Week of March 27, 2016: Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection

Bible Passage: Matthew 26:36–28:10; John 18:1–20:18

Main Point: Jesus died on the cross and is alive.

Key Passage: Luke 24:6

Big Picture Question: Who saves us from our sin? Jesus saves us from sin.

God’s people, and all people, have broken the law. We have loved other things more than we love God. That is sin.

Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth was to save us from our sin. (Matt. 1:21) Why did Jesus have to die? Why couldn’t He just say, “You are forgiven”? God is just and requires due payment for sin. To simply forgive sin without requiring a payment would be unjust. According to God’s Word, the payment of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23) But not only is God just, He is also loving. That is why Jesus was willing to die in our place.

Jesus came to die so that we would be forgiven. Jesus came to die to bring us to God. 

Jesus died on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God toward sin. Jesus’ resurrection proved that God was satisfied with Jesus’ sacrifice, and forgiveness and life are found in Him. (See 1 Cor. 15:17). Jesus conquered death, just as He said He would.

Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope for our resurrection. (Rom. 6:5) And Romans 8:11 says that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will raise our bodies to life.

Everything that was written about Jesus in the Old Testament and spoken by the prophets was coming true.

Week of March 20, 2016: The Last Supper

Bible Passage: John 13–17

Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus wash His disciples’ feet? Jesus showed the disciples how to love and serve each other with humility.

Key Passage: Romans 6:9

Unit Christ Connection: God’s plan for redemption is fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Christ Connection: At the Passover, Jesus shared with the disciples His last meal before His death and resurrection. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, something a lowly servant would do. Jesus showed His love even to His enemies when He washed Judas’ feet as well. As sinners, we are all enemies of God. But God proved His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

During the Passover meal on the night He was betrayed, Jesus did something very unusual. Knowing that His death was near, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. (See John 13:2­11.) Jesus set forth an example of love and humility for His disciples to mirror in their own actions towards each other. (John 13:14-­16)

In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with His people. He gave them commandments to follow so they could live in right relationship with Him. God’s people broke the covenant. They didn’t obey God, and they didn’t love Him. Jesus made a new covenant by dying on the cross. He brought forgiveness and made the way for people to know and love God again.

When believers participate in the Lord’s Supper, they remember the last night of Jesus’ life, when He prepared to take God’s wrath upon His sinless shoulders. Believers also proclaim His death and resurrection until He returns for His church, like He promised. (John 17:24; 1 Cor. 11:26)

Week of March 13, 2016: Jesus' Triumphal Entry

BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19
MAIN POINT: People welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem as their King.
KEY PASSAGE: Luke 24:5-6
BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Who saves us from our sin? Only Jesus saves us from sin.

Many of God’s people traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem as well. Near Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of  Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead into a village.

Jesus told them, “You will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Jesus would fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy: “Look, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9)

Jesus made a spectacular entrance into the city. He rode a donkey, and people laid branches and their robes on the ground in front of Him. The people welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem believed He was the promised Messiah, but they expected Him to overthrow Roman oppression and set up an earthly throne. Jesus sent a different message.

The next day, Jesus entered the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers and those selling doves.  While Jesus was in the temple, He healed the blind and the lame. Jesus’ actions declared, “I am not just your King; I am also your God” (Isa. 35:4-6).

Christ Connection: During Jesus’ triumphal entry, the people welcomed Him as King. Jesus was the Messiah spoken about by the prophet Zechariah: “Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). One day, Jesus will return to earth on a white horse as King over everything. (Revelation 19:11)

Week of March 6, 2016: Balaam

Bible Passage: Numbers 22:1–24:25
Big Picture Question: Who protected God’s people? God protected His people from their enemies.
Key Passage: Exodus 20:1­17
Unit Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.

Christ Connection: Fourteen hundred years after Balaam announced Jesus’ birth, wise men followed a star to the place where Jesus was born. The wise men worshiped Jesus as King. (Matthew 2:2)

People believed that when Balaam cursed or blessed someone, it would be so. Balak, king of Moab, called on Balaam to curse the Israelites because he was afraid they would overtake him and his land. Balak offered a reward to Balaam for his services.

God warned Balaam to not curse the Israelites because God had blessed them. Initially, Balaam listened to God, but it’s not for nothing that he developed the nickname “the prophet for a
profit.” Balaam traveled to talk to Balak about the situation. He hoped to get a greater reward from Balak.

So God sent the Angel of the Lord with a sword to enforce Balaam’s obedience. At first, Balaam did not see the Angel, but his donkey did. The donkey stopped three times, and Balaam became so angry that he said, “If I had a sword, I would kill you!” Then God opened Balaam’s eyes to the one who did have a sword—the Angel.

Balaam obeyed God; he spoke in four clear messages, insisting that God would bless the Israelites. One of the ways God would bless the Israelites is found in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise

Week of February 28, 2016: The Bronze Snake

Bible Passage: Numbers 17:1­12; 20:1­12,14­20; 21:4­9

Big Picture Question: What happens when people repent from sin? Sin comes with consequences, but God provides the way of salvation.

Key Passage: Exodus 20:1­17

Unit Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.

Christ Connection: The Israelites faced a huge problem because of their sin. God sent snakes to punish them. Anyone who was bitten could look at the snake on the pole and not die. Because of our sin, we face a huge problem: we are separated from God. We deserve to die. Anyone who looks to Jesus on the cross and trusts in Him will be saved and be made right with God.

God had done some pretty amazing things for the Israelites—He rescued them from the hand of Pharaoh, He parted the Red Sea so they could safely cross, and He provided manna for them to eat. But to the Israelites, it wasn’t good enough.God punished them because He knew their dissatisfaction was a sign of a bigger issue: a heart problem—a sin problem. They stopped believing that God was good. In their hearts, the Israelites believed the same lie that rattled Eve in the garden. Maybe God isn’t interested in giving us what is best. Maybe He is holding out on us. God sent poisonous snakes that bit the people and killed many of them. The Israelites repented. They wanted Moses to ask God to take away the snakes.

God provided a solution: “Make a snake image out of bronze and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.” 

In John 3:14, Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” What was Jesus talking about? God put Jesus in the position of the snake; Jesus was lifted high on the cross. So Jesus invites us, “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22).

Week of February 21, 2016: Joshua and Caleb

Bible Passage: Numbers 13:1–14:38

Big Picture Question: What happens when God’s people sin? Sin has a price, but God forgives when people seek forgiveness.

Key Passage: Exodus 20:1­17

Unit Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.

Christ Connection: Even though Joshua was not perfect, he lived a life of obedience to God. Joshua was faithful and was going to lead the people into the promised land. His accomplishments point to Christ’s finished work on the cross—defeating Satan, setting people free from sin, and making the way into the promised land of eternity.

God was leading the Israelites to the promised land. When they were close, God instructed Moses to send spies into the land to scout it out. The spies traveled around the land for 40 days, and it was just as God had promised. There was one problem; the people in the land were big and strong.

Caleb, one of the spies, announced, “We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it.” Caleb understood that God was with them. With God’s help, they could do anything. Joshua and Caleb understood who God is. When God promises to do something, He will do it. (Num. 23:19)

Joshua’s obedience to God, which resulted in his leading the Israelites into the promised land, reminds us of Christ’s life of obedience leading to His finished work on the cross, making the way into the promised land of eternity.