The Gospels

{THE GOSPEL STORY}

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1. The Gospel Begins - (In the ministry of Jesus, the Kingdom of God arrived, commencing with his baptism in the Jordan administered by John the Baptist – Mark 1:1-3) - {PDF Copy}
2. His Name is Jesus - (The name Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the Nazarene, the salvation promised to Israel has arrived in all its glory) - {PDF Copy}
3. Voice in the Wilderness - (John arrived in Judea to prepare the way for the Messiah and to herald the Good News of the Kingdom) - {PDF Copy}
4. Rend the Heavens! - (The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus – Son, Messiah, and Servant of the LORD) - {PDF Copy}
5. Servant of the LORD - (At his baptism in the Jordan, the voice from heaven identified Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of Yahweh) - {PDF Copy}
6. In Spirit and Fire - (The Spirit of God descended on Jesus, equipping him for his Messianic mission. He is the One who baptizes his followers in the Spirit) - {PDF Copy}
7. Full of the Spirit - (After his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus into the Wilderness to be tested by the Devil. But he succeeded where Israel failed) - {PDF Copy}
8. Opposition and Proclamation - (Jesus began to proclaim the Gospel following the arrest of John, which represented the opposition that came to plague his ministry – Mark 1:14-15) - {PDF Copy}
9. The Conspiracy - (The prophesied plot of the Earth’s kings to unseat God’s Son is applied by the New Testament to the conspiracy to destroy Jesus – Psalm 2:1-6) - {PDF Copy}
10. Summoning His Disciples - (In Galilee, Jesus summoned four fishermen to leave their livelihoods to follow him and become his disciples – Mark 1:16-20) - {PDF Copy}
11. His Authority - (Jesus is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the one with absolute authority from Yahweh over the whole earth) - {PDF Copy}
12. Ransom for Many - (His disciple is called to engage in self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:35-45) - {PDF Copy}
13. His Exceptional Kingdom - (Jesus proclaimed a new reality, the Kingdom of God, and it bears little resemblance to the political systems of this evil age) - {PDF Copy}
14. The Greater Lawgiver - (In Matthew, Jesus is the Greater Moses who interprets the Law and the Prophets and brings them to fulfillment) - {PDF Copy}
15. Who is this Man? - (In Mark, no one recognizes who Jesus is except the demons that he exorcises. Only in his death on a Roman cross is his identity understood) - {PDF Copy}
16. The Cost of Discipleship - (To be the disciple of Jesus means taking up the cross and following in his footsteps, even if it results in impoverishment or death - Mark 6:7-30) - {PDF Copy}
17. Rejection and Disdain - (Despite his miraculous deeds, his hometown rejected his ministry and took offense at the humble origins of Jesus – Mark 6:1-6) - {PDF Copy}
18. Forgiving Sin - (Jesus healed a paralytic, thereby demonstrating the authority of the Son of Man to discharge sins as well as heal the afflicted – Mark 2:1-12) - {PDF Copy}
19. Authority over Satan - (Jesus demonstrated his authority over Satan by driving his demonic  forces out of the children of Israel – Mark 1:21-28) - {PDF Copy}
20. Authority over Disease - (Neither social conventions nor purity regulations prevent Jesus from ministering to the physical needs of men and women) - {PDF Copy}
21. Authority over Ritual Purity - (The touch of Jesus cleansed a leper, and the forbidden physical contact did not render him unclean – Mark 1:40-45) - {PDF Copy}
22. Authority Over the Sabbath - (In response to Jewish leaders, Jesus demonstrated that he is Lord even over the Sabbath Day - Mark 2:23-3:6) - {PDF Copy}
23. The Son of Man - (The one like a Son of Man in Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation as the Son of Man and his authority to reign) -{PDF Copy}
24. The Unrecognized Savior - (Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies) - {PDF Copy}
25. Mercy, not Sacrifice - (Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic - the Son of Man’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17) - {PDF Copy}
26. Wherever He Goes - (To follow Jesus necessitates a lifetime of self-denial, sacrificial service and a willingness to lose all things for his Kingdom) - {PDF Copy}
27. Carrying His Cross - (To be the Messiah of Israel meant suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow that same path – Mark 8:31) - {PDF Copy}
28. Handed Over - (Following Jesus means living a self-sacrificial life of service to others, especially to the weak and the insignificant) - {PDF Copy}
29. His Coming Death - (Jesus explained that he was ON THE WAY to Jerusalem where he as the Son of Man would be arrested, tried, and executed – Mark 10:32-34) - {PDF Copy}
30. Ladder to God - (Jesus is the true and only way of access to the Father, the Greater Bethel, and the House of God – John 1:47-50) - {PDF Copy}
31. The Road to Calvary - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained his Messianic Mission and predicted his inevitable death at the hands of his enemies - Mark 8:27-38) - {PDF Copy}

[Lantern Photo by Thomas Lipke on Unsplash]