Relational Bible studies on every Gospel reading for the year of Mark in the Common Lectionary (Year B).
Part I, The life and ministry of Jesus: Preparation – the coming of Jesus the Messiah, Commencement – the figure of Jesus the Messiah, The mystery of the Son of God, The way of the Son of Man, The fulfilment of the mystery.
Part II, The death and resurrection of Jesus: Preparation for the passion of Jesus, Resurrection appearances of Jesus, The coming of the Holy Spirit, The Godhead.
Kingdom Life in Mark
Introduction
PART I THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS
Preparation: The coming of Jesus the Messiah
The coming of the Lord Mark 13:32‑37
John the Baptist Mark 1:1‑8
The Messiah John 1:6‑8, 19‑28
Mary’s Son Luke 1:26‑38
Infancy and childhood of Jesus Luke 2:22‑40
Reflections on the birth of Jesus John 1:1‑18
Commencement: The figure of Jesus the Messiah
The baptism of Jesus Mark 1:4‑11
The call of Andrew and his friend John 1:35‑42
The mystery of the Son of God
The call of the first disciples Mark 1:14‑20
A Sabbath day in Capernaum (1) Mark 1:21‑28
A Sabbath day in Capernaum (2) Mark 1:29‑39
The cure of a leper Mark 1:40‑45
The cure of a paralytic Mark 2:1‑12
The question of fasting Mark 2:18‑22
Violation of the Sabbath Mark 2:23‑3:6
Serious criticism of Jesus Mark 3:20‑35
The parables of the kingdom Mark 4:26‑34
The calming of the storm Mark 4:35‑41
Jairus’ daughter; a woman’s faith Mark 5:21‑43
Jesus rejected at Nazareth Mark 6:1‑6
The mission of the twelve Mark 6:7‑13
Compassion for the crowds Mark 6:30‑34
(interlude)
The feeding of the five thousand John 6:1‑15
The bread of life (1) John 6:24‑35
The bread of life (2) John 6:35,41‑51
The bread of life (3) John 6:51‑58
Incredulity and faith John 6:55‑69
Jewish customs Mark 7:1‑23
The cure of a deaf mute Mark 7:31‑37
The way of the Son of Man
Peter’s confession Mark 8:27‑38
Passion & resurrection prophesied Mark 9:30‑37
Instructions for the disciples Mark 9:38‑50
What God has joined together Mark 10:2‑16
The problem of wealth Mark 10:17‑3
The sons of Zebedee Mark 10:35‑45
The cure of Bartimaeus Mark 10:46‑52
The first commandment Mark 12:28‑34
The scribes; the widow’s mite Mark 12:38‑44
The last things Mark 13:24‑32
Conclusion: The fulfilment of the mystery
Christ the King John 18:33‑37
PART II THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Preparation for the Passion of Jesus
The transfiguration Mark 9:2‑9
The temptations Mark 1:9‑15
The meaning of the cross Mark 8:31‑38
Teaching about the cross (1) John 2:13‑22
Teaching about the cross (2) John 3:14‑21
Teaching about the cross (3) John 12:20‑33
Palm Sunday and the crucifixion Mark 11:1‑11; 15:1‑39
Resurrection Appearances of Jesus
The empty tomb Mark 16:1‑18
Easter evening John 20:19‑31
Emmaus postscript Luke 24:35‑48
Observations about Jesus
Jesus the Good Shepherd John 10:11‑18
Jesus the true vine John 15:1‑8
Jesus present among his people John 15:9‑17
Jesus prays for his people John 17:11‑19
The coming of the Holy Spirit
The day of Pentecost John 15:26‑27; 16:4‑15
Conclusion: The Godhead
The Trinity John 3:1‑17
Appendix 1: Studies arranged according to lectionary readings
Appendix 2: Studies arranged according to gospel readings
Relational Bible studies on every Gospel reading for the year of Luke in the Common Lectionary (Year C).
Part I, The life and ministry of Jesus: Preparation – the coming of Jesus the Messiah, Commencement – the figure of Jesus the Messiah, Luke’s program for Jesus’ ministry, The Galilean ministry,The travel narrative – part one, The gospel within the gospel, The travel narrative – part two, The ministry in Jerusalem, the fulfilment of the ministry.
Part II, The death and resurrection of Jesus: Preparation for the Passion of Jesus, Resurrection appearances of Jesus, The coming of the Holy Spirit, The Godhead.
Kingdom Life in Luke
Introduction
PART I THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS
Preparation: The coming of Jesus the Messiah
The coming of the Lord Luke 21:25-36
John the Baptist Luke 3:1-6
The Messiah Luke 3:7-18
Mary’s Son Luke 1:39-55
Infancy and childhood of Jesus Luke 2:41-52
Reflections on the birth of Jesus John 1:1-18
Commencement: The figure of Jesus the Messiah
The baptism of Jesus Luke 3:15-17,21-22
The marriage feast at Cana John 2:1-11
Luke’s program for Jesus’ ministry
The visit to Nazareth (1) Luke 4:14-21
The visit to Nazareth (2) Luke 4:21-30
The Galilean ministry
The call of the first disciples Luke 5:1-11
The sermon on the plain (1) Luke 6:17-26
The sermon on the plain (2) Luke 6:27-38
The sermon on the plain (3) Luke 6:39-49
The cure of the centurion’s servant Luke 7:1-10
The widow of Nain Luke 7:11-17
Jesus’ feet anointed Luke 7:36-8:3
Peter’s confession of faith Luke 9:18-24
The travel narrative: part one
The journey to Jerusalem begins Luke 9:51-62
The mission of the seventy-two Luke 10:1-12,17-20
The good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37
Martha and Mary Luke 10:38-42
The importunate friend Luke 11:1-13
The parable of the rich fool Luke 12:13-21
The need for vigilance Luke 12:32-40
Not peace but division Luke 12:49-56
Few will be saved Luke 13:22-30
True humility Luke 14:1,7-14
The cost of discipleship Luke 14:25-33
The Gospel within the Gospel
The lost coin, sheep, and son Luke 15:1-10 (11-32)
The travel narrative: part two
The unjust steward Luke 16:1-13
The rich man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31
A lesson on faith and dedication Luke 17:5-10
The ten lepers Luke 17:11-19
The unjust judge Luke 18:1-8
The Pharisee and the tax collector Luke 18:9-14
Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10
The ministry in Jerusalem
The resurrection debated Luke 20:27-38
The signs announcing the end Luke 21:5-19
Conclusion: The fulfilment of the ministry
Christ the King John 12:9-19
PART II THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Preparation for the Passion of Jesus
The transfiguration Luke 9:28-36
The temptations Luke 4:1-13
The meaning of the cross Luke 13:31-35
Teaching about repentance (1) Luke 13:1-9
Teaching about repentance (2) Luke 15:1-3,11-32
Mary anoints Jesus John 12:1-8
Palm Sunday and the crucifixion Luke 19:28-40; 14-23:56
Resurrection Appearances of Jesus
The empty tomb Luke 24:1-12
Easter evening John 20:19-31
Jesus and Peter John 21:1-19
Observations about Jesus
Jesus the Good Shepherd John 10:22-30
Jesus the way of love John 13:31-35
Jesus present among his people John 14:23-29
Jesus prays for his people John 17:20-26
The coming of the Holy Spirit
The day of Pentecost John 14:8-17,25-27
Conclusion: The Godhead
The Trinity John 16:12-15
Appendix 1: Studies arranged according to lectionary readings
Appendix 2: Studies arranged according to gospel readings
6 October is remembered as the day when William Tyndale was martyred. For most of us, Bibles are easily accessible, and many of us have several. Having the Bible in English owes much to William Tyndale, sometimes called the Father of the English Bible.
90% of the King James Version of the Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation of the Bible into English made by William Tyndale, yet Tyndale himself was burned at the stake on October 6, 1536, aged 42.
Back in the fourteenth century, John Wycliffe was the first to make (or at least oversee) an English translation of the Bible, but that was before the invention of the printing press and all copies had to be handwritten. Besides, the church had banned the unauthorized translation of the Bible into English in 1408. Over one hundred years later, however, William Tyndale had a burning desire to make the Bible available to even the common people in England.
After studying at Oxford and Cambridge, he joined the household of Sir John Walsh at little Sudbury Manor as tutor to the Walsh children. Walsh was a generous lord of the manor and often entertained the local clergy at his table. Tyndale often added spice to the table conversation as he was confronted with the Biblical ignorance of the priests. At one point Tyndale told a priest, “If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.”
It was a nice dream, but how was Tyndale to accomplish this when translating the Bible into English was illegal? He went to London to ask Bishop Tunstall if he could be authorized to make an English translation of the Bible, but the bishop would not grant his approval. However, Tyndale would not let the disapproval of men stop him from carrying out what seemed so obviously God’s will. With encouragement and support of some British merchants, he decided to go to Europe to complete his translation, then have it printed and smuggled back into England.
In 1524 Tyndale sailed for Germany. In Hamburg he worked on the New Testament, and in Cologne he found a printer who would print the work. However, news of Tyndale’s activity came to an opponent of the Reformation who had the press raided. Tyndale himself managed to escape with the pages already printed and made his way to the German city of Worms [famous for Luther’s stand at the Diet of Worms] where the New Testament was soon published. Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England.
The bishops did everything they could to eradicate the Bibles — Bishop Tunstall had copies ceremoniously burned at St. Paul’s; the archbishop of Canterbury bought up copies to destroy them. Tyndale used the money to print improved editions! King Henry VIII, then in the throes of his divorce with Queen Katherine, offered Tyndale a safe passage to England to serve as his writer and scholar. Tyndale refused, saying he would not return until the Bible could be legally translated into English.
Tyndale continued hiding among the merchants in Antwerp and began translating the Old Testament while the King’s agents searched all over England and Europe for him. Tyndale was finally found and betrayed by an Englishman. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy — for believing, among other things, in the forgiveness of sins and that the mercy offered in the gospel was enough for salvation. In August 1536, he was condemned; on October 6, 1536 he was strangled and his body burned at the stake. His last prayer was “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”
The prayer was answered in part when three years later, in 1539, Henry VIII required every parish church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to its parishioners.
Sources:
Adapted from an earlier Christian History Institute story.
Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961.
Daniell, David. William Tyndale, a biography. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.
Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. London: OxfordUniversity Press, 1921 – 1996.
Kunitz, Stanley L. British Authors Before 1800; a biographical dictionary. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1952.
Mozley, J. F. William Tyndale. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; New York: The Macmillan company, 1937.
Sampson, George. Concise Cambridge History of English Literature. Cambridge, 1961.
“Tyndale or Tindale, William.” The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
Wild, Laura Huld. The Romance of the English Bible; a history of the translation of the Bible into English from Wyclif to the present day. GardenCity, New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1929.
A Christian worker in an Islamic country in the Arabian Peninsula told this story to Greg Kernaghan, a writer for OM International (Operation Mobilization International):
For the last 30 years, people have smuggled Bibles into this country in suitcases, been increasingly caught and deported and the Bibles destroyed. Six years ago, I decided that if I could make one contribution to the Gospel, I would import them legally.
I was a neighbour to some very powerful sheiks. As my Arabic steadily improved, I became more interesting to them. I would meet them regularly for conversation over tea. One of the sheiks, older than I am, invited me weekly to his house, as I was friends with his son and a cousin. They often asked my reason in living in the Arabian Peninsula. I operate a bona fide business providing services the locals cannot.
Love is patient
In conversation, as we talked about the Qur’an, I would mention the Injil (Gospel) and the position of the Bible in the Qur’an. It says that we should read the Torah, the Zabur (Psalms), the Injil – all of God’s books. So I challenged them to read the Injil, saying that we in fairness could not dialogue about them unless all of us have read them, as I would have an unfair advantage as the only one in our group to have done so. The Qur’an does not speak of only one volume; it is a multi-volume work. In my view, many Muslims have been disobedient to the Qur’an by not reading all of the volumes God has given us. In humility, as an outsider who has read all the books, I don’t want to enter into discussions until they also have read them.
All of a sudden they thought, He’s right – but he’s not right. And so they debated this amongst themselves. This process lasted, not one or two hours, but a year. Inevitably it comes back to tahreef – belief that the Christian Scriptures are corrupted. I did my research on this claim; I was in no rush but was patient for truth’s sake.
Over some months, I presented my study of the issue. This teaching, in fact, goes against the Qur’an; they can’t say that something is possible (corruption) when God says it is impossible. The Qur’an says that the Word of God cannot be changed. Who has the power over God to corrupt His Word? Eventually they admitted that, in order to be good Muslims, they not only had to read all the books but also had to remove this idea of tahreef from the discussion.
Challenging honour
Then it became an open discussion: Where can we get the Injil? I suggested they should just go the market and buy it. They were sceptical; maybe it was illegal. Why would the word of God be illegal? Nevertheless, I told them to go and find it.
Two weeks later they returned and said it wasn’t possible. Maybe no one wants to read it? This is haram, I said; it’s shameful that a country of Muslims doesn’t want to obey the Qur’an and read all the books. What kind of Islam are you practicing? They conceded that I was right, because I had already gone through a study of the Qur’an with them to lay the foundations for the Gospel. OK, they said, we have to read it and, since it’s not available, we need to find a way to make it available. I said that I had copies at home, which they could read; if they liked the translation, we could explore ways to get more. I gave a copy to the sheiks and his male relatives.
Over the next six months, they all read it cover to cover. Amazing conversations followed. We talked about Jesus, miracles, their misconceptions of Christians and how sometimes the behaviour of Christians didn’t align with the teachings of Jesus – not unlike how the behaviour of Muslims may not align with the teaching of the Qur’an.
One of my friends in the group read through the Injil, and Jesus appeared to him in a dream. He asked me many questions in private and then recounted his understanding of Jesus as Messiah. He became a follower of Jesus.
It took two years for these sheiks to realise that there were no Injils in the rest of the country, and that they had the moral and religious duty to make it available for all Muslims to read. There we were again, sitting around drinking tea while the sheiks argued amongst themselves as to whether it would be more profitable to print them in the country or import them.
I said, “Brothers, let me help you.” They responded, “No, you can’t get involved; you’re a white foreigner and if people see you involved they’ll think it’s a missionary effort and have nothing to do with it, and you and we will get into trouble. This has to come 100 percent from us.” I said, “I understand. I won’t be actively involved in what is your religious duty. What I can do is talk to the publisher and get you the materials to print locally or, if you choose to import it, I will pay for the first container load. It will belong to you the moment it is loaded onto the ship.” They agreed to try one shipment; if it sold well, they would consider printing it on demand inside the country.
So I arranged for 25,000 copies of the Gospels and the Book of Acts, a beautiful, high-quality version that would display beautifully and be respected. Using a cheap-looking version would cause deep offense. In this conservative country, the physical form of a holy book matters. It is unthinkable for a holy book to be a paperback!
God’s ways are not ours
So we sent the container on its way to the Arabian Peninsula. Meanwhile, there were attacks on foreigners inside the country and the man involved in importing the container wanted to back away from the deal. With no one claiming the container, it was locked up in storage. Two weeks of careful negotiations with various departments began to crack the bureaucratic wall. An understanding official agreed that technically it was legal but he wanted to avoid potential backlash if the info fell into the wrong hands. He too insisted that, as a white foreigner, I should be nowhere near the situation. We offered to regulate the rate of distribution, which was an acceptable compromise – we would very slowly trickle the Injils into the market.
Jesus is capable of speaking to people through various means, but the dominant manner in this culture is through Scripture. In spite of the negotiations to regulate distribution, the shipment was distributed within a week! Because the sheiks forbade me to get involved, they oversaw the distribution. Our group paid for the Injils and I brokered the deal, but the local sheiks imported them into their country, legally. We have received reports of them being sold in markets and bookstores throughout the country.
Our hope is that, in the future, there will be many thousands more printed inside this country. I’d like to think that I helped make it happen, but this was the work of local Muslim sheiks, partly motivated by financial gain, but also by a renewed sense of duty as Muslims to make the Injil available to people. It took a three-and-a-half year conversation, a thousand cups of tea and the building of trust. God is able.
Source: Greg Kernaghan, OM (real names and places withheld for security reasons)
This order of service for Passover is an attempt to be as true as possible to the historic one Jesus had with his disciples. The present day Passover as celebrated by millions of Jews is in the same order, and contains everything in this service (except for references to what Jesus did with it) as well as many additions that have been made, particularly since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.
CHAROSETH ‑ mixture to resemble mortar used in slavery.
Chopped apples (allow to turn brown ‑ no lemon juice),
Chopped walnuts, sultanas or raisins or dates,
with a little honey and wine to stick it together.
CANDLES ‑ 2 white candles and candle holders; matches.
SALT WATER or VINEGAR ‑ for 1st Dipping.
ROAST LAMB ‑ other foods optional: dates, figs, olives, grapes,
onions, cucumber, garlic, melon, lentils.
RED WINE mixed with water ‑ each person drinks 4 cups of it.
CUSHIONS ‑ to recline on.
PRESENTATION
The Passover was eaten in family groups of not less than 10 men. At the time of Jesus they reclined on the floor leaning to the left on cushions with low tables in front of them and their feet tucked behind. Reclining is a symbol of freedom. The Passover is not eaten in haste as was needed on the first Passover in Egypt. One’s best festive clothes are worn in honour of the occasion. Psalms were sung; appropriate worship songs may be used. The prayers are read in unison, unless otherwise indicated.
THE PASSOVER SERVICE
1. LIGHTING THE CANDLES
The lady of the house lights the candles and says:
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments and has commanded us to kindle the Festival light.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has preserved us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.
[As the woman begins the Service and gives light to the Passover table, so it was a woman who began the redemptive career of Messiah our Passover by giving birth to the Light of the World.]
2. FIRST CUP ‑ Cup of Blessing
Fill the first cup.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who chose us above all nations, and hallowed us with your precepts. So you gave us, O Lord God, in your love, Sabbaths for rest, anniversaries for gladness, feasts and holy days for rejoicing, and this Passover day, season of our freedom in love ‑ a holy convocation, in memory of our coming out of Egypt. For you have put your choice in us and have sanctified us of all peoples, and have given us your Sabbath and holy festivals as an inheritance, in love and desire, in joy and gladness.
Blessed are you, Lord who sanctified the Sabbath, Israel and the festive seasons.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has preserved us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.
Drink the first cup.
3. WASHING THE HANDS
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and has enjoined us concerning the washing of our hands.
[Concerning the washing, it is written: John 13:1‑5.]
Dip fingers into water
or follow Jesus’ example and instruction.
4. FIRST DIPPING ‑ Bitter Herb in Salt Water
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.
Leader:
The rabbis say that the bitter greens represent life. The salt water represents tears. So life is immersed in tears, as it was for our ancestors in Egypt.
Dip parsley (or lettuce) in salt water and eat.
5. THE FOUR QUESTIONS
Asked by youngest son able to read.
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; on this night why do we eat only unleavened bread?
2. On all other nights we eat herbs of every kind; on this night why do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights we eat meat roasted, stewed or boiled; on this night why do we eat only roasted meat?
4. On all other nights we do not dip the sop once; on this night why do we dip twice?
The Answer ‑ telling of the Passover story.
Our father, Jacob lived in a country called Caanan (now called Israel). Jacob, who was an old man, had many children and grandchildren and also many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. One year when the rainy season came and there should have been a great deal of rain to fill the cisterns and wells to make the grass grow green, there was no rain. The next year again there was no rain. The wells dried up, the grass withered and there was no water and no food for people or beasts. Jacob decided to pack all his goods and all his belongings and with his sons and his shepherds and his flocks, to go down to the land of Egypt where there was water and food enough to spare, and where Jospeh, his long lost son, was waiting for him.
That is how the children of Israel (because Jacob’s other name was Israel) came into Egypt and settled there and lived happily in the green fields by the Nile River. Those were good years while Jospeh lived and a kindly Pharaoh ruled over Egypt. The children of Israel and their flocks prospered and multiplied.
The time came when Joseph grew old and died and so did all his brothers and the good Pharaoh who had welcomed the children of Israel to Egypt. Later, a bad Pharaoh ruled and said to his people, “See, there are too many children of Israel living with us. Let us be cruel to them. Let us make them build cities and storehouses for us, and well not pay them but we shall beat them till they can work no harder.” And so it happened that the free Israelites were enslaved and cruelly treated and forced to bake bricks in the hot Egyptian sun.
Because we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt the Lord our God brought us out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. If the Most Holy (blessed is he!), had not brought our ancestors out of Egypt, we, and our children, and our children’s children, would still continue in bondage to the Pharaohs in Egypt.
Blessed is he who keeps his promise to Israel. Blessed is the Most Holy, who premeditated the end of the captivity that he might do what he had promised to our father Abraham, as it is said: And he said to Abraham, “Know for certain that your seed shall be strangers in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them 400 years. And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and they shall go out with great substance.”
It is this same promise which has been the support of our ancestors and of us also; for not only one nation has risen up against us, but in every generation there are some who rise up against us to annihilate us. But the Most Holy (blessed is he!), has delivered us out of their hand. And the Lord brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with terror, and with signs and wonders.
Read Exodus 7: 1 ‑ 14.
6. THE PLAGUES.
Fill second cup. Leader says:
Though we celebrate our liberation, our happiness is not complete as long as others remain bound to slavery and death.
Leader raises cup and continues:
A full cup is a symbol of complete joy. Let us, therefore, diminish our cups as we recall the plagues which befell the Egyptians.
Each participant empties a drop from his cup for each one of the ten plagues:
Leader: Whoever does not mention the three things used on the Passover has not done his duty, and these are: the paschal lamb, the unleavened bread and the bitter herb (Exodus 12:8).
Show lamb to the company.
Why do we eat the paschal lamb?
To protect the children of Israel, God commanded the head of each household to sacrifice a spotless lamb and to apply its blood to the doorway of his home, first to the top of the doorway, the lintel, and then to the two sideposts. The paschal lamb signifies that the Most Holy (blessed is he!) passed over our fathers’ houses in Egypt, as it is said: You shall say, “It is the Lord’s sacrifice of the Passover because he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses” (Exodus 12:27).
[Concerning the Messiah, it is written:
Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18; Rev. 5:12.]
Show unleavened bread to the company.
Why do we eat unleavened bread?
There was not enough time for the dough of our ancestors to leaven before the Supreme King of Kings (blessed is he!) appeared to them and redeemed them, as it is said: “They baked unleavened bread of the dough which they brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry because they had no time to prepare food for themselves” (Ex. 12:39).
Show bitter herb to the company.
Why do we eat bitter herb?
The Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt, as it is said: “They embittered their lives with cruel bondage, in mortar and brick and in all kinds of labour in the field; all their service in which they made them labour with rigour” (Ex. 1:14).
It is therefore incumbent on every Israelite, in every generation, to look upon himself as if he had actually gone out from Egypt, as it is said: “And you shall declare to your son, on that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came out from Egypt. It was not our ancestors only that the Most Holy (blessed is he!) redeemed from Egypt, but us also he redeemed with them, as it is said, “And he brought us out that he might bring us to the land which he swore to give to our fathers.”‘”
We therefore are privileged to thank, praise, adore, glorify, extol, honour, bless, exalt, and reverence him who did all the miracles for our ancestors and us. He brought us from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning into holy days, from darknss to great light, and from servitude to redemption; so therefore let us sing to him a new song, Hallelujah!
8. SECOND CUP ‑ Cup of Thanksgiving
Psalms 113 and 114 are recited.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Drink the second cup.
9. SECOND DIPPING ‑ The Mixture (Charoseth)
The Leader breaks a piece of unleavened bread (Matzo).
This is the bread of affliction and poverty.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, who sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to eat unleavened bread.
All take a piece of unleavened bread with bitter herbs on it and dip into the mixture (charoseth) and eat.
The charoseth is to remind us of the bricks we made while in bondage. We may ask ourselves, “Why should it taste so sweet?” The rabbis respond: “Even the bitterest of labour tasted sweet when we knew that redemption drew near.”
[Jesus commented that one who had dipped his hand in the bowl with him would betray him (Mt. 26:20‑23).]
10. THE PASSOVER MEAL
All eat the roast lamb and food in a relaxed way, without ceremony.
NOTE: Lamb is no longer eaten at Passover since the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD. Other roast meat is eaten instead.
At the end of the meal everything is cleared away except the unleavened bread and wine.
GRACE AFTER THE MEAL:
[Traditionally, grace is said after the meal.]
Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever;
Blessed be our God whose food we have eaten and
through whose goodness we live.
PRAYER:
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who feeds the whole world with your goodness, and with your grace, kindness and mercy gives food to every creature; for your mercy endures forever.
And through your great goodness sustenance has never failed us, and may it not fail us for ever and ever, for the sake of your great name; for you are the God who feeds and sustains all, and deals bountifully with all, and provides food for all the creatures that you have created.
Blessed are you, O Lord, who gives food to all.
11. COMMUNION INSTITUTED
Read John 6: 32 ‑ 35.
Jesus took the bread and gave thanks…
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth.
… and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
[The bread is unleavened; it is striped and it is pierced.
Even so the Messiah was unleavened, that is sinless;
Even so the Messiah was striped by the Roman whip;
Even so the Messiah was pierced by the nails in his hands
and his feet and by the spear in his side.]
Read Isa. 53:5.
Break and eat the bread together.
12. THIRD CUP ‑ Cup of Redemption
Fill the third cup.
Concerning this cup, it is written:
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Drink the third cup.
13. FOURTH CUP ‑ Cup of Praise
Fill the fourth cup.
Psalms 115 ‑ 118 are recited.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Drink the fourth cup.
14. THE GREAT PRAISE ‑ Final Song
Psalm 136 is recited.
When they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives (Mark 14:26).
RESOURCES
Buksbazen, Victor, The Gospel in the Feasts of Israel. Philadelphia: Friends of Israel, 1954.
Edersheim, Alfred, The Temple, Its Ministry and Services as they were at the Time of Jesus Christ. Eerdmans, 1954.
Edersheim, Alfred, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962.
Gilbertson, Merrill, The Way it was in Bible Times. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1959.
Levy, Isaac, A Guide to Passover. London: Jewish Chronicles, 1958.
Rosen, Ceil & Moishe, Christ in the Passover. Chicago: Moody, 1968.
Encyclopedia Judaica. Jerusalem: Keter, 1971.
The following Passover Haggadahs:
Birnbauum, Philip. New York: Hebrew Pub. Co., 1953.
Bronstein, Herbert, ed. New York: Central Confrence of American Rabbis, 1975.
Glatzer, Nahum. New York: Schocken, 1953.
Lipson, Eric‑Peter. San Franscisco: JFJ Pub., 1986.
“mandatum”, meaning a commandment. Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, commanded:
‘A new commandment I give to you that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (John 13:34-35).
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And he said to them …
‘But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves. … I am among you as the one who serves’ (Luke 22:24-27).
And supper being ended [some manuscripts: during supper] … Jesus rose from supper and laid aside his garments, took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. … So when he had washed their feet, taken his garments, and sat down again, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? … I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them’ (John 13:2, 15-17).
Mark Twain’s famous story of Huckleberry Finn tells of Miss Watson, a rather stodgy old fuddy-duddy. She began to tell Huck Finn about heaven, and Huck later mused: “She said … she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn’t try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble and wouldn’t do no good. Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think much of it. But I never said so.”
Then I got to thinking: If Heaven is boring it would have to be because God is boring. That is utter nonsense. Our desire for pleasure and the experience of joy come directly from God’s hand.
He made
our taste buds,
adrenaline,
sex and our sex drives,
our ability to laugh
our ability to appreciate beauty
the nerve endings that convey pleasure to our brains
joy
the feeling of exhilaration
our imagination..
Heaven is God’s home, the dwelling place of the One who is infinite in creativity, goodness, beauty, and power. How could the home of someone like that be anything less than thrilling? As Paul says, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
All secondary joys are derivative in nature. They cannot be separated from God. Flowers are beautiful for 1 reason – God is beautiful.
Rainbows are stunning because God is stunning.
Puppies are delightful because God is delightful.
Sports are fun because God is fun.
Study is rewarding because God is rewarding.
Work is fulfilling because God is fulfilling.
Every other joy will be derivative, flowing from the fountain of our relationship with God.
John Donne said, “No man ever saw God and lived. And yet, I shall not live till I see God.”
Or as Randy Alcorn puts it, “The day I die will be the best day I’ve ever lived.”
10 reasons why heaven will be a blast.
1We get a new body
2 Corinthians 4:5 – talking about our bodies
“While we live in this earthly tent we groan with a feeling of oppression. It is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body but we want to have the heavenly one put on over us so that what is immortal will be transformed by life”
In heaven – won’t be mystical pieces of cloud, Spirit people, floating along. We will actually have a body. The limitations, sickness, disease hassled that we had with earthly bodies will be gone.
2 We get to live in a custom-built house.
John 14:1-3 Jesus says
“I go to prepare a place for you.”
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us- custom-built house.
3We get to eat great food.
Mathew 8:11
“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Revelation 19:9
“And the angel said to me ‘Blessed are those that are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb.” And he answered – “These are the true words of God.”
Be there with relatives, friends, mates – awesome. One big party in Heaven.
4 We will get to talk with Bible characters
Luke 9:30-31 gives us a peek:
“two men talked with him who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory …”
We will be able to chat to Bible characters and famous Christians throughout history.
5 See and speak with our loved ones
1Thessalonians 4:13-17
“We who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever.”
I reckon heaven will be blast just for fact can hang out with people we loved here on earth
6 We will get to live in a perfect world.
Genesis 1:31
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”
The Bible says God gave Adam and Eve everything. Pleasant to the eyes, food good to eat, animals – Paradise. If God created that here on earth, how much more awesome Heaven where God lives? Heaven will be a blast – perfect environment, perfect world, just like Adam & Eve had in Garden of Eden – awesome.
7 There is going to be ‘NO More’s’
Revelation 7:16-17 says
“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
There will be no more hunger, thirst, scorching heat, tears, death, crying, no more bad guys and no more impure things.
8 Take part in awesome worship
Revelation 7:9 is one glimpse:
“I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues … All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.”
The whole atmosphere in heaven is honour and worship. Randy Alcorn, in his book simply titled Heaven, says, “Consider what it will be like to see the Masai of Kenya, the Dinka of Sudan, the Hmong, Athabaskans, Tibetans, Aucans, Icelanders, Macedonians, Moldovans, Moroccans, and Peruvians. Hundreds of nations, thousands of people groups, will gather to worship Christ. And many national and cultural distinctives, untouched by sin, will continue to the glory of God.”
9 No time in eternity
Revelation 22:5, the last Bible chapter notes:
“They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
We won’t be able to conceptualise time in heaven. So my idea is that we will live all of eternity all at once as there will be no past and no future as there is no time. That all at once moment lasts for all eternity.
10 We get to see God.
John 3:2
“Dear Friends, now we are children of God and what we be has not yet been made known, but we can know that when He appears, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.”
John 14:3
“And if I go I will prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you will also be where I am.”
I think heaven will be a blast just for that one reason alone – the fact that we get to hang out with God.
How do we get there?
John 14:6 – Jesus said
“I am the way, the truth and the light, no-one comes to the Father but through me.”
John 3:16 – Jesus said
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Me will not perish but have everlasting life.”
Heaven is an incredible place.
WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
How confident are you that you would end up in heaven?
John 14:1-3 – Heaven is a Place Heaven is a Prepared Place Heaven is a Prepared Place for Prepared People
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John was an eye-witness to the ministry of Jesus. He belonged to the inner circle of disciples with his brother James and with Peter the natural leader. John may have been the youngest of the disciples, uniquely remembered as the disciple whom Jesus loved.
J B Phillips concludes his translation of the closing verses in John’s Gospel this way:
All the above was written by an eye-witness. Now it is this same disciple who is hereby giving his testimony to these things and has written the down. We know that his testimony is reliable. Of course, there are many other things which Jesus did, and I suppose that if each one were written down in detail, there would not be room in the whole world for all the books that would have to be written (21:24-25).
Throughout his gospel John assets that he was recording what he had seen and heard. He states early in the Gospel that he with others witnessed the life of Jesus the Christ, the Logos – the living Word of God. He declares, “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father (1:14).
John describes how he was there at the crucifixion witnessing that stupendous, agonizing death, “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe” (19:35). Here again he underlines the main purpose of writing his Gospel as he does in his conclusion before the Appendix of Chapter 21:
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (20:30-31).
John’s purpose is evangelistic – “that you may believe”. This book surveys John’s own approach to telling his story.
Section 1: Details exclusive to John, briefly surveys John’s unique account of Jesus’ life and ministry and focuses on his very personal record of the crucifixion and resurrection.
Section 2: Study Outlines covers key passages in John’s Gospel compiled from relational Bible from the three books Kingdom Life in Matthew, Mark and Luke, which use common lectionary readings from John scattered through those three books.
John’s intimate, personal Gospel story transcends time and space to show us his living Lord, the Son of God, revealed in human flesh, living among us, full of grace and truth, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (3:16).
Contents
Introduction: John an eye-witness
Section 1: Details exclusive to John
1 Signs
2 Sayings
3 People
4 Times
5 Numbers
6 Places
7 General details
Section 2: Relational Bible Studies
Compiled from Kingdom Life in Matthew, Mark and Luke
Part 1: The Life and Ministry of Jesus
Part 2: The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Appendix: Renewal Journals and books
Contents of Study Outlines – one page for each study
PART 1: THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS
Preparation: The Coming of Jesus the Messiah
1. Reflections on the birth of Jesus John 1:1-18
2. The witness of John the Baptist John 1:29-34
Commencement: The figure of Jesus the Messiah
3. The marriage feast at Cana John 2:1-11
4. The meaning of the cross John 3:1-17
5. The Messiah and Samaritans John 4:1-42
6. The Holy Spirit Promised John 7:37-39
7. The Son of God and a man born blind John 9:1-41
Dr CharlesV. Taylor is a well known Australian linguist, Bible teacher, author, and Christian magazine contributor. His doctoral studies researched the Nkore-Kiga language of Uganda in Africa where he served as a missionary.
Evangelism these days isn’t always simple and straightforward. Sometimes we mix with people of different traditions and in so doing it is possible to compromise the simplicity of the Gospel. No one should be against co-operation between different fellowships, but that isn’t the point. We must guard against a sort of ‘Jesus plus’ approach to evangelism.
Different fellowships may place emphasis on different aspects of what they perceive as truth. If that particular emphasis dominates evangelism, or even if it is just an optional extra, it not only makes for a bending of the Gospel message, but a disunity among evangelists. For this reason we should try to find a kind of nuclear Gospel; a message all can, indeed must, agree as basic.
What then are the essentials of the Christian faith? There was a time when most Christians would recite their creeds weekly. Pentecostals and many others, such as Baptists, tend to play down creeds as too binding. Yet the church has always defended its basics from the very start. The New Testament epistles spend a fair amount of time defending the faith.
I believe we can sort out a basic set of beliefs which should be regarded as binding on those who seek the proclaim the faith to a disbelieving world.
Some of us have encountered situations where a non-Christian is told, ‘Jesus loves you’ but where the reply gives the impression, ‘Anyway I’m a lovable person, so what?’ This is possible because no indication was given of any need, and no awareness of need was present. Before it can be accepted, the Gospel needs both repentance and faith.
Not only can we add to the Gospel message. We can also subtract from it by concentrating only on the love of God or of Jesus, according to the approach used. This is another reason why we should have a minimum Gospel message. We don’t want ‘Jesus plus’, but neither do we want ‘Jesus minus’.
Jesus makes no sense in terms of salvation unless he is known for who he is. As a fellow human being he can do nothing for humanity unless he is greater than any human. He has to be the God-man. So we need to begin with God himself, his nature and power. So what is the absolute minimum?
We can begin with the biblical declaration that
(1) God exists. Two psalms declare that the fool says, ‘There’s no God’. Yes, we need a superpower. But then, he isn’t a mere outsider.
(2) He created us for himself. And,
(3) he has rights as the Ruler of earth and its Judge. In religious jargon, he is Lord. That indeed was the challenge to Christians in a hostile world where Caesar was lord.
What does this have to do with Jesus Christ? Well, Jesus made claims, so either he was lying or deluded, or else he was really God in human form. This is where belief enters and where Jesus’ life and death become meaningful or else irrelevant. The evangelist’s job is to show that those claims have urgent meaning for helpless people and truly,
(4) we do have needs.
(5) Jesus was incarnated supernaturally, and
(6) his coming was foretold in writing, the most permanent way of keeping records during most of history.
(7) He lived a sinless life, but yet,
(8) he willingly died a criminal’s death. That doesn’t make sense unless he died for someone else. So, if he was God in human form, as he claimed, he could then die for more than one person.
The record says he died for everyone. So, everyone who
(9) sees their own disobedience, independence or superior attitude to God’s person and instructions, and who
(10) believes Jesus took the punishment appropriate to that deficiency, is forgiven and free.
Finally, God not only rules this planet but lives in eternity, where
(11) he has prepared a place fore those willing to have his as their Lord. For those who reject God and his Son sent specially to save them, following the one who brought disobedience into human (and angel) lives,
(12) a place of eternal punishment is reserved.
The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, and
(13) he is personal,
(14) he convicts of sin, and
(16) he brings faith.
Pentecostals and charismatics agree that the Holy Spirit’s work in those evangelised includes but is also distinct from evangelism. Signs and wonders, for instance, help confirm the Spirit’s work and the truth of God’s word. Evangelism without the Spirit’s power is fruitless.
All these beliefs, including the unattractive ones, are found in creeds and statements of faith in major orthodox fellowships. They’re not set out here as material for evangelism, but as tools or equipment for evangelists. In sum they are:
* One God – creator, redeemer, and life-giver, three in one.
* One way to God – Jesus, who died, the just for the unjust.
* One way to escape from hell to heaven – repentance and faith.
* One way to know truth – through God’s Spirit revealing God’s word.
All Christians are called to be witnesses, though not all are called or gifted to be evangelists. It is a real privilege for us all to share in God’s harvesting work in our world.
Relational Bible studies on every Gospel reading for the year of Matthew in the Common Lectionary (Year A).
Part I, The life and ministry of Jesus: Preparation – the coming of Jesus the Messiah, Commencement – the figure of Jesus the Messiah, Christ’s design for life in God’s kingdom, The spread of God’s kingdom, The mystery of God’s kingdom, God’s kingdom on earth and the church, Authority and invitation, God’s kingdom fulfilled.
Part II, The death and resurrection of Jesus: Preparation for the passion of Jesus, Resurrection appearances of Jesus, Observations about Jesus, The coming of the Holy Spirit, The Godhead.
Kingdom Life in Mark
Relational Bible studies on every Gospel reading for the year of Mark in the Common Lectionary (Year B).
Part I, The life and ministry of Jesus: Preparation – the coming of Jesus the Messiah, Commencement – the figure of Jesus the Messiah, The mystery of the Son of God, The way of the Son of Man, The fulfilment of the mystery.
Part II, The death and resurrection of Jesus: Preparation for the passion of Jesus, Resurrection appearances of Jesus, The coming of the Holy Spirit, The Godhead.
Kingdom Life in Luke
Relational Bible studies on every Gospel reading for the year of Luke in the Common Lectionary (Year C).
Part I, The life and ministry of Jesus: Preparation – the coming of Jesus the Messiah, Commencement – the figure of Jesus the Messiah, Luke’s program for Jesus’ ministry, The Galilean ministry,The travel narrative – part one, The gospel within the gospel, The travel narrative – part two, The ministry in Jerusalem, the fulfilment of the ministry.
Part II, The death and resurrection of Jesus: Preparation for the Passion of Jesus, Resurrection appearances of Jesus, The coming of the Holy Spirit, The Godhead.
See details, contents, photos and reviews on Amazon.
The Leader’s Goldmine
Hundreds of ideas for Christian groups
This book offers a huge range of activities arranged according to group activities. It provides a wide range of activities for many different kinds of groups. The final section, Integrated Studies on Themes gives four groups studies on each of the themes.
Contents:
How to use this book
Ideas for building relationships Deep – ideas and attitudes
Deeper – ideals and values
Deepest – ideologies and commitments
Ideas for Bible studies and prayers Bible passages
Bible study methods
Bible reading and relationship building
Bible readings and prayers
Ideas for church activities Program emphases: Devotional, Educational, Creative, Serving, Social, Sporting
Witness and Sharing Weekend
Survey Questionnaire
Commitment Indicator
Interests Indicator
Gifts Check List
Ideas for all ages together Activities involving young children and others
Activities involving older children and others
Family and church family questionnaires
Useful teaching activities
ABC of resource ideas
Simulation activities. Simulation Game: Build my Church
Ideas for integrated studies on themes The Great Experiment,
Prayer,
Relationship,
Good News,
The Church,
Mission,
Finding New Life,
Living New Life,
Faith Alive
Great Chapters – Old Testament
Great Chapters – New Testament
Jesus
This book is available in Paperback and as a digital eBook (Kindle and PDF).
See details, contents, photos, and reviews of renewal and revival books on Amazon
