Jesus Speaks: Sayings and Stories of the Kingdom

Unlocking Jesus’ words given that Jesus’ style differed from the traditional method of the rabbis: – Relied on Himself alone as the judge of the truths He shared – Jesus called His Apostles into a life-long relationship and then sent them forth to spread the message – Jesus described His relationship with God a “abba” which connoted an incredible degree of intimacy

Go to video “Teachings and Words of Jesus” Go to video “Central Theme of Jesus’ Teaching” Read together in class the section “Jesus’ Words and Then Some” on page 151 Read together in class the Sections “A Jew Speaking to Fellow Jews” and “Engaging the Whole Person” on pages

Do we know what Jesus really said?: – The Gospels are not records of everyday conversation – Instead of His everyday, casual conversation in the Gospels, we have His most significant thoughts and ideas expressed through the words of those who heard Him – Jesus’ words were originally passed on orally before being written down – Jesus words were a reflection of a unique message: His referring to the Father as “abba” Beginning a saying with “Amen” meaning a self-confirmation – see pg

As an example of Jesus’ style of teaching, watch video “The Sermon on the Mount” Jesus’ four different styles of speech: Direct Pronouncements Short Sayings Instructions for Disciples Parables Read together in class the section entitled “Setups for a Punch Line” on page 153

Watch video “An Example of A Pronouncement Story” – corresponds to bottom right on page 153 in your textbook “Short Sayings” – The Jews were fond of the “words to the wise” type of story Watch the video “Example of Short Sayings – The Beatitudes” For an example of Jesus style as “Instructions for Disciples” read the section entitled “Instructions for Disciples” on page 158 in your textbook

The term “Parable” comes from the Greek word meaning “comparison” The term is generally reserved for His special stories about the Kingdom of God A parable uses a literary device called a “simile” In a “simile,” two different things are compared to one another The word “like” often joins the two parts of the comparison

Go to video “The Parables of Jesus 1” Go to video “The Kingdom of Heaven is like …” Go to video “The Parable of the Talents” “What to Expect as an Apostle – Matthew Chapter 10” – It’s hard for Christians to listen to this! Read together page 158 in textbook the section on Matthew Chapter 10

Read together in class page 160 Watch video “Jesus ‘I Am’ Statements” Listen/Watch “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE” set to music Read together in class all of page 161 in your textbook Read the following “Themes“ on the next slide as we go

Themes of the parables (page 162-4): – Descriptions of the King (pg 162-3) – “Kingdom” Responses (pg 163) – Relationships with Our Neighbors (pg 164) – The Fulfillment of the Kingdom (pg 165) Read together “Multiple Uses of the Parables” and “Understanding the Parables Today” on pages in your textbook Watch Video “Understanding Jesus Kingdom Parables” (27 minutes) (We need our bibles in front of us for this video!!!)

For written homework: Answer the four (4) “For Review” questions on page 167 and turn in tomorrow!!! Watch video “The Parables of Jesus 2” (27 min) STOP