SJUCC Study Group Notes
Hello, My name is Jo and I attend St. John's United Church of Christ church in Chesterfield, Missouri. Please understand, these are my notes from what I heard/learned during our educational discussions. There is a chance that I might have misunderstood something or typed something incorrectly. Please forgive my mistakes. Any observations, comments are more than welcomed as well as the comments are well-meaning. Thank you!
Adult Education Schedule
21 February 2010: John 1:1-18
28 February 2010: First Light - Session 1: The Matrix of Jesus
7 March 2010: First Light - Session 2: The Advent of the Messiah;
Evening Session (Sessions 1& 2)
14 March 2010: First Light - Session 3: God's Great Cleanup
21 March 2010: First Light - Session 4: Collaborative Eschaton;
Evening Session (Sessions 3 & 4)
28 March 2010: First Light - Session 5: The Lake as the World
4 April 2010: Easter Sunday: No Class
11 April 2010: First Light - Session 6: Parables as Lures;
Evening Session (Sessions 5 & 6)
18 April 2010: First Light - Session 7: Jesus as Lord
25 April 2010: First Light - Session 8: Substitutionary Atonement?
Evening Session (Sessions 7 & 8)
2 May 2010: First Light - Session 9: Demonstrations in Jerusalem
9 Mary 2010: First Light - Session 10: The Crowd & the Crucifixion;
Evening Session ( Sessions 9 & 10)
Counter
The Advent of the Messiah - Session 2
Session 2 of the First Light DVD - The Advent of the Messiah
Comparison of Jesus' Messianic identity vs the existing Jewish Messianic expectations:
Jesus
* Peaceful
* Known as the Prince of Peace
* Savior and Lord were Roman terms of that time and that was how the Angels described Jesus.
Jewish expecations of the coming Messiah:
* They thought they would getting a warrior king.
* The Messiah would be someone that would fight for them.
The Nazareth that shaped Jesus:
* Jesus grew up in a town of 200 to 400 people.
* Jesus lived in a all Jewish village.
* People were shaped by their Jewish religion and history told through stories, practices and celebrations.
* Nazareth was located 4 miles from Sepphoris which was a town of 4000 people.
* Sepphoris was the capital city of that time and the center of the Jewish revolt again Rome.
Social Class of Nazareth:
* Peasant Village
* Agricultural Jobs and manual labor.
* Nazareth was non-literate. Maybe a 5% literacy rate or less.
* People lived in extended multi-generational families usually in a 2 room house.
* People of Nazareth knew each other well.
Market and Dwelling of Nazareth:
* 2 rooms houses surrounding a common courtyard shared by family and neighbors.
* Market day was 1 or 2 days a week.
* There was a central well or spring in the village where the women would gather in the morning for the day's water supply.
* People did not travel more than 15 to 20 miles from their home. People might have visited Sepphoris but not often.
The economic system and the 'commercialization of agriculture' influencing life in the 1st century Nazareth:
*Absentee ruling elites exploited the villagers.
* Elites lived in the city of Sepphoris.
* Elites told the people what to grow on the land. The crops would be sold in market leaving very little food for the villagers.
* Villagers underfed and overworked. Very poor.
Coinage was introduced during Jesus' time. People of the working class were being paid with money instead of producing or bartering for food. The introduction of coinage was bad for the peasant class because they didn't get a lot of money and were unable to buy food and other necessities.
Peasant class life expectancy:
* Lived to approximately 30 years of age.
* Underfed and bad water supply.
* Jesus was considered old.
* Most of Jesus' followers were in their 20's. It was a young people's movement.
Elite life expectancy:
* 60 to 70 years of age.
* Had good food/water supply.
* Had good shelter.
Comparison of Jesus' Messianic identity vs the existing Jewish Messianic expectations:
Jesus
* Peaceful
* Known as the Prince of Peace
* Savior and Lord were Roman terms of that time and that was how the Angels described Jesus.
Jewish expecations of the coming Messiah:
* They thought they would getting a warrior king.
* The Messiah would be someone that would fight for them.
The Nazareth that shaped Jesus:
* Jesus grew up in a town of 200 to 400 people.
* Jesus lived in a all Jewish village.
* People were shaped by their Jewish religion and history told through stories, practices and celebrations.
* Nazareth was located 4 miles from Sepphoris which was a town of 4000 people.
* Sepphoris was the capital city of that time and the center of the Jewish revolt again Rome.
Social Class of Nazareth:
* Peasant Village
* Agricultural Jobs and manual labor.
* Nazareth was non-literate. Maybe a 5% literacy rate or less.
* People lived in extended multi-generational families usually in a 2 room house.
* People of Nazareth knew each other well.
Market and Dwelling of Nazareth:
* 2 rooms houses surrounding a common courtyard shared by family and neighbors.
* Market day was 1 or 2 days a week.
* There was a central well or spring in the village where the women would gather in the morning for the day's water supply.
* People did not travel more than 15 to 20 miles from their home. People might have visited Sepphoris but not often.
The economic system and the 'commercialization of agriculture' influencing life in the 1st century Nazareth:
*Absentee ruling elites exploited the villagers.
* Elites lived in the city of Sepphoris.
* Elites told the people what to grow on the land. The crops would be sold in market leaving very little food for the villagers.
* Villagers underfed and overworked. Very poor.
Coinage was introduced during Jesus' time. People of the working class were being paid with money instead of producing or bartering for food. The introduction of coinage was bad for the peasant class because they didn't get a lot of money and were unable to buy food and other necessities.
Peasant class life expectancy:
* Lived to approximately 30 years of age.
* Underfed and bad water supply.
* Jesus was considered old.
* Most of Jesus' followers were in their 20's. It was a young people's movement.
Elite life expectancy:
* 60 to 70 years of age.
* Had good food/water supply.
* Had good shelter.
The Matrix of Jesus - Session 1
The First Light DVD session 1 - The Matrix of Jesus basically discussed the geographical and historical background of Jesus and where he grew up.
Characteristics of the Jewish Homeland:
* Small - The size of Vermont
* Most of the Bible was written based on events that took place in this small place.
* Mostly desert land but there was some farmland by the rivers.
* 3 Cities made up the Jewish homeland:
- Galilee
- Samaria
- Judea
The foreign empires that occupied the Jewish homeland prior to Jesus' birth:
* Babylon
* Persia
* Helenistic Empire (The Greeks)
* Macabees (Jews)
* Roman Empire - which also ruled during Jesus' time.
Pre-industrial agrarian domination system means
* No industry at the time. All tasks done by manual labor or animal labor.
* Most of the work performed by people was raising crops, taking care of farmland or working as a day laboror on farmland.
* People believed and lived in social hierarchies.
Four central features of the 'pre-industrial agrarian domination system:
* Primary source of wealth was agricultural production
* People ruled by monarchies and elites of power and wealth
* Societies were economically exploitive. Money went to the elite and rulers.
* People thought that social order was directed by God.
* The people lived in a violent society. The elites wanted more land so they would go to war to fight the peasants over their farmland. Oppression was everywhere.
The significance of the book of Daniel's beasts for Jesus' matrix:
* Beasts = Roman Empire, specifically Nero Cesear.
* The beast kept growing and getting worse in Daniel and the Roman Empire was a very dominant influence over the Jews.
* Daniels sets the stage for the coming of Jesus and dealing with the beasts.
Characteristics of the 'nature of the Gospels' emphasized in First Light:
* All of the Gospels written in the last 3rd of the 1st century.
* Mark written around the 70's.
* Matthew and Luke written in the 80's.
* John written in the 90's.
* Gospels are a combination of memory, testimony and witness to Jesus and his disciples.
* Gospels are a combination of metaphors as well.
The significance of the 'metaphorical narratives' used in the Gospels:
* Metaphors/parables were used by Jesus and the writers of the Gospels.
* Jesus open our eyes to see things in a new way through His parables.
The Gospels gives us a glimpse of what Jesus was like as a person and what the early followers thought of Jesus and His teachings.
Characteristics of the Jewish Homeland:
* Small - The size of Vermont
* Most of the Bible was written based on events that took place in this small place.
* Mostly desert land but there was some farmland by the rivers.
* 3 Cities made up the Jewish homeland:
- Galilee
- Samaria
- Judea
The foreign empires that occupied the Jewish homeland prior to Jesus' birth:
* Babylon
* Persia
* Helenistic Empire (The Greeks)
* Macabees (Jews)
* Roman Empire - which also ruled during Jesus' time.
Pre-industrial agrarian domination system means
* No industry at the time. All tasks done by manual labor or animal labor.
* Most of the work performed by people was raising crops, taking care of farmland or working as a day laboror on farmland.
* People believed and lived in social hierarchies.
Four central features of the 'pre-industrial agrarian domination system:
* Primary source of wealth was agricultural production
* People ruled by monarchies and elites of power and wealth
* Societies were economically exploitive. Money went to the elite and rulers.
* People thought that social order was directed by God.
* The people lived in a violent society. The elites wanted more land so they would go to war to fight the peasants over their farmland. Oppression was everywhere.
The significance of the book of Daniel's beasts for Jesus' matrix:
* Beasts = Roman Empire, specifically Nero Cesear.
* The beast kept growing and getting worse in Daniel and the Roman Empire was a very dominant influence over the Jews.
* Daniels sets the stage for the coming of Jesus and dealing with the beasts.
Characteristics of the 'nature of the Gospels' emphasized in First Light:
* All of the Gospels written in the last 3rd of the 1st century.
* Mark written around the 70's.
* Matthew and Luke written in the 80's.
* John written in the 90's.
* Gospels are a combination of memory, testimony and witness to Jesus and his disciples.
* Gospels are a combination of metaphors as well.
The significance of the 'metaphorical narratives' used in the Gospels:
* Metaphors/parables were used by Jesus and the writers of the Gospels.
* Jesus open our eyes to see things in a new way through His parables.
The Gospels gives us a glimpse of what Jesus was like as a person and what the early followers thought of Jesus and His teachings.
John 1: 1-18 God Became a Human
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world.
But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan - this rebirth comes from God.
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
John pointed him out to the people. He shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Somone is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.' "
We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us - one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him.
I apologize that I was not available last Sunday for the discussion. But the following are a few of my thoughts.
Other names of Jesus in this reading:
* Word
* Light
* Son of God
Other thoughts about this reading:
* The darkness can never extinguish the light. The Light being Jesus. That sentence gives me a little bit more reassurance regarding what is happening in the world today.
* Jesus gave all people the ability to become children of God ~ Jews and Gentiles. I always found God's love for all people amazing. God loves and accepts all people to be apart of His family as long as that person chooses to be reborn. It is the person's choice to be a child of God.
* Vs16: We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us - one gracious blessing after another.
- God's blessings are all around us. How wonderful. Even when things are not going my way I can still see how blessed I am. Thank you, Lord.
I received the following statement from another study regarding this passage and thought it was worth restating.
How Jesus stays alive among us?
* By word of mouth - Talking about Jesus with others.
* Reading the Bible - The Old and New Testaments both talk about Jesus and His teachings.
* Praying - Make sure it is a 2 way conversation.
* Teaching - Attending Bible studies, Adult Educations classes, learning more about Jesus and His way of life brings Jesus closer to us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Next class is 28 February. Session 1 of the First Light series. The Matrix of Jesus.
God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was going to come into the world.
But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan - this rebirth comes from God.
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
John pointed him out to the people. He shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Somone is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.' "
We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us - one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him.
I apologize that I was not available last Sunday for the discussion. But the following are a few of my thoughts.
Other names of Jesus in this reading:
* Word
* Light
* Son of God
Other thoughts about this reading:
* The darkness can never extinguish the light. The Light being Jesus. That sentence gives me a little bit more reassurance regarding what is happening in the world today.
* Jesus gave all people the ability to become children of God ~ Jews and Gentiles. I always found God's love for all people amazing. God loves and accepts all people to be apart of His family as long as that person chooses to be reborn. It is the person's choice to be a child of God.
* Vs16: We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us - one gracious blessing after another.
- God's blessings are all around us. How wonderful. Even when things are not going my way I can still see how blessed I am. Thank you, Lord.
I received the following statement from another study regarding this passage and thought it was worth restating.
How Jesus stays alive among us?
* By word of mouth - Talking about Jesus with others.
* Reading the Bible - The Old and New Testaments both talk about Jesus and His teachings.
* Praying - Make sure it is a 2 way conversation.
* Teaching - Attending Bible studies, Adult Educations classes, learning more about Jesus and His way of life brings Jesus closer to us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Next class is 28 February. Session 1 of the First Light series. The Matrix of Jesus.
Mark 14:1-11 A Woman Anoints Jesus with Perfume
Mark 14:1-11 It was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death. "But not during the Passover, " they agreed, "or there will be a riot."
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. The leading priests were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised him a reward. So he began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus.
Thoughts about the Reading:
* The woman did something good to Jesus and yet she could have used the money to help the poor.
* We are indecisive about the woman's actions of anointing Jesus or given the money from selling the perfume to the poor.
* We should always give our best to the Lord.
* The woman was prepping Jesus for death. Anointing a dead person with perfume was common practice during Jesus' time.
The book of Mark:
* Goes from one action to another.
* Quick and concise.
* First gospel written.
* Mark was not an original disciple of Jesus.
John 11:55-57
* Jesus was in Bethany when this story took place.
* The Jews were getting ready for Passover.
* Why wasn't Jesus and the disciples in Jerusalem at this time?
* The priest in Jerusalem wanted to arrest Jesus.
* Disciples didn't want Jesus to go to Jerusalem because they feared for Jesus' life.
Luke 7:36-50 The discussion between Simon and Jesus
* Simon
- A pharisee
- Invited Jesus to eat with him. Being invited for dinner with another person was an honor.
- Criticized Jesus about not being a prophet because Mary anointed his feet.
- Simon did not offer to wash the dust from Jesus's feet which is something that one did when a guest arrived into one's house.
- Simon didn't give Jesus a greeting kiss which was typical during that time.
- Jesus said to Simon - a person who forgives little, loves little.
About this story:
* This woman anointing Jesus's feet are in each of the gospels but it written slightly different each time. Why?
* Each author is different with a different background therefore they write differently.
* The authors adapted the story for the audience they were telling it too. By adapting the story to the audience helped the audience get the main point of the story.
Jesus' death:
* Jesus' death was important to the priests and religious leaders because they were scared that Jesus would cause trouble for the Jews. If the Jews caused trouble then the Romans would come and destroy the Jews.
The Perfume:
* Worth a year's wages.
* How did this woman have this expensive perfume?
* She must of had money if she didn't mind anointing Jesus with it.
The Woman/Anointer:
* Sister of Lazaroff who Jesus raised from the dead.
* Her name was Mary. This sister to Martha and Lazaroff. Jesus's visited them in the past.
* Mary knew Jesus was the Son of God.
* She sat at Jesus' feet when Jesus taught in her home.
* The perfume could have been part of her dowry.
* The perfume could have been all that was important to her so she gave it to Jesus by anointing Him with it.
Next class will beFebruary 21, 2010. John 1:1-18 Prologue to Jesus' story
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. The leading priests were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised him a reward. So he began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus.
Thoughts about the Reading:
* The woman did something good to Jesus and yet she could have used the money to help the poor.
* We are indecisive about the woman's actions of anointing Jesus or given the money from selling the perfume to the poor.
* We should always give our best to the Lord.
* The woman was prepping Jesus for death. Anointing a dead person with perfume was common practice during Jesus' time.
The book of Mark:
* Goes from one action to another.
* Quick and concise.
* First gospel written.
* Mark was not an original disciple of Jesus.
John 11:55-57
* Jesus was in Bethany when this story took place.
* The Jews were getting ready for Passover.
* Why wasn't Jesus and the disciples in Jerusalem at this time?
* The priest in Jerusalem wanted to arrest Jesus.
* Disciples didn't want Jesus to go to Jerusalem because they feared for Jesus' life.
Luke 7:36-50 The discussion between Simon and Jesus
* Simon
- A pharisee
- Invited Jesus to eat with him. Being invited for dinner with another person was an honor.
- Criticized Jesus about not being a prophet because Mary anointed his feet.
- Simon did not offer to wash the dust from Jesus's feet which is something that one did when a guest arrived into one's house.
- Simon didn't give Jesus a greeting kiss which was typical during that time.
- Jesus said to Simon - a person who forgives little, loves little.
About this story:
* This woman anointing Jesus's feet are in each of the gospels but it written slightly different each time. Why?
* Each author is different with a different background therefore they write differently.
* The authors adapted the story for the audience they were telling it too. By adapting the story to the audience helped the audience get the main point of the story.
Jesus' death:
* Jesus' death was important to the priests and religious leaders because they were scared that Jesus would cause trouble for the Jews. If the Jews caused trouble then the Romans would come and destroy the Jews.
The Perfume:
* Worth a year's wages.
* How did this woman have this expensive perfume?
* She must of had money if she didn't mind anointing Jesus with it.
The Woman/Anointer:
* Sister of Lazaroff who Jesus raised from the dead.
* Her name was Mary. This sister to Martha and Lazaroff. Jesus's visited them in the past.
* Mary knew Jesus was the Son of God.
* She sat at Jesus' feet when Jesus taught in her home.
* The perfume could have been part of her dowry.
* The perfume could have been all that was important to her so she gave it to Jesus by anointing Him with it.
Next class will beFebruary 21, 2010. John 1:1-18 Prologue to Jesus' story
Luke 19:1-10 Jesus Brings Salvation to Zacchaeus's Home
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."
Thoughts about the reading
Zacchaeus
* Short
* Influential Jew in the Roman tax-collecting business.
* Very rich.
* Excited to see Jesus.
* Told Jesus he would repay the people for his sins.
* Not liked among the Jews and Romans.
* Stoled from his own kind.
* Jews might have thought of Zacchaeus as a traitor because Zacchaeus worked for the Romans and the Romans were the enemy.
Crowd
* Displeased that Jesus is spending time in the home of Zacchaeus.
* Known in his town as a 'notorious sinner'.
Zacchaeus Repenting...
* Zacchaeus goes out of his way to see and hear Jesus.
* Not your typical repenting story.
* Jesus seems to know Zacchaeus's heart.
* After Zacchaeus repented Jesus mentions that He comes and seeks those who are lost.
Other Thoughts
Reading Luke 19:1-10 without previous knowledge of the New Testament could make it seem as though Zacchaeus bought his way into heaven.
Jesus
* Approaches those who are in the greatest need.
* Other text shows Jesus approaching the rich, the poor, the lame and any other person desiring to be saved.
* Zacchaeus was the most famous 'lost' individual in the village so Jesus proved that if Zacchaeus can repent then anybody can.
Final thoughts
* Every society has 'notorious' sinners. We, as believers in Christ and His salvation, need to share the gospel with 'all' people so that they have a chance to be saved.
* Jesus wants us to change our actions for the good and that is what Zacchaeus did.
* After Jesus forgave Zacchaues how do you think the towns people treated Zacchaues?
- If Zacchaues truly repented, the towns people probably truly forgave him from stealing from them.
Next class will be February 14th - Mark 14:1-11
When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."
Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."
Thoughts about the reading
Zacchaeus
* Short
* Influential Jew in the Roman tax-collecting business.
* Very rich.
* Excited to see Jesus.
* Told Jesus he would repay the people for his sins.
* Not liked among the Jews and Romans.
* Stoled from his own kind.
* Jews might have thought of Zacchaeus as a traitor because Zacchaeus worked for the Romans and the Romans were the enemy.
Crowd
* Displeased that Jesus is spending time in the home of Zacchaeus.
* Known in his town as a 'notorious sinner'.
Zacchaeus Repenting...
* Zacchaeus goes out of his way to see and hear Jesus.
* Not your typical repenting story.
* Jesus seems to know Zacchaeus's heart.
* After Zacchaeus repented Jesus mentions that He comes and seeks those who are lost.
Other Thoughts
Reading Luke 19:1-10 without previous knowledge of the New Testament could make it seem as though Zacchaeus bought his way into heaven.
Jesus
* Approaches those who are in the greatest need.
* Other text shows Jesus approaching the rich, the poor, the lame and any other person desiring to be saved.
* Zacchaeus was the most famous 'lost' individual in the village so Jesus proved that if Zacchaeus can repent then anybody can.
Final thoughts
* Every society has 'notorious' sinners. We, as believers in Christ and His salvation, need to share the gospel with 'all' people so that they have a chance to be saved.
* Jesus wants us to change our actions for the good and that is what Zacchaeus did.
* After Jesus forgave Zacchaues how do you think the towns people treated Zacchaues?
- If Zacchaues truly repented, the towns people probably truly forgave him from stealing from them.
Next class will be February 14th - Mark 14:1-11
24 January 2010 John 13:1-17 Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He now showed the disciples the full extent of his love. It was time for supper, and the Devil had already enticed Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to carry out his plan to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he had around him.
When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Lord, why are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You don't understand now why I am doing it, someday you will."
"No," Peter exclaimed, "you will never wash my feet!"
Jesus replied, "But if I don't wash you, you won't belong to me."
Simon Peter exclaimed, "Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!"
Jesus replied, "A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you are clean, but that isn't true of everyone here."
For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, "Not all of you are clean."
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, becasue it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. You know these things - now do them! That is the path of blessing."
Discussion
General Reactions:
* Jesus humbled Himself to wash His disciples feet and even the one who betrayed him.
* No one is better than anybody else.
* This story shows a contrast to the concept of 'King'.
* Contrast of cleanliness:
- Darkness of a person's spirit that cannot be clean.
- People can be physically clean but not internally clean.
* The custom during Jesus' time was the lowest rank person washes others' feet.
* People must be willing to serve even in the humblest of ways to glorify God.
* Jesus even washed His enemy's feet - Judas Iscariot.
* To see someone wash others' feet - it is a powerful role.
* This story identifies a different kind of leader and king than that of a warrior king.
Peter
* First Peter said to Jesus not to wash his feet then after Jesus said that He must wash is feet in order to belong to Him, Peter told Jesus to wash all of him. Peter goes from one extreme to the other extreme with Jesus.
* Peter didn't want Jesus to wash his feet because Peter felt that Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus shouldn't be doing such a lowly task.
* Peter mistakes the washing of feet for purification but Jesus can't purify those with unclean spirits.
Washing of the feet is humbling to the receiver:
* Imagine having your feet washed by the person who is leading you. Most people would be humbled if their leader washed their feet.
* Washing of the feet is a give and take situation. There is the giver and the receiver such as Jesus and Peter. It is just as hard to have a person wash your feet as it is to be the person doing the washing.
Jesus 'Knowing'
* Jesus knew His hour had come.
* Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.
* Jesus knew who would betray Him.
Observation:
* One of Jesus' last acts on earth was to wash his disciples feet and the feet of the one who betrayed Him.
* What does this tell the disciples and us?
- Jesus acted in love even to His enemy.
- Jesus was the model servant of leadership.
- Jesus was not the typical 'king' that we know and think about when we think of a 'king'.
- Jesus spread the word of God through His works and attitude.
Is there a personal lesson for us to learn by in this story?
* Show love to your enemies.
* Be humble throughout life even if you are in a wealthy and/or leadership position.
* The act of serving others is very personal and meaningful when doing it with love.
* Jesus' task was very simple and immmediate. We can do simple and immediate tasks each day to help and love others. We need to look for the simple tasks and complete those tasks. The little things in life have a tremendous meaning behind them.
Eating with Jesus
* There is a bond when eating and sharing your food with people. It is an act of kindness and love.
* Jesus shared His table and food with the one who betrayed Him. Can you do that?
* We rarely share our meals and sit with those we do not like or trust.
Next class will be held February 7th. We will be reading and talking about Luke 19:1-10. Thank you.
When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Lord, why are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You don't understand now why I am doing it, someday you will."
"No," Peter exclaimed, "you will never wash my feet!"
Jesus replied, "But if I don't wash you, you won't belong to me."
Simon Peter exclaimed, "Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!"
Jesus replied, "A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you are clean, but that isn't true of everyone here."
For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, "Not all of you are clean."
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was doing? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right, becasue it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. You know these things - now do them! That is the path of blessing."
Discussion
General Reactions:
* Jesus humbled Himself to wash His disciples feet and even the one who betrayed him.
* No one is better than anybody else.
* This story shows a contrast to the concept of 'King'.
* Contrast of cleanliness:
- Darkness of a person's spirit that cannot be clean.
- People can be physically clean but not internally clean.
* The custom during Jesus' time was the lowest rank person washes others' feet.
* People must be willing to serve even in the humblest of ways to glorify God.
* Jesus even washed His enemy's feet - Judas Iscariot.
* To see someone wash others' feet - it is a powerful role.
* This story identifies a different kind of leader and king than that of a warrior king.
Peter
* First Peter said to Jesus not to wash his feet then after Jesus said that He must wash is feet in order to belong to Him, Peter told Jesus to wash all of him. Peter goes from one extreme to the other extreme with Jesus.
* Peter didn't want Jesus to wash his feet because Peter felt that Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus shouldn't be doing such a lowly task.
* Peter mistakes the washing of feet for purification but Jesus can't purify those with unclean spirits.
Washing of the feet is humbling to the receiver:
* Imagine having your feet washed by the person who is leading you. Most people would be humbled if their leader washed their feet.
* Washing of the feet is a give and take situation. There is the giver and the receiver such as Jesus and Peter. It is just as hard to have a person wash your feet as it is to be the person doing the washing.
Jesus 'Knowing'
* Jesus knew His hour had come.
* Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God.
* Jesus knew who would betray Him.
Observation:
* One of Jesus' last acts on earth was to wash his disciples feet and the feet of the one who betrayed Him.
* What does this tell the disciples and us?
- Jesus acted in love even to His enemy.
- Jesus was the model servant of leadership.
- Jesus was not the typical 'king' that we know and think about when we think of a 'king'.
- Jesus spread the word of God through His works and attitude.
Is there a personal lesson for us to learn by in this story?
* Show love to your enemies.
* Be humble throughout life even if you are in a wealthy and/or leadership position.
* The act of serving others is very personal and meaningful when doing it with love.
* Jesus' task was very simple and immmediate. We can do simple and immediate tasks each day to help and love others. We need to look for the simple tasks and complete those tasks. The little things in life have a tremendous meaning behind them.
Eating with Jesus
* There is a bond when eating and sharing your food with people. It is an act of kindness and love.
* Jesus shared His table and food with the one who betrayed Him. Can you do that?
* We rarely share our meals and sit with those we do not like or trust.
Next class will be held February 7th. We will be reading and talking about Luke 19:1-10. Thank you.