JESUS CHRIST, THE FOCUS OF CHRISTIANITY
 Essentials of the Faith - Session 2

 This online session of the Essentials of the Faith class will provide a study of Jesus Christ and what he accomplished for us through his life a death.  This session is covered in 2nd class, generally held on Sundays at Noon.  Read through the material and answer the 14 questions shown by filling in the blank boxes.  Since this is a learning exercise, the answers are listed at the end of this lesson. After you have finished this session, click on the "Submit" button at the end of the lesson.  Submitting the form will email it to Pastor Bill Payne at Washington Cathedral and give you credit for this session.

(You can use the TAB key on your keyboard to move to each section of scriptures and questions.)

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS

4 BC                  30 A.D.            52 A.D.                   67 A.D.

!------------------!----------------!-------------------------!---------------------

Jesus Born         Jesus Died     Writings of Thallus           Writings of Josephus

 

1. Time Period

a. Born- 4 B.C. (“before Christ”)

b. Died 30 A.D. (Anno Domini: “in the year of our Lord”)

 

2. Where Jesus Lived

a. Land of Israel

b. During reign of Roman emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14-37)

 

3. Some references to Jesus other than the Bible

 

a. Josephus (Jewish general and Roman historian- born 37 AD )

 

At that time lived Jesus, a wise man, if he may be called a man; for he performed many wonderful works. He was a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many Jews and Gentiles. This was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the instigation of the chief men among us, had condemned him to the cross, they who before had conceived an affection for him did not cease to adhere to him. For on the third day he appeared to them alive again, the divine prophets having foretold these and many other wonderful things concerning him. And the sect of Christians, so called from him, subsists to this time. (Antiquities XVIII, 3:3)

 

b. Thallus (Samaritan historian, writing about 52 A.D.) – attempted to give a natural explanation for darkness which occurred at the crucifixion of Jesus referred to in Mark 15:33

 

On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.   (a lost work referred to by Julius Africanus in Chronography, XVIII written in-third century)

 

 (see Scott Tucker at  http://home.houston.rr.com/apologia/index.htm -accessed 10-13-04)

 

WHY JESUS CHRIST LIVED AND DIED

(Read the scriptures in each section and use the questions to determine the spiritual principles.)

 

The Purpose of the Earthly Life of Jesus Christ

 

The biblical record provides Jesus’ true identity and the purpose of his earthly life before he was crucified.  Read the scriptures listed and use the questions to determine the spiritual principles described.

 

John 1:18 (written by the apostle John approx. 85-90 A.D.)

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only (or the Only Begotten One who is Jesus), who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

 

John 14:8-9

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

 

Colossians  1`:15 (written by the  apostle Paul approx. 61 A.D.)

He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God.  

 

 

Question 1. Who did Jesus come to reveal?

 

Question 2. Who is Jesus Christ?

 

 

 

The Condition of Humanity Without Christ

 

The Bible describes the condition of humanity after the time of Adam and Eve, who were the first created human beings according to Genesis 2.  Theologian use the term “federal head” of the human race to describe the role of Adam and Eve.  Even as a nation must often suffer the consequences of its leaders’ choices, so the whole human race inherited a certain type of human nature based on the choice of Adam, accompanied by his wife Eve.  Read the scriptures and use the questions to determine the spiritual principles.

                                                                                               

I Corinthians 15:21-22 (written by the apostle Paul approx. 56 A.D.)

Death came through one man…..in Adam all die.

 

Romans 5:12 (written by the apostle Paul approx. 58 A.D.)

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.

 

Romans 5:16b

The judgment followed the one sin and brought condemnation

  

Question 3:  Below list 3 words that indicate the consequences produced in the human race as the result of Adam’s choices.

 

 

 

   

Romans 7:18

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

 

Romans 8:8

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

 

Ephesians 2:3 (written by the apostle Paul approx. 61 A.D.)

Like the rest (of humanity), we were by nature objects of (God’s) wrath. But because of his great love for us…God made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions.

 

 

Question 4:  What does Paul say every person now has inherited as the result of Adam’s choices?   

  

Question 5: As you think about it, did you have any choice about the kind of nature you inherited from Adam and Eve?

  

Question 6: What is impossible for people to do in their inherited nature? 

 

                                                                                               

The Work of Jesus Christ in Salvation
According to the Bible, every member of the human race is born with a sinful nature.  God came to this earth by becoming the man we know as Jesus Christ and through death by crucifixion, provided the means for transforming people.  A relationship with Jesus Christ allows a person to no longer be controlled by the sinful nature, but rather, to be controlled by a new nature energized by God the Holy Spirit.  Read the scriptures about how God accomplished this transformation in the human race and answer the questions.

 

II Corinthians 5:20-21 (written by the apostle Paul approx 57 AD)

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 
Question 7.  What did God cause Jesus Christ to become to allow us to be reconciled to God? 
 

 

 

Romans 3:22-25

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement (one who turns aside wrath and removes sin), through faith in his blood.

 

Romans 5:1-2

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

 

Romans 5:8-9

God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners (had a sinful nature), Christ died for us… we have now been justified by his blood.

  

Question 8. Below list some words Paul uses to describe someone related to Jesus Christ?


   

Question. 9. What word describes the attitude needed to receive what Jesus Christ has done?
 

 

 

                                                                                               

Romans  6:6

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

 

Question 10. What does Paul call the sinful nature in this scripture?

 

Question 11.  How is a person related to sin before coming to Christ?

 

Question 12. What does the Bible say happens to the sinful nature through a relationship with Jesus Christ?
 

 

 

Romans 6:11

Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its evil desires.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wicked ness, but rather, offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from the dead to life; offer the parts of your body to God as instruments of righteousness?  (also see Galatians 5:16-18 for further insight)

 

Paul says our sinful nature was "crucified"  in Christ, but he then goes on to suggest that nature can still affect us if we let it.  Before we were Christians, each of us had no choice but to obey our sinful nature. Because Christ has given each of us a new nature, we now have a choice whether we give in to sin or not. 

 

Question 13. What are some ways we can keep the sinful nature inoperative in our lives?

 

 

  

Romans 8:1

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..

 

Romans 8:-8-10

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

 

 

Question 14. Who lives in the Christian to provide power to live a new life? 
 

 

Provide your name and email to receive proper credit for completing this online class.

 

Name      Email (if available)

                 

You may want to print this pagte before submitting it. After you have answered the questions, click on the "Submit" button to send this form to Pastor Bill Payne at Washington Cathedral.  By submitting the form you will have completed the requirement for this session of the Essentials of the Faith Discipleship Class.

 

 

ANSWERS

1-God; 2-God; 3-death,sin, judgment or condemnation;  4-sinful nature; 5 -No;  6-please God;  7-sin; 
8-righteousness,justified,redemption,peace with God, access to God's grace;  9-faith; 1 0-old self;  11-slave; 12-crucified;  13-not let sin reign, not offer body to sin, offer self to God;  14-Spirit of God or Spirit of Christ