was still in prayer, seeking to draw strength from his Father, when they came to arrest him.

We cannot help but be impressed with the strength of his character, and the singleness of his resolve to do the will of God as he faced the rejection and physical suffering he knew he was about to experience. He was only thirty-three years of age, he had the power to overcome whatever physical powers that could be used against him, he could have exercised his power to defeat both the Jews and the Romans and take control of the world, there and then. Peter drew his sword to defend Jesus when the servant of the High Priest arrived to arrest him but he said, "Put your sword back in its place . . . Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"

On an earlier occasion he had said, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:17-18.) So he went to the humiliation and suffering of his trial and death willingly and deliberately. His renunciation is a challenge to us to surrender our lives to God. Jesus once said to the crowd that followed him, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

We are all familiar with the tragic events of that night and the following day. While it was still dark, Judas led a torchlight procession of soldiers and officers from the High Priest. He identified Jesus for them and he was bound and taken to the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin. As soon as it was daylight he was tried for blasphemy. They asked him to say on oath if he was the Son of God. He replied, "I am." They said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips." Thus the religious court convicted him of blasphemy but they did not have the power to sentence him to death so they sent him to the Roman Governor, Pilate, to be tried by the Roman civil court. It was useless to accuse him of blasphemy in the civil court so they laid a charge of treason saying that he had claimed to be the king of the Jews.

Pilate did not find the charge of treason proved and was about to release him but the leaders of the Jews were so insistent and the large crowd so threatening that Pilate feared a riot and, choosing policy rather than justice, he gave in to their demands. But before he passed sentence he did a most unusual thing. He called for a bowl of water and symbolically washed his hands saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood, it is your responsibility." He then ordered Jesus to be flogged and handed him over to the soldiers for death by crucifixion. The soldiers took him and mocked him. The Jews had spat on him and punched him after he was found guilty by the Sanhedrin and now the Roman soldiers added to his humiliation. First, he was flogged as Pilate had ordered, then they mocked his supposed claim to be a king. John's account says, "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. 'Hail, king of the Jews!' they said. They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again . . . Then they led him away to crucify him."

The religious leaders of the Jews continued to mock him as he hung suspended on the cross with nails through his hands and his feet. "He saved others but he can't save himself " they shouted. "Let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him." He had never wronged anyone but had healed many. He had every right to feel righteous indignation at the terrible injustice he had suffered. A natural reaction would have been to be speechless with fury and fuming with thoughts of revenge. Instead, he accepted it as part of his destiny. He was fulfilling the Father's will for the redemption of humanity.

His reaction was the total opposite to a normal human reaction. He offered a prayer for all who contributed to his humiliation and cruel death, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." That single statement of understanding love, asking forgiveness for his tormentors, should convince us that he was indeed the Son of God. If that is what God is like what a wonderful understanding, forgiving God we have. He absorbed all the malice and hatred of his enemies, plus the humiliation and suffering of that terrible day, and neutralised it with the love he still felt for the foolish little men who thought they owned God, and were zealously defending him against a blasphemous young upstart.

As Jesus hung on the cross the gospels tell us that there was an earthquake and a strange darkness enveloped the scene for some three hours. Then he spoke saying, "It is finished" and cried out loudly, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit," and died. Some who have difficulty accepting his resurrection have questioned whether he did actually die. There can be no doubt that he did because when the soldiers came to break the legs of the three victims to hasten their death they declared him dead and did not break his legs. To make doubly sure a soldier thrust a spear into his side at such an angle that it would have pierced his heart. John who records this says, "The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe." (John 19:33-35.)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 7
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. Ever since the Reformation Christians have placed great emphasis on right beliefs. When you consider the basis of judgment in Matthew 25, which is supported by Jesus' statement in Matthew 7:21-27, do you think we place too little emphasis on behaviour and too much on beliefs?

2. Discuss the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son in the light of John 14: verses 16, 18 and 23. Write down your understanding of these verses.

3. The completeness of Jesus' surrender to his Father's will in the Garden of Gethsemane and his call to us to deny ourselves and follow him strikes a discordant note in our self-indulgent age. In what ways are we called to deny ourselves?

4. How do you feel about Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for all those who had contributed to his death?

The disciples were so shocked at the death of their Master, and their hopes, that they did nothing. But because the Sabbath was near, two sympathetic friends took the body down from the cross and placed it temporarily in a nearby tomb. Using seventy five pounds of myrrh and aloe spices, they wrapped the body and the spices in strips of linen in accordance with Jewish burial customs. The next day was the Sabbath so nothing further could be done. They planned to visit the tomb early on Sunday morning. When they did, they made a startling discovery, and because the apostle John was there, we will let him tell what happened in his own words.

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, [John used this term to identify himself] and said, 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!' So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed." (John 20.)

After Peter and John had gone, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and stood outside crying. A man's voice said, "Woman, why are you crying?" She replied, "They have taken my Lord away and I don't know where they have put him." The man then said to her, "Mary." She turned and looked at him and recognized that it was Jesus. She cried out "Rabboni" (Teacher). She must have embraced him for he said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers [his disciples] and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene hurried back to the disciples with the wonderful news, "I have seen the Lord." (John 20)

Later that day, two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus about eleven kilometers from Jerusalem and discussing the events surrounding their Master's trial and crucifixion when a man joined them and asked what they were discussing. They stopped in their tracks and said, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened?" They told him of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus and the report they had heard that morning that the tomb was empty and he was alive. He replied, "'How foolish you are, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24).

On reaching their destination they invited him in for a meal. Luke says that he accepted and gave thanks for the food. There must have been something about the way he did this for they realized that their visitor was none other than Jesus, himself. He then suddenly disappeared from sight. They immediately rushed back to Jerusalem with their news, but they found that the disciples had news for them. "It is true!" they said. "The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then they recounted their own remarkable story of their journey to Emmaus.

But they were to experience yet one more surprise on that remarkable day. That evening, most of the disciples were gathered together in a room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, when suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst and greeted them with his usual "Shalom" greeting (Peace be with you). Luke says, They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Then he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side and they knew it was really him. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:33-39.)

Luke says they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement. When he had told them during his time with them that he would be killed and rise from the dead, they had not really believed it, thinking it was an impossibility. We can well imagine their mixed emotions of joy and amazement when they heard him speak and saw his wounded body. But Thomas, one of the disciples, was absent on that memorable occasion. When they told him that Jesus had risen from the dead and they had seen him he was not convinced. A week later they were together in the same room and this time Thomas was with them when Jesus appeared to them again. After his usual greeting he turned to Thomas and said, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him "My Lord and my God." (John 20:26-29.)

These appearances were followed by a period of uncertainty. It was obvious that Jesus was alive, yet it was equally obvious that they were on their own. They were leaderless, and not knowing what to do, some of them made their way back to Galilee and seven of them decided to go back to their fishing. They netted all night but caught nothing so in the early morning they put in to shore. A man was standing on the shore and called out to them, "'Friends, haven't you any fish?' 'No' they answered. He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.'" They did and were unable to haul the net into the boat because it was so full. John said to Peter, "It is the Lord." Peter was so excited that he jumped overboard and swam the hundred yards to shore to be with Jesus. The others towed the netful of fish to shore and counted 153 large fish.

Jesus had a fire going with fish cooking on it. He said, "Come and have breakfast." After they had breakfasted Jesus did a beautiful thing. He restored Peter's self esteem. On the night Jesus was arrested Peter had feared for his own life. Three different people accused him of being one of Jesus' disciples and, from fear, he denied it vehemently three times. When Jesus looked at him he suddenly realised that he had denied the Master he loved. He wept bitterly. Jesus now decided to rehabilitate Peter by making him declare three times that he loved him, cancelling out those three earlier denials. So he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" (Jesus probably glanced at the wonderful haul of big fish that would bring a good price. He was really saying to Peter, Are you going to go back to your fishing?; I called you and trained you for the last three years to carry on my work. I only have you and the others to continue the new teaching I began.)

Peter replied, "'Yes Lord, you know that I love you.' Then Jesus said, 'Take care of my lambs.'" For the second time Jesus said, "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me?" Again Peter said, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." For a third time Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter replied, "'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said again, 'Feed my sheep.' " Then he said, "Follow me!" (John 21) These words may well have reminded Peter of the first day he met Jesus. He and his brother Andrew were casting a net into the lake and Jesus had said, "Come, follow me." "I will make you fishers of men." So what did the future hold for Peter? Was it fishing, or caring for Jesus' followers, the lambs and the sheep of Jesus' new flock. That meeting of Jesus with Peter and his companions by the lake put an end to their uncertainty. Jesus had commissioned them to carry on the work he had begun.

Matthew ends his gospel with a more specific commissioning that took place on a mountain in Galilee where Jesus had arranged to meet with the disciples. We mentioned this in part in the section under Jesus' Claims but it is very relevant here so we will quote it in full. He no doubt spoke of many things then said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Luke records one final commissioning in the first chapter of the book, The Acts of the Apostles. He says, "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." Luke quotes Jesus as saying, "Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised . . . in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit . . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Luke adds, "After he had said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight . . . Suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee, they said, Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'"

Towards the end of his teaching ministry Jesus prophesied about events that would happen in the future. This is recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. The disciples were admiring the beauty of the temple when Jesus sadly said, "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." So they asked him two questions. "When will this happen? and "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" We know from history that the Romans decided to finally close down their troublesome province of Judea. Many thousands died in the war of 70 AD, the remainder were driven into exile, and the temple was razed to the ground. Some of Jesus reply refers to the events of the destruction of the nation and Jerusalem at that time and some of his comments refer to the distant future of his return and the end of the age.

He predicted that prior to his return there would be international war, earthquakes, famines and the spread of epidemic diseases, then added, "These are the beginning of birth pains." His choice of the term 'birth pains' was doubtless deliberate. These troublous times would not only mark the end of the present world system in which the world had been governed by men; they would also usher in the kingdom of God in which God would rule over those who, in their hearts, had willingly make him their king. But before that time came there would be such an increase in evil that the love of many would grow cold. Also, it was God's intention that people of every race and nation on earth should be given the opportunity to participate in the kingdom of God. Jesus told them, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

It is not possible to predict the time of Jesus' return but when he does return it will be sudden and unexpected. He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man . . . people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, [occupied in the normal activities of living]. They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man . . . So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Jesus then gave a little more detail about his return. He said, "They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other . . . Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away." Luke records another of Jesus' comments on this occasion that gives us a general indication of when this might happen. In referring to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans that would happen in their lifetime he said, "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles [non-Jewish nations] until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." The 'times of the Gentiles' is a reference to the Gentile control of Jerusalem. The 'times of the Gentiles' extended from 70 AD to 1967 when, after nearly 2000 years of Gentile control, the city of Jerusalem passed back into Jewish hands.

The apostle Paul, writing in Romans 11 also speaks of this Gentile era. He says, "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." Paul is careful to say that Gentile believers in Jesus as the Messiah have not permanently displaced the Jews as God's covenant people. He says, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."

On one occasion Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for not being alert to the signs that pointed to his Messianic mission. The signs of international wars, earthquakes, famines, disease epidemics, the gospel being preached to all nations, and the return of the Jewish people to re-occupy Jerusalem are signs that we should not ignore. Paul and Peter give much more detail about Jesus' return, and although that is outside the scope of this book, it is worth noting that one significant sign is that people will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

We cannot help but wonder how much longer this present era can continue with the world population increasing exponentially, raw materials including soil, timber, oil and gas being rapidly depleted, the pollution of air and water being accelerated thus threatening major climate changes? We may soon need the spiritual new heavens and earth of which Jesus spoke. These events should not cause us to be pessimistic; instead they are cause for the greatest optimism. Jesus said, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28.)

There is no better way to end this brief summary of the life of Jesus than with the words of Jesus which he gave to the apostle John in a vision. They are found in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. "Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city . . . I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: CHAPTER 8
See Introduction: Using the Discussion Questions.

1. The physical resurrection of Jesus is being questioned today by liberal theologians. List the evidence we have to support it and discuss its importance.

2. If Jesus were to ask you "Do you love me?", and you replied, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you", what might he commission you to do?

3. Identify the signs that will precede Jesus' return. What can we do to be ready for this unexpected event?

PERSONAL EVALUATION

1. Have these studies contributed to your understanding of the nature and character of God and the teachings of Jesus?

2. Have they challenged you to be a committed disciple of Jesus?

3. Rate their value to you on a 1 to 10 scale.