How to use this material: 1. Begin each meeting with a brief word of prayer asking the Lord to bring understand to the participants. 2. Read the story to the participant, or if there is available copies pass them out for everyone to follow along together for the reading of the story. 3. Ask the oral questions at the end of the story. The purpose of these questions is to check for and assist with the understanding of the story, NOT for discussion of theological questions.. 4. Depending on the group's ability to understand the story, usually it is necessary to then REREAD the story after the questions. 5. Read the spiritual truths. Allow the group members freedom to ask you questions about each spiritual truth. Be careful to NEVER argue or debate anyone. Be careful not to allow them to ask questions that shift to another subject that is not related. If they do, guide them back to the original topic. It is not necessary for them to agree or accept the spiritual truths. It is only important that they understand the truths as they are revealed in God's Word. 6. Have a time where each participant has an opportunity to share prayer requests and needs. 7. Pray specifically for each member of the group, by name, and all prayer requests. As the group progresses, and if someone accepts Christ, allow them to pray also during this intercession time. 8. Every day during your personal quiet time, remember to pray for each group member. Pray that God's Spirit would move in their lives and lead them to a decision to follow Him. *All texts are quoted accurately from the New King James Version. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright ( 1979, 1980, 1982. *All studies may be reproduced freely. However, no study should be reproduced for commercial profit. Copyright ( 1991. Junta de missões nacionais, CBB, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Birth of Jesus"- Lesson 1 Matthew 1-2 "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations." Matthew 1:17 (NKJV) Mary, a Jewish woman, became pregnant without having sexual relations for she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Her fiancé, being a just man, did not want to publicly humiliate her, so he decided to break off the engagement secretly. The same night as he was deciding to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Mary was to be the woman of which the prophet Isaiah spoke of in the Old Testament when he said, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel", translated, "God With Us." Joseph awoke from His dream and obeyed the angel. He married Mary, but they did not have sexual relations until after the birth of the baby. Joseph named the baby Jesus, according to the instructions which he had received from the angel. Now Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, which is located in the Province of Judea in the country of Israel, and the King of Judea at that time was named Herod. There were wise men that came from the Orient to Judea following a bright star. According to their studies, this star indicated that the promised king had been born in Judea. Not knowing where exactly the Child was to be found, they went first to Herod's palace, the king of the district of Judea, and asked where the new king of the Jews had been born. Herod was very disturbed by their story, and called a secret meeting with all his religious advisers and priests. He asked these men where, according to Jewish prophecy, was the promised King of the Jews to be born. The priests told him that according to Scripture, the Promised Child was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod went to the wise men and asked them when exactly they had first seen the star. He asked this because he wanted to figure out exactly the birth date of the child and calculate His age. Herod informed the wise men in which city the baby was to be born. He also said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." The wise men then left the palace and continued to follow the star to Bethlehem. The star, which they had been following, went before them and stood over the house where the young Child was. They entered the house, and immediately as they saw the Child with Mary His mother, they fell down and worshiped Him. They also gave Him valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So the wise men left this place to return to their homes in the East. But before leaving, they had a dream warning them not to return to Herod and tell him how to find the child. So they went home another way. After they left, Joseph had another dream. In this dream, he was warned by God that Herod was going to come after the Child and that they were to flee to Egypt. So, that very night, he woke up His family and they fled immediately. They lived in Egypt until the death of Herod, this also being in fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea where he said, "Out of Egypt I will call My Son." Herod, after discovering that the wise men had deceived him became very angry. He then declared that all male babies under the age of two would be murdered. It was a horrifying slaughter of all the infants in Bethlehem and the surrounding towns. However, an earlier Jewish prophet named Jeremiah also had foretold this tragedy. When Herod died, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to return to Israel. Joseph, however, was a little anxious because Herod's son was on the throne in Judea, so he moved his family to the neighboring province of Galilee to a city called Nazareth. Jesus spent his childhood in this town. This also was in fulfillment of the prophecy saying, "He will be called a Nazarene." Oral Questions 1. Who is Mary? 2. Who is Joseph? What did the angel tell him the Child should be named? 3. Why did wise men come from the Orient to Judea? 4. Why did Herod want to find Jesus? 5. How did the wise men know they should go home another way and avoid Herod? 6. How did Herod attempt to kill the promised King of the Jews? 7. How did Joseph know he must flee the country and go to Egypt? 8. How did Joseph know when it was safe to return? 9. What is the name of the city where Jesus spent his childhood? Spiritual Truths- Lesson 1 Matthew 1-2 1. God is faithful and always keeps His promises. Since the creation of the first man and woman, God had promised that he would send a Savior to earth. Over the years, He repeated this promise many times to many people often with many details of how this coming would be. Jesus came to earth EXACTLY as had been predicted through the Scriptures. Let us remember in the story at least one prophecy that was fulfilled through the Birth of Jesus. *God is faithful to us in the same way. In the Bible, there are many important promises God has made about His plan for us. He will fulfill all these promises and prophecies. It is important for us to read the Scriptures and discover God's promises for our lives. 2. The Bible is the Word of God and everything in it is true. God spoke, through his prophets thousands of years in advance, of many precise details about the birth and life of Jesus. Everything occurred EXACTLY as had been prophesied 3. God is in control of all things. He can make things happen that are supernatural or miraculous. There are several supernatural things or miracles that happen in this story. What is one of these? 4. God can and does communicate to men. Some believe that God created the world but doesn't care what happens here. In what way did God communicate to men in this story? God still communicates to us today. We will learn through this study how we can have a real relationship with God. 5. God knows everything that is going to happen. But sometimes, in His Divine wisdom, He allows horrible things to occur. Herod wanted to kill the Promised King because he felt threatened by Jesus. God knew the wicked sin in Herod's heart. He knew that he was going to kill hundreds of helpless children. Because of the disobedience and rebellion in Herod's heart a great horror occurred. Today, sometimes many horrible things happen because of disobedience and rebellion in our lives. Do you know of a modern example where someone has been hurt because of the wickedness of another person? 6. Man can never prevail against God and win. Herod was unable to kill the Promised Child. The only thing that he accomplished was to create a horrendous tragedy in the lives of many families. Today, a lot of times, we try to defy God's laws and His will. This always brings tragedy, if not for us for those around us who we are hurting. Can you think of a time in your own life where you did something wrong and brought tragedy into your life? Can you think of a time when you were hurt because of the rebellion of another person? 7. The priests and religious advisers knew the Scriptures concerning the Promised King, but they did not go to meet Jesus. Is it possible to be very religious, to know much about the Bible, to know much about Jesus Christ, but never know Him personally in one's heart? 8. Jesus is "God with us", or "Immanuel". The angel spoke these words to Joseph, which were recorded in the Scriptures by the prophet Isaiah. Many people say that Jesus was a prophet. Others say that He was an angel or a good person. But the Bible teaches us that He was "God with us." In the next six weeks, we are going to try to discover who really is JESUS CHRIST, and what is the GOOD NEWS that He brought to earth. GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Baptism of Jesus"- Lesson 2 Matthew 3-4 "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2 (NKJV) Review 1. The name of Jesus' mother was _____________. 2. One miracle surrounding Jesus' birth is that He was born of a _____________. 3. The Old Testament spoke many things about the birth of Christ; one of these was that He would be called Immanuel, which means "God ________ ______." 4. Herod was a king of Judea who tried to kill Jesus. He _________ all of the children under the age of two that lived in and around Bethlehem. 5. The wise men that went to find Jesus were following a ____________. These men went home a different way than they came because God warned them through a ______________ that Herod wanted to kill Jesus. 6. Joseph left with his family in the middle of the night to Egypt because God showed him in a _____________ that Herod was coming after Jesus. 7. Joseph knew that it was safe to return to Israel through a ___________. But he did not return to Bethlehem, instead he took his family to a city called _____________. 8. As He has done all throughout history, today God still keeps His ________________. 9. God knows what's in our ______________ even if there is much wickedness there. 10. It is possible to be a religious person, to even know a lot about the Bible, but still never know ______________ personally in one's life. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:2. These were the words that were preached by a man who could be found in the desert of Judea. This man dressed in camel's hair and a leather belt. He lived eating wild honey and grasshoppers. His name was John the Baptist. Many people from all over the area surrounding the Jordan River would go out to the desert to hear his words. Then after listening to him speak, many would be baptized in the Jordan River confessing their sins. Several of the religious leaders, those called Sadducees and Pharisees, would also go out to see what was happening in the desert. When John the Baptist saw them, he called them a "brood of vipers," (sons of serpents) further saying that they did not fear God because they thought themselves so religious and of good heritage that they did not need to repent of their sins. While John was preaching, Jesus came and asked John to baptize him. John did not want to at first because he thought he was too unworthy to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insisted, and the two of them entered into the waters of the Jordan River. When Jesus came up from the water, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove from heaven upon Him. Also, a very loud voice from heaven spoke saying. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," After that the Holy Spirit took Jesus into the desert in order to be tempted by Satan. He fasted from food and water for forty days and forty nights, and after the forty days He was very hungry. It was at this time that Satan came to tempt Jesus. The Bible tells of three temptations of Jesus in the desert. In the first temptation, Satan tried to get Jesus to turn some stones into bread, claiming that this would prove that He was God. Jesus answered him by using the written Word of God. Secondly, Satan took Him to the roof of a temple and asked Him to jump off the edge thus proving that He was God. But Jesus answered him again using the written Word of God. Lastly, Satan transported Jesus to a mountain and said, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Jesus answered him saying, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve." With this the devil left Him, and the angels came and served Him. After returning from the desert, Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been thrown into jail. Jesus then went to Galilee, the province north of Judea, leaving the city of His childhood, Nazareth, and moving to Capernaum. This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." The Bible tells us that from this town Jesus began His pubic work among the people. The message that He preached was this one, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Oral Questions 1. Describe the man called John the Baptist. 2. What was the message of John the Baptist? 3. What did John the Baptist do with those who confessed their sins? 4. Why did John the Baptist not want to baptize Jesus? 5. What happened when Jesus came up from the water? 6. Why did Jesus go to the desert? 7. What did Jesus do without for forty days and forty nights? 8. What was one of Satan's temptations? 9. Where did Jesus go after learning about the imprisonment of John the Baptist? 10. Jesus and John the Baptist preached the same message. What was it? Spiritual Truths-Lesson 2 Matthew 3-4 1. The message of John the Baptist and of Jesus was the same. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." * To repent means to turn from the sin in your life. It means to give the complete control of your life to Jesus Christ, allowing him to take away these sins * Why do we need to repent? The Bible says that we ALL have sin in our lives. Sin is simply disobeying God and his law. For example, the Bible says that killing, stealing, lying, pride, lust and various other examples are all disobedience. * Is repenting a very difficult thing for a person to do? What does this word mean to you? Discuss this concept among all group members. Let everyone have an opportunity to voice his/her opinion. 2. The religious leaders thought that they did not need to repent of their sins because of their religion. They thought that they were good enough. John called these people sons of serpents. Is there anyone in the world who is religious enough or even good enough that they do not need to repent of their sins? *The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God." *Is there anyone in the world who does not have sin in their life? Is there anyone who has never disobeyed or defied God's standard of behavior or attitude? The Bible says 'No'. Do you agree with the Bible that we all have sin in our life? *Again, it is important to allow each person to have an opportunity to challenge God's Words on this subject. As a leader, do not argue or let anyone else argue, but it is okay to let people voice their feelings. 3. Jesus was baptized, but He being God never sinned. This tells us that baptism is NOT a religious ritual that can take away the sins from a person's life. If the purpose of baptism was to clean a person from sins, Jesus would not have been baptized because He, being God, has never sinned. 4. When Jesus raised from the waters the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove and God the Father spoke from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Here we see the three persons of the Trinity. What are they? God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 5. Jesus was taken out to the desert to be tempted by Satan. Satan is real. He is a spirit who is in the world, along with many of his spirit followers called demons, and can bring destruction to our lives by leading us to disobedience of God. Just as Jesus was tempted, Satan also tempts us. The Bible teaches that we, unlike Christ, are also tempted because of wickedness that already exists in our hearts to do things that displease God, or sin. 6. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be a great light to people in darkness, as well as those who are living in the shadow of death. All of us, without Christ, are in darkness, but maybe you or someone you love is living in the shadow of death. Some find themselves there because of drugs, others through immoral relationships, and still others as victims of violence. This verse tells us that Jesus came to give light to those of us in darkness, and He can give freedom to those who are living in the shadow of death. *In our prayer time today, let's pray for those loved ones that are living in the shadow of death. May we find light and freedom in Jesus Christ. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By: Christy A. Brawner "The Miracles of Jesus"- Lesson 3 Matthew 4-9 "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."- Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) Review 1. Who told Joseph about the coming of Jesus, and who told him that His name would be "Immanuel" or "God with us?" This teaches us that Jesus is ______ with us. 2. Who wanted to kill the little boy Jesus? Why? Jesus escaped because they fled to _________. 3. Who baptized Jesus? The fact that Jesus was to be baptized tells us that the function of baptism is not the cleansing of __________ in our lives. 4. When Jesus came out of the water, something like a dove came down from heaven, and a voice also spoke from heaven? Who was the dove and whose voice came from heaven? 5. The Pharisees thought that they didn't need to repent of their sins because they were very religious. Is it possible for someone to be religious enough to eliminate his or her sins? 6. What does the word "repent" mean? 7. What is sin? 8. Who tempted Jesus in the desert? 9. Where did Jesus go after He left the desert? While He was going along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus came upon two fishermen. He called them and said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. It was then that Jesus called his first four disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. All of these were fishermen. Then Jesus went through all the province of Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. A large multitude followed Him wherever He went. A leper came to Jesus and proceeded to worship Him. He called to Jesus and said, "Lord if you are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus responded, "I am willing, be cleansed." Immediately the leper was cleansed. A captain of the Roman army came to Jesus. This man came to ask Him to cure his servant who was paralyzed and tormented. He believed in Jesus' power to cure him. Jesus told him that many people of all nationalities would come eat together in the kingdom of heaven, and the servant was cured that same hour. Another time, on the other side of the sea, there were two men possessed by demons. These men were so strong and wild that no one could hold them down or even walk by where they were. They lived among the tombs. When they saw Jesus, the demons yelled out, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" A pretty good way from where they were was a herd of pigs. The demons begged Jesus, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine." Jesus said to them, "Go." The demons were immediately expelled from the men and entered into the pigs. The pigs in turn became possessed and crazed. They violently ran down the steep cliff crashing into the sea below. All the pigs drowned. The owners of the pigs ran and told all the inhabitants of this particular city what Jesus had done, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. The townspeople came out and asked Jesus to leave this region. He left by boat, returning to His own city. Soon after this, He met a man named Matthew. Matthew worked for the government as a tax collector. Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." Matthew got up immediately and followed Him. So Jesus and His followers went to eat dinner that night with the tax collectors and other people of bad reputation of the town. When the religious leaders, the Pharisees, saw this, they asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard this comment, He answered the Pharisees, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Oral Questions 1. What was the profession of the first disciples of Jesus? 2. What did they do when Jesus called them to follow Him? 3. Jesus was going into every part of Galilee and multitudes were following Him. What was He doing to call such attention to Himself? 4. What was the Roman officer's servant's problem? 5. Where did the demon-possessed men live? What kind of men were these? 6. What did the demons do when they saw Jesus? 7. What happened to the demons when they left the men? 8. What happened to the pigs? 9. What was the reaction of the owners of the pigs? 10. What kind of man was Matthew? 11. Jesus ate dinner with what kind of people? 12. What did the Pharisees think of this? 13. What kind of answer did Jesus give to the Pharisees? Spiritual Truths- Lesson 3 Matthew 4-9 1. Jesus does not make any distinction between different types of people. * Jesus' first disciples were fishermen, simple men without formal education. * The leper was a person who had been excluded from society because of a skin disease that left him disfigured and despised. * The Roman soldier's servant was a crippled person who had no money or position in society. * Matthew was a tax collector. This means that probably he was very rich, but a corrupt thief. * The demon possessed men were so despised by their countrymen that the townspeople preferred healthy pigs to these men being healed. They had actually lived among the tombs. *ALL these people were important and valuable to Jesus. You are a person of worth and value in the eyes of God. Your past, your finances, your appearance or your place in society do not mean anything to God. 2. Jesus has power to cure our diseases. What is one example in the story of someone being cured? 3. Jesus has power over every spirit or demon. There are people who have become involved with demons or spirits, many times because they are trying to do things that are good. But before they know what has happened to them, these demons have taken over their lives. They are followed and tortured by these demons that never leave them alone. These people have no power to get rid of these demons from their lives. Jesus has authority and power over EVERY demon and spirit in the world. We can have freedom from evil spirits ONLY through Jesus Christ. 4. Jesus loves ALL people even those who have bad reputations. He accepts all sinners. Jesus does not condemn people, but His desire is to bring every person to repentance and true forgiveness. 5. The religious people, or Pharisees, did not repent of their sins, and thought they were better than the other sinners who were eating with Jesus. What is better: to be a very sinful person who has been forgiven, or a person with few sins but who refuses to repent? * It is far better to be a very sinful person who has been forgiven. Jesus accepts us and loves us just the way we are. It does not matter to Him if we are terrible sinners, if we are poor, if we have little education, if we have lots of problems or if we have physical illnesses or handicaps. In His eyes, we are all the same. The important thing is for us to repent and follow Him. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Teachings of Jesus"- Lesson 4 Matthew 10-16 "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." Matthew 12:7 (NKJV) Review 1. Jesus was born of a Jewish woman named _______________. 2. Wise men from the Orient were able to find Jesus because they were following a __________. 3. The wise men did not return to Herod's palace because they were warned by God in a ____________ to return home another way. 4. John the Baptist lived in the desert preaching and _____________ those people who confessed their sins. 5. What does the word "repent," mean? 6. When Jesus was baptized, the ________ ________ descended to earth like a dove, and a voice from heaven spoke. This demonstrates for us the three persons of God: God the ____________, God the ______________, and God the ________ ________. We call this the Trinity. 7. In the desert, Jesus was tempted by ______________. 8. The first disciples of Jesus were ______________ by profession. 9. Jesus encountered two men who were possessed with demons. How did Jesus help these men? How did the townspeople react to Jesus' action? 10. The Pharisees criticized Jesus because He ate with what kind of people? 11. Is it better to be a very sinful person who has repented, or a person with few sins and no repentance? Jesus called twelve men to be His disciples. This means that these men were to be close to Him and be trained by Him. He gave these twelve men power over evil spirits, and He gave them power to cure all kind of diseases. He told them that they must give freely, because freely they had received. And Judas Iscariot was among these men who were sent out. Jesus sent them to every corner of the country of Israel in order to call the Jewish people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave these men a message, "Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Jesus Himself also went all over Galilee teaching, preaching and healing all kinds of diseases. But the people of Galilee, those with whom He had spent so much of His time, rejected His message. The city of Capernaum, where He had begun His public ministry, rejected Him. In seeing this, Jesus went to speak to His Father, and these were His words: "I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." After saying these things, Jesus and His disciples walked past some wheat fields. This was on a Sabbath, or the Jewish day of rest. His disciples were hungry, so they stopped, picked some wheat and ate it. The Pharisees, remember these were the religious leaders, saw this and accused them because it was against the Jewish law to work on the Sabbath. Jesus answered them saying that they still did not understand the law of God because the Scriptures say, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." From the wheat fields, Jesus and the disciples went to the Jewish synagogue, and there they met a man with a withered hand. Jesus asked that man to stretch out his hand, and He cured him there in the synagogue in plain view on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, outraged, left that place and formed a council in order to plot against Jesus to kill Him. Jesus, knowing what they were planning, also left that place. But a multitude followed Him, so He cured all of them and asked them to keep from turning Him in. So Jesus continued working in this region for a while longer teaching the people and healing their diseases. Twice the people followed Him out into the wilderness where they stayed so long listening to His words that Jesus worried that they could not return home without eating. Twice, Jesus took less then seven loaves of bread and a few fish and fed over four thousand people. While still working in Galilee, Jesus explained clearly to His followers that He would soon be going to Jerusalem, and horrible things would happen there. He told them that He would have to suffer many things in the hands of the Jewish leaders, that He would be killed, but that three days later He would rise again unto life. Oral Questions 1. What was the assignment that Jesus gave His disciples? 2. What did Jesus say He would do for those people who confessed Him before men, and what about those who denied Him before men? 3. How did the inhabitants of Capernaum, as well as many other cities in Galilee, where He had performed most of His miracles, react to Jesus' message? 4. Jesus said for all those who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him. What does He promise to do for these people? 5. Why did Jesus and His disciples stop in the wheat fields? 6. Why were the Pharisees critical of Jesus for gathering wheat? 7. Why were the Pharisees against Jesus healing the man with the withered hand? 8. What was the purpose of the council created by the Jewish leaders? 9. Jesus told His followers that certain things were going to happen to Him. What was His prophecy? Spiritual Truths- Lesson 4 Matthew 10-16 1. Those who confess the name of Jesus before men, He will confess before His father. However, those who deny Him before men, He will also deny before His father in Heaven. 2. Many followed Jesus only because they wanted some miracle from Him, but they did not want a relationship with Him. They did not want to obey His words. They did not want to repent of their sins. They only wanted to take advantage of God's mercy. They only wanted Christ when they needed Him or when they wanted something from Him. Today are there still many people like this? What do you think of this? 3. The only person who has access to the Father is Jesus Christ and those who come to the Father through Jesus Christ. There is no other intercessor to God except Jesus Christ. There is only one God, and there is only way to reach God, and the Bible teaches that that way is Jesus Christ. *Maybe you have been taught to pray to God through other intercessors besides Jesus Christ. Who are these other intercessors? Are they gods, prophets, good people of the past? The Bible says they may have been good people, but they are not God. Do you agree with the Bible that there is only ONE intercessor between God and man, Jesus Christ? 4. Jesus wants to carry our burdens and our worries. He is gentle and lowly in heart. He wants to relieve us of the weights that we carry. In Him we can find rest for our souls if we accept His yoke. In other words, if we accept His Lordship or leadership in our lives there is rest. 5. "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." What does the word "sacrifice" mean to you? Have you been taught by religious leaders to make sacrifices to God, maybe to receive favor or forgiveness of a sin? Is it difficult for you to believe that God does not want you to prove anything to Him by your sacrifices or by having to do some act of kindness for Him? Have you ever thought about the fact that we can not please God, pay God or appease God by a religious activity, any amount of money or some sacrificial act? This is the second time that Jesus tried to explain to the Pharisees that God is not pleased with our human sacrifices. But for people who are very religious this is often a difficult fact to accept. ALL religions teach that we must do something in order to avoid the wrath of God or gain the favor of God. Many people go through many hardships trying to pay God back for promises they've made, pay for past sins, or simply show loyalty to God. But this proves NOTHING to God. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to show us mercy; He does not want our sacrifices. 6. Jesus knew that He would have to suffer many things and then die. But that after three days He would resurrect from the dead. This was all a part of God's plan. He tried to explain this to His disciples, but they could not understand why He must die and then resurrect. *In the last three lessons of this study, we are going to try to understand the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. This unique event would change the history of the world forever. This single event has the power to break the bondage of sin and transform our lives. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Betrayal of Jesus"- Lesson 5 Matthew 20-26 "Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again." Matthew 20: 17-19 (NKJV) Review 1. Jesus was born of a virgin named __________. 2. His earthly father, ______________, had a dream in which God told him to flee to Egypt because King Herod wanted to _____________ Jesus. 3. John the Baptist lived in the desert preaching and baptizing all that ____________ of their sins. 4. Jesus didn't have any ___________, but He asked John the Baptist to baptize Him. 5. What does the word "repent" mean? 6. When Jesus was baptized, the _________ _________ descended like a dove and the voice of God was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 7. In the desert Jesus was tempted by ______________. 8. Jesus encountered two men that were possessed of ___________. Jesus demonstrated that He has power to ____________ demons. 9. Which is better, to be a very sinful person but repentant or to be a person with few sins and to never repent? 10. Jesus said that if you confess Him before men, He will confess you before His ___________ in heaven. 11. Many Galileans, including the people of the city of Capernaum, ____________ the Word of God; they only followed Jesus because of the many miracles He performed. 12. They didn't want to repent of their sins. Again, what does the word "repent," mean? 13. Jesus said that He would give ___________ to all who were weary and heavy laden for His yoke is light. 14. The Pharisees devised a plan to ____________ Jesus. 15. Jesus knew that the Pharisees were planning His death, but He still continued to do many miracles including multiplying two __________ and some __________ to feed more than four thousand people. Jesus, with His disciples, made the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. As He was about to arrive in Jerusalem, Jesus asked two of His disciples to pass by a certain village and retrieve a donkey and colt that He needed. Jesus sat on this colt for the trip into the city of Jerusalem. He entered gloriously and triumphantly. A multitude gathered around Him on each side of the street. A large number of people lay their own clothes on the road to make a type of carpet for Jesus to enter into the city. Some broke palm branches and spread them all over the road as a means of honoring Him. Still others would walk before and behind Him yelling, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!" The entire city of Jerusalem was moved by this grand and unusual event. Everyone in town was asking, "Who is this?" So many people answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee." So Jesus entered the city and went to the Jewish temple. There He kicked out all of the venders; He overturned the tables of the moneychangers who had set up booths in the temple. He said to them, "It is written, MY house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." After this, He stayed in the temple healing the blind and the lame. After Jesus had taught the people many things, performed many signs and wonders in the temple, the chief priests and the religious leaders joined together in order to plot His death. They discussed how someway by trickery they might kill Him. They were, however, anxious about executing such a plot during the Passover- it being a very important religious holiday, so they decided to wait until the Passover was over to deal with Jesus. Now one of the twelve disciples, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to meet the chief priests saying, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" They agreed and gave him thirty silver coins. And it was from then on that Judas began to look for an opportunity where he might betray Jesus. As it was the week of Passover, the disciples prepared the dinner for the feast according to specific instructions given by Jesus. On the night of the celebration, Jesus sat down together with the twelve and said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, one of you will betray Me." As He said this, the disciples became very sad and each of them began asking, "Lord, is it I?" Jesus answered them saying; "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." Judas, the one who was betraying Him, asked, "Rabbi, is it I?" And Jesus answered Him, "You have said it." So they ate dinner together that evening, and while they were still eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it saying, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." After they had finished the meal, they sang a hymn, and together then went to the hill called Mount of Olives. There Jesus continued to teach them many things, some of which were concerning the events that soon were to take place. Later that same night, Jesus brought them down to a place called Gethsemane where they were to pray with Him for the rest of the night. Now Jesus took Peter, James and John together with Him as He began to become deeply distressed. He asked them to please sit up with Him. He then left them and went a little farther away to pray to His Father alone. He prayed this night regarding the things that were about to unfold. His Words have been recorded as follows: "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." It is recorded that He prayed this same prayer three times, and His heart was sorrowful even to death. The disciples, however, could not even keep their eyes open for a single hour. They all fell asleep. Finally, Jesus woke them all up saying, "Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand." Oral Questions 1. On what kind of animal did Jesus enter Jerusalem? 2. How did the people treat Jesus as He was entering into the city? 3. What did Judas do to betray Jesus? 4. What festival was being celebrated in the city? 5. How did Jesus warn Judas that He knew He would betray Him? 6. What did Jesus say about the wine at the supper? 7. According to Jesus, for what is the shedding of blood necessary? 8. Jesus took His disciples to Gethsemane to spend the night in prayer. How many of His disciples were able to stay up all night praying? 9. What was the prayer that Jesus prayed the night of His betrayal? Spiritual Truths- Lesson 5 Matthew 20-26 1. God is in control of all things. The Pharisees were conspiring to catch Jesus by surprise. But God, the entire time, was using them to exercise His perfect will on earth. It always was the will of God that Jesus would die on the cross. 2. God knows what is in our hearts even when others don't. Jesus knew the entire time that His disciple, Judas, was going to betray Him. 3. Jesus loves us and treats us with the same love even if we reject Him. Judas was so well treated by Jesus that no other disciple could believe that he was the traitor. In the same way, Jesus loves us and treats us lovingly even though many times we betray and reject Him and His will for our lives. 4. The blood of Jesus was shed for us for the remission or forgiveness of our sins. The disciples, at the time, did not understand the fact that Jesus had to die. They did not understand that God demands of each person the payment of sins in their lives and that this payment is the shedding of blood. They understood that Jesus loves them and that they were forgiven of their sins. But they would need more time until they understood the price that Jesus had to pay in order to be able to forgive their sins. *Many people know that they have sin in their lives. Some people may even have heard the story of Jesus, and that He loves them. But very few understand that God demands a blood sacrifice as a payment for sin. Jesus, because He is God, is the only person who ever lived or will live on this earth without a single sin and the only one or thing that could have ever been an acceptable substitute sacrifice for our sin. Because of His incredible love for us, He chose to surrender His life to be that sacrifice to pay the price for our sins and not just ours but for the sins of the whole world. It is because of this sacrifice, that we now have an opportunity to receive forgiveness for our sins and peace with God. Next week, we will look at the details of the crucifixion of Christ. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Crucifixion of Jesus"- Lesson 6 Matthew 26-27 "Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64 (NKJV) Review 1. Jesus was born of a virgin whose name was ____________. 2. Just as the Scriptures had said, Jesus escaped to the land of ___________, because He was fleeing from King Herod. 3. Jesus' earthly father, ____________, had a dream advising him to return to Israel after King Herod had died. 4. Jesus began his public ministry by being baptized by ________ _____ __________. 5. As Jesus came up out of the waters the _______ _______ like a dove came down from heaven, also the voice of _____________ spoke from the heavens saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 6. Jesus cured many people and forgave many people of their __________. 7. Even after many miracles, many people from the region of Galilee ___________ Jesus' message, and did not want to repent of their sins. 8. What does the word "repent," mean? 9. As Jesus went into the city of Jerusalem there was a great procession of people who accompanied Him. In the procession, Jesus was sitting on a ___________. 10. On the night of the Passover celebration, Jesus told His disciples that one of them would ___________ Him. At that time, nobody knew which one of them it was. 11. Jesus spoke of the wine that they were drinking. He said that it represented His blood that would be shed for the ______________ of sins. 12. The disciples heard these words but still could not understand that Jesus was going to ________ for their sins. 13. After dinner, they all went to the Mount of Olives and then to Gethsemane. Jesus prayed during the night while the disciples _________. 14. Jesus prayed, "If it is possible let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as _________ will. While Jesus was still waking up His disciples, Judas, the one who had betrayed Him, arrived with a large group of people including the chief priests and religious leaders many carrying swords and clubs. Judas came up to Jesus and kissed Him saying, "Greetings, Rabbi!" Jesus answered Him, "Friend, why have you come?" Suddenly, one of Jesus' disciples rashly pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of one of the chief priest's servants. Jesus called the disciple's attention and healed the man's ear. He informed this disciple that if He so desired there were twelve legions of angels ready to do battle, but that all that was occurring was the will of the Father for the Scriptures to be fulfilled. Jesus then turned to the gang of people that had arrived and asked them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." And His disciples quickly fled from that place leaving Him alone. So those who had seized Him took Him to the house of a man named Caiaphas who was at the time the highest priest. For atCaiaphas' house awaited all the priests and religious leaders ready to interrogate Jesus. They had arranged for many false witnesses to testify against Him in order to condemn Him to death. And surely many did come forward, but even still they could not gather sufficient evidence to put Him to death until the high priest Himself came to interrogate Him. Caiaphas finally asked Jesus, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to Him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Hearing this answer, the chief priest ripped off his clothes saying, "Blasphemy!" The people that had gathered there then took Jesus and began to spit on His face. Some beat Him while others struck Him with the palms of their hands saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" When morning finally came, the priests and religious leaders took Jesus to the Roman Governor of the region named Pontius Pilate. Jesus had been convicted in their religious court, but they, the church, did not have authority to crucify anyone. They told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews thus making him guilty of treason to the Roman government. Pilate took Jesus and interrogated Him. "Are You the King of the Jews?" he asked. Jesus answered, "It is as you say." But even after all of his interrogation, Pilate could not find a reason to crucify Jesus. Also, the night before, his wife had a disturbing dream about the whole thing and warned her husband to have nothing to do with Jesus. Pilate knew that the Jewish leaders had only turned Jesus into him out of envy, but he did not know what to do for the people had become stirred up with all that had happened. Every year at the time of the Passover, it had been Pilate's costume to release one prisoner of the people's choice. This year, there was an especially notorious criminal in the jail called Barrabas. So, Pilate got Barrabas and Jesus and made an offer to the people, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barrabas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" But the people, who had been riled up by the Pharisees yelled out, "Barrabas!" "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" asked Pilate. The people cried out, "Let Him be crucified." So Pilate, seeing that the people were beginning to riot got a basin of water and washed his hands saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person, you see to it." He released Barrabas to the people and sent Jesus to be whipped. Pilate's soldiers took Jesus to Pilate's headquarters, the Praetorian and there they tortured and mocked Him. They gathered all around Him, stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe. Then they twisted a crown of thorns and put it into His head. They gave Him a reed to hold in His hand as if it were a scepter, and they kneeled before Him sarcastically saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat on Him; they then took the reed that had been in His hand and hit Him on the head with it. After they had finished making fun of Him, they took the robe off, put His clothes back on Him, and led Him away to the place called Golgotha, or the "Place of a Skull". This was the place where He was to be crucified. Jesus was crucified there, and on the cross the Romans put a plaque over His head reading, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews." Jesus was crucified between two thieves, one on either side of Him. While Jesus was hanging on the cross from the sixth hour to the ninth hour a great darkness covered all the land. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out saying, "Eli Eli, lama sabachthani?" This means, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" A little later He yelled again. It was with this yell that He surrendered His Spirit. At the time that He surrendered His Spirit, many bizarre things occurred all over the city at the same time. The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked, many rocks split; and many graves were opened, so that many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised. These bodies, after His resurrection, came out of their graves, went into Jerusalem, and were seen by many people. Oral Questions 1. How was Jesus betrayed? 2. One of Jesus' disciples did something in an attempt to defend Jesus. What was it and what was Jesus' reaction? 3. At the time of His betrayal what did all of His disciples do? 4. Where did the men from the garden take Jesus? 5. Even though there were many false witnesses, how did they eventually convict Jesus of blasphemy? 6. Where did the Jewish leaders take Jesus as soon as morning broke? 7. Pilate, after his interrogation, did not find Jesus guilty but was afraid of the people, so he gave the people a choice. What was the offer he made the people, and what was the people's choice? 8. How did the soldiers treat Jesus? 9. After three hours of darkness, Jesus yelled out to God. What happened to Jesus' Spirit when He yelled. 10. What were some of the things that happened in Jerusalem when Jesus surrendered His Spirit? Spiritual Truths- Lesson 6 Matthew 26-27 1. Who is Jesus? "The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." This was the answer Jesus gave the chief priest, and it was this response that ultimately led to His crucifixion. It was an answer that those people could not accept. Every person who is born on this earth must wrestle with this same question. Who really is Jesus? If Jesus really is sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven, we each must decide how we will respond to Him. 2. Jesus was crucified in the place of Barrabas, a despised criminal; and Barrabas was in turn set free. *Maybe I am not a despised criminal, but just like Barrabas, I am a sinner and before God I too have earned a death penalty. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." This means that we all deserve to die because of the bad things that we have done in our lives. It does not matter if we have many sins, as in the case of Barrabas, or if we have been relatively good people as some of His disciples had been. 3. Jesus was tortured, judged and killed to pay the penalty for the sins in our lives. This was the reason Jesus came to earth. God demands that each of us pay for the sins we have commited. Jesus paid this debt because He wanted us to be able to stand before God forgiven of our sins. Some people have said that Jesus was a martyr or a prophet. But this is not true according to Jesus' own confession. He claimed to be God and to have come to earth to die for our sins. 4. Jesus surrendered His Spirit. At any moment Jesus could have descended from the cross. He could have killed all of the people who made fun of Him with a single word. But, by His own choosing, He endured the humiliation and stayed on the cross until the chosen hour. Then, when His work here was done, He surrendered His Spirit. He chose to die because He wanted to pay the debt for our sins. The Bible says in John 3:16 that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life." *In the next lesson, we will study the resurrection of Jesus. For the truth is that Jesus is not dead, but is alive and today wants to come into your life. He wants to purify your heart from all your sins, and transform your life completely. *Leader- if you feel comfortable and if the Spirit leads, you may extend an invitation at the close of this lesson. THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS By Christy A. Brawner "The Resurrection of Jesus"- Lesson 7 Matthew 27-28 "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." Matthew 28:5-6 (NKJV) Review 1. Jesus was born of a virgin girl named __________. 2. Jesus began His public ministry by being _____________ by a man named John the Baptist. 3. At His baptism, the _______ ________ descended upon Jesus like a dove, and the voice of God spoke from the heavens saying, "This is my beloved ________ in whom I am well pleased." This shows us the three persons of the Trinity: God the ____________, God the ___________ and God the __________________. 4. Jesus cured many people of diseases and forgave many people of their _______. 5. Even after many miracles, many people who lived in Galilee rejected His words and did not want to _____________ of their sins. 6. What does the word "repent," mean? 7. Jesus said that the wine represented His blood that would be shed for many for the ____________ of sins. 8. Pharisees seized Jesus in the garden where He had been praying, and took Him to the house of the High _________ whose name was Caiphas. 9. The high priest asked Jesus if He were _____ and Jesus answered that He was. At this time people came up to Jesus and ___________ in His face, _________ Him, and struck Him with the palms of their hands. 10. When morning came, the Pharisees took Jesus to the Roman Governor whose name was ______________. 11. Pilate did not find Jesus to be guilty, but allowed Him to be crucified because he feared a ____________ among the people. 12. The Roman soldiers tortured Jesus. They put a crown of __________ upon His head and hit His head with a rod which they had given Him to hold. 13. On the cross where Jesus was hung, there was a plague saying, "THIS IS JESUS, THE ___________ OF THE JEWS." 14. From the sixth hour to the ninth hour, there was _____________ on the earth. There was a very rich man named Joseph of Arimathea who also was a disciple of Jesus. This man asked Pilate if he could be allowed to take Jesus' body and lay Him in his own tomb. Pilate agreed to this request, and Jesus was laid in a new tomb. After laying Jesus in the cave, a great rock was rolled against the door of the tomb. The next day, the Pharisees met together and went before Pilate because they remembered the words of Jesus when He said that He would rise again on the third day. They asked Pilate if He would make the tomb secure until the third day in case something should happen to the body. Pilate gave them permission to make it as secure as they knew how. They went to the place, put guards in front of the tomb, and sealed the stone. On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb where Jesus was laying. When they got there, there was an earthquake, the rock that had been used to seal the tomb was moved, and an angel of the Lord was sitting on the stone. The guards that had been protecting the tomb shook for fear and had become like dead men. But the angel spoke to the ladies saying, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." The women ran out of the tomb with fear and great joy hurrying to tell the disciples what had happened. But as they went to find the disciples, Jesus met them saying, "Rejoice!" They stopped, held Him by the feet and worshipped Him. He told them to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. Now the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb entered into the city and told the high priests what had happened at the tomb. The high priests consulted each other and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money if the soldiers would be willing to spread news around town that the disciples had stolen the body while they themselves had fallen asleep on the site. The priests further promised the guards that if word got to Pilate that they had gone to sleep then they themselves would personally defend the soldiers before the governor. So the soldiers took the bribe and spread many rumors that circulated around the city for several years. The eleven remaining disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to meet Him. When they saw Him, they all worshiped Him, but some doubted. So Jesus spoke to them for the last time saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Oral Questions 1. What did Joseph of Arimethea ask of Pilate? 2. The Pharisees were afraid that something would happen to Jesus' body on the third day. Why? 3. Who went to see Jesus on the first day, and what did these ladies find when they arrived at the tomb? 4. While returning to tell the disciples what they had discovered, they ran into whom? 5. Jesus told his disciples to meet them at another place besides Jerusalem. Where? 6. On the mountain, Jesus had a very important command to give His disciples. Try to fill in the blanks with Jesus' words: "Go, therefore and make _____________ of all nations, _______________ them in the name of the Father, the Son and the _______ ________, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Spiritual Truths- Lesson 7 Matthew 27-28 1. Jesus is alive today. Jesus is not a human being who can be imprisoned and killed. He is God eternal. He is without beginning and without end. God's plan from the beginning of the world was to come to earth in the form of a man as a suffering servant. It was His will to be crucified on that day and in that way. His plans cannot be frustrated, nor can anyone ever prevail over Him. He is still and always will be God, the only true living God. 2. The Pharisees believed the words of Jesus to the point that they had soldiers guarding His tomb after His death because He had promised to rise again. They believed the words of the soldiers when they told them what had happened. They even paid the soldiers to lie about this event. Some of these same leaders had been present when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and God's very own voice spoke from heaven confirming who He was. Others of these leaders were witnesses to many of the miracles that He performed. They were even angry with Him when He cured the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. They had seen Him expel many demons from tormented people, and they had watched Him forgive people of their sins. Almost no one knew more about the life and message of Jesus than did the Pharisees. But this same group of people did not accept the love of God that He offered in their own lives. They did not repent of their sins. They did not surrender the control of their lives to the authority of Jesus Christ. To have a relationship with Jesus Christ is more than learning and believing the facts of His life. It is more than a new and different religion. Jesus desires for us to repent of our sins, believe in Him, and give Him our lives. He wants to become the Lord or leader of our lives. He wants to control us every single day of our life. 3. Who is Jesus? * Jesus was born of a virgin. * Jesus claimed He was God. * Jesus performed many miracles and forgave the people who repented of their sins. * Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for the sins in our lives before a just God. * Jesus resurrected from the dead and is alive today. * Jesus wants for me also to repent of my sins and give my life to Him. The Bible teaches us that Jesus did not die to become an example, He died to be a replacement for you and me who deserve to face God for all the things that we have done wrong in our lives. The Bible says that, "All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13 * This means that regardless of my past, I can ask Jesus to come into my life, and He will forgive me of all my sins and live in my life. * It means that from the moment that Jesus enters into my heart, all of my past sins, present sins, and future sins, are ALREADY forgiven before God. This is not because of anything that I have done. It is not because I have chosen a good religion. It is not because I have become a moral person. It is not because my parents are from a specific ethnic group or social class. It is ONLY because I have accepted the sacrifice that Jesus already paid when He died on the cross. * It means that from this moment on, I am a pure person again in the Eyes of God- innocent. The Bible teaches that the wages of sin are death, but the death of Christ is enough to make me a new creature. If I make the choice to follow Him. If you would like the forgiveness of God right now in your life, and would like to become a follower of Christ, you may ask Him to come into your heart right this moment. It is not necessary to be in any particular religious place, it is not necessary to say any special or magic words. It is only important that you come before God and declare that you believe that Jesus is God and want Him to be the Lord or controller of your life. You may pray something like this: "Father, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to save me from my sins. I repent of my sins. Come into my life and forgive me of all my sins. I give you my life. Thank you for your love for me. In Jesus' name. Amen" 4. "And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." The Bible says in John 14:2, "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Jesus promised us that EVERYONE who gives his or her life to Him will spend eternity with Him in a place called heaven. Heaven is the home of the Father. Once we have accepted Jesus into our lives, we will spend eternity with Jesus. This means that eternity begins TODAY because Jesus will be with us here on earth, and when we die we will spend eternity with Him in heaven. The love that Jesus has for us truly lasts forever! 1 51