UNIT 3: THE REDEMPTIVE NATURE OF CHRIST’S EARTHLY

LIFE

What does ‘redemptive’ mean?

I. LUMINOUS MYSTERIES

Pope John Paul II added a set of mysteries of the

rosary that show important times when Jesus reveals

that He is the Messiah

A. BAPTISM IN THE JORDAN

1. Referenced in all four Gospels

2. Baptized by His cousin John

a. John was urging people to stop sinning.

b. Baptism was the sign of cleansing from sin.

c. Jesus sets an example for us.

3. At His baptism, God reveals him to be one with the Trinity.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

B. WEDDING AT CANA

1. Jesus is at a wedding with friends and family a few days

after his baptism.

a. Hosts run out of wine.

b. Jesus turns water into wine at the request of His

mother, Mary.

2. This miracle reveals his glory, and his disciples begin to

believe in him.

C. PRO CLAM ATIO N O F TH E K ING DO M

1. Not one event, but many times Jesus said and showed

that the Kingdom of God had come.

2. Jesus calls people to conversion and forgives sins.

3. Jesus fulfills ancient prophecies.

D. TRANSFIGURATION

1. In the 3 synoptic gospels.

2. Happens soon after Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah, and Jesus predicts his own suffering, death, and resurrection.

3. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a mountain and shows what he looks like in his heavenly form.

a. Moses and Elijah appear

b. God the Father speaks:“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

E. I NSTITUTIO N O F TH E EUCH ARIST

1. Explicitly mentioned in the synoptic Gospels and St. Paul’s First

Letter to the Corinthians; alluded to in the Gospel of John.

2. Shortly before his death at a Passover meal, Jesus turned ordinary

bread and wine into his Body and Blood and shares it with the 12

Apostles.

3. Jesus is the new lamb of the covenant to free us from sin and death.

ARTICLE 18:

The Poverty of Christ

Elites and Non-Elites

In the USA, the majority of the people are ‘middle class’.

In Jesus’ time and country, there were a few very rich and most people were very poor.

Jesus is born as a non-elite, in a barn, and does nothing to change his social status throughout his life.

Material Poverty and Poverty of Heart

Jesus embraced poverty to show that we do not achieve salvation through material wealth. This was a BIG DEAL because… [ fill in the blank ]

The rich need to help the poor Every person, rich or poor, needs ‘poverty of

heart’ which is… [ fill in the blank ]

ARTICLE 19:

The Obedience of Christ

Overview We have a hard time being obedient in

modern society [ why? ] Why is obedience such an important value? We need to be obedient but to the right

people. Video Adam is disobedient. Christ, the new Adam,

is not.

Redeeming Adam’s Disobedience

“Just as by one man’s disobedience we were all made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)

Jesus’ willingness to assume a human nature shows intense obedience.

Jesus’ Example of Obedience

Respects his earthly parents Obedient to heavenly Father

Ex. Garden of Gethsemane We should be obedient too, not because

God wants to control us like puppets BUT BECAUSE [ fill in the blank ]

Journal

This will be longer than a normal journal– you need to fill up the front and half of the back of a page. It should be thoughtful and not just random things you are writing to fill up the page.

You are to write a letter to a freshman explaining to him or her the importance of obedience in school. Here are some ideas to get you started, but please do not limit

yourselves to these: Tell them why our school has rules and how they help the

students become better and more intelligent people. Think about even rules that you or others may not like and try

to explain why the school might have them. Tell them why it’s important to respect the teachers and staff.