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Intro to Gospels / The Life of Christ

I. Intro to the New Testament

Testament = Testamentum: The word testament comes from the Latin word….Testamentum = “A binding agreement, or covenant, between two parties.” Hence, New Testament = “Novum Testamentum” (Latin).

Timeline

27 Books (Classification)

Main Theme of NT: The Central theme of the NT is “CHRIST” – His Humanity Divinity, and Ministry. He is presented - Historically in the Gospels and Acts. - Doctrinally in the Epistles. - Prophetically in Revelation.

II. The Gospels A) Definition of Gospel:

1. Greek – Euaggelion [yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on] = Evanggelion

- Old English - Anglo Saxon: God-spell = “good tidings” - Evangelist (word comes from Evanggelion) Someone who preaches the

goodness. - Good news: Mark 1:1, 15

v.1. The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. v.15. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

2. Graeco-Roman

- Graeco-Roman literature for announcements such as the accession of a new Emperor.

- The Roman proconsul Paulus Fabius Maximus, for example, honored Caesar Augustus by reckoning Caesar’s birthday as the beginning of the new year. In doing so, he called Caesar’s birthday ‘good news’ (euangelion) for the whole world.

3. Jewish Literature

- cognate verb “Evangelizomai” - Yahweh return to save people. (Isa 40:9; 52:7; Joel 2:32, Nah 1:15) Isaiah

40:9 = the prophet proclaimed the "good tidings" that God would rescue His people from captivity.

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B) Genre of Literature: What Genre of literature do the Gospels fall into? 1. Plato or Aristotle – Philosophy 2. Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson – Poetry 3. Shakespeare – playwright 4. Newspapers - Journalism 5. Are the Gospels Biographies?**

**Yes and No**

1. No – Ministry for 3 ½ Years.

A. Modern Biographies

- Psychological Developments - Height & Looks - Chronological (life)

2. Yes – Life & Ministry for 3 ½ years.

B. Ancient Biographies Hard Sayings of the Bible - F.F. Bruce: Our tendency in approaching the Gospels is to think of them as modern biography. We want them to give us all of the facts about Jesus and especially to get the chronology of his life right. We in our culture have a tremendous interest in order and detail. Judged by these standards, the Gospels fare poorly indeed.Yet the Gospel writers did not set out to write modern biography. They did not even know about it or realize that people would be interested in such issues in hundreds of years. What they did know about was ancient biography. The point of such works was not to give a chronology of a life but to present selected facts so as to bring out the significance of the person’s life and the moral points that the reader should draw from it. One would see this quickly if one read, for example, Plutarch’s “Parallel Lives”1. Each life is so presented as to bring out a moral for the reader. This ancient literature is closer to what the Gospel writers were doing than what we now call biographies. The way the Gospel writers wrote was quite understandable to the readers of their time. Thus the Evangelists set about to present selected events from the life of Jesus with a purpose.

The Gospels are Portraits: each Gospel writer is interested in painting a portrait of Jesus’ life and ministry according to his theology, which is why there are four Gospels instead of one - Diamond - House - Court of Law - Simon Greenleaf (testimony of the evangelist) - Four gospels better than one.

1 Plutarch (46 – 127AD): Greek Historian and Biographer. Plutarch’s Parallel Lives is a series of biographies of famous Greeks and

Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common moral virtues and failings. The surviving Lives contain twenty-three pairs of

biographies, each pair containing one Greek Life and one Roman Life, as well as four unpaired single lives. Plutarch was not concerned with writing histories as such, but in exploring the influence of character – good or bad – of the lives of famous men.

Some of these lives included: Alexander the Great, Heracles (Hercules), Philip of Macedon, etc.

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The ancient Church assigned the four faces of the cherubim to the Gospels2

The unique emphases/focus of each of the four Gospels: ⧫ Matthew—Messianic Fulfillment > THE PROPHESIED KING

⧫ Mark—The Servanthood of Christ > THE POWERFUL SERVANT ⧫ Luke—The Humanity of Christ > THE SON OF MAN

⧫ John—The Deity of Christ > THE SON OF GOD

2 Irenaeus (bishop of Lyons and Vienne) 180 AD: Shows that these issues were being debated in his day as well as our own. -

Against Heresies: “It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. For, since there are four zones in the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the Church is scattered throughout all the world, and the “pillar and ground” of the Church is the Gospel and the spirit of life; it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out

immortality on every side, and vivifying men afresh.

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C. Arrangment of Material 1. No Chronological Order Material arranged according to the

author’s purpose and theology

It is important to understand that that the Gospels do not all agree with each other concerning the events of Jesus’ life and ministry. The best that we can do is to generally synthesize the events of Jesus’ Life and ministry into the best possible order.

The order of narration in any Gospel is not necessarily chronological, for each Gospel has its own objective and organizes its material for effect rather than for temporal sequence. It’s an interpretation, not a chronicle. For this reason there are some differences of opinion on the preferred order of events in the life of Christ.

God chose four Gospels as a way for us to see the different perspectives of Jesus. Each Author has a slightly different view or perspective on Jesus. Each one brings out a certain characteristic that the others don’t. Often many liberal scholars challenge this view. They say that the Gospels are unreliable b/c they contradict each other by their differences. In reality, if they didn’t have differences, then, we should be skeptical b/c no one sees a person quite the same. If I tell you to describe to me the inside of this classroom, everyone is going to describe it differently. What you describe may differ from another individual’s description, but this does not make it a contradiction – It’s just different perspectives about the same object (it’s the same food but different chefs have prepared it; thus, it is the same Jesus presented by different authors with different perspective with different agendas.

Examples

Sermon on the Mount

MT – Sermon on the Mount = Together - ch 5-7 (e.g., Moses the Law giver) LK – Sermon on the Mount = Scattered (doesn’t see Jesus as Law giver)

Cleansing of the Temple John: places at beginning of Gospel (to show what led to Jesus’ death) Mark: places at end of Gospel (not important for Mark)

Kingdom of God (Gospel of Matthew):

- Kingdom of God = 6X - Heaven = 30X

Mark 11:12-23 (SANDWICH) - Curses Fig Tree (Mon) Cleanse Temple (Tue) withers

(Cleansing of Temple sandwiched between the cursing and the withering underscores the theme of Judgment)

Matthew 21:19 (NO SANDWICH)

- Curses Fig Tree (Mon) (Mon) immediately Withers (Theology: Immediacy of Judgement)

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D) Gospel Transmission (Oral Written) (How the Gospels were communicated in the first century)

1. Oral Tradition - (FORM CRITICISM)

A) 35 – 60 year gap (MK 65 / MT 75-85 / LK 75-85 / JN – 90) B) Oral Tradition

- Oral Torah – (later written down, known as the Mishnah, which is part of the Talmud)

- The way the Gospel was communicated - Disciples - From one community to another - No large tent revivals - Memorization (cultural)

- scribe (writing material scarce) - Homer’s Illiad

- Creeds - Jesus = Beatitudes: “You have heard it said, but I say to you.” (Jesus repeats each line with “you have heard it said”)

- Gospel took Form

**Myth - (Liberal Scholars) – oral tradition developed into Myth - e.g. telephone tag - Disciples are there to combat - The Ancient Culture preferred Oral over Written

a. Origen of Alexandria: “I think we should not write anything which we do not intend to commit to memory.”

b. Papias of Hierapolis (writing at end of first century AD): “If anyone who had served the elders came, I asked about their sayings in detail – what, according to the elders, Andrew or Peter said, or what was said by Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s followers… For I perceived that what was to be obtained from books would not profit me as much as what came from the living and surviving voice.”

c. Plato: “Persons should record their thoughts in written form only to treasure up reminders for themselves when they come to the forgetfulness of age.”

not imprisoned, there’s a good chance that we wouldn’t have the New Testament as we have it today.

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2. Written Form: The Need to write it down (Why the need to write it down if dependant on oral tradition)

A) Getting Older

B) Geographical C) Apologetics: Combat Heresy

D) Persecution: Gospel of Mark To Continue the Legacy of Jesus in face of Persecution: In the face of Persecution, Mark wants a written record b/c many Christians were dying; he wants the traditions of Jesus to continue and not die with those who are dying; thus he leaves us with a written record. E) **Holy Spirit**

The Life and Ministry of Christ

Geography of Christ’s Life and Ministry (Tri-Pod Map/Handout)

a. Simplified = 3 Major Periods of Jesus life

1. Jesus’ Early Years 2. Jesus’ Ministry (3 ½ Years) 3. The Cross (Death & Resurrection)

Harmony of the four Gospels

Tatian’s Diatessaron (Through the four): 170 AD. First Harmony of the Gospels.Tatian was a Syrian Christian Detailed Synthesis of the Life of Christ

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Period in

the life of

Christ

The Early

Years of

Jesus

Jesus'

Preparation

for The

Ministry

The Early

Minisry of

Christ

The

Galilean

Ministry

Special

Training of

the

Twelve

The

Judean

Ministry

The

Perean

Ministry

The Last

Days of

Jesus

Primary

Gospels

Matthew

Luke

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

JohnMatthew

Mark

Matthew

Mark

Luke

JohnLuke

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Years in

Christ's

Life

30 Years 3 1/2 Years

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Period One: The Early Years of Jesus A. The Preview of Christ (John 1:1-18; Matt. 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38)

1. His Eternality - John 1:1ff: Before Jesus was born he already existed - “The Word (Logos)” was the Creator God who took on Flesh.

a. Logos (Greek – origin “Platonism”): The personification of the Word stems from the Logos – Greek Principle. The purpose of the prologue was to introduce the Gospel to the Greeks. That the Logos behind the created world has become Flesh – Jesus is the Logos! John is saying that the Logos is not just a principle, but a real being who has no beginning nor end.

b. Justin Martyr 160 A.D. “All Rational Beings share in the “Universal Reason”, the Logos, which is Christ.” (e.g., two plus two = four. Made possible by the Logos).

2. His Ancestry (Genealogy)

- Mat. 1:1-17 [David to Abraham (Davidic Claim)] Matthew Establishes that Jesus had a legal claim to the throne of David (since the Messiah was to come through the Davidic line). He did this by giving us the Genealogy of from David to Abraham.

a. 2 Sam 7:13 - He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

- LK 3:23-38. Luke’s Genealogy was from Joseph to Adam. (“…Jews was the

son of, so it was thought, of Joseph…” As if to say that he was not really Joseph’s son [he was really Mary’s son as previously demonstrated in Luke], but Luke starts with Joseph because it was standard practice to give the genealogy through males.)

B. The Birth of Christ (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:5 - 2:39)

1. The Annunciation to Mary 2. The Annunciation to Joseph 3. The Location of Nativity

C. Youth of Christ

1. In Egypt - After Jesus’ birth Joseph and Mary move to Bethlehem and lived their for

about a year. - The Magi came from the East to worship Israel’s Messiah. They found him in

Bethlehem and gave valuable gifts to him. The wise men informed Herod of Israel’s King. Herod in fear of losing his kingship tries to eliminate Jesus by killing all the young children of Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt.

2. In Nazareth - Joseph and his family were directed by God to return to Palestine and settle

in the Galilean town of Nazareth. Here Jesus learned the carpentry trade from Joseph. During the next 25 – 30 Years Jesus lived a normal life, growing and developing into adulthood. Joseph probably died during Jesus’ early manhood, placing Jesus in the position of responsibility for the family.

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3. Jesus’ Early Years (Not Much in NT A lot more in the NT Apocrypha): Other than Jesus’ Birth and his visit to the Temple there is not much information written about his early years) a. Only Luke gives an account of his earlier years; the thirty years of his silence

are passed over in silence. b. The focal point is on Jesus’ 3 ½ Years of Ministry c. Early Christian Literature Served to fill in the Blanks of his early years: NT

Apocryphal Writings/Pseudepigrapha [e.g., Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Clay Pigeons / Raises dead = worker/friend falls off roof].

Period Two: Jesus’ Preparation For the Ministry A. The Forerunner of Christ (Matt. 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-34)

1. John’s Birth - In fulfillment of the OT prophets Isaiah and Malachi, John the Baptist was

born. The angel Gabriel appeared to the aged priest Zacharias and informed him that he and his elderly wife Elizabeth were going to have a son.

- The agedness of these two, alerted the godly in Israel that God was at work in the midst of His people. (e.g., Abraham & Sarah)

2. John’s Purpose

- John’s ministry was a separatist movement. It was outside the established religion of Judaism, which did not have the official approval of the religious leaders.

- John’s message was to prepare the nation of Israel for the coming prophesied Messiah.

- The nation was to repent (change its attitude and turn away from) its sins and identify itself with the Messiah, who was to establish His kingdom.

3. John’s Baptism

- John’s ministry included water baptism as an external sign of inward repentance (He did not originate water baptism as it was used by others at this time, the Essenes for example).

- His Baptism did not remove sins, it was a sign of repentance (removal of sin was based on blood not water)

Matt 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

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B. The Baptism of Christ (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23) 1. A Fulfillment

- Although John tried to keep Jesus from being baptized, Jesus needed to baptized in order to fulfill the requirements of the “Law”. His intention was to identify himself with what John stood for, a ‘vote’ for the purified and reformed Israel which John demanded.

- Inaugurated His Ministry 2. An Anointing

- Induction as King: Jesus’ baptism was also the occasion for his induction into the office of king. The Holy Spirit came visibly on Jesus at His baptism, anointing him (symbolizing the Holy Spirit). So Jesus was anointed by the Spirit Himself as Hew as inaugurated as Israel’s king, fulfilling the Davidic Covenant. (In OT those commissioned with a special task were anointed with Oil, e.g., David as King)

- The Dove: Fulfilled Isaiah 42:1 and the voice from Heaven was a kind of coronation formula for the king (Ps. 2:7-8).

- Empowered by the Spirit for works of service. Up to this point he is living as a prophet under the Abrahamic covenant, but has not performed any miracles. When the Spirit descends upon him he is empowered from on high.

- Jesus promises to send the Spirit when he ascends, so that they, too, can do “the greater works than these”

C. The Temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)

1. The Temptation Experience - After Jesus baptism he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil

for 40 days. - Passed the test that the 1st Adam failed (Jesus had to pass the test that Adam

failed if he was to redeem man back to himself). - Full of the Spirit / Returned in the power of the Spirit.

Luke 4:1-14 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not

put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

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Period Three: The Early Ministry of Christ A. The First Disciples (John 1:29-51)

- Jesus first concern was to begin surrounding himself with men who he could train to be leaders within his kingdom (His first group was taken from John the Baptist’s group (5), only later would he select (12) to be with him all the time.

- The term disciple implies “follower” / “learner” = Disciple: mathetes (from manthano, "to learn," from a root math--, indicating thought accompanied by endeavor)

B. The Galilean Ministry (John 2:1-12; 4:43-54)

- Christ’s early ministry lasted for about one year, and Jesus moved about to all places in Palestine where potential believers might be found. He began working miracles designed to awaken the people to the fact that the Messiah had truly come.

- He worked his first miracle in Cana of Galilee, where he changed water into wine is significant for establishing Jesus’ divine authority both as a miracle worker and Messiah.

- Jesus’ first sign, turning water into wine tacitly implied that the old system which the Jews had become accustomed to is now being replaced by a better system – Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

- This theme of replacement will then repeat itself in similar fashion in the Cleansing of the Temple passage (John 2:13-22). (As Brown points out, it is a “sign of who Jesus really is,” as well as what he represents to the Jewish people of his day -- that, all “previous religious institutions, customs and feasts lose meaning in his presence.”

- It is interesting that whereas wine is seemingly significant at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it also finds expression at the end of his ministry on the cross: “29. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:29:30). Jesus’ ministry begins with changing water into wine and then is brought to fruition by drinking it. It is thus John’s way of saying that the old system is being replaced by the new system, the Kingdom of God – the time of true Messianic fulfillment has come!

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C. The Judean Ministry (John 2:13 - 3:36) - Cleansed the Temple: After Galilee he went into Judea. Upon arriving at the

Temple, he was disgusted with the flagrant merchandising going on. He “cleansed” the Temple, and in so doing alerted the religious authorities of his presence.

1. Prophets railed against the profanation of God’s house: John is interested in showing his audience early on that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, and as such, he is divinely empowered from on High to purge the Temple of its impurities. Brown points out that his protest is like that of the Old Testament prophets who railed against the “profanation of God’s house,” which functioned as a sign that the “messianic purification of the Temple was at hand.”

2. Destroy this Temple and In Three days I will raise it: When Jesus cleanses the temple and declares to them to “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it,” he is implying that the time is fulfilled, that as the true Prophet predicted in scripture has come, and that it was time for them to step down from their positions of power and make room for the new system which would be inaugurated by his death and resurrection. Jesus is thus the true replacement of the Temple – his claim to destroy it is resonant with historical Messianic motifs.

- Born again (John 3:3ff): The only way to become apart of this new messianic

kingdom is to be born again. (unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God). Jesus kingdom is spiritual, in the heart, and the only way to become apart of it is to be born of the spirit.

D. The Samarian Ministry (John 4:1 - 42)

- The first year of Jesus’ ministry was concluded by the account of His encounter with the Samaritan women. Jesus confronted the woman with her sin and her need of a savior. She and many others from her town believed in him. Jesus made a very clear declaration to this woman that he was the Messiah that many were waiting for.

- John 4:22-24 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews (Messiah). 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (Only those Born-Again can experience this)

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Period Four: The Galilean Ministry A. The Tribute of Jesus (Matt. 11:2-19; Mark 6:17-30; Luke 3:19-20)

- When John was arrested and Jailed by Herod Antipas, Jesus went to Galilee and made Capernaum his base of operation for the next year. John remained in prison for more than a year before he was executed. He became confused over his imprisonment and the fact that the kingdom had not come yet.

- Jesus assured John that he was the Messiah: Matt 11:2-6 2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" 4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 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. 6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

B. The Disciples of Jesus (Matt. 4:18-22; 10:1-42; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:1-11; 6:12-16;

8:1) - After spending a night in prayer twelve men were selected to be with Jesus all

the time (up to this point only four were with him e.g., Andrew, Philip, Peter, and Nathaniel, the fourth is a mystery, perhaps John himself since he remains anonymous).

- It was during the last half of Christ’s ministry that these men were with Him all the time.

- Reflection: It will take time for your ministry to Grow. God will not normally drop everything into your lap as you move forward; a little here and a little there.

C. The Teaching of Jesus (Matt. 5:1-7:29; 13:1-52; Luke 4:16-32; John 5:1-47)

- Sermon on the Mount - Parables of the Kingdom - Discourses on Christ’s equality with the Father.

(These will be addressed when we get to the Gospels)

D. The Miracles of Jesus (Matt. 8:23-9:34; Mark 1:21-2:12; 3:1-6; Luke 7:1-17; John 4:46-5:9)

- During this period there was probably the greatest demonstration of Christ’s miracles.

- His miracles backed up and confirmed his Messianic claims. - Authenticated his Person and Message - Although many had come claiming to be Israel’s Messiah, only Jesus backed

up his messianic claim with a demonstration of the power of God. - His miracles showed his authority over nature, demons, death, and sickness

& disease. E. The Opposition to Jesus (Matt. 11:20-30; 12:1-14, 22-45; Mark 6:1-6; John 5:10-47)

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1. Its Origin (2 major issues) - Broke their Traditions (e.g., Sabbath): the religious leaders viewed Jesus as

one who broke God’s law because he “Worked on the Sabbath when He healed People.” But Jesus was only breaking their “traditions” not God’s law.

- Messiahship threatened their political system: Jesus’ tacit claims of being the Messiah provoked the Jews, who in turn viewed him as a threat to their political system. (e.g., especially the cleansing of the Temple incident).

a. Miracles attributed to Satan: Also, the fact that the religious leaders

refused to admit that Christ’s miracles were done in God’s power. Instead they claimed that Jesus’ miracles were performed in the power of Satan (Mt. 12:22-37), when in fact, they knew that the power by which he performed these miracles were from God. These men rejected the clear evidence given by the Spirit of God that Jesus of Nazareth was their Messiah – this was grounds for “Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.”

(There were other issues, but these two were primary).

Period Five: The Training of the Twelve Apostles

A. Jesus’ Withdrawal with the Twelve (Matt. 14:13; Mark 6:31-52; LK 5:16; Luke 9:28-30; John 6:1-3)

- Rest: There are moments when you need to break from the crowds to get rest. Although Jesus was fully God he was also fully man. He needed to rest and break from the business of ministry.

Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

B. Lessons on Discipleship (Matt. 16:21-26; Mark 9:30-32; John 6:4-71)

Three Aspects - 1. Jesus’ must suffer (Death) and be raised. - 2. Opposition to his message - 3. Discipleship (paying the price)

Period Six: The Judean Ministry

A. The Opposition of Jesus (Luke 11:14-36; 13:10-21; John 7:2-52; 8:12-59; 9:13-34; 10:19-21)

- “His Hour Had Not Yet Come”: Six months before Jesus’ crucifixion he went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles (sept/oct). Opposition was steadily increasing. The Jewish leaders would have killed him, but as John said “His hour had not yet come.”

- Mixed Views from the people: 1. Good man 2. False Teacher (deceives the people) 3. Messiah / Son of God / Prophet

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B. The Teaching of Jesus (Luke 10:1-11:13; John 8:2-10:31) - Teaching: Lord’s Prayer - Teaching:The Good Shepherd - Parable of the Good Samaritan - Parable: Light of the World

Period Seven: The Perean Ministry A. Notable Events (John 10:40-42; 11:45-54)

- Jesus withdrew to Perea to get away from the Sanhedrin:Three to four months before his Crucifixion Jesus withdrew across the Jordan River into the region of Perea. He wanted to get out of the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin because this group was determined to put Jesus to death.

B. Notable Miracles (Luke 17:11-21; 18:35-43; John 11:17-44)

- Miracles continued to be performed just a few months shy of his crucifixion. - Healing of Blind Bartimaeus - Healing of the Ten Lepers - Raising of Lazarus Jesus’ death: (which may have been the straw that

broke the camels back that led to Jesus’ crucifixion). C. Notable Teachings (Luke 13:22-19:28)

- Large numbers of Parables and various teachings were given by Jesus during this period (pouring out his ministry). 1. The Lost Sheep 2. The Prodigal Son 3. Unjust Steward 4. Unrighteous Judge 5. Discipleship 6. The Kingdom 7. Upcoming Death & Resurrection

Period Eight: The Last Days of Jesus Christ

A. Death and Resurrection 1. About 25% of the gospel records deal with the final, eight days of Christ’s death

- opposition during passover weak - Upper room discourse - Olivet Discourse (destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world). - Garden of Gethsemane - Prayer

- Arrested / Tried / Crucified