WHO IS JESUS?Introduction to Unit 2:

CHRISTOLOGY

One Man

He never wrote a book,

He never owned a home,

He never went to college,

He never travelled 200 miles

From the place he was born.

While still a young man,

The tide of popular opinion turn against him.

His friends ran away.

He was nailed to the cross.

When he was dead he was taken down,

And laid in a borrowed grave.

Twenty wide centuries have come and goneand he is still the centrepiece of the human race.

So what’s your “J.Q.”? Divide into two teams Elect a recorder Elect a speaker You need:

A sheet of lined paper A writing tool

QUESTION 1

What was Jesus’

FULL NAME?

Possible responses: Jesus didn’t have a last name Jesus of Nazareth Jesus Son of Joseph (Yeshua bar Joseph) Jesus the Carpenter Jesus of the House of David

QUESTION 2

Who were Jesus’ parents?

Possible responses: Mary is his mother Joseph is his adoptive father

QUESTION 3

Who are some of Jesus’ relatives that are mentioned in the

Bible?

Possible responses: Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin) John the Baptist (Jesus’ cousin) David (part of Joseph’s ancestral family) Anne and Joachim (Mary’s parents)

QUESTION 4

When was

Jesus born?

Possible responses: Not on December 25th…

A date later adopted by the early Church Pagan feast of the Sun; allowed Christians to secretly

celebrate Christmas without being caught

Given the fact that the North Star was visible, shepherds were tending sheep and the time of the census, it is more than likely that Jesus was born sometime during the Spring

QUESTION 5

What was Jesus’ nationality? Religious

affiliation?

Possible responses: Hebrew, Israelite Jewish

QUESTION 6

What did he

look like?

Possible responses: Dark skin – he is lived in the Middle East Dark eyes Full beard – as was socially and religiously

expected Thin – he was poor

Not like this…

… more like this…

QUESTION 7

How old was Jesus

at the time of his death?

Possible responses: The generally accepted age is 33 The Gospel of Luke (3:23) describes how

Jesus began his ministry at “about 30 years of age”; he died approximately 3 years into his ministry

QUESTION 8

What made

Jesus angry?

Possible responses: The hypocrisy of the Pharisees

There are many examples of Jesus chastising religious leaders for their misinterpretation of The Law for their own benefit and for their lack of compassion.

Defiling of the Temple i.e. money lenders

QUESTION 9

What made

Jesus cry?

Possible responses: The death of his friend, Lazarus

He later performed a miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead.

Feeling abandoned just before his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane

QUESTION 10

What makes Jesus different from all other

religious leaders?

Possible responses: Jesus is the only religious leader who is BOTH

human and divine He rose from the dead (resurrection) He ascended into Heaven Seen to be walking among the living after his resurrection

– witnessed by hundreds Jesus existed prior to his life on Earth – he is God!

Mohammed, Buddha and Confucius all died Never seen after their deaths

What have you ever wondered about Jesus?

What are your questions about Jesus? Childhood Details of his adult life

Where in the World?

•Modern-day Israel

•Roman province of Palestine, 1st century A.D.

Jesus and the Gospels Even though each of the Gospels reveal the truth

about was Jesus said (teaching) and did (miracles, etc.), they cannot be relied upon as accurate historical accounts. Remember the importance of literal vs. contextual

reading… The writers of the Gospels were not actually eye-

witnesses to Jesus’ life and did not know him personally The writers were disciples of the Disciples of Jesus; each

wrote for a specific community of believers

A Bit More on the Gospels… The Gospels of

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they report similar events in a similar fashion; the patterns in the Gospels are similar

Five Historical Facts About Jesus That Will NEVER Change: 1. Jesus was a real person who actually lived in

history. No one disputes this fact.2. We have reliable eye-witness testimony to

Jesus’ life in the New Testament documents.3. There can be no doubt that Jesus claimed to be

God.4. Jesus proclaimed that he was the only way to

God.5. Jesus proved WHAT and WHO he was by rising

from the dead.