SOS Module 10

I. Introduction Review: The Gospels in the Meta-Narrative (10 min)

Paper - Final Paper - outline formal outline, annotated bibliography, change in schedule.

Whiteboard: Creation → Fall → Covenant → Law → Renewal → Jesus (New Covenant) → Church → New Creation

Scripted Transition: Everything we’ve studied—from covenant to exile—leads here. Israel longed for God’s presence to return, and in Jesus that longing becomes reality. The Word becomes flesh; the covenant promise becomes a person.

Bridge from Renewal to Jesus:

After Nehemiah, Israel obeyed Torah outwardly but drifted inwardly.

The prophets promised a new covenant written on the heart (Jer 31:31–34; Ezek 36:26–27).

Rome ruled, Greek unified the world, Jewish hope intensified.

Into that tension steps Jesus—the Spirit-anointed Messiah, Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Engagement Question: How do Israel’s longings prepare us to hear Jesus’ proclamation that “The Kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15)?

II. How to Read the Gospels (10 min)

Whiteboard: Sayings / Narratives / Kingdom Focus Historical Context of Jesus + Theological Intent of the Evangelist

Key Ideas:

The Gospels are Spirit-inspired theological portraits, not modern biographies.

They function on two levels:

Historical Jesus – first-century Judaism under Rome.

Evangelist’s Context – each writer interprets Jesus for a particular audience.

Read horizontally (compare accounts) and vertically (trace themes within one Gospel).

Discussion: Why might the Holy Spirit give us four witnesses instead of one?

III. Survey of the Four Gospels – Four Portraits, One Messiah (20 min)

A. Matthew – The New Moses and King of the Kingdom (5 min)

Whiteboard: New Exodus | New Law | New King

Audience: Jewish Christians.

Structure: Five discourses (5–7; 10; 13; 18; 23–25) echoing the Pentateuch.

Themes:

Fulfillment of prophecy (“this was to fulfill…” 11×).

Jesus as Emmanuel (“God with us,” 1:23).

Kingdom of Heaven ethics—internal righteousness.

Message: Jesus is the promised King leading a new Exodus from sin into covenant life.

B. Mark – The Suffering Servant and Urgent Messiah (5 min)

Whiteboard: Suffering | Secrecy | Discipleship

Audience: Roman believers facing persecution.

Tone: Action-oriented (“immediately” 41×).

Structure:

Ministry in Galilee (1–8).

Journey to the Cross (8–16).

Themes: The “Messianic Secret,” power through weakness, the cross as model of discipleship (8:34).

Message: God’s Kingdom conquers through sacrificial service, not worldly power.

C. Luke – The Spirit-Anointed Savior for All People (5 min)

Whiteboard: Spirit | Joy | Reversal | Inclusion

Audience: Gentile Christians (“most excellent Theophilus”).

Structure:

Births & Beginnings (1–2)

Galilean Ministry (4–9)

Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)

Passion & Resurrection (19–24)

Themes:

Inclusion of outsiders.

Joy, prayer, table fellowship.

The Holy Spirit empowering mission.

Message: Salvation is for all; the Spirit launches God’s redemptive movement.

D. John – The Divine Word and Giver of Life (5 min)

Whiteboard: Incarnation | Belief | Eternal Life

Audience: Late first-century believers combating false teaching.

Structure:

Prologue (1:1–18)

Book of Signs (1–12)

Book of Glory (13–21)

Themes: “I AM” sayings, revelation of the Father, belief leading to life.

Message: To know Jesus is to know God; eternal life begins now through union with Him.

IV. Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection – Fulfillment of the Covenants (8 min)

Whiteboard: Old → Fulfilled in Christ → New

Teaching Points:

Abrahamic Covenant: Promise of blessing to all nations → fulfilled as Jesus becomes the seed through whom all nations are blessed (Gen 12:3 → Gal 3:16).

Mosaic Covenant: Law written on stone → fulfilled in Jesus, who embodies perfect obedience and writes the law on hearts (Matt 5:17; Jer 31:33).

Davidic Covenant: Promise of an everlasting throne → fulfilled in Jesus, Son of David, whose Kingdom has no end (2 Sam 7:12-16; Luke 1:32-33).

New Covenant: Instituted in His blood — “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20).

The Cross:

Substitutionary atonement and covenant ratification (Isa 53:5; Heb 9:15).

The ultimate suzerain-vassal treaty fulfilled by the King Himself on behalf of His people.

The Resurrection:

God’s seal that the covenant is complete and new creation has begun (Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 15:20-23).

The first fruits of the coming restoration.

Bridge Statement: Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus doesn’t abolish previous covenants—He fulfills them and establishes a new one, forming a people defined by the Spirit rather than tablets of stone.

V. Interpreting Parables – Process and Examples (15 min)

Whiteboard: Parable = Story → Response → Revelation of the Kingdom

A. Why Parables?

They reveal the Kingdom to the humble and conceal it from the proud (Luke 8:10 “He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” ).

B. Five-Step Process for Interpretation

Context

Structure

Audience & Response

Meaning (Theology)

Application

Luke 15:1–2 “Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.””

Example 1 – The Lost Son (Luke 15:11–32 “Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”” )

Context: Pharisees’ complaint (vv. 1–2).

Structure: Two sons, one compassionate Father.

Meaning: The Father’s heart revealed in the distance between rebellion and resentment.

Application: Join the Father’s joy over repentance.

Must be seen in the context of the other stories because they were all in response to the comment made

Lost thing - great lengths to find - party

Example 2 – The Fig Tree (Mark 11:12–25 “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.””

// Matthew 21:18–22 “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”” )

Context: Framed by temple cleansing.

Symbol: Fig tree = Israel’s fruitless worship.

Meaning: God seeks fruit, not foliage—authentic righteousness, not ritual.

Application: Examine our lives and churches for true Kingdom fruit.

VI. Luke’s Bridge – The Holy Spirit and the Birth of the Church (7 min)

Parallels between the two

Whiteboard: Luke → Acts = One Story of the Spirit

Luke ends where Acts begins.

The same Spirit who anointed Jesus (Luke 4:18–19 ““The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.””

now empowers the disciples (Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

Jesus promises the Father’s gift: “You will be clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.””

Acts continues “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1).

Key Transition: The Kingdom inaugurated by Jesus in the Gospels is extended by the Spirit through the Church in Acts.

The Spirit is the continuing presence of Christ.

The disciples become the new temple (1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”

The mission moves outward—Jerusalem → Judea → Samaria → the ends of the earth.

Discussion Question: How does understanding Luke-Acts as a single narrative change the way we view the Church’s mission today?

VII. Conclusion and Application (5 min)

Whiteboard: Spirit-Anointed Messiah → Spirit-Empowered Church

Reflection Prompts

How does Jesus’ fulfillment of covenant shape your faith?

Which Gospel portrait helps you most clearly see His mission?

How can your life display the “fruit” of the Spirit’s covenant people?

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” — John 20:21