Jesus gained followers like preachers did in his day

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:15-16)

Jesus of NazarethChristMessiah – Anointed OneSon of God

Incarnation – Made in fleshJesus is God’s own son made flesh “Truly God

and Truly Man”Jesus is both divine nature and human nature

God created the world and wanted to share it with us so he created humansGod’s wish is that we would live

together with God in harmony and love

Grace – God’s life and love poured out to us

Sin – humans ignored God and turned away from God

God did wondrous acts of love and sent prophets to let us know he was there

When we didn’t listen, God sent JESUS

God became Jesus to walk alongside us to learn about how he lived so we can follow his living model of life in GodW.W.J.D

By becoming human for us in Jesus, God offered us a share in divinity

Accepting Jesus as God = Matter of FAITH

God loves us with a TOTAL, INFINITE, and UNCONDITIONAL LOVEGod chose to be with

us so he could communicate with us and relate to us

There would be no better way for God to be with us than for God to become one of us

Need to accept Jesus as FULLY HUMAN and FULLY DIVINE

Jesus experienced life as we did – joys, frustrations, loneliness, fears, stress, anger, longing for acceptanceHe never chose to respond sinfullyHe always chose the RIGHT path

Jesus became one with us in all things except SIN

Matthew and Luke said Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

Jesus is conceivedAnnunciation “Announcement of the baby Jesus”

(Luke)Jewish girl Mary is engaged to Joseph, a carpenter.

Angel Gabriel tells Mary in Nazareth about how God chose her to bear a son named Jesus (“Yahweh saves”)

Angel told her that the child would be conceived by the Holy Spirit and Mary responded “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word”

Joseph wanted to leave Mary but recognize God’s plan for him

Nativity story – Jesus’ birthBethlehem – “City of David” Place where

Jesus was bornLuke’s gospel – Shepherds coming to the

stable to worship JesusMatthew’s gospel – Wise men (Magi) led by

the star offered homage to JesusJesus = source of hope for poor people and

those on the fringes of society (Luke)Jesus = light to the nations (Matthew)

Jesus was circumcised 8 days oldJesus was presented to the Lord of the

Temple as the firstborn maleJesus = carpenterLearn compassion and sensitivity from his

parents and studied Hebrew and religion

Jesus getting lost in NazarethPerceptive, devout and faith filledObedient to his parents

John the Baptist – Cousin and wandering prophetic preacherBaptized Jesus at 30 in the Jordan River

After Jesus was baptized, he realized he had a mission – a mission of great pain and suffering“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am

well pleased”

Before Jesus began his ministry he spent 40 days in the desert to pray, fast and be in solitude

Temptations in the DesertJesus was tempted 3 times by the devil to give up

his complete dependence on GodJesus resisted the devil and reminded himself the

message of God “This is my Son, the Beloved”After the desert, Jesus went back to Galilee to

preach. He was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and had a sense of purpose

A Community of DisciplesDisciples – People around Jesus who would

learn from him and carry on his mission even after he was gone12 Apostles – those closest to Jesus (Peter,

Andrew, James, John, and Judas Iscariot)They were fisherman – not prepared to be

spiritual leadersJesus had a way of seeing the

giftedness and talents in others

Jesus’ Mission = To proclaim the Kingdom of GodKingdom of God – It is a reality that will come

and to live the Kingdom in the presentJesus dedicated himself to living the Kingdom

in the midst of the people People expected a military king to rule and

conquer the land, but Jesus proclaimed about a Kingdom of love, not of political rule or power

How did Jesus know what God wanted?Jesus was related to God, aware of God’s life

within him, and loving him and moving him to fulfill his mission

Jesus called God “Father”Abba – “my own dear father”

Jesus promoted God not as his own father, but rather “OUR FATHER”

Jesus taught us to pray simply and trustingly to God as Father, without trying to impress God with fancy languageThe Lord’s Prayer (p. 103)

Jesus was the embodiment of God’s love

Living in the Kingdom of God meantLiving in the Father’s loveSurrounded by that loveBreathing itBeing saturated by itLetting it be the guiding

element behind social and community life.

Jesus’ message to us: God is OUR FATHER and we are all LOVED by God

Healing and life-restoring miracles: He cured those with leprosy , blindness, and epilepsy. He saw their truth faith and offered them healing in their body and spirit

Nature miracles: The miracles of loaves and fishes and calming the fierce storm. When he saw people suffer, he wanted to heal them

Inclusion of outsiders: Jesus welcomed children, ate dinner with sinners, and those who were “low-lives.” He treated as his friends those who were rejected: foreigners, women, the unclean, the insane, the poor, and the sick.

Love of enemies: Jesus reminded us to love not only friends but enemies as well (p. 104). He forgave those who hurt him on the cross

The confronting of hypocrisy and religious legalism: Jesus challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees by debating with them about Jewish law. Jesus loved the Law but did not want to see it abused as a way to control people