He Is Risen

Up next, the resurrection taught by Michaela. Here is the link to the gospel doctrine instructor's manual and class member study guide.

Here is the reading:
Matthew 28
Luke 24
John 20-21

Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion

Next Sunday (July 26) we will focus on the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus.

(Link to the gospel doctrine instructor's manual)

There is a lot of reading listed in the manual: Matthew 26.47-75 and all of chapter 27; Mark 14.43-72 and chapter 15; Luke 22.47-71 and chapter 23; John 18 and 19.


We will focus on the three following passages:

The arrest of Jesus in John 18:1-14

The trial of Jesus in Mark 15.1-15

And the crucifixion of Jesus in Matthew 27.28-51

Here are a few questions to consider about Jesus' arrest:
-How does Jesus present himself and why is this significant?
-How can what happens to the Roman soldiers be considered a scriptural pattern for encountering God?
-Compare/contrast this passage with Abraham's interaction with God in Genesis 18.
-How does Jesus respond to Peter's continued lack of understanding about His mission?

A question about Jesus's trial:
-Compare and contrast Jesus's substitution for Barabbas with his substitution for his disciples in John 18.8. What conclusion do you draw from bringing these two passages into parallel?

Finally, some questions about Jesus's crucifixion:
What appears to be the source of Christ's greatest pain on the cross?
Why do you think he goes through with it?
At the moment of Christ's death, the veil of the temple tears, symbolizing the fulfillment of the law and suggestion that access to the divine is now open to everyone through Christ. If this is true, why would we, as Christians, still have temples?

Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done

Next Sunday (July 19) Michaela will teach lesson 25. Here are the links to the instructor's manual and to the class member study guide. This lesson focuses on the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane.

Knowing God, Knowing Joy

Next week (Sunday July 12) we will discuss John 16 and 17.

Here are the links to the teacher's manual and the student guide (lesson 24).

We will focus on two questions:

1) What does it mean to know God? (See John 17)
2) Is joy possible in this life and what is joy? (See John 16.16-33)

Follow up to our in-class discussion:
We didn't have time to discuss the idea of knowing God in class. Here are a few thoughts:
-We can know about God without knowing Him.
-But we cannot know God without knowing about Him.
-To know God is to know about him through study and prayer, and to know him by reaching out to his treasure, our neighbors. It is also to know something of his joy (John 16) and of his suffering (John 17).
-The key feature of Christianity is not a series of commandments or even a lifestyle, it is that eternal life comes through a personal relationship with a divine person.