The New Testament Story

‘Helping you find your way from Matthew to Revelation’

Regular Baptist Press

Unit 1  ‘Christ’s First Coming: His Birth and Early Life.

Session 2    The Birth and Life of Christ

PP Overview       This session is an account of the life of Jesus Christ

PP Aims

By the end of this class, you will be able to:

          1. Explain the uniqueness of Jesus Christ

          2. Defend the Biblical teaching of the Virgin Birth

          3. Explain the reason Jesus died on the cross

PP Key Verse:  ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’  Mk 10:45

I. The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ

PP Unique defined: ‘One of a kind’ It means that there is not another like it.

Question: Name something that is unique.

                  What makes it unique?

·        The story of the NT has its focus on the unique person of Jesus Christ. His very uniqueness is at the core of the NY story.

Question: Would you agree that Jesus Christ is unique?

There has never been anyone like Jesus.

·        There is no human like him

·        There is no angel like him

·        God the Father, God the Holy Spirit are not like Jesus

Question: What makes Jesus unique?

·        Is it because he had not beginning? No. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are also eternal.

·        Is it because his birth was prophesized? No. So was Isaac, Samuel and John the Baptist.

There are three things that make Jesus unique.

          PP 1. Jesus Christ is the God-Man

                   -He is both God and man. Scripture clearly teaches the incarnation of the Son of                         God. (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16)

          PP 2. Jesus Christ created his own ancestors

Question: What do I mean by that?

·        Jesus’ family tree in Lk. 3:23-38 traces his family roots back to Abraham then back to Adam.

Question: Who created Adam

·        God (Gen. 1:26-28)

Question: Who is the ‘us’ in this text?

·        The God-head: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Read: ‘Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.’ Jn 1:3

          -The ‘him’ is the Word, Jesus, God the Son. That’s why Jesus could say, ‘before                       Abraham was, I Am.’ (Jn. 8:58)

          PP 3. Jesus Christ had no human father

Question: What is the theological doctrine this represents?

·        The virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

              -The virgin birth of Jesus was prophesized by Isaiah 700 yrs before he was born.

Read: ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.’ Is 7:14

Summary

Question: What three things make Jesus Christ unique?

          1. Jesus is the God-Man

          2. Jesus created his own ancestors

          3. Jesus has no human father

Jesus Christ is unique and that helps prove his divinity.

PP II. Conception and Birth of Jesus Christ

From Scripture we learn three important truths about the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.

          PP A. It was a prophesized birth

                    -Isaiah was not the only prophet to tell of Jesus’ birth. Micah predicted the exact                         city the Messiah (Jesus) would be born. (Micah 5:2)       

          PP B. It was a royal birth

                   -The one who would be born in Bethlehem would be ‘ruler in Israel’

                   -The angel who spoke to Mary told her this concerning Jesus.

Read: ‘He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’ Lk 1:32-33

Read: ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?’ Mt 2:2a

          PP C. It was a virgin Birth

                    -The virgin birth is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity. If Christ’s conception                          had been by normal means, Jesus would have a sinful nature and could not be the  Savior of humanity.

                   -Isaiah prophesized Jesus’ virgin birth and the Gospels show us that it was                                   fulfilled.     

Read: ‘This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.’ Mt 1:18

Question: Was Mary the only person who was told ahead of time about Jesus’ virgin birth?

·        No. An angel told Joseph in a dream

Read: ‘But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’ Mt 1:20

          -So that there would be no mistake about the virgin birth of Jesus, Matthew tells us:

Read: ‘All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” ‘Mt 1:22-23

Question: Why is the virgin birth of Jesus so important to Christianity?

·        It is important because with a father Jesus would have had a sin nature and could not have been our savior.

Summary

Question: What three important truths about Jesus’ conception and birth are vital to Christianity?

          1. It was a prophesized birth

          2. It was a royal birth

          3. It was a virgin birth

PP III. Life of Jesus Christ

          PP A. His infancy

Question: When was Jesus born?

·        We don’t know.

              -The night Jesus was born, God sent angels to announce his birth to shepherds   taking care of their sheep in the field. While the shepherds being in the fields   means it wasn’t bitter cold, it still could have been in the winter as Israeli winters  are not as harsh as here in the NE.

              -The Bible actually does not give us a date or even a solid clue as to when Jesus     was born.

Question: Why then do we celebrate Jesus’ birth on Dec. 25^th?

·        Tradition. The Romans celebrated the birthday of the God of the Sun. So Christians wanted to take over the holiday by celebrating the birth of the Son of God.

     -Does it really make a difference when we celebrate Jesus’ birth? No.

Question: What then is the purpose behind celebrating ‘Christmas’ if it probably isn’t the actual day Jesus was born?

·        It reminds us and everyone else that God did actually send his Son into the world.

Question: Where did the wise men visit Jesus?

·        Not in the manger as the Christmas carols say…it was in a house. Much later after Jesus was born.

Read: ‘On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.’ Mt 2:11

          PP B. His boyhood

Question: When Jesus was a toddler, what country did he and his family move to, to avoid being killed?

·        Egypt for about a year or so.

              -His family moved back to Israel and settled in Nazareth when an angel told them    it was safe to do so. It was in Nazareth that Jesus grew up.

Question: What happened when Jesus was 12?

·        He and his family went to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

·        He also went to celebrate his bar-mitzvah (implied)

Question: What is a ‘Bar Mitzvah’?

·        It is when a Jewish boy reaches 12 yrs old and is able to take on adult responsibilities.

              -Like being able to participate in the Temple and Synagogue. And this is exactly   what Jesus did when he was of age.

Read: ‘Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.’ Lk 2:47

                   -Jesus and his family left Jerusalem and returned to Nazareth. We are told that                              there Jesus:

                             -Was obedient to his parents (Lk 2:51)

                             -Grew in stature (Lk 5:52)

                             -Increased in wisdom. (Lk 5:52)

Question: If Jesus was God and knew all things, how could Scripture say he increased or grew in wisdom?

·        This is what others saw in him. Jesus was revealing more and more of who he was but only in increments that people could handle.

          PP C. His years of ministry

Question: What even marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry?

·        His temptation by the Devil in the wilderness

Question: What did Jesus use to have victory over the temptation of Satan to sin?

·        Scripture

Question: What does this tell us about how we can find victory over sin in our lives?

·        We use God’s Word against the temptations of Satan to make us sin

·        We need to know God’s Word so we can use it to fight temptation

·        We need to read, study God’s Word so we can know it, so we can use it

Read: ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword’

            Heb 4:12a

          -For three years Jesus ministered among the Jews

                   -He taught them

                   -He healed them

                   -He did good to them

                   -He forgave them

                   -He fed them

                   -He challenged them

                   -He loved them               

Read: ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.’ Acts 10:38

          -Jesus was a master teacher (Lk 4:22) Even the Sanhedrin acknowledged that. (Jn 7:46)

          -In spite of his great teaching, might miracles, the nation of Israel rejected him.                 

Summary

Action: Give me one fact about Jesus’ infancy

Action: Give me one fact about Jesus’ boyhood

Action: Give me one fact about Jesus’ ministry

PP IV. Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

At the end of his three years of ministry, one of Jesus’ disciples betrayed him.

Question: Who betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin?

·        Judas Iscariot

     -Jesus was then falsely accused by the religious leaders

     -Jesus was sent to Pontius Pilate to be condemned to death

     -Fearing a riot and reprisals from Rome, Pilate had Jesus crucified, nailed to a cross,

      in public, until he died.

     -When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty for our sin. He was the lamb that took  away the sin of the world.

Read: ‘For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit’ (1 Pe 3:18)

Read: ‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.’ 1 Pe 2:24

          -We are saved from our justly deserved punishment in hell for all eternity by the precious    blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary.         

Read: ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’ 1 Pe 1:18-19

          -By placing our faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are granted eternal life in   heaven in the presence of Almighty God.

          -After the crucifixion, Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb.

          -Three days later, Jesus rose form the dead. There were many witnesses to his                               resurrection.

Read: ‘After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.’ 1 Co 15:6

          -40 Days later, Jesus ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God making                 intercession for his own.

Question: What did Jesus’ life, death and ministry add to his uniqueness?

Application

Action: In simple terms explain why Jesus Christ is unique and why it is important.

Action: In simple terms, explain why Jesus died