1. Chapter 19: What Jesus Did
UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

2. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
ANTICIPATORY SET Share details of Baptisms you have attended or in which you have participated. St. John’s baptism in this lesson was not the Sacrament of Baptism but God’s preparation for it. Look for ways that this baptism prepared people for something much greater.

3. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
BASIC QUESTIONS
What pattern did the Evangelists follow to tell the story of Christ?
How did St. John the Baptist relate to Elijah, and what was the Baptist’s ministry?
Why was Christ baptized?
KEY IDEAS
The Evangelists told the same basic story, though some incidents were put in different orders to best explain the truths each intended to express.
St. John the Baptist, the final prophet, was an antitype of Elijah who preached a baptism of repentance to prepare people for the Messiah.
Though Christ was without sin, he was baptized to identify himself with all people in all ways and to receive an anointing from St. John.

4. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What does St. Peter’s outline of Christ’s life (cf. Acts 10:36–43) have in common with the four Gospels? St. Peter’s summary of Christ’s life gives the basic outline that was followed by the other New Testament writers. Why were the Gospels written? They were written to record the truth about who Jesus Christ is. Why are some of the same events found in different orders in different Gospels? Each Evangelist arranged the stories in a way to best explain the truths he was trying to express.

5. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Complete a focused reading of Acts 10:36–43 using the following question:
What is the basic outline of the story of Christ as described by St. Peter?

6. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
FOCUS QUESTIONS Whom did St. John the Baptist resemble in his dress? He dressed in the same manner as the Prophet Elijah. Why did St. John the Baptist worry those in authority? St. John spoke of a coming Messiah. Many Judeans expected the Messiah would overthrow the current, corrupt government and rule as a perfect earthly king. What did the last words of the last prophet in the Old Testament promise? Malachi promised Elijah would return to earth (cf. 4:5).

7. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
FOCUS QUESTIONS How did Christ interpret the prophecy described in the previous question? He interpreted it typologically, identifying St. John the Baptist with Elijah. St. John suffered at the hands of his enemies just as Elijah had done. How did St. John the Baptist fulfill Malachi’s prophecy? He turned the hearts of the people to repentance. Who is the final prophet according to the Catechism, no. 719? In St. John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit concluded speaking through the prophets.

8. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Review St. Simeon’s prophecy about Christ (cf. Lk 2:33–35; 3:7–9).
Then do a think / pair / share about St. John the Baptist’s stern warning to the people coming to be baptized by him, using the following question:
How do the words of St. Simeon correlate to the words of St. John the Baptist?

9. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
FOCUS QUESTIONS Why did Christ want to be baptized by St. John the Baptist? First, he wanted to be identified with all people, the sinful human race; second, he wanted to receive an anointing from a Levite and prophet. How is the Sacrament of Baptism like the Flood? The Sacrament of Baptism is a new creation just as the Flood began a new creation. The dove who descended upon Christ at his Baptism is a reminder of the dove Noah sent out from the Ark. What is the importance of the setting of the Baptism of Christ (cf. p. 345)? Joshua—which is Hebrew for the Greek Jesus—led Israel across the Jordan, where Christ was later baptized. This, in turn, harkened back to Moses and Israel having crossed the Red Sea.

10. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
CLOSURE Write a paragraph explaining how St. John the Baptist corresponded to the Prophet Elijah in his way of life and in his ministry.

11. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 1–4 (p. 361)
Practical Exercise 3 (p. 361)
Workbook Questions 1–7
Read “The Temptation in the Wilderness” through “Jesus’ Galilean Ministry” (pp. 345–351)

12. 1. St. John the Baptist (pp. 340–345)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Free write for five minutes in response to the following prompt:
Though Christ willed to be baptized, he had no need of St. John’s baptism.

13. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
ANTICIPATORY SET Opening Prayer using Isaiah’s prophecy (cf. 56:6–7). The foreigners are Gentiles. In Jesus’ day, pilgrims came to Jerusalem from all over the world to make sacrifices in the Temple. Christ’s family probably visited the Temple every year.

14. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
BASIC QUESTIONS
What did Christ accomplish in the wilderness?
What was the significance of Christ’s first miracle?
Why did Christ cleanse the Temple in Jerusalem?
Why did Christ make Galilee the center of his activity?
KEY IDEAS
Christ prepared for his public ministry by fasting in the wilderness for forty days, recalling Moses and Elijah’s fasts and Israel’s wandering in the wilderness; he overcame the temptations of Satan, which Adam and Israel had not been able to do.
Christ’s first miracle, done at the Blessed Virgin Mary’s request, presaged his Passion and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
Christ cleansed the Temple of those who cheated pilgrims and occupied the place of the Gentiles, thereby making himself an enemy of the chief priests.
Christ made Galilee the center of his activity, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy.

15. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What is the significance of the number forty for Christ’s fasting in the wilderness? Moses and Elijah had each spent forty days fasting in the wilderness at Mt. Sinai, and Israel spent forty years wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Extension: Forty days is considered a time of trial in preparation for a great event, hence the annual forty days of Lent to fast and prepare for Christ’s Resurrection. Why was Christ tempted, or tested? It was fitting he, the perfect man, face the temptations that had caused all other people to sin. The Devil used the opportunity to learn whether Christ is really the Son of God, which had been hidden from him before that time. What was Christ’s first temptation? The Devil wanted Christ to prove he is the Son of God by turning stones into bread. This was tempting because Christ had been fasting.

16. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What was the purpose of Christ’s second temptation? The Devil wanted Christ to prove he is the Son of God by casting himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple. Were he really the Son of God, angels would have caught him according to the Scriptures. What did the Devil offer Christ in the third temptation, and what would Christ had to have done to have obtained it? The Devil offered Christ the opportunity to be the kind of Messiah most Jews expected: a glorious earthly king. There would have been no physical suffering; Christ would have had to have committed idolatry by worshiping the Devil. What was the outcome of the third temptation? The Devil withdrew, waiting “until an opportune time” (Lk 4:13).

17. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
GUIDED EXERCISE Perform a paragraph shrink on the Catechism, no. 540 (p. 346).

18. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What was Christ’s first miracle? He turned water into wine at the Wedding Feast at Cana. What did the Blessed Virgin Mary command the servants to do at the Wedding Feast at Cana? She told them, “Do whatever he [Christ] tells you.” Extension: To do whatever Christ commands is excellent spiritual advice. The Blessed Virgin Mary always followed her own advice on this matter. How did St. John the Evangelist understand the significance of this miracle? St. John said it was the first sign Christ performed, one that revealed he is God and elicited his disciples’ faith in him.

19. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What robbery was occurring at the Temple? First, people had to pay a tax to enter the Temple. It could only be paid in the Temple currency and not Roman or other coins. The money changers charged a hefty fee to change outside currency into Temple currency. Second, it was difficult for pilgrims to bring their own animals for sacrifice, but there were animals sold outside the Temple at an exorbitant rate. How had the chief priests allowed the Temple to be desecrated? They allowed the money changers and sellers of animals to set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, the place where the people from the pagan nations were to come to worship. Extension: By cleansing the Temple, Christ was also reopening worship to Gentiles. Why do St. John’s Gospel and the synoptic Gospels place the cleansing of the Temple in different parts of Christ’s ministry? This kind of incident may have happened more than once, or the writers may have arranged events topically.

20. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
GUIDED EXERCISE A think / pair / share using the following question: When Christ told his mother, “My hour has not yet come” (Jn 2:4), what hour did he mean? Complete a focused reading of the section titled “The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali” (p. 350) using the following question: What is the likely reason Christ made Capernaum the headquarters of his ministry?

21. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Complete the following table according to the map “Jesus’ Galilean Ministry” (p. 351).

22. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)

23. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
CLOSURE
Write a paragraph about any one of the Basic Questions of this lesson:
What did Christ accomplish in the wilderness?
What was the significance of Christ’s first miracle? Why did Christ cleanse the Temple in Jerusalem?
Why did Christ make Galilee the center of his activity?

24. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 5–8 (p. 361)
Workbook Questions 8–17
Read “Healing the Sick” through “Hosanna to the Son of David” (pp. 352–358)

25. 2. Christ’s Public Ministry (pp. 345–351)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Work in groups of three or four.
Brainstorm three temptations to which people in the modern world are most susceptible.
What they might do to withstand these tests?

26. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
ANTICIPATORY SET Read Mark 6:30–44, in which Christ feeds five thousand, finding parallels between this and God feeding Israel manna in the desert.

27. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
BASIC QUESTIONS
To the Jews, what was the relationship among sickness, sin, healing, and forgiveness?
What was the effect of Christ’s healing, expelling demons, and associating with outcasts?
Why did Christ choose Twelve Apostles?
How did Christ fulfill a prophecy during his final entry into Jerusalem?
KEY IDEAS
Because sickness was bound up with sin, the Jews expected the Messiah to cure the sick, which Christ did; he also forgave sins, which earned him the accusation of blasphemy from the Pharisees and scribes; he also cast out demons, which earned him the slander of being in league with Satan.
Christ raised the ire of the Jewish authorities by associating with sinners, women, and Samaritans.
Christ chose Twelve Apostles, most of whom were ordinary men, to carry on his ministry.
Christ fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy by entering Jerusalem in triumph, riding on a donkey.

28. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS To the Jewish mind, what was the link between sin and sickness? Illness was mysteriously linked to sin and evil. Only faithfulness to God in obedience to his Law restored life. Why did some Jews consider Christ a blasphemer? He told people their sins were forgiven, whereas only God can forgive sins. How did Christ show he could forgive sins? He showed this by performing extra, seemingly impossible, works, e.g., healing a paralytic man.

29. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What two accounts of physical blindness are recounted on page 353 of the textbook? Christ healed the two blind men, and he healed the man born blind. Is sin always a cause of sickness? No; Christ said the man born blind was not blind because of his or his parents’ sins; rather, it was “that the works of God might be made manifest in him” (Jn 9:3). Who was spiritually blind in the case of the man born physically blind? The Pharisees showed themselves spiritually blind when they refused to accept the miraculous evidence for the truth of Christ’s teaching.

30. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What are demons according to the Catechism, no. 414? They are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. How did the scribes explain the evidence of Christ’s expulsion of demons? They claimed he expelled demons by means of demonic power. How did Christ refute this slander and blasphemy? If Satan were to cast out Satan, then Satan is finished. Christ implied he is stronger than Satan and had bound him; that was how he cast out demons.

31. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
GUIDED EXERCISE Free write about the meaning of Matthew 9:12–13, concentrating on Christ’s admonition: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice”: [Jesus] said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

32. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS What disgusted the Pharisees about Christ’s contact with sinners? Pharisees avoided all contact with people who did not follow the letter of the Law as they interpreted it. They were concerned more with external obligations than internal convictions. Why were tax collectors hated? First, they were hated throughout the Roman world because they generally extorted. Second, tax collectors were especially resented in Israel because they represented the Roman occupiers. Why did the Pharisees disapprove of Christ’s behavior toward St. Matthew and his friends? Christ called St. Matthew, a tax collector, to become one of his Apostles and later had dinner at his house along with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees taught Jews were not to associate with such people.

33. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS How would a Jewish man have related to women he did not know? How would he have viewed Samaritans? A Jewish man would not have spoken to a woman in public, and he would not have spoken with a Samaritan. Why might St. Luke have been eager to show Christ’s ministry among non-Jews? St. Luke was a Gentile and likely would have noticed details relating to Gentiles. Why did Christ extend his ministry to Samaria? He wanted to restore the whole kingdom of Israel. Samaria was originally part of Israel, and its people were descended from a mixture of Jews and Gentiles.

34. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS Why did Christ choose exactly Twelve Apostles? The number twelve corresponded to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which the Messiah was prophesied to bring together again. Twelve was also a perfect number with respect to government. From what segment of society did Christ largely draw his Apostles? He drew chiefly from ordinary people, especially laborers like fishermen. Why do some Apostles have two names? Like many Jews, they had a Jewish name and a Greek or Roman name.

35. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
FOCUS QUESTIONS When Christ last entered Jerusalem, what was the difference between what he knew was going to happen and what most people thought was going to happen? Christ knew he was going to his Death, whereas the crowds thought he was about to inaugurate his reign as the earthly King of Israel. What does Hosanna mean? It means save, or give salvation. What prophecy was fulfilled by Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on a donkey? He fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah in which the people of Jerusalem would see their victorious king humbly riding a lowly donkey (cf. 9:9).

36. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
GUIDED EXERCISE Using the Catechism, no. 574 (p. 362), cite an example of Christ expelling a demon and his action being misconstrued by the authorities. Then write a paragraph describing the scene.

37. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
CLOSURE Free write for five minutes about the relationship between sickness, sin, healing, and forgiveness in the Scriptures and Christ’s actions.

38. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 9–12 (p. 361)
Practical Exercises 1–2 (p. 361)
Workbook Questions 18–30

39. 3. Christ Makes Enemies by Doing Good (pp. 352–358)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
A think / pair / share using the following question.
Why did Christ not feed all the hungry, heal all the sick, cast out all devils, and forgive all people’s sins?

40. The End