The Life of Jesus Christ

according to the
Gospels
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson the learners will be able
to:
• Discuss the events surrounding the birth,
growth, passion, death, and resurrection of
Jesus through the New Testament.
• Analyze the mission of Jesus Christ in the
Gospels.
 What is the New Testament's
main theme?
 TheNew Testament is centered in the
Person of Jesus of Nazareth, his life,
death, resurrection also known as
Paschal Mystery.
 What Sections Make Up the New
Testament?
 The New Testament is divided in four
main sections:
 A. Gospels
 B. Acts Pauline Letters
 C. Letter or Epistles Hebrews
Catholic Epistles
 D. Apocalyptic
 What is the meaning of the word
Gospel?
 The word Gospel comes from the Greek word “Evangelion”
or Good News.

 The Gospels are not arranged in chronological order.

Matthew for instance, was not the first Gospel to be written
nor is the first book from the New Testament to be written.

 The synoptic Gospels are: Matthew, Mark and Luke. The

word Synoptic literally means “seen with the same eyes”.
These Three Gospels share a great deal of similarities in the
events they cover.
Discuss the events surrounding the
birth, growth, passion, death, and
resurrection of Jesus through the
New Testament.
What are the 4 sets
of mysteries of the
rosary?
The Rosary has five decades, each
of which corresponds to one
mystery, there are five mysteries
for each Rosary.
 Activity 1 : Infographic
Instruction:
Using the Mysteries of the Holy
Rosary, each group will create a
chronological tale presentation of
Jesus Christ's life.
New Testament Biblical accounts
on the mission of Jesus with His
disciples and with the people of
His time.
Mission
the action of sending someone to a place to
do a particular job, esp. one for a
government or religious organization, or the
job the person has been sent to do:
Does the school
have a mission
statement?
How it is put into action?
‘Man with a Mission’
Jesus was a ‘Man
with a Mission’
 The gospel is a message of
freedom and liberation
Jesus’ teachings and practice
as source of hope for the
suffering and the marginalized.
 The Mission of Jesus Christ
According to Luke 4:18–19
This is a story where Jesus quotes from Isaiah
and describes what his work on earth is all
about.
..\Downloads\LK.mp4
 Activity 2 : Gospel Analysis

Instruction: Read the biblical text

of Luke 4:18–19 then identify the
mission of Jesus Christ.
 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
What are the five missions
of Jesus Christ according to
the Gospel of Luke?
• to proclaim good news to the poor
• to free prisoners
• to help the blind to see
• to give liberty to oppressed people
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favor
 Process Questions:
1. What does it mean to bring good news to
the poor, release to the captives, sight to
the blind, and freedom to the oppressed?
2. Does this understanding of the mission of
Jesus challenge you? Why?
3. How will you (or do you) participate in it?
 PROBLEM: POVERTY
Luke 4:18 (a): “to proclaim
good news to the poor”
What did Jesus do for the
poor?
• He had compassion on a poor widow and raised her only
son from the dead, because this son was the source of
support for the widow’s future.

• He healed the lepers, so they could return to their work.

The poor are not always poor. On the
contrary, they are often rich in faith.
 I know several people with significant economic
needs, yet they are rich in faith and progressing
economically. They do not feel abandoned by God,
but rather they feel very loved.
From my point of view, a person who follows Jesus
and trusts him is not poor. He or she may lack
material things, as did both Jesus and Paul.
The promise is that God will provide for their
needs.
 PROBLEM: CAPTIVITY
Luke 4:18(b): “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners”

In the Gospels we do not read of Jesus freeing anyone from

prison. (In Acts we do read of some who were miraculously
set free from jail). He did not even give freedom to John the
Baptist when he was in prison, although he certainly would
have had the power to do so.

So, what prisoners did he free?

 Prisoners of the devil
Jesus liberated many people who were possessed by
demons.
Even today there are many people who are prisoners
of the devil and his demons.
 Prisoners of sin and vice

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a

slave to sin’ ” (John 8:34).

It wasn’t just the prostitutes, adulterers, and tax collectors

who were sinners. The Jews thought they were free, but Jesus
saw that they were totally enslaved to sin.
Today, many think they are free, but we realize that they are
imprisoned by such things as addiction, hate, violence,
hypocrisy, envy, greed, and many other sins.
 Prisoners of wealth

Wealth prevented the rich young ruler from

following Jesus, and money continues to be a great
obstacle, hindering many people from faithfully
following the Lord.
Our mission is not only directed toward the poor, but
also toward the rich. They need to be freed from the
love of money.
 Prisoners of Tradition and Legalism

The religious in Jesus’ day were bound by their

traditions and laws, such that they could not
accept the grace of Jesus Christ.
Today, many believe they can secure their
salvation by observing religious traditions.
Believing themselves to be free, they are
slaves of tradition.
 PROBLEM: PHYSICAL SUFFERING

Luke 4:18 (c): “recovery of sight for the blind.”

Jesus took an interest in people’s physical suffering. We are
not the God who heals, but we believe in the God who can
heal.
God is the same God, yesterday, today, and forever.
Sometimes he heals instantly, sometimes it is a process,
sometimes he uses medicine, sometimes he only removes the
pain; but we can cry out to him and trust in him.
 PROBLEM: OPPRESSION
Luke 4:18 (d) “to set the oppressed free”

Many are oppressed, distressed, weighed down, and grieving.

Socially oppressed
Jesus had compassion on the outcasts (lepers, for example).
Jesus restored the life of the Samaritan woman.
The prodigal son returned to his father’s warm, loving home.
 Oppressed by difficult life experiences

Many live oppressed by pain and hurts of the past—

childhood abuse, marital infidelity, and financial injury.

Oppressed by fear and worry

Even so, many Christians live oppressed by this current evil,
fear of what is to come, fear of what others will say, worry
about the current economic state, worry about their
children, etc.
 CONCLUSION
Good News: Now is the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke
4:19)

The teaching ministry of Christian educational

institutions should align with the mission of the
church. Moreover, it ought to assist the church in
accomplishing its ministry, purposes, and mission in
society.
The church’s mission, and consequently our mission, since we form part
of the church, is to take the good news of the grace of Jesus Christ to
this world full of needs, problems, and misfortunes.

Like Jesus, we need the anointment with the Holy Spirit; otherwise our
ministry will be limited to just human power and human efforts.

Jesus was sent by his Father “to proclaim good news to the poor . . .
freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the
oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19).
And he says, speaking to his Father, “As you sent me into the world, so I
have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).
 Elfriede Janz de Verón is an Instructor in New Testament at
the Instituto Bíblico Asunción, in Asunción, Paraguay. She
has a PhD in Education. This meditation was delivered at the
ICOMB Higher Education Consultation in Winnipeg in June
2011.