This week’s class focuses on the importance of “pre-evangelism” and the Apologetic Roadmap. We will also take a look 15 historical events to memorize that will help with understanding the Bible’s big picture and Judeo-Christian history. As we focus on making a case for the truths of the Gospel we will conclude with an introductory look at a comparison of the four Gospels as narratives from eyewitness accounts.

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 two: Apologetics – The Importance of Making a Case, and An Introduction to the Gospels

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.

With your table group, go over the categories and the 27 books found in the New Testament – to the best of your ability, commit them to memory
Practice the memory verses for this week:

The Great Commandment

³⁷And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NASB)

Class Presentation Notes:

Major Historical Events – People – Covenants of the Bible

Dates (ca. = approx. date)	Major Historical Events (Periods of time)	*Major Historical Players (Direct lineage to Jesus – the Seed Promise)**	Major Covenants (The unfolding of the seed Promise)
Note: The Antediluvian Period (pre-flood) dates are based on Biblical genealogical records ca. 4004 BC	1. Creation The book of Genesis chapters 1-2	God
(Unknown, but most likely within a 100 years of creation)	2. Fall The book of Genesis chapter 3	*Adam and *Eve(Satan) *Seth carries the “Seed Promise”	The Adamic Covenant/The Seed Promise of Genesis 3:15 for a savior
ca. 2459 – 2350 BC	3. Flood The book of Genesis chapters 6-9	*Noah. carries the “Seed Promise” through the Flood	The Noachian Covenant and The Rainbow Promise
ca. 2242 – 2206 BC	4. Dispersion – (Tower of Babel) The book of Genesis chapters 10- 11 and the book of Job	*Shem carries the “Seed Promise”
ca. 2166 to 1800 BC	5. The Period of the Patriarchs The book of Genesis chapters 12-50	*Abraham – *Isaac – *Jacob/Israel –The 12 Sons/Tribes of Israel: Joseph foreshadows Jesus *Judah carries the “Seed Promise”	The Abrahamic Covenant
ca. 1446 to 1406 BC	6. The Exodus The books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy	Moses	The Mosaic Covenant (The Law)
ca. 1406 to 1375 BC	7. The Conquest (of the Promised Land) The book of Joshua	Joshua *Rahab and *Salmon carry the “Seed Promise”
ca. 1375 to 1050 BC	8. The Period of the Judges The books of Judges and Ruth	*Ruth and *Boaz carry the “Seed Promise”
1050 to 930 BC	9. The Kingdom United The books of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, most of the Psalms and Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs (Solomon) *Note*: Kings and Chronicles cover multiple events…	Saul. David and Bathsheba carry the “Seed Promise” Sons of David: *Solomon (Joseph’s genealogy) — *Nathan (Mary’s genealogy)	Davidic Covenant
930-586 BC	10. The Kingdom Divided The books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk	19 Kings —Northern Kingdom/Israel (all evil) *20 Kings-Southern Kingdom/Judah (some good –Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah)
722 BC – Israel (Northern Kingdom) taken captive by Assyria 603-586 Judah (Southern Kingdom) exiled into Babylon	11. The Captivity and Exile The books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel	Major Prophets: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel *(Note: the “Seed Promise” is carried through Judah’s exile)**	The promise of the New Covenant to be fulfilled in the person of Jesus
538-432 BC	12. Restoration: The Return to the Promised Land The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi	*Zerubbabel carries the “Seed Promise” books of Ezra –Nehemiah-Esther

432 BC – ca. AD 4 Intertestamental Period: God sets the stage for the coming of Messiah (Romans rule in peace; religious freedom; Roman Roads allow easy travel; Greek language is universal; crucifixion is the death sentence)

ca. 4 BC to AD 33	13. The Coming of Messiah – Jesus is born The Gospels: Matthew – Mark –Luke – John	*Jesus – fulfills the seed promise, covenants and prophecies of the OT Mary and Joseph	The New Covenant
ca. AD 33 to present day	14. The Church Age The book of Acts and the Epistles (21)	The twelve Apostles (Includes Paul)
unknown	15. The Apocalypse and the Revelation of Jesus Christ The book of Revelation	Jesus – in His second coming and final victory over death and evil	The Promise of a new Heaven and new Earth (Revelation 21-22)

THE CHRISTIAN CASE-MAKING ROADMAP

A Christian Worldview’s foundation must include belief that…

God exists
Miracles are possible
The Bible is the Word of God
The Biblical Worldview is based on truth that is grounded in reality (and contains the best, and most reasonable, solutions to every human problem and situation including human flourishing)

So you can have a belief in…

JESUS

Jesus is who is claimed to be, did what He said He would do, and will come again to establish His Kingdom on Earth!

^““Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.””

John 3:9-18 (NASB)

^“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

John 14:1—11 (NIV)

^“And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”

Acts 17:2-3 (NASB)

Quick Shot Review – Gospel of Matthew

A few points on the hermeneutics from last week…

Author-Audience-Purpose gives us a framework, and lens, with which to read and understand what is meant to be taught
Understanding that the main genre is historical narrative (also known as Gospel narrative) will guide our interpretation of cultural norms and expectations of that time so we do not mis-apply the teachings
Understanding the difference between descriptive and prescriptive narratives, based on the whole context of a passage or story, will help in application (Note: Jesus’ teachings are always prescriptive for Christians)
Understanding the importance of genealogies in the Gospels, and Biblical history in general, helps us to see the “Scarlet Thread” of Messiah from the beginning, and how God’s promises of this Messiah are fulfilled in the person of Jesus

With four different Gospels it is important to do comparisons in order to understand the perspectives and intent of the writers…

The Gospels in comparison—Historical Narratives based on eyewitness accounts

*Highlights*	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
*Written to and received by* *(Author-Audience)*	Jewish Christians—New believers coming out of Judaism	Gentile Christians in Rome/Romans	Greek Christians—Gentiles in general	The Church, both Jew and Gentile—All humankind
*Picture of Christ* *(Purpose)*	King of Israel—Jesus is Messiah	Servant of God—Jesus as a servant slave	Son of Man—Jesus’ humanity	Son of God—Jesus’ Deity
*Highlights of Jesus’ Ministry – Content* *(Context)*	Focus: What Jesus said—His discourses Content: Prophecy fulfillment; long sermons and Mt. Theology	Focus: What Jesus did—His servanthood Content: His Miracles; His life as a servant laid down for others	Focus: What Jesus felt as a man—His humanity Content: Parables; fulfillment of prophecy; Jesus’ human life	Focus: Who Jesus was—His Deity Content: Personal eyewitness experiences; evidence of Jesus’ Deity; God’s truth and love
*View of the Writer* *(Eyewitness account)*	The Apostle Matthew’s view (Levi)	John-Mark’s own view that includes the Apostle Peter’s accounts	The view of Luke, the Physician and companion of the Apostle Paul, based on his detailed interviews with eyewitnesses	The Apostle John’s view in the later part of the first century

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 1:18 through 4:11, then answer the following questions:

2. (Matthew 1:18-2:12) After the genealogy is presented for Jesus’ legal authentication (keep in mind Matthew’s Jewish audience), the narrative moves into the birth of Jesus and some of the circumstances surrounding this event. Keep in mind there is additional information given in the other Gospels, especially Luke.

What does this passage tell us about Joseph and his character (what was his initial reaction, his response to the Angel Gabriel and his final actions)?
Who were the “magi,” why did they come, and what was Herod’s reaction?
Cross-reference by reading in the Old Testament: Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2-4, Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Numbers 24:16-17. What do these Old Testament prophecies (given hundreds of years before) say to support this passage about Jesus and these events?

3. (Matthew 2:13-23) After being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi returned to their own country a different way.

What did an angel of the Lord tell Joseph to do and why – what did Herod do?
Cross-reference by reading in the Old Testament: Hosea 11:1, Numbers 24:8 and Jeremiah 31:15. What do these prophecies say and how do they predict this incident?
Going Deeper: Research the dynasty of the Herod’s – make a graph or chart of who they were and how they were related. You can go even deeper by researching the life of this particular Herod.

4. (Matthew 3:1-17) In this chapter we meet John the Baptist…

Who is John the Baptist and what was the importance of the role he played in Jesus’ life? Going Deeper: Where else in Scripture can we find information about John the Baptist, and how did he fulfill a role that was prophecized in the Old Testament?
What did John the Baptist say to the Pharisees and Sadducees, why, and how did they react? Is there a veiled “end times” warning in what John say
Where and how do we see evidence of the Trinity in this chapter?

5. (Matthew 4:1-11) In this section Jesus faces temptation by the devil in the wilderness…

What three things does Jesus defeat in this encounter with the devil; what does Jesus use to answer the devil, and why?
Going Deeper: Are there other places in Scripture we can cite where Satan temps humans in the same way? Near the end of the New Testament, the Apostle John warns believers about these same three things (Read 1 John 2:15-16) – what are they?
Discuss: Read Ephesians 6:10-18. How does this section of Matthew and the Ephesians passage encourage us, and what should we do when we feel tempted, or attacked, by the things of this world?

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.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15