CHAPTER IX JESUS AND THE GOSPELS

Jesus God saves

- Signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son...
- It is his divine name that alone brings salvation
B. The World of Jesus
1. The Land of Jesus and its People
Jesus lived under the Rule of the Roman Empire
- Canaan, Israel, Palestine
- Land of overflowing with milk and honey
- Pasturing and fruit tree agriculture


Hometown: Nazareth - Galilee
Birth: Bethlehem
Ministry: Capernaum (?)


LANGUAGE
Classic: Hebrew
Common: Aramaic
Widely Used: Greek
Imperial: Latin

2. Politics and Economy during Jesus Time
Herod the Great King of Judea
Herod of Antipas Galilee
Archelaus Samaria and Judea
Philip North and northwestern parts

Procurators Pontius Pilate

3. The Religion of Jesus
Jew race and religion
Central tenet: belief in the one God: YHWH
Temple of Jerusalem center of the religious life
Passover
Pentecost
Tabernacles/Booths
FOURS GROUPS
SADDUCEES - Descendants of the priest, Zadok
- Conservatives
- Only Torah
- Rejected doctrinal developments brought by oral tradition
PHARISEES - Separated ones
- Strict observers of Torah
- Believe on the resurrection of the dead
ESSENES - Dead Sea Scrolls
- Practiced asceticism, celibacy and common ownership
ZEALOTS - Revolutionaries
- Patriots
- Freedom fighters
- Brigands
- Terrorists
- Messiah political, military leader

NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES THAT ATTEST TO JESUS HISTORICAL EXISTENCE
1. CORNELIUS TACITUS Roman historian Christ began a pernicious
superstition
2. SUETONIUS Chronicler of the Emperor
Claudius
Chrestus
3. FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS 1
st
-century Jewish historian Wise man put to death by
Pontius Pilate
4. PLINY THE YOUNGER Correspondence with Emperor
Trajan
Hymns.. Christ As if to a God
5. LUCIANO DI SAMOSATA Travelling lecturer and Sophist
rhetorician
Man crucified in Palestine
6. THE BABYLONIAN
TALMUD
Baraita (outside addition)
Yeshu who practice magic

B. The Titles of Jesus
TITLE ORIGIN CHRISTIAN MEANING
CHRIST/MESIAH Gk. Christos
Hb. Mashiah
the anointed one
Divinely mandated task king,
prophet, priest
Jesus is the promised Messiah
Establish kingdom of peace and
justice
LORD Aram. Adonai
Sir
Jesus is a divine person with
divine authority
SON OF GOD Angels, righteous men, Jesus is a messianic king
important judge of ruler
True King of Israel
Shares divinity with His Father
SON OF MAN Semitic idiom
Humility
Humanity
Jesus is the ruler and savior of
the world
SON OF DAVID Davidic lineage Jesus is the eternal king
establish Gods eternal kingdom
WORD OF GOD Gk. Logos
word, phrase, sentence,
speech, reason mind.
Rational principle governing
cosmos
Jesus is the fullness of Gods self
communication
Jesus is the Word
LAMB OF GOD Sacrifice for forgiveness of our
sin
Jesus death atoning sacrifice
for the forgiveness of our sin
SUFFERING SERVANT Heb. Ebed YHWH
servant of God
Jesus is the fulfilment of the
prophecy on the suffering
servant
Brought us justification
ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST Mediator offer sacrifice to God Jesus is one mediator between
God and man

C. The Gospels
Gospel old English: godspel good news
- Literal translation: euaggelion
- Form of literature pertaining to the good news of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ
GOSPEL (JESUS) GOSPELS
only one Gospel Written faith-accounts of the early Church
Gods total self-manifestation Direct encounters with the historical Jesus as a
divine experience
Savior of the world Christian experience of salvation

Gospels not literal, chronological account of the words and deeds of Jesus The Historical Truths of
the Gospels, Pontifical Biblical Commission
- Primary and best source of information concerning Jesus
- Have special eminence over all the books of Scriptures....

1. The Stages in the Formation of the Gospels
STAGE 1: The Ministry of the Historical Jesus - Actual life of Jesus in Palestine and his
interaction with his disciples and other
groups he came in contact with
STAGE 2: The Oral Preaching of the Apostles - Pentecost started to preach the good
news of Jesus resurrection and his
victory over sin and death
STAGE 3: The Actual Writing of the Gospels Reasons:
1. The death of the apostles and other
witnesses of Jesus
2. The need for organized instruction to the
many converts
3. The norm of Jesus life and ministry as a
measure for authentic preaching
- Emphasizes the role of the evangelists

Writing the Gospel was not a prime concern as they thought Jesus was coming back very soon during
the lifetime of the apostles
Gospels represent the preaching of the early Christian Communities in written form.
4 gospel accounts: authentic, inspired written communal faith expressions of the good news
1. Matthew (apostle)
2. Mark (from Peter)
3. Luke (from Paul)
4. John (apostle)
Evangelists play a vital role in the formation of the Gospels
- Involved in the earlier stage of composition
- Head of the community from which the Gospel eventually emerged

2. Order of the Gospels
Canonical Matthew
Chronological Mark
Matthew and Luke used the gospel of Mark
John last

The other gospels
- Gnostic gospels, the gospel of Thomas, of Mary Magdalene, of Judas....
- Non-orthodoxy, non-usage in church instruction and liturgy, absence of support and church
tradition

3. Classification of the Gospels
a. Synoptic Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke
Structured in striking similarity
Syn + optikos: to view the same look
b. The gospel of John
Different style, language, arrangement of order
MARK MATTHEW LUKE JOHN
THE
EVANGELIST
- John
Mark
- native of
Jerusalem
- Peters
companion
- Levi, son of
Alphaeus
- Tax collector
in Capernaum
- Aramaic
Greek
- Palestine
Antioch
- Gentile convert
from Antioch
- Companion of St.
Paul
- Physician
- Wrote the Acts of
the Apostles
- Artists: icon of the
Blessed Mother
- John the
Apostle
- Son of Zebedee
- Brother of James
- Beloved one
- Took Mary into
his care
- Book of
Revelation
- 3 epistles
FEAST APRIL 25 SEPT 21 OCT 18 DEC 27
INTENDED
AUDIENCE
- Gentiles
and Jews
- Jews - Gentile - Jews and Gnostic
DATE AND
PLACE OF
COMPOSITION
- Rome
- 65-70 AD,
after the
death of
Peter
- Judea
- 50 80 AD
- Rome
- 80-85 AD
- Ephesus
- 90 85 AD
CONTENT - 16
chapters
Jesus
- 4
parables
- 20+ -
miracles
- 28 chapters
Jesus
- 24 chapters
- 4 divisions:
1. Infancy
Narrative
2. Ministry in
Galilee
3. Journey
toward
Jerusalem
4. Passion,
Death and
Resurrection
in Jerusalem
- 21 chapters
- No parables
- 2 main sections:
1. Book of Signs
7 miracles/7
testimonies
2. Book of Glory
Passion,
death and
resurrection
CHARACTERISTI
CS
- Shortest
gospel
- Most
vivacious
and
detailed
- Gospel of
deeds
- Gospel of
Messianic
secret
- New and Old
Testament
- Teaching
gospel (5
greatest
teaching of
Jesus)
- Ecclesiastical
Gospel
(Church)
- Most theological
of the gospels
- Presupposed
previous
knowledge of the
Synoptic Gospels
- Light, life, glory
deeper level of
reflection
THEMES - Son of
Man
- Suffering
Servant
- Son of God
- Emmanuel
- Messiah
- Messianic
King
- Compassion and
mercy
- The role of the
Holy Spirit
- Prayer
- Women-disciples
of the Lord
- Concern for the
poor
- Eternal Word of
God
- Resurrection
and the Life
gift of eternal life
- Light of the
World dispel
darkness

D. The Incarnation
Doctrine of Incarnation
o Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
o Caro, carnis flesh, meat
o God has chosen to taken on human nature --- to bring us salvation

1. The Divinity of Jesus
Bible teaches us that:
o The Son of God is existing prior to his becoming man and to creation itself
o The Son of God was also creator and author of life
o The Son of God is begotten of, not created by the Father
o The Son of God is God.

CHRISTIAN WRITERS OF THE 2
ND
CENTURY
St. Ignatius of Antioch Jesus second coming - without time, eternal,
invisible
Jesus Christ is God
St. Clement of Rome Jesus judge of the living and the dead
St. Justin Martyr Jesus King, Prophet, Priest
St. Polycarp Jesus Eternal High Priest
St. Irenaus Jesus mere man

A. Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
- central truth of our Christian faith
- Most sensational event in the history
- On-going dynamic of the life of God in Jesus Christ
St. Augustine We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!
- Christianity expression of faith in the resurrection
- Encountering the risen Christ and participating in the new life that he offers each one of us

2. The Humanity of Jesus
CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church
4 reasons why the Son of God assumed the human nature
1. To save us from sin by reconciling us with God say sorry to the Father on our behalf
2. To make us know Gods love through ways known to us
3. To become our model of holiness human nature is not an obstacle to holiness
4. To make us partakers of the Divine nature By partaking our humanity, we became
partakers of his divinity
F. Mary in the Gospels
SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
Mary - an exceptional daughter of the human race.
- An extraordinary woman who became the Mother of Christ


1. Mary is the Mother of Jesus
o Defines her whole function in the work of salvation
o Luke: favored one highly favoured chosen among all women to be the Mother of
Jesus
o Elizabeth: graced and blessed of God and blessed among all women power of God
descended upon her... and her blessed womb making it marvellously fruitful
o Mother of the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and Mary is his true mother
o Matthew: young Jewish woman betrothed to Joseph but she conceived Jesus in her
womb by the power of the Holy Spirit
o Mother who give life to the Messiah
2. Mary is the Woman of Faith
o Mary entrusted herself to God completely with the full submission of intellect and
will, manifesting the obedience of faith
o Elizabeth: Mary is blessed for her faith.
o Prayer/hymn the most visible and profound expression of faith
o Magnificat grateful praise to God, summing up Marys faith and portraying the God
whom she believes.
- acknowledges the greatness of God and she is only his humble servant
o Faith of Mary Humble faith - hears Gods words and lives it.
o St. Augustine: Mary is more blessed because she embraces faith in Christ than because
she conceives the flesh of Christ.
o always ponder all thing in her heart exemplary of faith
o Remained obedient and had the servants attitude of constantly searching for Gods will
3. Mary as Evangelizer
o Bearer of the gospel
o Initiated the proclamation of the gospel into the world
o Became the first messenger of the gospel to her relative and to the ancient people
whom Elizabeth represented
4. Mary as Associate of Jesus in Suffering
o Mary lived in intimacy with the mystery of her Son.
o Advanced in her pilgrimage of faith
o Obedience to Gods word transcends family ties
o First disciple of Jesus who persevered in the faith
o Shared in the death of her Son
o Mary faithfully persevered her union with her son even to the cross
o Jesus on the cross sign of contradiction
5. Mary as Intercessor
o represents people who believed in Jesus and expected help from him.
o acted as an intercessor before Jesus
o cares about others and their needs
o assumed a teaching function of the Christian community
o believed in Jesus
o influence others
o believer and promoter of faith
6. Mary as Mother of Jesus disciples
o Mother of believers in the community of Jesus disciples
o Spiritual mother of all, particularly the disciples of Christ in order of grace
o One cannot be a beloved disciple of Christ w/o accepting Mary as mother
o Luke: Marys presence during the founding moment of the Christian community when
the Holy Spirit consecrated her to fulfil her mission culmination of Marys pilgrimage
of faith , as she joined the apostles ... = community of believers of the risen lord = She
became part of the community of Jesus disciples

Mary in the Gospels
1. Mother of Jesus
2. Woman of Faith
3. Evangelizer
4. Associate of Jesus in suffering
5. Intercessor
6. Mother of Jesus disciples