God’s Plan of SalvationCCC 280 Creation is the foundation of "all God's saving plans," the "beginning of the history of salvation“ that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for which "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth": from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.CCC 1080 From the very beginning God blessed all living beings, especially man and woman. The covenant with Noah and with all living things renewed this blessing of fruitfulness despite man's sin which had brought a curse on the ground. But with Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of "the father of all believers," who embraced the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated. CCC 1081 The divine blessings were made manifest in astonishing and saving events: the birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a "small remnant." The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, interwoven in the liturgy of the Chosen People, recall these divine blessings and at the same time respond to them with blessings of praise and thanksgiving.

God’s Plan of Salvation –(detailed)The History of Salvation- God’s Plan for His People- Story of Amazing Love

Covenant Mediator Adam Noah Abraham Moses David JesusCovenant Form Marriage Household Tribe Nation Kingdom ChurchCovenant Sign Sabbath Rainbow Circumcision Passover Temple & Throne EucharistCovenant is an extension of kinship by sacred oath. We are brought into a family by oath.

Adam- Creation-. God’s relationship with His creation, man. God creates Adam out of clay and fills him with the spirit. Made in image of God’s likeness, -means he is a son of God. Adam as priest (works) and son (image of God), and prophet, and dominion (over animals). Eve is created, “flesh of my flesh”- marriage. First covenant is marriage. They walk with God and then fall by Original Sin. " Creation moves toward the Sabbath...The Sabbath is the sign of the covenant between God and man; it sums up the inward essence of the covenant....Creation exists to be a place for the covenant that God wants to make with man. The goal of creation is the covenant, the love story of God and man." Pope BenedictNoah- Seth's descendants, seduced by the beauty of the daughters of Cain, take them as wives. They take more than one wife . The sons of Seth violate the sanctity of the marriage covenant instituted by God in the garden. Noah build s ark. Ark saves man from sins. Man is set adrift on watery chaos. Dove, the spirit hovers over the water- like creation. New Eden. With this covenant, God renews His covenant with creation. By this covenant, God also expands the "family structure" of His covenant people - from a husband and a wife to a family unit. Rainbow is sign. Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifice-he’s a priest. Abraham- God's covenant with Abraham has three parts, and it begins with three promises: to make Abraham a great nation ; to give him a great name; and to make him the source of blessing for all the world. You will have a great name, a blessing and nation. “Your son will give you descendants as numerous as stars in the sky.” Abraham’s covenant is tribe. He offers sacrifice. Let what happens to these animals happen to me if I am unfaithful. Takes a woman, Hagar to have a child. God makes Abraham suffer with circumcision (sign), because what he did with Hagar. Isaac’s birth. Take son, Isaac and kill him. Sacrifice of Isaac (sacrifice of Jesus. The test, his son will inherit the land, --if killed God will raise him.

Moses- Joseph ends up in Egypt (as savior). God sends Moses (mediator) to get Israel out of slavery of Egypt (slavery of sin). Egyptian deities were frogs, bulls, goats,, etc.. Passover is sign. Blood on door posts, kill a first born unblemished lamb and eat it. All first born Egyptians die. Exodus. Red Sea is parted. God gives 10 commandments. Worship of golden calf. Manna (Eucharist) and quail in the desert. God wants His first-born son (Jesus first born), His own people, to be "to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation" Priesthood, (Jesus as priest) levities. Animal sacrifices are now required daily. But sacrifice won’t take away sin. The nation of people is covenant wander through desert to Promised Land. David- The people demand a king "as the other nations have“. Saul. God makes His final covenant of the Old Testament with David. He promises to establish David's kingdom as an eternal and everlasting dynasty, promises that David's heirs will sit on his royal throne forever. He promises, too, that He will regard David's heir as His own son. David acts as priest, blesses things, eats shew bread, is prophet, he is a son. He dances before tabernacle, come into the presence, come to eat, come to Jerusalem and feast. David commits adultery and murder. He is sorry. “I want to build you a house.” Kingdom is the Covenant. The throne of David. “Your kingdom will last forever”. Solomon builds the temple. The presence of God in the temple. 700 wives. Pagan women. Idolatry. Tribes divided. False worship. Prophets remind people to return to covenant. The Babylonian Exile, Daniel prays in the temple, Messiah will come 70 weeks of yrs., when counted exact day Jesus is presented in the temple.

God’s Plan of SalvationThe Covenant with Adam (Genesis 1:26-2:3)The word "covenant" isn't used. The story of Adam and Eve is told in "covenantal" language. Adam is the covenant mediator in his role as husband. God promises blessings - that their union will be fruitful and their offspring will fill the earth and rule over it. God establishes a sign by which the covenant will be remembered and celebrated - the Sabbath, the seventh day of rest. And God imposes one condition that they must keep to fulfill their obligation under the covenant - that they not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And God attaches a curse for disobedience - that they will surely die. By this covenant, God's family assumes the form of the marriage bond between husband and wife.The Covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17)The word "covenant" is used in the case of Noah, as God promises never again to destroy the world by flood. The covenant is made with all humanity, through the mediator, Noah, in his role as the father of his family. The covenant includes blessings to Noah and his family (that they will be fruitful and fill the earth) and conditions that must be obeyed (not to drink the blood of any animals, not to shed human blood). The sign of the covenant is the rainbow in the sky. By this covenant, God's people assumes the form of a domestic household, an extended family.The Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-14; 22:16-18)God swears to give Abraham a great land and to bless his descendants, who will become a great nation. God makes the covenant with the mediator Abraham in his representative role as chieftain. God promises the blessings of land and great nationhood for his descendants, and through them to bless all the nations of the earth. The sign of the covenant is the mark of circumcision. Circumcision is also the condition that Abraham and his descendants must obey in order to keep the covenant. By this covenant, God's family is takes a " tribal" form.The Covenant with Moses (Exodus 19:5-6; 3:4-10; 6:7)By this covenant, made with the mediator Moses in his representative role as the judge and liberator of Israel, God swears to be Israel's God and Israel swears to worship no other but the Lord God alone. The blessings promised are that they will be God's precious and chosen people. The conditions of the covenant are that they must keep God's Law and commandments. The covenant sign is the Passover, which each year commemorates Israel's birth as a nation. By this covenant, God's family assumes the form of a "holy nation, a kingdom of priests.“The Covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8-19)God promises to establish the mediator David's "house" or kingdom forever, through David's heir, who will also build a temple to God's name. To David in his role as king, God promises to make David's son His son, to punish him if he does wrong but never take away his royal throne."Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever" and through the blessings of this kingdom God promises to give wisdom to all the nations. The sign of the covenant will be the throne and Temple to be built by David's son, Solomon. By this covenant, God's family grows to take the form of a royal empire, a national kingdom.The New Covenant of Jesus (Matthew 26:28; 16:17-19) The sixth and final covenant made by the mediator Jesus, who by His Cross and Resurrection assumes the role of royal high priest and fulfills all the promises God made in the previous covenants. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, had taught Israel to hope for a Messiah who would bring "a new covenant," through which God's law would be written on men's and women's hearts (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12). The conditions of the covenant are that men and women believe in Jesus, be baptized, eat and drink His flesh and blood in the Eucharist, and live by all that He taught. The Eucharist is the sign of the New Covenant. By this covenant, God establishes His family in its final form as a universal (katholicos or 'catholic' in Greek) worldwide kingdom, which Jesus calls His Church (By Scott Hahn) http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/courses/online/covenant_love

God’s Plan of SalvationJesus- Jesus and New Covenant have to do with marriage. (Eucharist- Marriage between Jesus and His Church)Marriage between God and His people, Jesus and His Church. Personal relationship with Jesus. (union with Jesus)Samaritan Woman- Symbol of Marriage to be healed. - Jesus goes through Samaria to heal the divorce, those who had given into mixing with non-Jews and were separated from the Jews. He meets the woman at the well. The woman had broken her marriage vows. She had 5 husbands. He wants to be her bridegroom. He wants to bring the nations together. He wants to bring back all to the house of God. He had come to heal the divorce caused by the separation of the people.Jesus offers Passover. Passover 4 cups of wine, but Jesus only drinks 3 at the Last Supper. The last cup is on Calvary. He drinks the 4th cup when He is to be crucified. He completes the feast of Passover in His Passion on the Cross. Consummation of the Wedding Feast is Calvary –He is the bridegroom, who is naked, but not ashamed like Adam. He consummates the wedding feast. Out from His side flows blood and water. From the side of Adam, came Eve His bride. So from the wound of the side of Christ comes His bride, the Church. Passover Lamb Slain- On the Cross, Jesus the Paschal Lamb was slain and sacrificed for our salvation. Blood splattered on the post of the Cross. Jesus is the first born, unblemished (sinless) lamb. The angel of death passes over the houses with the blood, so Jesus passes over from death to life. Jesus the Lamb, sacrificed on the Cross establishes the New Covenant.We can now pass over from death to eternal life with God in heaven.The Mass is the Passover- At Mass we eat the Lamb. The Mass as Passover, because by the Eucharist we will pass from this life to the next, “whoever eats my body and drinks my blood will live forever”. At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting Covenant”. All can come with the wedding feast- the Mass. The Eucharist is the New and Everlasting Covenant. At Mass we come to eat the flesh of the sinless Lamb of God.The Church is the Kingdom of God- In the Temple, sacrifice is offered by the Priest (Jesus). Jesus reigns on the throne of David. Jesus lays down His life for His bride the Church. Circumcision is symbolic of baptism and one enters the Church through it and becomes a member of God’s family. The flood is symbolic of baptism. Baptism- sin is washed away. The Ark is like the Church. God’s people saved by the Ark. God’s people saved by the Church. Jesus heals the wounds of sin, through baptism, confession and Eucharist. He gives us grace to overcome the temptations of lust and pride of life. The pope acts in place of Jesus, as head of the Church. We are brought into God’s family by baptism and we share at the table of the Father at Mass, at the re-presentation of Calvary, we all eat the Feast of the Passover Lamb. Through baptism, Eucharist and confession, God Saves His People and allows them to share in His divine friendship. He gives us union with Him in Eucharist, so we can have union with Him forever in heaven. The Eucharist is the presence of God in the temple.

God’s Plan of Salvation-God’s Love – Out of Love God Chose to Create Man who would share in His Life and Love – “God is Love”-Adam and Eve Chose to use their freedom to disobey God-Original Sin is Inherited. Everyone is stained by original sin. “Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned.” (Rom. 5:12)-Free Will- God wanted us to freely choose to love Him. We can reject to love Him and cut our self from Him. God made us truly free. We can cut our self off from God and that free act is called sin. -Our own experience in life confirms we all fall short in charity.-The Good News is that God does not let even our wrong choices stand in the way of His desire to draw us into His interior life.-As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God provided a solution.Salvation- “The forgiveness of sins and the restoration of friendship with God, which can be done by God alone.” Catechism of the Catholic Church-Adam and Eve knew the result of disobeying God would be death.-Because sin offends God’s perfect justice, it cannot go unpunished.-In God’s plan He accepted the punishment on Himself, (Death) so that anyone who would accept His free gift will obtain salvation.“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

At the Appointed Time- God sent his Son to take upon our human nature. “God so loved the world, He sent His only Son..”Incarnation- Jesus takes upon Himself our human nature in the sinless and immaculate womb of Mary. (Lk. 1:26-38)“You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21) Jesus means “Savior”.Mary’s Role in Salvation- Mary is the Mother of the Redeemer, Co-redemptrix (Jesus takes His flesh from Mary) and His flesh is nailed to the Tree for our redemption. Mary plays a subordinate role in redemption and salvation, but She plays a role unlike any other human being. God, though He was Creator, became an unborn infant, born in Bethlehem (house of bread). He is the Bread from Heaven (Jn. 6), who came into a feeding trough for animals. Mary is the Ark of the Covenant. (Rev. 11:19-12:1) “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within His temple,… A great sign appeared in the heaven, a woman clothed with the sun..” Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary -“Who am I, that the Mother of the Lord should come to me. The infant lept..” (Lk 1:39-46) and reference to David dancing before the ark. (2 Sam. 6:9) “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Sam. 6:16) “King David leaping and dancing before the Lord”. Mary is overshadowed (Lk 1:35) Ark overshadowed (Ex 40:34-35) and God himself would dwell in the ark (Ex. 25:8) Jesus, who is God, dwells within the womb of Mary, the New Ark. The Eucharist is the New and Everlasting Covenant.

God’s Plan of Salvation

-Jesus – Hidden Life-The Temptation in the Desert-The 12 Apostles are Chosen-Jesus Worked Miracles, Only Messiah heals blind-Reveals Trinity, Reveals the Father & Holy Spirit-Expels Demons-Preaches Kingdom and Teaches the Good News-Jesus Fulfills all Prophesies in the Old Testament-Jesus Establishes His Church-Jesus Institutes the 7 Sacraments (He wanted to be sure all people throughout the world and for the future would have access to His saving work. He told His apostles to preach the Gospel to all the Nations. Through Baptism and Confession sins forgiven, Eucharist- Jesus body to eat)-Crucifixion and Death- Ultimate Demonstration of God’s Love-Resurrection Shows Payment of Sin is Satisfied, He appeared to Apostles & Hundreds More-After 40 Days, Ascended into Heaven-Sent the Holy Spirit to Guide and Empower the Apostles, Preach to all Nations, Baptizing them-History of the Early Church is in the Acts of the Apostles-Successors Appointed by the Apostles

God’s Plan of Salvation

God’s Plan of SalvationCCC 1084 "Seated at the right hand of the Father" and pouring out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.”

CCC 1087 “Thus the risen Christ, by giving the Holy Spirit to the apostles, entrusted to them his power of sanctifying: they became sacramental signs of Christ. By the power of the same Holy Spirit they entrusted this power to their successors. This "apostolic succession" structures the whole liturgical life of the Church and is itself sacramental, handed on by the sacrament of Holy Orders.”

CCC 1088 “To accomplish so great a work" - the dispensation or communication of his work of salvation - "Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the Sacrifice of the Mass not only in the person of his minister, 'the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross,' but especially in the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the sacraments so that when anybody baptizes, it is really Christ himself who baptizes. He is present in his word since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. Lastly, he is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has promised 'where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them."