Why bother

1
(No Transcript)
2
Why bother with the Bible?
The Old Testament
3

• Trace the story
• (Why? because it helps us understand the
  character of God and his love for his people)

4
1. Trace the story

• Tackle the questions
• (Why? - because faith involves
  understanding and reason as
  well as trust)

5
1. Trace the story

• Tackle the questions
• Understand the Scriptures that were so important
  to Jesus

6

• Trace the story of Jesus
• Understand why He died
• and learn how God wants to help us follow Jesus

7
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Chapter of Gods activity for His people
Key People Youth in
Cheltenham
Bible Books
? Cheltenham
Rule of Gordon Brown
Anticipated in many!
8
You expect me to believe that?
9
Why bother with the Bible?
The New Testament
10
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Jesus is
born
Key People Joseph Mary
Shepherds Kings Herod
Bible Books Matthew Luke
Now under Roman rule
11
You expect me to believe that?
12
(No Transcript)
13
There was, about this time, Jesus, a wise man
(if it be lawful to call him a man) for he was a
doer of wonderful works ... He drew over to him
both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles
and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the
principal men among us, had condemned him to the
cross, those that loved him at the first did not
forsake him and the tribe of Christians so
named after him, are not extinct at this day.
Flavius Josephus (? 37CE - 101CE)
Also references by Tacitus, Pliny and others
14
(No Transcript)
15
Nazareth ?
Jerusalem ?
Bethlehem ?
16

• foretold to Mary in Nazareth
• celebrated with Elizabeth close to Jerusalem
• explained to Joseph
• takes place in
  Bethlehem

X
The Church of the Nativity
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19

• foretold to Mary in Nazareth
• celebrated with Elizabeth close to Jerusalem
• explained to Joseph
• takes place in Bethlehem
• witnessed by shepherds wise men

20
(No Transcript)
21

• foretold to Mary in Nazareth
• celebrated with Elizabeth close to Jerusalem
• explained to Joseph
• takes place in Bethlehem
• witnessed by shepherds wise men
• claimed by Christians as a birth which did not
  result from a sexual relationship

22
You expect me to believe that?
23

• Christians claim that Jesus was born from a
  virgin
  (strictly, this is virgin conception rather than
  virgin birth)
• Matthew and Luke describe this but not Mark or
  John
• The writers want to say that Jesus is both fully
  human, and fully God
• This made sense in the thought
  of the time

24

• the male seed is planted in the garden of
  the womb
• Some Christians
  question whether
  Jesus could have
  been properly human
  if he was conceived
  from a single divinely created
  male sperm
• There are godly Christians who
  do not accept virgin birth

25

• resented by Herod who kills babies

26

• resented by Herod who kills babies
• followed by a time as refugees in Egypt
• then home in Nazareth

• as a boy of 12, Jesus travels to the Temple in
  Jerusalem

27
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Jesus starts His ministry
Key People Jesus
John the Baptist Disciples
Mary Pharisees Crowds!
Bible Books Matthew Mark
Luke John
28

• baptised by John the Baptist

2
1
The river Jordan
29

• then tempted by the devil

30
You expect me to believe that?
31

• The Bible describes spiritual beings who are good
  (angels) and bad (demons, and the devil)
• Some people question the existence of these,
  seeing them as part of an outmoded culture
• However, many people say they experience what
  seems to be personal temptation (rather
  than a general tendency to
  do wrong)

32

• then tempted by the devil

• Jesus clears the Temple
• first miracle at Cana
• opposition at home town of Nazareth

33

• then tempted by the devil

• Jesus clears the Temple
• first miracle at Cana
• opposition at home town of Nazareth
• calls disciples to follow Him

34
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Key People Jesus
Disciples Pharisees Crowds!
Three years preaching and training
Bible Books Matthew Mark
Luke John
35
The Lake of Galilee
36
The synagogue at Capernaum
37
Peters house in Capernaum
38

• public proclaiming that the Kingdom has come

Galilee
39

• public proclaiming that the Kingdom has come
• private training on how to be a follower

40

• He taught that the Kingdom had already arrived
  Matthew 12 28
• He announced that the Kingdom was
  very close Mark 1 15
• He explained that the Kingdom was invaluable,
  invisible and highly influential
  Matthew 13
• He taught that the Kingdom would come at some
  stage in the future Matthew 25
• He taught us to pray that the
  Kingdom would come Matthew 6 10

41

• He taught that the Kingdom had already arrived
  Matthew 12 28
• He announced that the Kingdom
  was very close Mark 1 15
• He explained that the Kingdom was invaluable,
  invisible and highly influential
  Matthew 13
• He taught that the Kingdom would come at some
  stage in the future Matthew 25
• He taught us to pray that the
  Kingdom would come Matthew 6 10

42

• public proclaiming that the Kingdom has come
• private training on how to be a follower
• works many healings miracles

The pool at Bethesda
43

• disciples sent out with Good News
• growing opposition from the religious
  establishment
• recognised by Peter as the Anointed One

• foretells His own
  suffering, death and
  resurrection
• and sets out towards
  Jerusalem

Caesarea Philippi
44
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Key People Jesus
Disciples Pharisees Crowds!
Sanhedrin Pilate
The last week in Jerusalem
Bible Books Matthew Mark
Luke John
45
Meets Zacchaeus, up a tree in Jericho!
46

• raises Lazarus at Bethany

47
?Gordons Calvary
?The Church of the Sepulchre
?The Antonia Fortress
? Caiaphas house ?
?The Beautiful Gate
The Mount of Olives
48

• rapturous welcome on Palm Sunday

• again clears the Temple

49

• rapturous welcome on Palm Sunday

• again clears the Temple

• the Last Supper
• then prays at Gethsemane

50
Gethsemane
51

• before He is arrested, falsely tried, and
  sentenced to death

The Last Path
The steps up to Caiaphas house
52

• before He is arrested, falsely tried, and
  sentenced to death

A cell beneath Caiaphas house
53
The burnt house in Jerusalem
54
Games marked out by Romans soldiers at the
barracks courtyard
55

• finally executed by torture

2
3
1
56
(No Transcript)
57
(No Transcript)
58
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Key People Jesus
Disciples
Mary Magdalene Mr
Mrs Cleopas
Resurrection!
Bible Books Matthew Mark
Luke John
59
(No Transcript)
60

• gloriously raised from death

The Garden Tomb
61
Inside the tomb
62
Where?

• A large tomb from the Herodian period

63

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates

64

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates
• Near a place of execution

65

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates
• Near a place of execution
• In a garden

66

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates
• Near a place of execution
• In a garden
• With standing room

67

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates
• Near a place of execution
• In a garden
• With standing room
• With a rolling stone

68

• A large tomb from the Herodian period
• Outside the city gates
• Near a place of execution
• In a garden
• With standing room
• With a rolling stone
• Unfinished

69
(No Transcript)
70
You expect me to believe that?
71
What?

• Jesus was not crucified
• The women were confused and found the wrong tomb

72
What?

• Jesus was not crucified
• The women were confused and found the wrong tomb
• Hallucination

73
What?

• Jesus was not crucified
• The women were confused and found the wrong tomb
• Hallucination
• Jesus recovered from injury

74
What?

• Jesus was not crucified
• The women were confused and found the wrong tomb
• Hallucination
• Jesus recovered from injury
• Fraud

75
What?
When you have eliminated every other possible
alternative, whatever remains no matter how
implausible must be the truth
Arthur Conan Doyles
Sherlock Holmes
76
What?
In its favour as living truth there exists such
overwhelming evidence, positive and negative,
factual and circumstantial,
that no intelligent
jury in the world could fail to bring in a
verdict that the resurrection story is
true
Lord Darling (former chief justice of England)
77

• Jesus appears alive to many
• and teaches about the Kingdom

• directs the disciples
  to wait in Jerusalem
• after 40 days ascends to heaven

78
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Key People Apostles
Stephen
The birth of the Church
Bible Books Acts
79

• the Holy Spirits fire falls at Pentecost

Model of the Temple in Jerusalem in Jesus time
80

• the Holy Spirits fire falls at Pentecost

The Upper Room at St Marks Church
81

• faithful preaching and 3000 converted
• many signs and wonders
• religious opposition - and renewed fervour to
  proclaim the Good News
• more opposition - Stephen martyred
• great persecution, the church scattered through
  Judaea Samaria

82

• The New Covenant
• A (conditional) unconditional promise to welcome
  home all humankind
• Gods responsibility to deal with human sin,
  and provide His Spirit living within each heart.
• Our responsibility to recognise our need,
  receive His gift, and then live in relationship
  with Him.

83
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Key People Apostles
Philip
Saul / Paul
The Spreading Flame
Bible Books Acts
84

• some Samaritans converted
• the Ethiopian official converted and takes Good
  News back home !
• Saul (Paul) encounters Jesus on the Damascus road
  and yields to Him
• Peter compelled by God to accept non-Jews into
  the church
• non-Jews converted, filled with the Spirit and
  baptised

85
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Expansion across the known world
Key People Apostles
Paul Barnabas Timothy
Lydia Apollos
Many new believers
Bible Books Acts Romans 1
2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians
Colossians Hebrews Pastoral
letters
86

• the Spirit sends Paul Barnabas out

87

• frequent local opposition fails to deter
• the young church resolves that you dont need to
  become a Jew before becoming a Christian

88

• frequent local opposition fails to deter
• the young church resolves that you dont need to
  become a Jew before becoming a Christian
• more mission and church-planting journeys follow

89
(No Transcript)
90
Philippi
91
The Areopagus at Athens
92
Corinth
93
Ephesus
94
(No Transcript)
95

• new churches are overseen by travelling leaders
  and by letter
• heretical perversions of the Good News are
  countered by the apostles
• Paul is arrested and travels to Rome

96
Rome the Forum
97
The Mamertine prison (next to the Forum)
98
Jerusalem (including Temple) destroyed 70 AD
99
Jerusalem (including Temple) destroyed 70 AD
100
2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE
500 BCE 0 500 CE
Persecution - and a glimpse of the End
Key People the Risen Jesus
John
Bible Books Revelation
101

• in the face of rising persecution, the Risen
  Jesus appears to John on Patmos

102

• John speaks encouragement, challenge and
  correction to local church congregations
• in powerful visionary images, John sees the
  unfolding drama of the end time

MARANATHA! COME,
LORD JESUS!
103
(No Transcript)