Session 3

This session picks up the story of scripture by considering the world into which Jesus was born and lived. The inter-testamental period is full of action and — while we don’t spend a lot of time attending to particular historical events — we do reflect on the social and political uncertainty shaping 1st century Palestine/Galilee.

From there we invite participants to consider the gospel accounts of Jesus’ early years and early efforts, paying particular attention to the optimism of Jesus’ early teaching (i.e. Sermon on the Mount, and Sermon by the Sea).

We consider the importance of John the Baptist’s death to Jesus’ self-understanding, and unpack how the gospels all change in tone as Jesus heads toward Jerusalem. The last week of Jesus’ life is a significant focal point of the gospel story, so we attend to its events and meaning before discussing how his death/resurrection were understood in their immediate aftermath.