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Skip straight to the video, or do the pre-class readings.
Suggested Pre-Class Readings
Read Matthew 4:13. Where does Jesus move to after leaving Nazareth? Note: this city will become his home base.
One of the themes we will see in Luke is a focus on women. Read the following passages and write down a sentence about who the women are that Christ interacts with, and what lessons you learn from the woman and/or her interaction with Christ (each of these passages is unique to Luke).
Another theme we will see in Luke is a focus on helping the poor. Read the following passages and write down a sentence each one, summarizing the events and message it contains (each of these passages is unique to Luke).
Luke 16:14-15 (for context), and then the parable that follows in Luke 16:19-31
A third theme we will see in Luke is that Christ’s ministry is to all even those who are sometimes on the margins of society. Read this following passage (unique to Luke): Luke 18:9-17.
John contains many themes and contrasts. Let’s explore a few of them. Note, for each of the below contrasts, there are several other verses that we could add. We are only studying a couple of examples for each contrast; however, there are many more for each one.
Read John 3:31 and John 8:23. What contrast is mentioned in these verses?
Read John 11:9-10, John 12:35, and John 12:46. What contrast is mentioned in these verses?
Read John 14:21 and John 15:18-19. What contrast is mentioned in these verses?
Read John 6:38, John 6:51, John 8:28, and John 12:32. What contrast is mentioned in these verses?
Read John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23, and John 13:1. What contrast is mentioned in these verses? What do you think is meant by “hour”?
Class video (or podcast)
Questions to focus on during the video
What are two themes from the Gospel According to Matthew?
How does Christ raise the bar with laws that Moses gave in Matthew 5?
What other book does Luke author?
Be able to identify and explain at least two specific scriptural examples of Luke’s focus on women.
–What do we know about the women who are with Jesus in Luke 8?
–In Luke 10:38-42, what does Mary do? What does Martha do? What does Jesus say?
Be able to identify and explain at least two specific scriptural examples of Luke’s focus on outreach to the poor.
–What is the storyline and meaning of the parable of the Rich man and his barn?
–What is the storyline and meaning of the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus?
What has Jesus taught in the latter-days about financial stewardship?
Be able to identify at least one specific scriptural example of Luke’s focus on the Gospel being for all of God’s children.
Compare and contrast the genealogies given by Matthew and Luke. How do these reflect the purposes of each author?
Where does John fit in terms of Christology? Give an example or two from the scriptures that illustrate your response.
How many miracles does Jesus perform in John?
What are the 7 “I am” statements in John?
Check Your Understanding Questions
Available here.
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Optional post-class readings
For more on Matthew, read, “Matthew as an Editor of the Life and Teachings of Jesus,” by Gaye Strathearn.
If you want to do a deep dive into Luke, consider studying The Gospel According to Luke, by Joseph A. Fitzmyer. This is a scholarly work, with many valuable insights. (Part 1, Part 2).
For an devotional approach to the Gospel of John, try Eric Huntsman’s Becoming the Beloved Disciple: Coming unto Christ through the Gospel of John.
For more background on the Gospels, read, “Who Really Wrote the Gospels? A Study of Traditional Authorship,” by Frank Judd, in How the New Testament Came to Be: The Thirty-fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, ed. Kent P. Jackson and Frank F. Judd Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006), 123-140.
Download the PowerPoint used in the video
PowerPoint for this class available here.
Acknowledgements
Insights from, discussions with, and resources authored by Dr. Frank Judd, Dr. Matthew Grey, Dr. Mark Strauss, James Martin, SJ, and Dr. Hank Smith were used in the creation of this video.