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jesusEverything About Me Must Be Fulfilled

To see that the Old Testament points to Jesus and is fulfilled in Christ.

From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible is telling one big unfolding story,

with Jesus as the main character. We are called to see Jesus everywhere in the

Bible.

That students of the Bible would begin to see the entire Bible, including the

Old Testament, as a preparation for Jesus the Messiah, who would come and

fulfill the promises of Scripture.

Background

Passage:

L U K E 2 4

scripture

Passage:

L U K E 2 4 : 2 5 - 3 2 ,4 4 - 4 7

• Jesus claimed that the Old Testament

(“Moses and all the Prophets;” “the

Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the

Psalms”) pointed to Himself.

• Jesus claimed the Old Testament

spoke of the Messiah who would save

God’s people from their sins.

• Jesus claimed His death and resur-

rection were foretold and a necessary

part of God’s redemptive plan.

Memory

Verses:

L U K E 2 4 : 2 6 - 2 7

“Didn’t the Messiah have to suf-

fer these things and enter into

His glory?” Then beginning with

Moses and all the Prophets, He

interpreted for them the things

concerning Himself in all the

Scriptures.

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PREPARING TO TEACH

Everyone loves a good story. Stories help us understand and explain

who we are. Stories motivate us, remind us of what’s important, and

help us connect the past, present, and future. Followers of Jesus

answer life’s vital questions with the biblical story of God’s creation,

humanity’s rebellion, God’s promise of redemption, and His restora-

tion of creation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus

Christ.

The goal of “God’s Unfolding Story” is to advance the storyline

of the Bible so adults can connect the dots, not just so they can gain

more biblical knowledge, but so they understand where they fit into

God’s story and journey toward a more Christ-centered life. Purpose-

fully and prayerfully invest in personal study and lesson preparation

so you can present what may be familiar Bible stories in interesting

and fresh new ways and guide adults to apply scriptural truths to

their lives, becoming progressively transformed into the image of

Christ.

Read the Venture In Travelogue for Lesson 1 and complete the

activities. Study the highlighted Scriptures (Luke 24:25-32,44-47;

1 Pet. 1:10-12; John 5:37-40) by reading the passages in various trans-

lations at www.biblegateway.com, and by consulting the study notes

at www.mystudybible.com. (Enter the Scripture passage, then click

“Read” under Study Bible Notes Tool.) Record questions and insights

in the margin of your Travelogue (pp. 9-18). Pray God will use you

and this study to help participants hunger to know more about and

become part of His story.

Display beloved children’s books such as The Very Hungry Cater-

pillar, Goodnight Moon, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, Magic Tree House,

Boxcar Children, Green Eggs and Ham, and Tom Sawyer. If possible

include The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Place a stack of

3X5 cards near the display.

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IT’S A LOT MORE THAN A WONDERFUL LIFE

A MUCH BIGGER STORY

Greet adults as they arrive, and invite them to survey the book

display. Request they write on a 3X5 card some of their favorite

childhood stories and compare favorites with other participants.

After a few minutes, determine what seems to be the group’s favorite

stories. Ask when we outgrow our love of stories and why. Explore

why stories are so powerful and enduring. Pray for the Spirit’s guid-

ance as you begin your study of the greatest story ever told.

______________________________________________________________________________

Teaching Option

Show the clip of the movie scene referenced in the Travelogue (p. 9):

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfUV-F9jFro). Invite volun-

teers to summarize the bigger story behind that scene. Discuss the

Travelogue questions (p. 11): If you have seen “It’s a Wonderful Life,”

what do you like the most about the movie? Which characters do

you connect with and why? What aspects of the gospel does George

Bailey model? What does our love for stories of redemption say

about the longing in our heart for an ultimate story of redemption

and restoration?

______________________________________________________________________________

RANDOM BUFFET OR BANQUET OF GRACE?

Hold up your Bible and ask how it is similar to and different from a

collection of well-loved stories. Emphasize that not only is the Bible

true, as opposed to fiction and fantasy, it is also one big story rather

than a composite of disjointed stories. Consider why many people

regard the Bible as a collection of stories instead of one cohesive

story. Ask: What may happen when people approach the Bible

like a “random buffet” rather than a “well-planned banquet of

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grace”? Point out with the buffet approach people miss seeing how

the whole story fits together and how God has sovereignly worked

throughout history and individual lives to fulfill His plan. State this

series of the JourneyOn Foundations Curriculum will help adults

gain an accurate perspective of the Bible as a whole.

______________________________________________________________________________

Teaching Option

Ask who has watched an entire TV series on Netflix©. Explore

whether they gained greater understanding of the show’s characters

and unfolding story line by viewing the episodes sequentially from

the beginning.

______________________________________________________________________________

THREE IMPORTANT GOALS

Relay the first of the three goals of this series (Travelogue p. 12):

Demonstrate how the Bible is telling one big unfolding story.

Read this quote: “The Bible is not a mere jumble of history,

poetry, lessons in morality and theology, comforting prom-

ises, guiding principles and commands; instead it is funda-

mentally coherent. Every part of the Bible—each event, book,

character, command, prophecy, and poem—must be under-

stood in the context of the one story line.” 1 Encourage adults

to find the fourfold plot of that one story line. (Creation to fall to

redemption to restoration, Travelogue, p. 12.)

Point out the second goal: to recognize Jesus as the main charac-

ter and hero in the Bible’s one story line. Read this statement from

the Travelogue (p. 13): We must stop looking for a moral in every

Bible story, and start looking for Jesus in every story. Ask: Why

would that make a difference in how we read Scripture? How

could it make a difference in how we live? If you were able to

display The Jesus Storybook Bible point out its subtitle: “Every Story

Whispers His Name.” Explain adults will be listening for those whis-

pers and seek to see in fresh, new ways how His story fits together,

with Jesus in the beginning, middle, and end.

Emphasize the third goal by reading from the Travelogue (p.

13): We want this series to help us find our place in God’s big

story of redemption and restoration. Every one of us has an

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important part to play in God’s story, which offers much more

than a wonderful life. Only God’s story offers an abundant and

eternal life. Jesus is the point, but each of us matters.

______________________________________________________________________________

Teacher Tip

Stress stories are more meaningful when we involve ourselves in

them. Urge adults to get involved in this unfolding story by reading

and completing all activities in the Travelogue. Explain you might

not always call for responses to every activity, but adults are always

welcome to share activity responses or a comment they have high-

lighted.

__________________________________________________________________________

IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS

Jesus, without apology or arrogance, declared all Scripture was about

Him. For context of this lesson’s focal passage, read Luke 24:13-15.

Discuss from the Travelogue (p. 14): What does this [v. 15] say to

you about the pursuing heart of Jesus, and about His desire

to reveal Himself to us? How has Jesus revealed His nearness

to you during seasons of suffering, testing, confusion, loneli-

ness, or change?

FROM SLOW TO BURNING HEARTS

Acknowledge we might not always immediately recognize Jesus’

presence; neither did those two disciples. Summarize Luke 24:15-24.

Invite a volunteer to read verses:25-27. Inquire: What tone of

voice do you think Jesus had when He asked these questions:

Perplexed? Irritated? Gently chiding? How do you think His

interpretation led them to think differently about the events

they had so sadly recounted in verses 19-24?

______________________________________________________________________________

Teacher Helps

A chart of Old Testament Messianic prophecies and their New

Testament fulfillments can be found in the Holman Illustrated Bible

Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2003) on pages

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1112-1114. Or go to www.mystudybible.com, click on LIBRARY, then

Dictionaries, then Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. When the

dictionary loads, type “Messiah” in the window. Once the article

loads, click the right arrow button above the article and the chart

will appear.

______________________________________________________________________________

Invite someone to read Luke 24:28-32. Consider reasons Jesus

may have given the impression that He was going farther.

Note Jesus doesn’t cram His story down anyone’s throat, but waits

for invitations from hungry hearts. Ask: How can we urge Jesus

to stay with us and continue teaching us? When has Scripture

set your heart on fire? Discuss the Travelogue question (p. 16):

How can you tell when your “slow heart” has become a “burn-

ing heart”—ablaze with an awareness of the glory and grace of

Jesus? That is, what’s the difference between merely having a

quiet time and experiencing intimacy with the Lord? Examine

whether having the heart set ablaze is a rare occasion for a believer

or if it can be the norm and if so, how.

Briefly summarize verses 33-43. Ask a volunteer to read verses

44-47. Explain the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the

Psalms are three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible. Ask: Can

we ever understand Scripture unless Jesus opens our minds?

Explain your reasoning. How can Jesus open our minds?

Ask adults if they recall being instructed in school to state the

main idea of a story. Ask how Jesus stated the main idea of God’s one

story. Determine what role each individual has in that story. (Repent

of sins, receive forgiveness, and proclaim the story of God’s salvation

to all nations.)

EXCITED PROPHETS AND THRILLED ANGELS

Ask a volunteer to read 1 Peter 1:10-12. Discuss: How do we have

an advantage over prophets and angels? What might they

think when they see how believers use the Bible? What can we

learn from the prophets and angels about what to do with the

Word of God? Point out this study can help adults carefully investi-

gate the Bible and listen for how all of it whispers Jesus’ name.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND

RELATIONSHIP

Ask adults to listen for a warning about studying God’s Word, then

read John 5:37-40. Call for responses. Discuss the Travelogue ques-

tions (p. 18): How does this passage demonstrate that the only

way you can derive life from the Scriptures is to see Jesus in

the Scriptures? If you don’t see Jesus as the main character in

all the Scriptures, whom then will you choose as your spiritual

heroes? If you don’t see Jesus, how will this lead you away from

the gospel into some form of performance-based spirituality?

CONCLUSION

Request adults retrieve their 3X5 cards with their favorite child-

hood stories and write on the blank side their responses to these

questions: What do you want the story of your life to be? What

role do you want Jesus to play in that story? What one step will

you take to move Jesus toward being the central figure in your

life’s story? (Suggestions for the last question include: memorizing

Scripture [point out this week’s memory verses], reading the Bible

through looking for Jesus in the storyline, engaging in spiritual

disciplines [worship, sacrifice, meditation, fasting, etc.].)

Close in prayer, thanking God for the gift of His Word and

asking Him to open minds to understand and live His story.

FOLLOW THROUGH

• Email participants, thanking them for their commitment to

be involved in this exciting and vital study of God’s Word.

Remind them to memorize Luke 24:26-27.

• Contact adults who were absent, expressing your excitement

about this study and inviting them to join the class for the next

session. Offer to bring them a Travelogue so they can catch up

on the study before the next session.

1 Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our

Place in the Biblical Story, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014), 14.