Stage 2 Module
Living the Good News of the Gospels
Module Focus
This module will introduce students to the gospels as a unique form of literature, which for Christians is “Good News” as
illustrated in Mark’s gospel which begins with the words, “This is the Good News about Jesus Christ , the Son of God”
(Mk1:1). Students will begin to explore the four gospels of the canon of the New Testament, the gospels of Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John. They will be introduced the idea that these gospels are not biographies of Jesus’ life despite
containing biographical details. “They are complex testaments of faith based on the life and ministry of Jesus of
Nazareth” ( Ryan, M Teaching the Bible 2001, Nelson Cengage Learning, Melbourne, p. 84)
Students will learn that the gospels are built out of the faith of New Testament communities who had a strong belief in
Jesus’ resurrection. They will learn that each of the gospels which arose out of oral tradition and were compiled to
address particular circumstances in the communities of each gospel writer. Whilst written for communities two thousand
years ago, they have still have meaning for us today. We are able to reflect upon all four gospels to explore the life and
teachings of Jesus and to consider how the work of the gospel writers in telling Jesus’ story may help us to live the Good
News in the 21st century.
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Outcomes
S S2.5: Explains the messages of specific Scripture passages and their relationship to prayer, worship and the Christian life.
J S2.2: Names and describes the presence of Christ’s presence in the world today
CD S2.3: Identifies the Church as a community of disciples of Jesus guiding and supporting Christians through moral teaching
and example.
Learn About
Learn To
S S2.5:
S S2.5:
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The four gospels of the New Testament canon
How Jesus speaks to all through Sacred Scripture
Ways to respond to Jesus’ teaching
The importance of spreading the Word
The use of scriptures in prayer
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J S2.2:
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J S2.2:
The presence of Jesus in community
The characteristics of Christianity that Jesus taught
The call to discipleship
Jesus’ actions as examples of how disciples live
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Talk about experiencing Jesus through relationships
Identify ways to live like Jesus
Express their understanding of discipleship
Pose questions and talk about the implications of the
actions of Jesus for the world today
CD S2.3:
CD S2.3:
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Compare and contrast selected passages of scripture
using a variety of texts
Explain why scripture was valued by and included in
gatherings of the early Christian communities
Develop skills to listen to Scripture
Discuss the message of Scripture
Relate stories from the New Testament to their lives
The law of love
The Catholic Church as a community of disciples of Jesus
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Identify people who live like Jesus
Describe features of Christian life
DISCIPLESHIP CHALLENGE
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Students are challenged to pray the Scriptures
Students are challenged to recognise Jesus in others and treat them accordingly
Students are challenged to be part of the parish and school faith communities
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Catholic Discipleship
Jesus' teachings and example exhort us to make decisions based on truth and love. It is through understanding the
story of Jesus through the gospels that we gain direction about how we should lead our lives. By coming to terms
with the Good News he preached and lived, Christians are challenged to be of service to others and in so doing find
meaning and fulfilment. The way of Christ leads to life.
Prayer Focus –Lectio Divina using New Testament Scriptures
The prayer focus for this module is Lectio Divina in Community. The Vatican II Council re-captured the emphasis on
scriptures which had been missing in the Catholic tradition for many years. The Vatican Council reminded us that we are
nourished for our journey by both the Word and Eucharist. Lectio Divina is a meditative prayerful reading of the scriptures
so that our hearts will be filled with their message and we will come to live them out in our daily lives. Lectio Divina may
happen alone or with others, leading to “prayer, transformation of life, and through that transformed life, the sharing
with others of the mystery of God entrusted to us” ( Walker, p.3).
Lectio Divina is a prayer practice that involves the whole person. “Through our senses we read, we meditate using our
reason and imagination, and we pray and transform our life with our will. It is not just an interior practice, but one that
engages with the issues of our Christian life and prompts us to work with them…The practice of Lectio is not a discrete or
isolated event…it takes place within the living of Christian discipleship” ( Walker, p.3)
Lectio Divina is always about a theological understanding of the scriptures. We must read the scriptures with a spiritual
sense, looking for the messages that transcend the historical sense and have the ability to transform our lives. The main
elements of Lectio whether done alone or in community are:
Reading:
Focus attention on the whole text
Come to know the text well
Look at the characters, their actions and words. Note the context, related texts and quotes that strike you.
***The reading is just the beginning of the process, leading to meditation and prayer.
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Meditation:
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“Meditation brings to bear our reason on the text. We look at the text in terms of ourselves. It is here that we come
to understand, appreciate and appropriate the divine mysteries that we read about in the Sacred Scriptures…We
not only learn about God but also about ourselves. Here we can learn about the God who loves us and calls us to
love in return. Here we can look at our own life in terms of the expectations of our divine lover, and see what we
need to do to transform our life.”
What does the text tell me:
o About the God who speaks to me?
o About how I should respond to that God?
o About my faith life?
o About what I need to do to transform my faith life?
Prayer:
Prayer arises out of our reflection on the text and is particularly focused on the transformation of our lives. It is the climax of
the process that began with the reading.
Contemplation:
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The understanding of contemplation in Lectio is a gift from God that will break into our prayer.
Action:
Our Lectio needs to carry over into our lives and be a source of transformation. Sometimes a word or phrase from the
reading can be remembered or repeated throughout the day.
Adapted from Walker, D. Lectio Divina: Sundays of Advent, 2008 Diocese of Broken bay, produced in co-operation with the
Bible Society of NSW
Core Scripture
How each Gospel begins:
Mt 1:1-2: The Ancestry of Jesus
Mk 1:1-4a: The Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God
Lk 1:28; Lk 2:7: The Infancy Narrative
Jn 1:1-5 From the very beginning the Word was with God
A Story in all Four Gospels:
Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46; Jn 17; 1-26:
Jesus prays before his arrest
Stories Unique to Each Gospel
Jn 2: 1-12: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Lk 2:1-20: The Birth of Jesus
Mt 2:1-12: Visitors from the East
Mk: 8:22-26: Jesus heals a Blind man at Bethsaida
Core Scripture in Context
How Each Gospel Begins
Mk 1:1-4a: The Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God
Mark proclaims Christian faith in the short sentence at the beginning of his Gospel. This is seen in the words of the phrase:
Beginning: The ministry of Jesus ushers in a new creation.
Good News: This re-captures the message of good news by the prophet, the second Isaiah.
Jesus: The simple name of Jesus evokes Jesus’ humanity
Christ: Jesus is the messiah, announced by scripture
Son of God: In Jesus’ time, this title was equivalent with ‘Son of David’. As early Christianity developed, it took on stronger
significance.
Mt 1:1-2: The Ancestry of Jesus
Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfilment of Jewish prophecy. Presenting a genealogy was significant in Jewish history
showing the nobility of the person being introduced. “The genealogy of Jesus, as Matthew presents it, contains some of the
most outstanding characters of the Hebrew scriptures, which is represented by all the names mentioned. Matthew succeeds
in demonstrating that Israel’s past has been a preparation for the arrival of Jesus” (Woods, L The Christian Story 1995, ACU Press,
pp.167-168).
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Lk 1:28; Lk 2:7: Luke’s Infancy Narrative
For Luke, the annunciation to Mary represented inclusion of the poor and lowly of Israel to whom Jesus would show special
care in his ministry. Jesus’ virginal conception grew out of the belief that Jesus was son of God and therefore did not need a
human father.
Jesus is born in David’s ancestral city, Bethlehem. “In keeping with Luke’s theme of God’s salvation to the poor and lowly,
Luke identifies Joseph and Mary with the outcast in society. They have no place to stay the night and are forced to take
refuge in a stable. Luke continues this line by introducing the shepherds as the ones who first come to faith in Jesus. They
are also among the lowly in society, but they accept the truth when it is revealed to them by the angel.” (Woods, L The Christian
Story 1995, ACU Press, pp.174).
Jn 1:1-5 From the very beginning the Word was with God
The opening of the Gospel is the same as the Book of Genesis. Calling Jesus Christ (Logos) puts him in a strong biblical
tradition. God creates through his Word (Gen1; Isa 40:26) or through his wisdom (Wis7:22). Wisdom Christology is
paramount in the Gospel of John. “The starting point of this Gospel is that Jesus is the human form of the Logos of God.
Like Wisdom the Logos is pre-existent with God and then is sent by God to live among humans and be God’s agent of
revelation and salvation …Jesus was God’s wisdom and communicating Word in human form” Woods, L The Christian Story 1995,
ACU Press, pp.159).
Jesus Prays Before His Arrest
Mk 14:32-42;
Mark wanted to lead his audience to the foot of the cross with Jesus. In Gethsemane we feel Jesus’ anguish. Fully human,
he is afraid of death. “Jesus’ solitude stands out in all its harshness: he goes forward alone, abandoned by all, denied by
Peter, into the dark night of the cross” (Charpentier, E., How to Read the New Testament 1981, SCM Press, Paris)
Lk 22:39-46;
Luke’s account of the passion is wrapped in tenderness for Jesus. Luke is aware of the struggle between Jesus and the
forces of evil, one of the reasons that Luke’s Gospel has been adopted by liberation theologians as they battle against
systemic injustice. Jesus comes out as victor because of his patience. . “The agony followed by the arrest is the decisive
moment when Jesus emerges as victor over the power of evil. The new Elijah, fortified by God, he goes forward into the
night of his passion at peace, entirely submissive to his Father’s will.” (Charpentier, E., How to Read the New Testament 1981, SCM
Press, Paris, p. 87)
Mt 26:36-46
“In his presentation of events, Matthew seeks above all to show power and the authority of Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God;
he knows what will happen to him. He accepts this; indeed, events take place as they do because he foresees them…The
account of the farewell meal… is celebrated…with the majesty of the celebrant at the altar…The account in the garden
shows him to be fully man…Like everyone who suffers, Jesus feels the need of the presence of his friends. Even that is
denied him; they are asleep. However, in reciting the Our Father to help himself accept the Father’s will, he rediscovers all
his strength.” (Charpentier, E., How to Read the New Testament 1981, SCM Press, Paris, p.75)
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Jn 17: 1-26
John meditated on the passion a long time after the event in light of the Spirit of the Church. “He presents the passion as the
triumphal progress of Jesus towards the Father. Jesus knows he is going to die; he knows what kind of death it will be, and
he goes to it freely…. John does not describe Jesus’ agony … nor the flight of the disciples. He simply shows the majesty of
Jesus. The ‘I am’, repeated twice was God’s own name in scripture” (Charpentier, E., How to Read the New Testament 1981, SCM
Press, Paris, p.99)
Stories Unique to each Gospel
Mk: 8:22-26 : Jesus heals a Blind man at Bethsaida
Jesus ‘healing of the man contains the ‘Messainic secret’ which occurs in Mark’s Gospel i.e. Jesus asks people not to say
anything about his miracles or that he is messiah. For Mark, miracles are only for believers. Interestingly, this story is
followed by Jesus question to the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter answers, “You are the Messiah”,
Jesus says, “Do not tell anyone about me”. In Mark’s Gospel, people have to find Jesus for themselves.
Jn 2: 1-12: The Wedding Feast at Cana
In John’s Gospel, miracles are signs or acts of power. The miracle at Cana is the first of seven signs in John’s Gospel. The
importance is in the symbolic meaning of the miracle. The marvellous deeds of Jesus are continuous with the marvels
worked by God. The miracle at Cana manifests the glory of Jesus.
Lk 2:1-20: The Birth of Jesus
Jesus is born in David’s ancestral city, Bethlehem. “In keeping with Luke’s theme of God’s salvation to the poor and lowly,
Luke identifies Joseph and Mary with the outcast in society. They have no place to stay the night and are forced to take
refuge in a stable. Luke continues this line by introducing the shepherds as the ones who first come to faith in Jesus. They
are also among the lowly in society, but they accept the truth when it is revealed to them by the angel.” (Woods, L The Christian
Story 1995, ACU Press, pp.174).
Whilst Matthew’s Gospel also contains the story of Jesus’ birth, Luke’s story is more detailed as it is vital to his theology,
however Matthew’s Gospel only contains the story of the wise men.
Mt 2:1-12: Visitors from the East
The story of the magi is based on Isaiah 60: 62 and the symbolism of the star from Numbers 24:17. The story of the magi
shows that Jesus would be accepted by Gentiles (in his ministry even though he was persecuted by the Jews, his own
people). Theologians have tied Jesus’ kingship with his humanity through kings visiting after his lowly birth.
Catechism of the Catholic Church for teacher reference
nn. 430-451
Jesus Christ, only son of God
Compendium # 83 In what sense is Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God?
nn.541-546,567
Jesus Christ, only son of God
Compendium # 107 Who is invited to come into the Kingdom of God proclaimed and brought about by Jesus?
nn.610-611,621 Jesus Christ, only Son of God
How is Jesus’ offering expressed in the Last Supper?
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nn. 767-769
I believe in the Holy Spirit
Compendium #150 What is the mission of the Church?
nn. 128-130
Unity of Old and New Testaments
Compendium # 23 What is the unity that exists between the Old and the New Testaments?
Background for Teachers
The Literary Genre of the Gospel
“The modern word “gospel” comes from the earlier English form godspell which means good news”
(Ryan, M Teaching the Bible 2001, Nelson Cengage Learning, Melbourne, p. 84). The
Gospels are faith documents written by believers for
believers, they were not generally meant to convince non-believers. They were “designed to inform and strengthen the
beliefs of the early followers of Jesus” (Woods, L The Christian Story 1995, ACU Press, p, 129).
“The Gospels form a unique literary genre, for which there are few real analogies” (Fee, G & Stuart, D How to Read the Bible for all
Simply the Gospels are made up of sayings and narratives or the
teachings of Jesus and stories about Jesus. However, their complexity arises out of the fact that they involve four different
perceptions of Jesus. If the Gospels had been Jesus’ words and had just contained a collection of Jesus’ sayings they
probably would have appeared more like some of the books of the Old Testament. “Our Gospels do indeed contain
collections of sayings, but these are always woven as an integral part, into a historical narrative of Jesus’ life and
ministry. Thus they are not books by Jesus but books about Jesus, which at the same time contain a large collection of his
teaching” (Fee and Stuart, p. 114).
its Worth 1993 2nd Ed Michigan, Zondervan Publishing, p. 113)
Each of the Gospels was written for different Christian communities to meet their needs. The fact that they were written
for communities that were often very different to the communities of Jesus’ life, means that they were already interpretative
pieces of writing. They were written for people who generally spoke Greek, not Aramaic and who often lived in more urban,
pagan communities than the very Jewish and mostly rural communities to which Jesus preached. By their nature therefore
the Gospels have called all people to re-tell the stories in the contexts of their own time and place. The later church
has had the luxury of having all four gospels standing beside each other, each contributing to understanding of the historical
Jesus and theologically of Jesus, risen and exalted Lord.
The Gospels tell us almost everything we know about Jesus, and yet are not biographies. Four biographies of one
person could not stand equally in the one book as the Gospels do. “ “These books stand side by side because at one and the
same time they record facts about Jesus, recall the teaching of Jesus, and each bears witness to Jesus” (Fee, G &
Stuart, D How to Read the Bible for all its Worth 1993 2nd Ed Michigan, Zondervan Publishing, p. 116)
What is the Good News?
“The early Christians appreciated that Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God, and the promise of eternal life to
those who live according to the values of the kingdom was good news. In fact, everything about Jesus was good
news. So when Mark introduced his Gospel with the words, “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God” he was giving recognition to Jesus as Lord of his life. The good news of Jesus had transformed the lives of all who
had come to faith and been baptised.
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Two significant dimensions of the good news for the early Christians were:
The good news contained in the teaching and message of Jesus;
The good news that Jesus himself was the Son of God and as such was God’s messianic agent in bringing about
the salvation of the human race.
Both these dimensions lay at the heart of the message that the Christians began to spread with burning conviction. This
preaching and teaching is sometimes referred to as the kerygma, which is Greek for the ‘preached message’. “(Woods, L The
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Christian Story 1995, ACU Press, p, 129).
The influence of the Old Testament in the Gospels
The events and scriptures of the Old Testament influenced Jesus and his teaching and nourished his mission. As a
faithful Jew, Jesus knew his scriptures well. The Gospel writers were able to capture this connection e.g. the
shepherd metaphor of the Old Testament (as in Ezekial 34:11-3) is used in all gospels (such as John 10 “I am the Good
Shepherd”); the writing of Isaiah is captured in Luke’s Gospel ( Lk 4:16-19); Hannah’s Song ( 1 Sam 2) is captured in Mary’s
Song of Praise~ the Magnificat ( Lk 1:46-55).
Much of the early Hebrew Scriptures were a priestly version, however the later scriptures began to set the scene for
Jesus’ teaching, which was aimed at the people. The Babylonian exile was a stumbling block in Israel’s thinking.
The “Chosen People” could not understand why they were in exile and their temple destroyed. This led to a new type of
thinking which called for personal responsibility to have a relationship with God. People came to know that they
couldn’t just rely on the priests and had a role of their own. Jesus’ theology was based on this type of thinking, which is
expressed throughout the gospels.
The early Christians also relied on the Hebrew Scriptures to build their faith in Jesus Christ. Their teaching arose out of
their belief that Jesus was the messiah who was raised from the dead to live in glory with God. The first Christians
searched the Hebrew Scriptures to find foundations for their beliefs in Jesus. This was then reflected in the
Gospels.
The Formation of the Gospels
The four gospels arose out of the preaching of the first Christians. The preached message (kerygma) contained the
essential beliefs of people who were committed to faith in Jesus Christ in those early years. The gospel writers used material
from the kerygma to meet their own purposes of teaching their particular communities. Therefore, the gospels were built
from:
1. the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ
2. the apostolic preachers who were the first followers of Jesus who had been eye witnesses to the life of Jesus
(Peter, Paul and others). Their teaching arose out of their belief that Jesus was the messiah who was raised from
the dead to live in glory with God. The first Christians searched the Hebrew Scriptures to find foundations for their
beliefs in Jesus.
3. the gospel writers who formulated the knowledge and writings of the Christian tradition into the gospels in order to
teach their communities, and are used by the Christian community today.
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The Synoptic Gospels: The connections between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the “synoptic gospels”, meaning that they speak with one voice.
There are obvious similarities in their content and structure. Each of these gospels~ introduces Jesus’ ministry; tells of
Jesus’ ministry in Galilee; tells of Jesus’ ministry in and on the way to Jerusalem and concludes with the passion and
resurrection of Jesus.
“It is generally agreed that all the Gospels had their beginnings in oral tradition. This involved handing on the tradition of
Jesus’ sayings, teachings and the story of his passion and death. From the oral stage a certain amount of this material was
committed to writing in the form of a sayings source and early stories about Jesus’ suffering and death. As communities
and their traditions developed, these early written documents were modified and added to by one or more editors
until they reached the form in which we have them today.” (Woods, L The Christian Story 1995, ACU Press, p.134)
It is generally agreed that the Gospel of Mark was composed before the gospels of Matthew and Luke, as there is a fair
amount of Mark’s material in the other two synoptic gospels. Despite the connection between these three gospels, each
first century Christian community had its own traditions and emphases. Some stories might have been preserved and
others lost in certain communities. This accounts for the individual features of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
The Gospel of Mark
Date: It is generally believed that Mark’s Gospel was composed somewhere between 65-70CE. There is no evidence to say
whether the Gospel was written before or after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Place: Ancient tradition indicated that Mark’s Gospel was written for a Roman audience, perhaps in a Roman city, but not
necessarily in Rome.
Community: Mark’s community was probably a mixture of Jews and gentiles living in a city of the Roman Empire where they
would have been harassed for their belief in Jesus Christ.
Structure: The passion is the main focus of Mark’s Gospel .The earlier part of his Gospel leads up to the passion.
Purpose:
 to introduce the Good News of God’s salvation for the world ( the words and actions of Jesus are all viewed in light
of the passion)
 to encourage faith in Jesus so that people would believe that Jesus is messiah and thus have eternal salvation
 to build and maintain the faith of the community
 to encourage people to accept crosses in their lives, especially being harassed for their beliefs and this was related
to Jesus’ passion
 to provide a basis for liturgical celebration
Theology of Mark:
 Jesus’ preaching is about the kingdom of God
 Followers of Jesus are disciples which involves commitment
Christology of Mark:
 Jesus the Healer The wonders of Jesus’ miracles are balanced by action and word.
 Jesus the Crucified One The passion and death of Jesus is the climax of all Jesus’ work.
 Jesus the Messiah Jesus did not claim to be Messiah and commands people to be silent about his identity. Like
the disciples, people come to a gradual realisation of the truth
 Son of God This is a leadership title which was used for leaders in Israel’s past. This does not imply that Jesus is
divine, but is a leader of God’s people.
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The Gospel of Matthew
Date: It is likely that Matthew’s Gospel was written somewhere between 80 and 90 CE.
Place: It is not known, but likely to be in regions of Palestine and Syria.
Community: The Jewishness of Matthew through more than 60 scriptural quotes and references to Jewish laws and
customs indicate that it was written for Christians of Jewish origin or a Jewish sect who believed in Jesus and allowed
gentiles to later join their community. He sees the promise which the Jewish people had held as being passed on to a new
people, the church.
Structure: There is an artistic arrangement of Matthew’s Gospel. Like the five books of the Torah, Matthew’s Gospel is
centred around five major discourses, which come in between the infancy narrative and the passion narrative, based on: the
new law of love; discipleship; the kingdom/reign of God; community; and judgement.
Purpose:
 To reveal Jesus’ identity as messiah and Son of God
 To expose the faults of those who had rejected Jesus
 To show how the Christian community is the new and authentic Israel and Jesus, the new Moses
 To provide a collection of Jesus’ teachings for worship and instruction
Theology of Matthew:
The Reign of God The reign of God is seen when the values of goodness influence the ways people live.
Discipleship A commitment to Jesus is the way a disciple responds to the good news of salvation through Jesus.
Community Jesus brought about a new law in which is an ethical way of living in community. The needs of people and love
for them should supersede traditional laws.
Christology of Matthew:
Jesus the Christ: Through Mathew’s genealogy, Jesus is shown as a son of David and therefore able to be a messiah.
Jesus is portrayed as Son of God at his baptism. Jesus is wisdom itself. As God’s “beloved Son” he is able to preach the
coming of God’s reign and to lead the people of the new covenant.
Jesus the New Moses: Moses led the people of the old covenant and gave them a law, so Jesus led the people of the new
covenant and gave them a new law.
- Moses escaped death from Pharaoh as a baby~ Jesus escaped death from Herod as a baby
- As Moses came out of Egypt to the promised land ~ Jesus came out of Egypt with his parents
- Moses reached the law at Mt Sinai~ Jesus preached the new law on the Mount
The Gospel of Luke
Date: Probably around 80-85 CE
Author: The author was a second or third generation Christian. The third gospel is strongly connected to the Acts of the
Apostles. Most modern scholars believe that the same person wrote Luke and Acts. According to tradition, Luke may have
been a companion of St Paul at some stages. The author is well educated and familiar with both the Hebrew Scriptures and
the Greek literary techniques of his day.
Place: There is a lack of evidence to say where Luke’s gospel was written. According to tradition, Luke came from Antioch
(Syria).
Structure:
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Prologue
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Infancy Narrative
Introduction to Jesus’ ministry in Galilee
Ministry in Galilee
Journey to Jerusalem
Jerusalem ministry
Passion narrative
Resurrection Narrative
Purpose:
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To confirm the truth of the Gospel for people of his community
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To show the power of the Holy Spirit in spreading Jesus’ message to the whole world
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To present Jesus as messiah in fulfilment of the Scriptures.
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To show that early Christians were not opposed to the best values of the Roman Empire, probably as the Romans
saw Christianity as a movement of treason against them
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To show that Jesus welcomed everyone.
Theology of Luke:
Salvation for Gentiles and Outcasts: Jesus opened the door to salvation for all people including gentiles, social outcasts,
the poor, unclean women, the sick, Samaritans etc.
The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the guiding movement of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Disciples carry on Jesus’ work
of ministering to others
Mercy and Forgiveness: Compassion and forgiveness are major themes. Often everyday people respond more to Jesus
because they have less pride than rich people.
Prayer: Prayer is important in everyday life. Jesus sometimes sought solitude to pray.
Christology of Luke:
Jesus is Lord and Messiah: Luke is the only evangelist to call Jesus “Lord”. Jesus is Lord, surrounded in glory from his
birth onwards. Jesus is God’s agent anointed by the Holy Spirit to lead the people of the new covenant.
Jesus the Prophet: Jesus is the prophet commissioned with the task of revealing the truth about God. He is presented as
the new Elijah.
Jesus the Saviour: The angels announce this title at Jesus’ birth’ Jesus brings universal salvation to Jews and gentiles
alike.
The Gospel of John
Author: The authorship of John’s Gospel is uncertain. Some scholars believe that the Gospel was built around a tradition
which was handed down from John the apostle. The Gospel underwent editorial changes and so rather than a Gospel by one
person called John, it is often described as being written in a “Johannine tradition”. There is enough evidence to indicate that
more than one writer was involved.
The Gospel seems to contain both an account that had been passed down by an original eyewitness and editorial additions
that were inserted at later points in time.
The author of John is also credited with the Letters of John which have a recurring theme of “You are in communion with
God.”
Date: The majority of scholars date the Gospel at about 90-100CE. The deep theology of the Gospel indicates that the
writer/s had time to reflect upon the other Gospels and upon their understanding of the mission of Jesus Christ.
Place: An ancient tradition says that this Gospel was written in Ephesus in Asia Minor. It is also possible that some of the
Gospel may have been written in Palestine.
Community: There are two major periods for the Johannine community: the period before the community broke with
Judaism; the period after its exclusion from the synagogue because of their beliefs about Jesus.
Structure:
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Prologue
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The Book of Signs- the signs performed by Jesus
The Book of Glory- the end of Jesus’ life and his entry into glory
Resurrection appearances in Galilee
Purpose:
The purpose is to lead readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. It is aimed at reinforcing the faith of
the Johannine communities. The Gospel corrects misunderstandings that some believers may have had.
Style:
John’s Gospel is skilful, written as a result of much literary and theological activity. It is deliberate, considerate, prayerful and
reflective.
Theology of John:
Eternal life: This does not begin after death, but in life for those who are committed to Jesus. The decision to accept Jesus
here and now will determine one’s ultimate judgement. Something of the afterlife is experienced in this life.
Symbolism: John uses the symbolism of opposites e.g. light and dark; life and death; spirit and flesh. Those who follow
Jesus are in the light, those who reject Jesus are in darkness.
Ethics: It is important to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus.
Christology of John:
Jesus Replaces Jewish Institutions: Jesus is the way to God and replaces the most sacred institutions of Judaism
Jesus is Divine: Jesus is the Logos or the Word of God in human form. Logos is pre-existent and has come to become
human. Whatever God wanted to communicate is done perfectly in the person of Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus says
reveals something about God. Jesus is presented as a serene figure who can speak of matters divine. A commitment to
Jesus is a commitment to God. The passion is different in John’s Gospel to the synoptics. Jesus is in control all the time.
Jesus’ passion is for His glorification.
Jesus’ understanding of his divinity is expressed in the “I am…’ sayings e.g. “I am the bread of life..”, “I am the Good
Shepherd…”; “I am the vine, you are the branches…” etc.
Similarities and Differences between the Gospel of John and the Synoptic Gospels
Similarities
All four Gospels~
 describe historical events and interpret them from religious/pastoral points of view
 present Jesus as the fulfilment of prophecies contained in the Hebrew Scriptures
 describe the extraordinary works of Jesus ( ‘acts of power’ in the synoptics and ‘signs’ in John)
 draw on a common tradition about the ministry of Jesus
 describe the passion and resurrection of Jesus, although with different tones
Differences
 In the synoptic Gospels Jesus travels one journey to Jerusalem. In John’s Gospel he makes several journeys.
According to John, Jesus spent more of his ministry time in Judea rather than Galilee. In John’s Gospel, Jesus
moves freely between Judea and Galilee.
 The synoptic Gospels refer to one Passover, in John’s Gospel there are three.
 The language and theology of the ‘I am’ sayings is unique to John, and is probably more about the faith of the
Johannine community than the actual words of Jesus.
 The language of John is more mystical and appropriate to a more sophisticated audience
 In John’s Gospel, Jesus is the Logos or the Word of God in human form. Logos is pre-existent and has come to
become human. John goes back to Genesis to capture Jesus’ existence in the beginning of time.
 The washing of the feet is only in John’s Gospel, with a focus on loving service with less emphasis on the institution
of the priesthood.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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In the synoptics, the Lord’s Supper is a Passover celebration. In John’ Gospel the crucifixion occurs at the very time
that the Jews were celebrating Passover. Jesus is therefore slain at the same time as the Passover lambs; “ Look,
there is the lamb of God; it is he who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29;39)
The passion is different in John’s Gospel. Jesus is totally in control here. His passion is part of his glorification.
The term “God the Father” is used 38 times in the synoptic gospels and 120 times in the Gospel of John
Missing from the Fourth Gospel are events important in the Synoptic Gospels and why:
 Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist ( Jesus didn’t need to be baptised)
 Temptation in the wilderness ( Jesus is above temptation )
 Transfiguration ( Jesus was God in human form, no need to demonstrate this)
 Agonising struggle in Gethsemane ( Jesus was in control, not agonised)
 Institution at the Last Supper ( Focus was on loving service not on the institution of the priesthood)
 Cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ( Jesus was in control, his mission complete)
In the Fourth Gospel, but not in the Synoptics
 Wedding feats at Cana
 Conversation with Nicodemus
 Encounter with the woman of Samaria
 Raising of Lazarus
 Washing of the feet
*** Much of the information about the four Gospels has been adapted from Laurie Woods book The Christian Story (1999,
ACU Press, North Sydney)***
Student Context
Please cater for the student context of your class in your planning of this module.
Developing the Partnership
Please make connections between the learning in this module and parents and the wider community.
Curriculum Links
In your planning, please make links with other Key Learning Areas.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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Planning a Quality Learning Sequence for your class
Quality religious education will be achieved only by deep thinking about where you are going and how you plan the
learning journey to get there. Begin with the end in mind and then consider how you will build field to meet your goals.
Remember that you cannot expect children to develop deep knowledge and understanding, unless you as teacher have
deep knowledge and understanding yourself. According to the Quality Teaching Framework, quality teaching will occur
when you ask yourself four questions:

What do you want the students to learn?
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Why does the learning matter?
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What are you going to get the students to do (or produce)?

How well do you expect them to do it?
The suggested learning sequence has been planned through such a process. However, it cannot be written with the
understanding of the student context of each class and relationship to other learning that is happening in the class. It is
therefore necessary for you as teacher to plan your own unit, using this module as a support. Doing so is part of your
role as an “activist professional” (a teacher who actively works to improve their professionalism).
Suggested Teaching, Learning and
Assessment Experiences
These are suggested teaching and learning experiences. The essential part of teaching this module is that you, as
teacher have deep knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Reading in depth the “Background for the Teacher”
and “Scripture in Context” will give you the basic understanding you need.
It is essential to use the whole module to plan your own unit. You might like to change the questions to suit your class.
Your unit should be written in acknowledgement of the student context of your class. The suggested learning experiences
are meant to be adapted for this purpose. You should design learning experiences for the purpose of formative and
summative assessment. When designing quality learning experiences and assessments, they must address the outcomes,
learning intentions and success criteria based on the enduring understandings of the module.
Living the Good News of the Gospels
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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Key Concepts
Bible
Canon
story of faith
apostles
New Testament
Old Testament
Synoptic Gospels
context
passion
Oral tradition
teachings of Jesus
resurrection
scriptures
Jesus
stories about Jesus
‘I am’ sayings
Gospels
call to discipleship
Messiah
Kingdom of God
Good News
purpose in writing
New Covenant
call and response
Gospel
writers/evangelists
Early Christian
communities
Portraits of Jesus
Gospels in Liturgy
followers
faith
What is important for Students to Know and Do
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The Gospels are a special form of writing about Jesus found in the New Testament.
The Gospels contain Jesus’ teachings and stories about Jesus’ life.
The Gospels are stories of faith not biographies of Jesus’ life.
The Gospels were written in order to build the faith of the early Christians in their own communities.
The Gospels grew out of an oral tradition and especially from the teachings of the apostles.
There are four Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are quite similar and are called ‘synoptic Gospels’. John’s Gospel was
written later and is quite different.
The stories of the Old Testament influenced the Gospel writers
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Listen to and experience the stories of the New Testament.
Celebrate the Gospels in prayer and liturgy.
Enduring Understandings
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Even though the Gospels were written long ago, they have meaning for us today.
The four Gospels help us to form a portrait of Jesus.
Whilst there are differences in the Gospels, they all tell the Good News of Jesus the Son of God who came to bring
about our salvation.
The Gospels call us to be disciples of Jesus.
To the early Christians, everything about Jesus was Good News. Jesus is still Good News for us today.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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Suggested Big Question
How can we live the Good News of the Gospels?
Suggested Essential Questions
Why is good news important in our lives?
What are the Gospels and how are they Good News?
How and why were the Gospels written?
How do similarities and differences in the Gospels build the Good News for us today?
How can we live the Good News of the Gospels? (Review Big Question)
Suggested Teaching, Learning and
Assessment Experiences
How can we live the Good News of the Gospels?


Display Big Question. Begin a KWL Chart about the Gospels.
Establish prior knowledge: Name known scripture stories and sort into Old and New Testament stories
(use Activstudio program for sorting if IWB available). Check for misunderstandings and ensure that these
are addressed during the unit.
Why is Good News important in our lives?

Ask children from where we get news in our lives. Create a mind map that includes things like: MEDIA ( e.g. TV,
Internet, radio, newspapers); NEWSLETTERS ( e.g. school, parish, sporting clubs, groups to which we belong such as
Guides or Scouts etc); PERSONAL CONTACT ( e.g. direct conversations, emails, Facebook, phone calls, cards,
letters); PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS ( e.g. at school assemblies, at church). This can be done electronically using
www.bubbl.us

Make a collection of newspaper articles/ or search internet news sites. Ask children to find “Good News” stories.
Discuss:
Were there many good news stories? Why do you think most of our daily news is sad/ worrisome? Do you think that
this makes us think things are worse than they really are? How do we feel when we hear good news stories e.g.
someone being rescued; someone helping another human being; success in sport etc? What sort of things can we
learn about how to live together as human beings through good news stories? Where might you find lots of good news
stories? (TV shows such as ‘Domestic Blitz’? Social Justice Newsletters? ).
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Tell children that sometimes a good news story is so amazing that it becomes news for the whole country and even the
whole world. One such story is that of the Beaconsfield miners from Tasmania who were rescued after being trapped
for 12 days in a collapsed mine shaft. Explore the story by typing “Rescue of Beaconsfield miners” in a Google Search.
ABC Online still has the stories and pictures available.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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This good news story touched most Australians and in the end people from all around the world followed the story and
cheered when Brant and Todd were saved. The Prime Minister of the time, John Howard said, “Overall it has been a
wonderful demonstration of Australian mateship and perseverance.”
Discuss what effects good news stories like this have on people e.g.
They make us feel part of a caring community
They teach us that human life is more important than all the possessions in the world
They teach us of the strength of human spirit when tested in the most terrifying way
They show us how people are prepared to put themselves on the line to save another person
They show us that we can be all united in a good way to help others

Home School Connector: Children ask parents/ carers if they can remember the Beaconsfield mine rescue. Ask these
adults how they felt; what it taught them about life; did they feel any differently about being part of the Australian
community and of humanity. Children record their interview responses and bring to school for discussion. This can be
done in ways such as: eye to eye, knee to knee; OR think, pair, share.

Ask children if a story that may seem like ‘bad news’ can also be a ‘good news’ story. Recall the story of the ‘Black
Saturday bushfires’ from Victoria (possibly using an internet search). Discuss what was ‘bad’ (people lost their lives and
homes, many were badly injured, the bush and farmland was destroyed etc). Then discuss how good news came from
the story (e.g. many people demonstrated amazing courage; communities banded together to re-build; the Australian
community came together as one to support the people who were affected etc).
***This discussion will be a pre-cursor to how the bad news of Jesus’ death was part of his good news story for us.

What are the Gospels and how are they Good News?
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Create a banner using the “Good News” quote from Mark’s Gospel and place on IWB or on paper: “This is the Good
News about Jesus Christ, Son of God” ( Mk 1:1).
Under the class banner of Mark’s Good News quote list ways that Jesus is good news for us. Add to this as the module
continues. Direct children by asking questions:
What is Good News that Jesus taught us?
How did Jesus show us that he was Good News?
How was Jesus “Son of God” who became human Good News for us just because of who he was?
How do you think that the bad news that Jesus was crucified could possibly become good news for us?
Sing We’ve Got the Message by Halloran and Millward in As One Voice for Kids no. 139

Discuss how the Good News of Jesus has some similarities with the good news of the Beaconsfield miners, possible
making a comparison chart /Venn diagram. Here are some suggestions for the sorts of connections:
Jesus taught and showed us how to be part of a caring community. We all felt part of a caring community when we
were worrying about the Beaconsfield miners.
Jesus taught us that we all have a role as disciples to care for each other especially the neediest. At Beaconsfield
our whole community cared and prayed for the miners because they desperately needed the community’s love and
support. Jesus taught us how to pray.
The miners went through a time of great stress and pain like Jesus did in his passion. In a small way, as they rose
to the surface it was almost like a resurrection because they had been expected to die in the mine.
The rescuers in Beaconsfield put their own lives at risk to save the miners. Jesus gave his life to save us.
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Discuss how there can be good news out of a bad news story as in Jesus death and the Victorian bushfires. In Victoria,
our community came together to build new life for those who suffered because of the bushfires. Through Jesus’ death
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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on the cross and his resurrection, he came to give us new life.
Suggested Assessment JS2.2:Complete an artwork putting the symbols of cross and resurrection into the bushfire
scenario thereby showing the presence of Jesus in our lives today ( the cross explaining the loss and pain due to the
fires and the resurrection the hope as life is re-born in the bush and the communities). Write an explanation of how
good news came out of the bad news of: the Victorian bushfires/ Jesus’ death.
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Focus on the Gospels as ‘Good News’. Ask children:
If Jesus was Good News for us, how do we know this?
What are the books of the New Testament that specifically tell us about Jesus’ life?
What are the names of these books called the Gospels?
Why do you think there are four Gospels?
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To establish understanding of the Gospels, complete a true or false chart about the gospels (see Appendix 1) .The
discussion afterwards as a class will be essential to deal with misconceptions. There is an answer sheet provided to
assist the teacher here.

As the module continues complete Lectio Divina in community during prayer time as a way of exploring the Gospels,
using some of the core scriptures used at different times.
How and why were the Gospels written?

Place children in groups of four, each having a short piece of information about one of the Gospel writers (see Appendix
2). Children read their information and then teach the other children in the group (children who will struggle to read this
may be placed with a partner to read). Groups come together and as a class form a retrieval chart either electronically
or on paper to compile information about the Gospel writers which should then be displayed for further reference. If the
children are early in Year 3, the teacher may make this activity more simplified with more teacher input.

Look on a map (Appendix 4) to identify the probable places that the evangelists wrote their Gospels. Note how they had
spread from where Jesus’ story had happened.

Discuss the influence of place (e.g. Marks’ Gospel probably happened in a Roman city where the people were
harassed for their beliefs in Jesus, thus Mark’s focus on Jesus’ passion at the hands of the Romans; Matthew’s Gospel
was probably at least partly written in Palestine, thus the Jewish influence in his Gospel; Luke probably wrote in Antioch
to a Christian and gentile audience thus his focus on Jesus being for everyone; John’s Gospel was probably written in
Asia Minor, maybe in Ephesus where there was time and place to reflect).

Hot Seat: Children play the role of the Gospel writer. Children ask questions about how and why they wrote their
Gospels.
Suggested Assessment CD S 2.3 Make a poster which is divided into two parts. On one side demonstrate the early
Christian communities of disciples trying to live the Good News. Include things like: words, pictures, symbols, quotes
from the Gospels. On the other side demonstrate how your parish and school community of disciples tries to live out the
Good News today.

How do similarities and differences in the Gospels build the Good News for us today?
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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
Remind children that they have learnt some things about how each Gospel was written to teach particular communities
about Jesus. We are lucky because we have all four Gospels on which to reflect, and we do so through liturgy where
we hear stories from different Gospels.
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Tell children that the way each Gospel begins sets up the thinking of the evangelists (Gospel writers). Complete an
adapted scripture reflection graffiti sheet about how each Gospel begins and why (O’Brien, K. and White, D. Into the
Deep 2003, KD Publications, Marayong, p. 127). See Appendix 3.

Compare a story that occurs in all four Gospels: Jesus prays before his arrest (Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46;
Jn 17; 1-26). Depending on the maturity of the children, this may be done on several ways: teacher/ readers read aloud
to children; in groups; individually. Complete a class similarities and differences chart.

Discuss how today we have four different versions of this story in the New Testament, and we are able to think about
each and see if we can find meaning for our lives. Discuss how this story with its different emphases may help us in
our lives today e.g.
In the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke- see Background for the Teacher), Jesus is distressed. We all get
distressed at time in our lives.
In the synoptic Gospels when Jesus is distressed in the garden he prays. Prayer can be a great support to us in our
lives.
In the synoptic Gospels, Jesus friends let him down. That happens sometimes in our lives, but like Jesus we can
find a way to keep going.
In John’s Gospel Jesus is in control and is not stressed. He prays not for himself but for his followers and for all
those who believe in their message so that the entire world may receive this message. We too can pray that Jesus
message spreads throughout the world.

Tell children that whilst there are great similarities in the Gospels and they all tell the story of Jesus, they also have their
own individual features. This is because they were trying to teach their communities according to what they thought
their people needed to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Some stories may have been kept in the oral tradition of some
communities, but forgotten in others. Each of the Gospel writers emphasised what they thought was important. Children
form into groups to explore one story that is unique to each Gospel and its meaning for our lives today.
John 2: 1-12: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Luke 2:1-20: The Birth of Jesus
Matthew 2:1-12: Visitors from the East
Mark: 8:22-26 : Jesus heals a Blind man at Bethsaida
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They may express the story in different ways such as:
creating a Power Point/ Photo Story that show the story in a modern context
creating a movie strip of the story and placing people of today in the scenes learning from Jesus
dramatising the story in a modern context
writing a song to tell the Gospel story and a rap to tell it in a modern context.
Discuss why the Gospel writers may have told these stories:
John’s story of the Wedding Feast was the first of John’s miracles. He called them signs. The marvellous deeds of
Jesus reflect the marvels worked by God. The miracle at Cana shows the glory of Jesus.
Lk 2:1-20: The Birth of Jesus
Luke ‘s Gospel focuses on salvation to the poor and lowly, Joseph and Mary with the outcast in society. They have no
place to stay the night and are forced to take refuge in a stable. Luke continues this line by introducing the shepherds
as the ones who first come to faith in Jesus.
Mt 2:1-12 Visitors from the East
The story of the magi shows that Jesus would be accepted by Gentiles i.e.people who were not part of the Jewish
community (in his ministry even though he was persecuted by the Jews, his own people).
Mk: 8:22-26 : Jesus heals a Blind man at Bethsaida
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus asks people not to say anything about his miracles or that he is messiah. For Mark, miracles
are only for believers.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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How can we Live the Good News of the Gospels?

Ask children where they regularly hear the Gospels (at Mass or in a Liturgy of the Word). Ask the Parish Priest to come
and talk to the children about how the cycles of readings work in order that we hear from all four Gospel writers. Here is
a summary of the information:
On Sundays, there is a three year cycle of readings:
 Year A mostly Matthew
 Year B mostly Mark
 Year C mostly Luke
 John’s Gospel is used in special seasons, especially Good Friday, Easter and some of Lent and
some feasts such as Christ the King, Year B and the Vigil of Pentecost, all years.
Weekday readings are on a two year cycle, with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke being shared
throughout the year and the Gospel of John read in the Easter season.
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Ask Father what it means to proclaim the Gospels, not just to read them. Ask Father to demonstrate his proclamation
by reading the Gospel of the Day. Discuss the elements of proclamation e.g. clear speech, expression, projecting the
voice, reading with meaning, poise, being prepared. Next time the children go to Mass, ask them to listen for how well
the Gospel is proclaimed. They should practise proclaiming the Scriptures for their roles in liturgy (remember they will
not read a Gospel in Mass as this is the role of the priest or deacon, but may do so in a class liturgy).
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Discuss how hearing the Gospels at Mass and in other liturgies helps us to be a community of disciples just like the first
Christians for whom the gospel writers wrote:
We are nourished for our journeys of mission by the words of Scripture, just as we are nourished by the
Eucharist. In the Gospels we hear the Good News that Jesus both showed in his life and taught about.
We listen as a sharing community and are encouraged to help each other and anyone who is hurting in
their lives.
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Celebrate the module by preparing and celebrating a Liturgy of the Word during which the children focus on the Gospel.
This may be planned around some of the scriptures used in this module. Children may present the Gospel creatively
e.g. liquid pictures or may proclaim it by a prayerful reading.
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Reflect on the retrieval chart about the Good News we receive from the Gospels which hopefully has been building
throughout the module. Add to it in light of the place of the Gospels in liturgy. Brainstorm ways that they can be good
news in their lives according to the Gospel messages. Ask children to think locally and globally and to make a
commitment to do something that will bring the good news to others as they live out the good news themselves.

Assessment SS 2.5 Choose a favourite Gospel story that you have heard at Mass. Find that Gospel in the New
Testament. Create a display of your own choosing that includes:
The Gospel writer and why this story may have been important to his community.
The key elements of the Gospel: setting, characters, key words, symbols, images of Jesus, messages for
the community.
Show how this story has importance in: your daily life; in your participation in liturgy; in your prayer.
Reflect upon your actions to live out the good news of this story.
Write a commitment to act and pray about this story.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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Appendix 1
Statement
True or False
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were the only gospels written.
The Gospels are the only books of the New Testament.
The modern word “gospel” means Good News. In earlier English times it was said as
“godspell”.
The Gospel writers were called evangelists.
The Gospel writers were Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Gospel writers wrote in order to teach their communities about Jesus and how to live
as his disciples.
There are similarities and differences in the Gospels.
The Gospels were written just to give a biography or story of Jesus’ life.
ANSWERS & EXPLANATIONS ( For the Teacher to lead discussion about the answers)
Statement
True or False
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were the only gospels written.
False There were other gospels such as the
Gospel of Thomas that were not accepted
into the official version or CANON.
The Gospels are the only books of the New Testament.
False The stories of the early church are
also part of the New Testament.
The modern word “gospel” means Good News. In earlier English times it was said as
“godspell”.
True
The Gospel writers were called evangelists.
True They wrote to “evangelise” or spread
the Good News to their communities.
The Gospel writers of the New Testament were Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John.
False. The Gospels were written after the
original eye witnesses had died. It is
believed that John’s Gospel may not have
been written by someone called John, but
by several writers in the tradition of Jesus’
beloved disciple, John.
The Gospel writers wrote in order to teach their communities about Jesus and how to live
as his disciples.
True.
There are similarities and differences in the four Gospels.
True.
The Gospels were written just to give a biography or story of Jesus’ life.
False. Whilst containing biographical
details about Jesus’ life, and being the main
sources of information about Jesus’ life,
their purpose was to be faith stories for the
communities of the Gospel writers.
Living the Good News of the Gospels Stage 2
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Appendix 2
Mark
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People who know a lot about the scriptures think that Marks’ Gospel was written first, probably about 65-70 years after Jesus’
death.
It was probably written somewhere in a Roman city, that means that it would have had Roman law and customs.
Mark’s followers were probably punished and harassed by the Romans for their beliefs in Jesus.
Because Mark’s followers were bullied by the Romans, Jesus’ passion (the story of his journey to his death) is an important
part of the Gospel because it describes how Jesus was bullied and tortured by the Romans as well.
Mark’s followers were probably a combination of Jewish people who had come to believe in Jesus and non-Jewish people
called gentiles who were interested in Jesus’ story and eventually became Christians.
Mark’s Gospel begins with the words “Good News”.
Luke and Matthew may have based their work on Mark’s Gospel.
Matthew
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Matthew’s Gospel was probably written about 80-90 years after Jesus’ death.
It is not known definitely where the Gospel was written, but people who know about the scriptures think maybe in Palestine (
the area where Jesus lived and preached) and a place called Antioch (today this is called Syria).
Matthew’s Gospel uses several of the Jewish (Hebrew) scriptures, the main scriptures of the Old Testament. Many people in
his community must have been Jewish before they became Christian as they would have known the Jewish Scriptures well.
Matthew’s Gospel is based around five major speeches of Jesus (in between the story of his birth and the story of his death
and resurrection).
Matthew’s Gospel has strong similarities with the Gospels of Mark and Luke. We called these Gospels the ‘synoptic gospels’
which means that they speak with one voice.
Luke
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The Gospel writer Luke is believed to also have written another book in the New Testament called “The Acts of the Apostles”
which tells about how Jesus’ apostles spread his word after his death, resurrection and ascension.
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Luke’s Gospel was probably written about 80-85 years after Jesus’ death.
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It is thought that this Gospel was written in Antioch (Syria today).
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Luke and his community seem to have been converted to Christianity for quite a while. There were many gentiles (people not
of Jewish origin) in his community.
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Luke wrote in the same style as the Greek writers of his day.
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Luke taught that Jesus cared for and opened the door to salvation for all people including gentiles, social outcasts, the poor,
unclean women, the sick, Samaritans etc.
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Luke’s Gospel has strong similarities with the Gospels of Mark and Matthew.
John
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John’s Gospel is quite different to the other three Gospels. The writer of this Gospel was a very creative writer who thought
deeply about the meaning of Jesus’ life. This Gospel was written a fair while after Jesus’ death and so there had been time to
really think about what Jesus meant to the new Christians.
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It is not sure where it was written, but maybe in a place called Ephesus in Asia Minor.
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This Gospel was probably written about 90-100 years after Jesus’ death.
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There may have been several writers of this Gospel, written in the tradition of Jesus’ beloved disciple, John.
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Miracles in John’s Gospel are called ‘signs’.

John’s Gospel is known for its “I am…” sayings by Jesus e.g. “I am the bread of life”, “I am the Good Shepherd”, “I am the vine,
you are the branches”.
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Appendix 3
How the Gospels Begin
Scripture passage
Main Message
Key Words
Graphic Image
Caption
Matthew 1:1-2
This is the list of the ancestors of Jesus
Christ, a descendant of David, who was a
descendant of Abraham.
From Abraham to King David the following
ancestors are listed: Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Judah and his brothers, then Perez
and Zerah (their mother wasTamar).
Hezron, Ram, Amminabab, Nahshon,
Salmon, Boaz ( His mother was Rahab),
Obeb ( his mother was Ruth, Jesse and
King David……”
Mark 1:1-4a
This is the Good News about Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. It began as the prophet
Isaiah had written:
“God said, ‘I will send a messenger ahead
of you to clear the way for you’. Someone is
shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready
for the Lord; make a straight path fro him to
travel’.
So John appeared in the desert baptising
and preaching.
Matthew wanted to show that
Jesus was descendant from
King David and thus was able
to be the messiah. Matthew
follows with his infancy
narrative.
Mark introduced Christian faith
with the term” Good News”
which had been taken from the
prophet Isaiah (Old
Testament). Mark said that
from then on the Kingdom of
God would be demonstrated in
the person of Jesus.
Mark gave his readers
information that Jesus Christ is
Son of God as foretold by the
prophet Isaiah that Jesus’
disciples had to work out for
themselves during their
journeys with Jesus.
Mark began his Gospel when
Jesus was an adult.
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Appendix 4
http://www.agapex.com/michaelquattlebaum/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/shipwreck_map.jpg
This map shows Paul’s’ journey to Rome, but also show the likely places that the Gospels were written.
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Appendix 5
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Liturgy Outline
Liturgy Definition: “work of the people” (in this case - the children)
A liturgy to celebrate module learning usually has four parts of which these can contain all or some one of the
suggestions.
Before you begin some other considerations!!
 Where will the liturgy be celebrated? Does not have to be celebrated in the church or the classroom. Outdoors is a
possibility - weather permitting.
 Consider the placement of chairs and sacred space.
 Who to invite? (parents, staff, priest etc)
WE GATHER:
Setting the scene
 Sacred Space (cloth, candle, Bible, icons etc) to be created in this part.
 Procession
 Hymn or songs of welcome
 Welcome and introduction to celebration
 Opening prayer
WE LISTEN:
Stories
 From the Bible
 Outline of what has been learnt
 Multimedia presentations
 Dramatisation/ dialogue of story
 Hymns
 Liturgical Movement of story
 Stories of their life and families
 Related narratives (eg Dreamtime story)
WE RESPOND:
Responding to the stories
 Hymn or songs
 Liturgical movement
 Prayers of Intercession
 Prayer
 Multimedia presentations
 Sharing work from module (eg artwork)
WE GO FORTH:
Sending Forth
 Recessional hymn or songs

Liturgical movement

Prayer

Thank you statement
Liturgy can be followed by offer of hospitality
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Resources
Note: The resources indicated below are recommended but not essential to assist with the teaching of this module.
Please locate those available in your school and add to those below.
Teacher
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Charpentier, E., How to Read the New Testament 1981, SCM Press, Paris
Fee, G & Stuart, D How to Read the Bible for all its Worth 1993 2nd Ed Michigan, Zondervan Publishing,
Hari, A and Singer, C. 1993. Experience Jesus Today. France: Editions Du Signe
Kelly, L., White, A., Hari, A. and Singer, C. 1998. The Childhood of Jesus. Essex: Matthew James Publishing Ltd.
Ryan, M Teaching the Bible 2001, Nelson Cengage Learning, Melbourne
Ryan, M and Elliot, M. 1999. Religion Quick Prints. Katoomba: Social Science Press
White, D. and O’Brien, K. 2001. The Thinking Platform. Marayong: K.D. Publications
White, D., O’Brien, K. and Todd, S. 2003. Into the Deep. Marayong: K.D. Publications
Woods, L The Christian Story 1995, ACU Press
LabOra Worship
Audio Visual
Literature
Music
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Halloran, D. & Millward, M. We’ve got the Message 1998 Willow Connection in As One Voice for Kids no. 139
Internet
Mission and Religious Education (Lighthouse) http://missionandreligiouseducation.dbbcso.org/
Mindmapping www.bubbl.us
ABC Online: News : use Google search to find articles about the Beaconsfield Mine Rescue and the Victorian Bushfires.
Storytelling
http://storybird.com/
Make short art-inspired stories
http://www.capzles.com/
Capzles social storytelling
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General
http://www.caritas.org.au/?gclid=CJOir6zrpb8CFcEJvAodjUwAJg
http://www.catholicmission.org.au/
http://www.vinnies.org.au/?gclid=CKXmk9Prpb8CFU8JvAodlo4ADA
http://wallwisher.com/
http://www.wordle.net/
http://www.tagxedo.com/
http://www.surveymonkey.com/home/
http://www.ning.com/
http://www.wikispaces.com/
Interactive Bible Map http://wild.biblesociety.org.au//wild/index.php
Useful Apps
Superbook Bible
App
The Holy Bible
Bible for kids
The Pope App
Educreations
PuppetPals
Show Me
Comic Maker
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