Session 2.1
The Person of Jesus Christ
Michael Pascual
Institute for Pastoral Ministry
Background and Goal of this Session
• We will develop our Christology (blending approaches of both
FROM ABOVE and FROM BELOW)
• In order to do this, we will need to establish the Jewish
background of “the Anointed One” in the context of Salvation
History.
• This will include an analysis on “Sin” and an overview of “covenant”
Values of Ancient Judaism
• The importance of memory
• The role of History
• The Israelites as the People of God
Three Parts
• Looking into Salvation History:
• The Fall: The Story of Original Sin
• The Genesis Pattern of Sin and Grace
• The Major Covenants
The Fall: The Story of
Original Sin
NOTE
• The Fall is another name of the story of Adam and Eve’s
“original sin.”
• This presentation is based off the Catholic update article
“Adam, Eve & Original Sin” by Michael D. Guinan, OFM
Outline for Discussion
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Seeing the Larger Story
Human Sin
Punishment Follows
Signs of Grace
What’s Original Sin about?
Seeing the Larger Story
• Genesis 1-11 is the big picture
• Sets the whole story of God, Israel and all that follows in the
Bible in a universal, cosmic setting.
The Cosmic story
•
•
•
•
Adam and Eve (2:4b-3:24)
Cain and Abel (4:1-26)
Noah and the Flood (6:1-9:29)
Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
The PATTERN: human sin is followed by punishment, but the last
word in each story is one of grace from God.
Human sin
• Man and woman violate God’s command
• The sin in each of these stories is one and the same… “you will
become like gods!” (3:5)
• We, as human beings, as creatures of God, overstep the limits
of creaturhood and prefer to play God instead.”
Textbook says:
• “Their sin was a misuse of human freedom and a lack of trust
in God. They did not accept the gift of their humanity and
instead tried to replace God with themselves. In some way
these two things- not accepting our goodness and a lack of
trust in God- are at the root of every sin.” (28)
Punishment follows
• Punishment follows the human attempt to play God.
• For Adam and Eve, it is death.
• It is in rejecting God that we are rejecting life.
Biblical View of Death
• Death is the breaking and collapse of
all our relationships on all their
levels.
• Loss of Original Holiness
• Loss of Original Justice
• Death is not just a moment at the
end, but a whole realm of brokenness
that affects our lives on many levels.
• Remember, according to Genesis Adam
lived for 930 years!
Loss of Original Justice
• The snake represents the relationship with all animals…now a
cursed relationship.
• Man’s relationship to the Woman is now broken too… she’s
subjugated to the man.
Loss of Original Holiness
• The rejection of God is the rejection of our source of life
The Biblical understanding of Punishment
• Not so much a judge giving judgment, but a natural
consequence of an action
• To reject God is to reject all the relationships that interconnect with him.
Signs of Grace
• God’s will for life and blessing always prevail
• Notice how God always responds?
What’s Original Sin about?
• St Augustine frames the term in two ways:
• Original Sin “originating”
• Original Sin “originated”
Original Sin “originated”
• Describes the concrete human condition which is present at the
birth of each one of use.
• We are born into a world which in fact is already broken; it is
present at our birth, and we enter into it.
• This is the understanding today, thanks especially to the work
of Biblical Scholarship and historical research on the work of
St. Augustine.
Original Sin “originating”
• The concrete sin of the historical parents, Adam and Eve,
whose guilt is passed on down to all generations.
• This is a past, historical understanding (the Catholic Church
does not subscribe to this)
The Author argues to read the Bible in
Context
• Quoting the CCC 110 ( which is quoting “Dei Verbum!!!)
Religious Truth Vs. Scientific Truth
Genesis is not about scientific truth, but
religious truth
Original Sin stories
• Not just in Adam and Eve story, but the rest of Genesis 2-11!!!
Was there an Adam and Eve
• Not in the literal sense…
• Are there an Adam and Eve?
• Author says “Look in the mirror.”
EVERYMAN
Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection
When all is said and done…
• This is a story about the brokenness of human nature, that
while we are a loved creation of God, the summit of all
creation, we are also a fallen people.
• But God is always reaching out to us… Prodigal Son story…
And from a Christian perspective…
• The full meaning of the Genesis creation story points us toward
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the embodiment of
God’s covenant and source of our hope.
In Summary
• The Genesis narrative reflects a theological belief of human
nature, God’s grace and sin.
• Catholics do not view the Genesis story in a
fundamentalist/Literal story, distinguishing between religious
truth and scientific truth.
• The “original sin” of the Genesis story reflects an
understanding about the social reality of human brokenness.
Socrative and break
• Covenants
THE COVENANTS
OF SALVATION HISTORY
SESSION 2.2
GOALS FOR THIS SECTION
CONTINUE BUILDING ON THE JEWISH BACKGROUND:
• HAVE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAJOR COVENANTS OF SALVATION HISTORY
• SEE THE ROLE OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE COVENANTS
•
SOME IMPORTANT VOCAB
• COVENANT
• FORESHADOW
• PASCHAL MYSTERY
• REDEMPTION
COVENANT
• A SOLEMN AGREEMENT BETWEEN HUMAN BEINGS OR BETWEEN GOD AND A HUMAN BEING IN WHICH MUTUAL
COMMITMENTS ARE MADE.
•
•
ACTS LIKE A CONTRACT, BUT NOT REALLY
MORE LIKE A TOTAL SELF-GIVING OF SELF.
•
•
BETTER ANALOGY: A MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP
CONTRACTS CAN BE CHANGED OR DROPPED…COVENANTS DO NOT.
•
IN FACT, SOMETIMES COVENANTS ARE ADDED ONTO AND/OR REPLACED.
FORESHADOW
• TO REPRESENT OR PREFIGURE A PERSON BEFORE HIS OR HER LIFE OR AN EVENT BEFORE IT OCCURS.
• PAGE 62
PASCHAL MYSTERY
• THE WORK OF SALVATION ACCOMPLISHED BY JESUS CHRIST MAINLY THROUGH HIS LIFE, PASSION,
DEATH, RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION.
• PASCH IS GREEK FOR “PASSOVER.”
• THUS PASCHAL MEAL IS A TERM THAT REFERS TO THE JEWISH PASSOVER MEAL THAT JESUS SHARED
WITH THE APOSTLES THE NIGHT BEFORE HE DIED.
REDEMPTION
• PAGE 78
• FROM THE LATIN “REDEMPTION”, MEANING “TO BUY BACK”;
• IN ROMAN ANTIQUITY, TO REDEEM IS TO PAY THE PRICE FOR ITS FREEDOM
• IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IT REFERS TO YAHWEH’S DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL
• IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, TO CHRIST’S DELIVERANCE OF ALL CHRISTIANS FROM THE FORCES OF SIN
• “CHRIST PAID THE PRICE TO FREE US FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN AND BRING ABOUT OUR REDEMPTION.”
•
HOW???
PROTOEVANGELIUM
“I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN YOUR OFFSPRING AND HERS; THEY
WILL STRIKE AT YOUR HEAD, WHILE YOU STRIKE AT THEIR HEEL.” ---GENESIS 3:15
THE PROTOEVANGELIUM (GEN 3:15)
“I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN YOUR OFFSPRING AND HERS; THEY WILL
STRIKE AT YOUR HEAD, WHILE YOU STRIKE AT THEIR HEEL.” ---GENESIS 3:15
HOW MIGHT THIS COVENANT FORESHADOW JESUS?
• IRENAEUS OF LYONS (CA. A.D. 130–200), IN HIS AGAINST HERESIES 5.21.1, FOLLOWED BY
SEVERAL OTHER FATHERS OF THE CHURCH, INTERPRETED THE VERSE AS REFERRING TO CHRIST,
AND CITED GAL 3:19 AND 4:4 TO SUPPORT THE REFERENCE.
• ANOTHER INTERPRETIVE TRANSLATION IS IPSA, “SHE,” AND IS REFLECTED IN JEROME’S
VULGATE. “SHE” WAS THOUGHT TO REFER TO MARY, THE MOTHER OF THE MESSIAH. IN
CHRISTIAN ART MARY IS SOMETIMES DEPICTED WITH HER FOOT ON THE HEAD OF THE
SERPENT.
HOW MIGHT THESE COVENANTS FORESHADOW
JESUS?
• EVEN, AS ADAM AND EVE ARE LEAVING THE GARDEN OF EDEN…
• GOD IS ALREADY MAKING A PROMISE, A COVENANT, THAT HE WILL SAVE HUMANITY FROM
THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE DEVIL’S DECEOPTION (PASCHAL MYSTERY, 39)
• MARY AS THE NEW EVE
• JESUS AS THE NEW ADAM
THE COVENANT WITH NOAH (GEN 9:12)
HOW MIGHT THIS COVENANT FORESHADOW JESUS?
• GOD MARKS HIS COVENANT WITH ALL HUMANKIND AND CREATION: “NEVER AGAIN SHALL
ALL BODILY CREATURES BE DESTROYED BY THE WATERS OF A FLOOD.” (GEN 9:11)
• THIS IS A UNIVERSAL COVENANT
• REACHING OUT EVEN TO THOSE NATIONS IN DANGER (OR PRACTICE) OF POLYTHEISM
• GRACE IS PRESENT AMONG THEM TOO
• THIS COVENANT FINDS ITS FULFILLMENT IN JESUS CHRIST WHEN HE MAKES HIS EVER-LASTING
COVENANT TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD (KATHOLIKOS = UNIVERSAL)
THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM (GEN 17)
3 FOLD PROMISE
• TO MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION BY PROMISING ABRAHAM MANY DESCENDANTS
• TO PROVIDE ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS A LAND OF THEIR OWN
• TO MAKE ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS A BLESSING FOR ALL NATIONS
FORESHADOW JESUS?
• THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, A DESCENDANT OF ABRAHAM, GOD’S BLESSING IS BROUGHT TO ALL
NATIONS. (PM 44)
• “SPIRITUAL KINGDOM?”
THE MOSAIC COVENANT (EX 19)
THE MOSAIC LAW
• THE COVENANT AND THE LAW ARE NOW LINKED FROM THIS MOMENT ON
• KEEPING THE LAW IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SIGN OF FAITHFULNESS TO THE COVENANT
• HENCE WHY THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES BECAME KNOWN AS THE TORAH,
OR “THE LAW”
JESUS AND THE NEW LAW
• PARALLEL TO MOSES ON THE MOUNT,
• JESUS ON THE MOUNT (AND ALL HIS OTHER
TEACHINGS) GIVES THE NEW LAW
• OR THE LAW OF LOVE
THE DAVIDIC COVENANT (2 SAMUEL 7)
THE DAVIDIC COVENANT
• GOD’S PROMISE TO DAVID THAT “YOUR HOUSE AND YOUR KINGDOM SHALL ENDURE
FOREVER BEFORE ME; YOUR THRONE SHALL STAND FIRM FOREVER” (SEE 2 SAM 7:16)
• HOUSE REFERRING TO BLOODLINE OR DIRECT LINE OF DESCENDANTS
JESUS AND THE DAVIDIC COVENANT
• THE GOSPELS TESTIFY TO JESUS AS THE DIRECT DESCENDANT OF DAVID (SEE MT 1:6; LK 3:31)
• CHRIST ESTABLISHES THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (MORE ON THIS LATER)
COVENANT INTENSIFICATION
Covenant Mediator
Covenant Role
Covenant Form
Covenant Sign
Reference
Adam
Husband
Marriage
Sabbath
Gen 2
Noah
Father (family man)
Household
Rainbow
Gen 9
Abraham
Tribal Chief
Tribe
Circumcision
Gen 17
Moses
Judge
Nation
Passover
Ex 19-24
David
King
National Kingdom
Throne/House
2 Sam 7
Jesus
Royal High Priest
Ekklesia (Church)
Eucharist
Mt 26
Mk 14
Lk 22
1 Cor 11:25
Heb 13:20-21
JESUS CHRIST (MT, MK, LK, JN)
THE INCARNATION
• THE DOGMA (SOLEMN TEACHING) OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING THAT GOD BECAME MAN
IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
• LITERALLY MEANS “TO TAKE UPON THE FLESH”
• “GOD BECAME MAN SO THAT MAN CAN BECOME LIKE GOD.”—ST ATHANASIUS
• JOHN 1:14, CCC 464, 480
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
• “THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU…
• “THIS IS MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT THAT WILL BE SHED SO
THAT SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN…
• DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.”
IN SUMMARY
• THE COVENANTS ACT LIKE MAJOR HALLMARKS IN SALVATION HISTORY
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE COVENANTS
• THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SEES ITSELF AS THE SIGN OF COMMUNION WITH GOD (LG 1)
EXPRESSED AND RENEWED IN ITS OFFICIAL CELEBRATION: THE EUCHARIST
SOCRATIVE
• 173762
• 5 MINUTE BREAK
Session 2.3

We’ll look briefly into the Life of Jesus Christ, using the
outline of “the Luminous Mysteries”

A tragic period in Jewish history: THE BABYLONIAN EXILE.

In 587 BC, The Babylonians pillaged Judah, destroyed the
Temple and the city of Jerusalem, and banished the people in
chains to serve as slaves in Babylon.

The EXILE lasted until 539 BC.

Around this time, we see the introduction of the prophets

Have a special connection with
God and understand his desire;
crafted and proclaimed their
exhortations to their community
Not necessarily someone who
could tell the future
Image in public domain

At the heart of the message of the
biblical prophets is a return to following
God’s Covenant.
 It was not necessarily a return to the
“exact same” practices of the people
as in prior days when they were faithful
to the Covenant.
Image in public domain

Peace and God’s healing
return to the people.
The people return to
following the Covenant.
Image in public domain
God creates or enters into a
Covenant and it is good.
Humanity falls into
idolatry, resulting in
disease, war, and grief.
God sends teachers,
kings, prophets, or
others who lead the
people to repentance.
NOTE: Christ
• Prophets were also anointed…(Gk:christos)
• Therefore, in Ancient Israel, the anointed ones were
• priests,
• prophets
• and kings.
The Mysteries of Light


Prior to this encyclical, the Rosary had only 3 mysteries
Summaries of each Rosary Mystery
▪ Joyful Mysteries = about Jesus’ birth
▪ Sorrowful Mysteries = about Jesus’ suffering and death
▪ Glorious Mysteries = about Jesus’ Resurrection and early Church

So what exactly is missing here?


The Luminous Mysteries were added to reflect on the life of
Jesus.
Jesus is the “light of the world” for all to see!



the 5 Luminous mysteries
are significant moments in Jesus’ public ministry
where he is most clearly identified as the Messiah, the Savior,
the Son of God.





The Baptism in the Jordan
The Wedding at Cana
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
The Transfiguration
The Institution of the Eucharist



.*13iThen Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him.
14* John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized
by you, and yet you are coming to me?”
15Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting
for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.


16* j After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and
behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him.
17And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my
beloved Son,* with whom I am well pleased.”

John was baptizing as a sign of peoples’ cleansing and
renewal. Why was Jesus baptized?
THREE EVENTS OF
JESUS’ BAPTISM
• Heavens were
opened
• Holy Spirit
descends upon
Jesus
• God the Father
calls Jesus “my
son”
This is my beloved
Son, with whom I am
well pleased (Mt
3:16)



Even though Jesus was free from sin, his baptism showed his
willingness to completely identify with the human condition.
By identifying himself with human sin, Jesus Christ became
the perfect offering to save us from sin.
2 Cor 5:21

“For our sake he [the Father] made him [the Son] to be sin
who did not know sin, so that we might become the
righteousness of God in him.”


It is an example of his perfect obedience to his heavenly
Father.
It also reveals the mystery of the Holy Trinity
 The three Divine persons of the Trinity work together in the plan of
salvation.

Recorded in the Gospel of John only

Takes place after Jesus’ Baptism, but before his public
ministry.

John’s Gospel only has seven miracles (or signs)

“Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in
him”

What does this event show about Jesus’ relationship to creation?

What might this event show about his relationship with his
mother?

What might be the purpose of the 2nd mystery when seen in
relation to the other mysteries? (OR, what’s so special about this
mystery in comparison to the Baptism, Proclamation of the
kingdom, Transfiguration and Institution of the Eucharist?)

Not just one event or one teaching

Through all the things that Jesus did (miracles and teachings),
he proclaims:

“THIS IS THE TIME OF FULFILLMENT. THE KINGDOM OF
GOD IS AT HAND. REPENT, AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL.”
(Mk 1:15)




The culmination or goal of God’s plan of salvation.
Announced by the Gospel, and present in Jesus.
The Kingdom is not a place, but the reign of God in our hearts
Consequently: the development of a new social order based
on unconditional love
 (the exact opposite of human brokenness)


The fullness of God’s Kingdom will not be realized until the
end of time.
Other names: Reign of God, Kingdom of Heaven.


Historically in Hebrew context, “kingdom” refers to “reign” or
“rule”
A modern way of understanding the term is “electricity” or
“force”


The prophets talk about the restoration of original justice and
holiness
The Messiah is one to usher in a new “kingdom” that restores
the relationship with God and one another (“salvation”)

Do the miracles by themselves show that Jesus is the
Messiah?

Do the teachings by themselves show that Jesus is the
Messiah?

Because they only make sense in the context of the
“KINGDOM OF GOD.”

Jesus’ words and actions proclaim that the Kingdom of God is
at hand.

That the Kingdom of God is present in Jesus Christ, and his life
brings salvation to our world.

173762

DONE!
JOHN 1:14
14 AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND
MADE HIS DWELLING AMONG US, AND
WE SAW HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF
THE FATHER'S ONLY SON, FULL OF GRACE
AND TRUTH.
CCC 464
THE UNIQUE AND ALTOGETHER SINGULAR
EVENT OF THE INCARNATION OF THE SON
OF GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT JESUS
CHRIST IS PART GOD AND PART MAN, NOR
DOES IT IMPLY THAT HE IS THE RESULT OF A
CONFUSED MIXTURE OF THE DIVINE AND
THE HUMAN. HE BECAME TRULY MAN WHILE
REMAINING TRULY GOD. JESUS CHRIST IS
TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN.
CCC 480
JESUS CHRIST IS TRUE GOD AND TRUE
MAN, IN THE UNITY OF HIS DIVINE
PERSON; FOR THIS REASON HE IS THE
ONE AND ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN
GOD AND MEN.