The Life of Jesus According to the Gospels

New Testament Main Theme:

- Person of Jesus of Nazareth, his life, death, resurrection also known as Paschal
Mystery

Sections in the New Testament:

1. Gospels
- Matthew
- Mark
- Luke
- John
2. Acts of the Apostles
3. Pauline Letters and Epistles
- Pauline Letters
- Romans
- 1&2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1&2 Thessalonians
- 1&2 Timothy
- Titus
- Philemon
- Hebrews - sometimes considered a Pauline letter due to
tradition, though its authorship is debated
- Epistles
- James
- 1&2 Peter
- 1,2 & 3 John
- Jude
4. Apocalyptic
- Revelation

Gospel
- greek word “Evangelion” or Good News
- not arranged chronological order
- Matthew, is not the first gospel to be written nor is the first book in the New
Testament to be written
● Synoptic Gospels - “seen with the same eyes”
 - share a great deal of similarities in the events they cover
a. Matthew
b. Mark
c. Luke

Rosary
- five sets of mysteries, each set containing five individual mysteries
- each decade of the rosary, includes then Hail Mary’s, corresponding to a specific
mystery
- Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary
2. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
3. The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea
4. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
- The Luminous Mysteries
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan
2. The Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. The Institution of the Eucharist
- The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. The Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar
3. The Crowning of Jesus with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
- The Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection of Jesus
2. The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
5. The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven

● New Testament Biblical accounts on the mission of Jesus with His disciples and
with the people of His time.

Mission
 - action of sending someone to a place to do a particular job, esp. one for a
government or religious organization, or the job the person has been sent to do

● Jesus was a ‘Man with a Mission’

● The gospel is a message of freedom and liberation
● Jesus’ teachings and practice as source of hope for the suffering and the
marginalized.
● The Mission of Jesus Christ According to Luke 4:18–19
- this is a story where Jesus quotes from Isaiah and describes what his
work on earth is all about

Five missions of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Luke

1. to proclaim good news to the poor
2. to free prisoners
3. to help the blind to see
4. to give liberty to oppressed people
5. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Poverty: Luke 4:18 (a) “to proclaim good news to the poor”
● He had compassion on a poor widow and raised her only son from the dead,
because this son was the source of support for the widow’s future.
● He healed the lepers, so they could return to their work.
● The poor are not always poor. On the contrary, they are often rich in faith.

Captivity: Luke 4:18 (b) “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners”
● In the Gospels, we do not read of Jesus freeing anyone from prison. (In Acts we
read of some miraculously set free from jail).
- He did not even give freedom to John the Baptist when he was in prison,
although he certainly would have had the power to do so.
He Set:
1. Prisoners of the Devil
● Jesus liberated many people who were possessed by
demons.
● Even today there are many people who are prisoners
of the devil and his demons.
2. Prisoners of sin and vice
● “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who
sins is a slave to sin’ ” (John 8:34).
● It wasn’t just the prostitutes, adulterers, and tax
collectors who were sinners. The Jews thought they
 were free, but Jesus saw that they were enslaved to
sin.
● Today, many think they are free, but we realize that
such things as addiction, hate, violence, hypocrisy,
envy, greed, and many other sins imprison them.
3. Prisoners of Wealth
● Wealth prevented the rich young ruler from following
Jesus, and money continues to be a great obstacle,
hindering many people from faithfully following the
Lord.
● Our mission is not only directed toward the poor but
also toward the rich. They need to be freed from the
love of money.
4. Prisoners of Tradition and Legalism
● The religious in Jesus’ day were bound by their
traditions and laws, such that they could not accept
the grace of Jesus Christ.
● Today, many believe they can secure their salvation
by observing religious traditions. Believing themselves
to be free, they are slaves of tradition.

Physical Suffering: Luke 4:8 ( c ) “Recovery of sight for the blind.”

Jesus took an interest in people’s physical suffering.
● We are not the God who heals, but we believe in the God who can heal.
● God is the same God, yesterday, today, and forever.
● Sometimes he heals instantly, sometimes it is a process, sometimes he uses
medicine, sometimes he only removes the pain, but we can cry out to him and
trust in him.

Oppression:Luke 4:18 (d) “to set the oppressed free”

● Many are oppressed, distressed, weighed down, and grieving.
● Socially oppressed Jesus had compassion on the outcasts (lepers, for example).
● Jesus restored the life of the Samaritan woman.
● The prodigal son returned to his father’s warm, loving home.
1. Oppressed by difficult life experiences
- many live oppressed by the pain and hurts of the past childhood
abuse, marital infidelity, and financial injury
2. Oppressed by fear and worry
- many Christians live oppressed by this current evil, fear of what is
to come, fear of what others will say, worry about the current
economic state, worry about their children, etc.
Good News: Now is the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:19)
- The teaching ministry of Christian educational institutions should align with the
mission of the church. Moreover, it ought to assist the church in accomplishing its
ministry, purposes, and mission in society.

● The church’s mission, and consequently our mission, since we form part of the
church, is to take the good news of the grace of Jesus Christ to this world full of
needs, problems, and misfortunes.
● Like Jesus, we need anointment with the Holy Spirit; otherwise, our ministry will
be limited to just human power and human effort