This week’s class focuses on background to the Gospels with a look at the period of time between the Old and New Testaments known as the “Intertestamental period” often referred to as 400 years of silence. We will see how God was setting the stage for the coming of His Son, Jesus, the promised Messiah. We will also continue with a study in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 4-7.

Each week’s class includes prayer, an “apologetics” presentation, a review of last week’s Bible study, and a homework assignment. You will also find the presentation notes, Bible study questions and additional resources below, and you can make comments or ask questions as well.

Watch this week’s class presentation on this topic:

Overview Notes from the Presentation

Session Three: The Cultural Fuse Leading to Jesus Shows God Set The Stage For Messiah to Come

Prayer and Reflection

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class this evening.

At your table groups, do the following:

Go over the categories and the 27 books found in the New Testament.
Go over the 15 major historical events of the Bible (found in session two).

Memory Verse:

But He [Jesus] answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 (NASB)

What was going on between the Old and New Testament?

The Intertestamental Period:

Also known as the four-hundred-year period of silence.
During this period God did not send any prophets, and His Word was not heard.
It was a time of turning points and historical events that set the scene for the coming of Messiah and prepared the world for the rapid spread of the Gospel.

538-333 BC:

The Persian Empire conquers Babylon and rules the region. After seventy years of exile the Jews are allowed by the Persian King Cyrus to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and Temple. This fulfills Isaiah’s specific prophecy given some 150 earlier…

Old Testament Prophecy

(God speaking through the prophet Isaiah)

“It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her ruins again. ‘It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers dry. It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

Isaiah 44:26-28 (NASB)

“This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.”

“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”

Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10 (NASB)

333-167 BC:

The Greek Empire, under Alexander The Great, conquers the Persian Empire and Hellenization begins.

Hellenization is the complete dominance of the people by Greek language, culture and society.
After the death of Alexander the Empire is divided between four generals: (Daniel’s prophecy fulfilled see Daniel chapters 2, 8, 11)

The kingdom of Cassander (circa 358–297 BC) consisted of Macedonia, most of Greece, and parts of Thrace.
The kingdom of Lysimachus (circa 361–281 BC) included Lydia, Ionia, Phrygia, and other parts of present-day Turkey.
The kingdom of Seleucus (died 281 BC; later the Seleucid Empire) comprised present-day Iran, Iraq, Syria, and parts of Central Asia.
The kingdom of Ptolemy I (died 283 BC) included Egypt and neighboring regions.

167-63 BC:

The Maccabean revolt begins a Jewish rebellion against the Greeks and for a time the Jews succeed in having independence from the Hellenization movement. The Temple is also recaptured, cleansed and rededicated during this time (this is the origin of Hanukah).

63 BC – AD 476:

The Roman Empire is established when the Roman General Pompey conquers Seleucid, Syria and makes Jerusalem and all Judea a vassal state. The Greek Empire has now been conquered, but the culture remains highly Hellenized. The Romans modernized the roads for commercial travel; thus enabling the quick spread of the Gospel later on.

Crucifixion was a death penalty method perfected under Roman rule, (and only for this short period of time in human history) – “The Romans perfected crucifixion for 500 years until it was abolished by Constantine in the 4th century AD” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Early on, Rome is generally open to all forms of religious practices as long as they do not conflict with the Emperor’s status or decrees—this will later change and become a major reason for Jewish and Christian persecution in the late first and early second centuries AD.
Rome will come to accept Christianity as their official religion in the fourth century AD under the Emperor Constantine (and this is the beginning of Roman Catholicism that will reign both politically and religiously over the next one-thousand years).

37 BC – AD 14:

Herod the Great (c. 37-4 BC) becomes the political king of the Jews with full allegiance to Rome. Herod’s grandfather and father held prominent political offices in Judea and established close relations with both the current priesthood and with the Roman government. He was responsible for the beautification, restoration and expansion of the Temple.

Note:

Roman leaders Antony (c. 81–30 B.C.) and Octavian (64 B.C. –A.D. 14), who is the future Cesar Augustus and first Roman Emperor, accepted Herod, and the Senate named him king of Judea.

Herod did not have the correct ancestry to claim the office and the Jews would not accept Rome’s authority to choose their king for them.
Herod, with Roman help, had to conquer his own kingdom, and even his chief followers were put to death.
This Herod is also responsible for the “slaughter of the innocents” in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus.

6-4 BC:

Jesus is born.

Note: This date is based on the difference between the Jewish calendar of 360 days versus our current calendar of 365 days in a year. Our current calendar dated the year zero at the birth of Christ.

Summary of the Intertestamental Period

God set the stage for the coming of Messiah, Jesus, over this four-hundred year period…

World powers changed, resulting in a temporary openness to philosophy (and polytheism) that allowed for Judaism to thrive, and ultimately the presentation of the Gospel along with the various other views of that day without persecution (at first)
Greek had become the “universal” language of the day, allowing for easy transmission, and recording, of the Gospel to everyone
Roman road construction allowed for rapid travel, not only in commercial marketing, but in the quick transmission of the Gospel message throughout the “modern” world of that day

JESUS IS ”THE PERSON OF INTEREST”

THE FUSE AND THE FALLOUT

Just as every bomb begins with a fuse (the things that lead up to it)
the blast results in fallout (the debris that bombs inevitably causes)

The FUSE and the FALLOUT will identify the FELON!!!

Watch J. Warner Wallace’s presentation on this topic:

Historical and Cultural Context of the Gospels

Politically – A Roman world
Culturally – A Greek world
Religiously (in Jerusalem) – A Jewish world
Languages – Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin

Sects and other groups in first century Judaism

The Pharisees

Term means “separated ones” in a ritualistic sense
Originated shortly after the Maccabean revolt
Consisted of middle-class laymen
Largest sect numbering ~6,000 at the time of Herod the Great
Held to the Rabbinic and Mosaic laws in a very strict sense but would find loopholes and create new regulations to get around things they wanted to do

The Sadducees

Aristocratic heirs that had more power than the Pharisees because they controlled the priesthood
Regarded only the first five books of the Bible (Torah) as fully authoritative and denied the oral law of the non-priestly rabbis
Did not believe in angels, spirits, immortality of the soul or the resurrection of the body

The Essenes

A group that had become disgruntled with the increasing political aim of the Pharisees
Some lived in monastic communities (like the one at Qumran that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls)
They had very strict requirements, admission mandated a two, or three-year probationary period and relinquishment of all possessions to a communal treasury
They either refrained from marriage or they stopped cohabiting with their wives
To symbolize their purity, they would wear white robes

The Herodians

A small minority of influential and politically minded Jews centered in Galilee with Herod Antipas
They supported the Herodian dynasty and the Roman Government

The Zealots

Revolutionaries who refused to pay taxes and were dedicated to overthrowing Roman power
They believed it was sinful to acknowledge Caesar as a god and they refused to give loyalty to him
They sparked several uprisings including the final Jewish revolt that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

The Scribes

They originated with Ezra, according to tradition, and interpreted and taught the Old Testament Law in the Temple precincts and synagogues
They acted as lawyers on cases brought to them
Most belonged to the Pharisaical sect, though not all Pharisees were scribes

The Sanhedrin

The Jewish Supreme Court presided over by the high priest along with seventy members who came from both the Pharisees and Sadducees
They met daily in Jerusalem, except for Sabbaths and other holy days, to govern domestic and religious matters, and they even commanded their own police force under the authority of the Roman Government
The New Testament also refers to them by the terms council, chief priests, elders, and rulers

Quick Shot Review – Gospel of Matthew: Chapters 1:18 through 4:11

A few points from last week…

Joseph was of upright character – a righteous man, and he kept Mary sexually pure through the birth of the Messiah – note: They had other children later (Matthew 12:46-47; Acts 1:14), including New Testament writers James and Jude.
The Magi: From the Greek word Magos, it refers to “wise man and Priest” – they were more like philosopher-sages. We do not know how many there were, nor where they were from. It is possible they had become familiar with the Old Testament prophecies like the books of Isaiah and Daniel.
Three types of Messianic prophecies: 1) direct and clear; 2) direct but veiled; 3) indirect and veiled – referenced throughout the New Testament
Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness by using the Word of God against: The lust of the flesh; the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Same three things were the cause of the Fall and continue today as the cause of all evil. John in his letter (1 Jn. 2:15-16) warns the early Church of these same three things in life.

Bible Study

Each week, starting we will have Bible study following the presentation. There will be questions presented here on the weekend, and basic answers will be posted during the week. This can also help you to make a leader’s guide for your own small group and future studies!

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

1. Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Read Matthew chapter 4:12 through 7, then answer the following questions:

2. (Matthew 4:12-25) After the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus withdraws into the Galilee and begins His teaching ministry.

Where did Jesus end up after the wilderness temptation, and what prophecy was fulfilled here (where can you find it in the Old Testament)?
How did Jesus’ ministry begin (describe what He did and how the people responded)?

3. (Matthew 5:1-48) This section begins Jesus’ teaching known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” Mountain teaching is an important aspect of Jesus’ ministry because it is reminiscent of God’s giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Re-read through the Beatitudes (5:2-11), pick one that stands out to you and describe why (do a little deeper research on it if possible).
What does Jesus mean when He teaches that “you are the salt and light of the world” (5:13-16)?
What does Jesus say about His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets (5:17-20)?

4. (Matthew 5:21-7:6) Jesus continues teaching on several important topics:

Re-read through the teachings on anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, loving your enemies and giving to the needy (5:21-6:4), then choose one (or more if you’d like) to summarize in your own words, and why it stood out to you (do a little deeper research if possible).
Jesus gives us a model, not a magic formula, for prayer (6:5-15). What are the important parts, and order, of this prayer and why do you think Jesus gave it that way?
What is an important take-away from each of these teachings from Jesus: Fasting; laying up treasure; being anxious; and judging others (6:16-7:6)?

5. (Matthew 7:7 through 7:29) Jesus continues His teachings…

What does Jesus say about asking for something from the Father, and then how we should treat others – also known as the Golden Rule (7:7-14)?
What is the warning about the “narrow gate” and “false prophets” (7:15-23)?
What does Jesus mean when He say we should build our house on the rock (7:24-29)?

Join us next week as we continue our “Case for the Gospels!”

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15