Foundations of Christianity: Death & Resurrection of Jesus

� � Jesus’ teaching and miracles attracted a large following in

Galilee and other parts of Palestine. � It was different from that of Jewish Rabbis (teachers).

� Soon Jesus’ message brought him into conflict with people in power in the Jewish religion such as:

- The Pharisees – the Jewish laymen, experts on the Law of God in the local synagogues.

- The Sadducees – the Jewish priests in the Temple in Jerusalem and members of the Sanhedrin.

Conflict with Authority

� � Jesus was accused of mixing with social outcasts: sinners,

lepers, tax collectors, Gentiles (non-Jews) � Jesus believed his mission was to show that God loved all

people, regardless of their background – everyone has a place in the Kingdom of God

� The Jewish Authorities felt Jesus was unfit to be a Rabbi because he mixed with these outcasts

Conflict with Authority

� Jesus was accused of:

1. Blasphemy (serious disrespect to God) 2. Mixing with social outcasts 3. Receiving his power from the devil 4. Breaking Jewish Law

Conflict with Authority

� 1. Blasphemy (serious disrespect to God) Because he claimed to have the power to forgive sins. (Jesus heals a paralysed man) They said only God can forgive sins. Jesus said: his power to heal and forgive sins came directly from God. 2. Receiving his power from the devil Because he was able to expel evil spirits. (Jesus heals man with leprosy) They said: his power to work miracles came form the devil. Jesus said: his power to work miracles came directly from God.

Conflict with Authority

� 3. Breaking Jewish Laws Because he healed people on the Sabbath, a day when all physical work was forbidden. (Jesus heals a man with a paralysed hand) They said: they knew the law and Jesus had broken it. Jesus said: he had the right to interpret the law and to help people, even on the Sabbath 4. Mixing with social outcasts Because he was friendly with sinners, non-Jews and other people who were regarded as unclean and unfit for Jewish society, such as: Tax collectors, Romans, Samaritans, People with leprosy They said: Jesus was unfit to be a rabbi because he mixed with social outcasts. Jesus said: his mission was to show that the love of God is for all people, everyone has a place in the Kingdom of God.

Conflict with Authority

� A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

� On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus breaks the Sabbath

� � Jesus and his disciples went to the Temple in Jerusalem

for the Jewish festival of Passover. Jesus was annoyed at the way Temple priests allowed selling and money changing in the court of the Gentiles.

� Jesus publicly chased the money changers and traders out of the Temple.

� The Sadducees became angry at this � The Pharisees and Sadducees agreed that Jesus could not

be allowed to teach or challenge their authority any longer. He had to be stopped.

Jesus in conflict with Sadduccees

� The Last Supper is the name of the meal Jesus hosted and shared with his disciples on the eve of the Passover. Passover is a religious festival to celebrate the Exodus (Jewish freedom from slavery in Egypt). On the first Passover, every Jewish family in Egypt sacrificed a lamb to God. Its blood was sprinkled on the doorpost to the Angel of death would passover their home and they would be saved. Jews celebrate it every year with a special meal.

Holy Thursday - The Last Supper

� Each year at the Passover meal: � Prayers of thanks are offered to God. � Roast lamb and bitter herbs are eaten. � A cup of wine is blessed and given to everyone to drink. � Unleavened bread is blessed, broken and shared among

everyone.

Passover

� � Jesus took the bread, said a prayer of thanks to God and

gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my body”.

� Then Jesus took a cup of wine, said a prayer of thanks to God and gave it to his disciples saying “This is my blood”. “Do this in memory of me”.

� Jesus gave the bread and wine of passover new meaning when he connected it with his own suffering and death.

At The Last Supper

� � Jesus asked his disciples to continue the table-fellowship

of the Last Supper.

� The Christian Eucharist today is based on the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper.

� The Eucharist is a memorial to help Christians honour and re-live the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

At The Last Supper

� � Jesus tried to tell his disciples that his death would not be

an ordinary death. His death would be a sacrifice offered to God for the sake of others. Jesus would be the new Passover lamb.

� Jesus’ death would set everyone free from sin to live in the Kingdom of God.

� The disciples were confused. They only fully understood the meaning of Jesus’ words and actions after the Resurrection.

At The Last Supper

� � After the Last supper, Jesus went with his disciples to the

Garden of Gethsemene. He knew his words and actions as a travelling teacher had brought him into conflict with authority.

� While Jesus prayed, Judas arrived with the Temple guards and the Jewish authorities. The disciples tried to defend Jesus but later fled, all except Peter who followed at a distance.

�  Jesus was arrested and led away to face trial as the Pharisees and the Sadducees had already decided to get rid of Jesus because:

- He has publicly challenged their authority. - He claimed to be the Messiah and this might cause a revolt against the Romans.

Arrest & Trial of Jesus

� � After his arrest, Jesus was brought to the house of

Caiaphas, the High Priest and leader of the Sanhedrin. Caiaphas wanted to find out how serious a threat Jesus actually was.

� Jesus was asked if he was the Messiah. He said he was, adding that he had a special relationship with God.

� The Sanhedrin were furious and found Jesus guilty of Blasphemy (a religious offence against God).

� Jesus had broken Jewish law, so it was decided that he must be put to death. However the Sanhedrin did not have the power to execute him.

Arrest & Trial of Jesus

� � The Sanhedrin knew the Roman Governor would not be

interested in the religious verdict of Blasphemy � So they added another charge against Jesus – Treason � The would say that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews (Claiming to be a King was against the law & considered treason – punishable by death)

Arrest & Trial of Jesus

� �  Jesus was taken to the governor’s palace the next morning. �  Jesus was questioned by Pilate, the Roman governor of

Palestine. Pilate tried to find out if Jesus was a political trouble maker.

�  Jesus was asked if he was the king of the Jews. He replied that he was a king but that his kingdom was not of this world.

� Pilate thought Jesus was innocent, but under pressure from the Sanhedrin agreed that Jesus was breaking Roman Law by claiming to be a king. Pilate found Jesus guilty of treason (a political offence against the Roman Empire)

�  Jesus had broken Roman Law and so he could be sentenced to death.

Good Friday – Second Trial

� � Crucifixion was a cruel punishment used by the Romans

to deter people from opposing Roman rule. � Jesus was led out to be crucified on the day Christians call

Good Friday. � Jesus had to carry his cross through the streets of

Jerusalem. � A large crowd followed, weeping and wailing for him. � Simon, a man from Cyrene, was forced to help him carry

the cross.

Death of Jesus

� � At Calvary, the place of execution, Roman soldiers nailed

Jesus to the cross. � They attached a notice to the cross which read “This is the

King of the Jews” � Two criminals were crucified with him � Jesus suffered for almost 6 hours before he gave up his

spirit and died. � His last words were “Father in your hands I place my

spirit.” � His death was a sacrifice to save people from sin, and so

enter the Kingdom of God.

Death of Jesus

� Stations of the Cross

� Stations of the Cross

� Stations of the Cross

� � According to Jewish law, bodies had to be buried before

the Sabbath. � As the Sabbath approached, the body of Jesus was taken

down and quickly laid in a borrowed tomb near where he was crucified. The embalming of the body would take place after the Sabbath.

� A large stone was rolled in front of the tomb. A guard was placed at the entrance of the tomb to ensure that the tomb would not be disturbed. The Sanhedrin did not want Jesus’ followers to remove the body.

Burial of Jesus

� � Jesus’ death was a form of martyrdom.

� Jesus suffered and died because of his religious beliefs.

� His mission was to teach people about the love of God and to show people how to live in the Kingdom of God.

Martyrdom

� � The Resurrection is Christian belief that 3 days after he was

crucified, Jesus rose form the dead. � On Sunday, when the Jewish Sabbath was over, a group of

women arrived at the tomb to finish the anointing of the body of Jesus. They saw that the large stone sealing the tomb was rolled back and the tomb was empty.

� A messenger from God told them “Jesus is not here, he is risen from the dead”.

� The women were shocked and rushed to tell the disciples, who did not believe them. Peter, one of the disciples, went to see for himself. The tomb was indeed empty and Jesus’ burial cloth was lying on the ground.

� No-one actually saw Jesus rise from the dead.

Easter Sunday - The Resurrection

� � The disciples did not immediately recognise Jesus when

he appeared to them after the Resurrection. � They found it difficult to explain that Jesus was alive but

in a new way. � Jesus changed; there was a transformation in him - his

appearance and nature were changed after the Resurrection. He was different but somehow everything about him was still the same.

The Resurrection

� After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to: � Mary Magdalene at the tomb. (John 20:11-18) � Disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-35) � Disciples in a house in Jerusalem. (John 20:19-25) � Thomas in a house in Jerusalem. (John 20:24-29) � Disciples beside Lake Galilee. (John 21:1-14)

Resurrection Appearances

� � After the resurrection, the risen Jesus appears and is present to

the disciples. His presence is experienced by all of them. � He appears unexpectedly. � The disciples either do not recognise him at first or are shocked

and frightened at seeing him. �  Jesus greets them. �  Jesus does something that they recognise. � The disciples are overwhelmed with joy and peace because

Jesus is with them. �  Jesus tells them to spread the Good news.

Resurrection Appearances