The Old Testament points towards, and finds it meaning and purpose in

Before we begin:  Positives: Things discovered or understood  Questions  Things not yet understood  Clarifications/ explanations you would value

Resources for Holy Week  Wikispace

Who is Jesus Christ?  That is the big question. 

Statement of Christ  ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one come to the Father except through me’ John 14:6

Statement of Christ  ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one come to the Father except through me’ John 14:6  One of 8 ‘I Am’ Statements Jesus makes.  The meaning of ‘I am’ : ‘I myself and only I am’

‘I AM’ Statements Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!" So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" John 8: Mother Text

‘I AM’ Statements 1. The Bread Of Life Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35) 2. The Light Of The World When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) 3. The Gate I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)

‘I AM’ Statements 4. The Good Shepherd “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) 5. The Resurrection And The Life Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26) 6. The Way, The Truth, And The Life Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) 7. The Vine “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Statement of Christ I Am The Way  The Way to Heaven,  The Way to the Father,  The Way to Salvation

Statement of Christ  I Am The Truth  Sermon on Mount… It is said… But I say to you…  Voice of new and definitive authority. (Matthew 5: 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44)

Statement of Christ I Am The Life  He is about to die, and has told the apostles so, and yet he says this  I am going to lay done my life and take it up again.  ‘ Because I live, you will also live.’ (John 14:19)  Gives Life that is Eternal

Statement of Christ I Am The Way, The Truth, and the Life  Clear declaration that he Himself is the great ‘I AM’ who spoke to Moses on the Mountain.  The only path to heaven,  The only measure of truth and righteousness  The only source of life: physical and spiritual.

The apostles tried to grasp it all  Only after he rose and appeared to them several times could they get hold of the truth of these statements.  Once they did understand, things were never the same.  At Pentecost they received the definitive courage to speak boldly and unto death..

Prophecies fulfilled…  Relating to the culminating and key events that took place in Jerusalem  At a specific time: over 72 hours at the feast of the Passover

Core Prophecies

Core Actions: Miracles  Over nature

Core Actions: Miracles  Of Healing

Core Actions: Miracles  Of raising people from the dead

Core Actions: Miracles  Over demons

Paul: 1 Corinthians 1-26 Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast-unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 1-26 cont and that he appeared to Ce'phas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.

1 Corinthians 1-26 cont But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised;

1 Corinthians 1-26 cont If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

1 Corinthians 1-26 cont If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 1-26 cont Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.