Every hero has a backstory. The first two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew tell the story of Jesus’ backstory. Matthew paints a portrait of Jesus that makes it clear that he is in the direct line to be the long-awaited Messiah that will set the Jewish people free and finally establish God’s Kingdom to bless all nations.
This post offers visual resources for the week of December 4, 2022 in the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary. It is the second Sunday of Advent and we light the candle of peace. John the Baptist calls the people of Israel into the wilderness to repent, be baptized, and to prepare themselves for the coming Kingdom of God (RCL), and Esther withstands the oppressive practices of her captor king and saves her people from genocide (NL).
This post offers visual resources for the week of November 27, 2022 in the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary. It is the first Sunday of Advent and we light the candle of hope. Jesus warns his disciples of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and tells them to watch and be ready (RCL) and the prophet Habakkuk warns Jerusalem of the coming destruction from the Babylonian Empire (NL).
This video offers an introduction to the Gospel of Matthew. You will see how Matthew fits into the larger collection of books in the Christian Scripture, where the events of Matthew took place in the world, and how the Gospel of Matthew is organized around the Five Discourses of Jesus.
This video and PowerPoint presentation offers an introduction to the Gospels. It places them in context in order to see how each one offers a unique portrait of Jesus.