The Way People See Jesus

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 26:34-35

Before Jesus' resurrection, there were five reactions to him: 1) the religious rulers questioned his authority; 2) the disciples were not prepared to suffer for the truth; 3) Herod viewed him as a novelty; 4) Pontius Pilate refused to make a decision; and 5) the thieves crucified with him either rejected him or gained salvation. Today, Jesus is still a polarizing figure.

The Last Supper

Ryan Lowery

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

As they eat the Passover meal, Jesus gives it a new meaning for his followers. Jesus teaches that he will suffer, and that he will not eat a Passover meal again until the true meaning of passover is fulfilled. The point of communion is to how Jesus broke his body and shed his blood so that we can be reconciled to God, and formed together into a community of love. Unfortunately, Jesus' disciples were too busy thinking about themselves to think about his sacrifice.

Who is Jesus?

Conrad Hilario

John 7:1-41

As the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles approaches, Jesus' brothers try to convince Him to make a public appearance in Jerusalem. Through this interaction, and what follows, we see different perspectives of who people say Jesus is. Five perspectives are discussed: 1) He is a good teacher or prophet; 2) He is a deceiver; 3) much of what we know about Jesus is a legend; 4) He is a madman, and 5) He is the Messiah. We are each faced with making the decision of who we believe Jesus is.

Does Jesus Speak for God?

Dennis McCallum

John 7:1-52

Jesus and His disciples are traveling through Galilee on the Feast of Booths when his brothers question why he doesn't make his works know to the world. Jesus tells them that his time has not yet come. There were disagreements concerning who Jesus was: 1) a good man; 2) a deceiver; 3) an insane man; or 4) the Messiah. Jesus also distinguishes the difference between seeking glory for self versus seeking the glory of the Father. This question of who Jesus is must be answered by every person, as his claims have huge weight on eternal life.

Jesus' Hard Teachings

Conrad Hilario

John 6:40

Jesus challenges people who are following Him with some hard teachings. He confronts them for following Him for only what they get out of it. He challenges them not to live for things that will perish, but for things that will last for eternity. He confronts the idea that they can work their way to God and claims He is the only way. Lastly, He tells them they need to believe in Him because He is the bread of life.

Four Witnesses Testify About Jesus

Conrad Hilario

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Jesus claims we can have eternal life through Him. He calls on four witnesses to testify about the truthfulness of this claim: 1) John the Baptist, 2) miraculous works, 3) the Holy Spirit, and 4) Old Testament scriptures. The prophecy in Daniel 9 is discussed as an example of the Old Testament validating Jesus as the promised Messiah.

The Triumphal Entry

Ryan Lowery

Zechariah 9:9-10

Though Jesus is the promised Messiah, he rides into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. God is trying to say both that He is not like us, and also that peace and love are spread by a show of restraint and humility, not by power. Jesus came not to conquer Rome, but to pay the penalty of sin on the cross. We should seek to understand this incredible victory as we prepare our friends and family for his next coming.

The Resurrection

Jeff Gordon

John 20:1-18

The claims that Jesus made before dying on the cross were pretty outlandish. These claims that he made were not just unusual, but verifiable. Jesus needed to validate his claims because the implications of his death and resurrection are significant: Jesus came to save humanity. It was not only during the time of Jesus' death that God wanted to provide evidence for faith in God, but He wants to provide that now for all people. Since God is a loving father who wants good things for us, it is reasonable and verifiable to believe the claims that He makes.

The Crucifixion as Fulfillment

Jeff Gordon

John 19:16-42

Jesus came the first time to die for the sins of humanity, but this was not the end. Jesus is going to come back, and if this is true, it has consequential implications and is worth considering. God not only sent His son Jesus to die on the cross, but He also predicted this in many ways throughout all of Scripture. Jesus' death paid the ultimate price for the ultimate gift that God wanted to give: a relationship with Him. This plan that He put in place provides substantial evidence for the validity of the gift of salvation.