O’Day
Freshmen Religion
Spring ‘15
Overview of the Gospels
Attributes of the Gospels
I.
The Gospels occupy the _________ ________________ in Scripture (CCC, nos. 125, 139)
a. They are the heart of the ________________
b. They are our principal source for the teaching and life of _________________, the
_______________word our Savior (CCC125)
c. Jesus is also referred to as the Incarnation: which means the Word incarnate, the Word made
____________. The message of God(Word/writings/message) in the flesh, in a person: JESUS
II. They are “Christocentric” : ____________________________________________________ (CCC139)
III. They proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the definitive Revelation of God.
a. The word “Gospel” = “__________ ________________”
b. Incarnation = _________________
c. God shows himself ________ __________________ to humanity through the Incarnation, so
naturally, stories about Jesus qualify as “the definitive revelation of _____________”
IV. The Gospels contain a record of the life of Jesus Christ and of his ______________ and redeeming work.
a. Although the Gospels contain records of some instances from his life, they are not typical
__________________________format: story after chronological story
b. The main motivator in the compilation of the _________________ is to include stories that
communicate his __________________ and mission (to redeem humanity)
c. They did not feel the need to _________________accounts of his _________________that were not
crucial to understanding his message
V. The Gospels lead us to accept Jesus Christ in ______________and apply his teachings to our ____________
a. If we read about his life/experiences and teachings, we can relate to and apply to our lives
VI. Example 1: His temptations
a. Jesus too was tempted, just as every good ___________________ is
b. Jesus knows the _____________ of temptation the most because he is the only one who has always
perfectly sustained it without _________________ _____ ________.
c. Those who give into temptation without much of a ________________do not understand how
_____________it can be as much as someone who has withstood and struggled with temptation
without giving in
VII.
Example 2: Jesus’ teaching to love your __________________
O’Day
Freshmen Religion
Spring ‘15
a. We all have “enemies” in life, those who we don’t like because we feel like their mission is not to
______________ us but rather to “bring us down” or make our life ___________________ in one way
or another
b. To “___________” these people means that we would need to make alterations to our
______________human tendencies: to get back at them, withhold help from, to slander, or gossip
Stages of Gospel formation
I.
Stage I: The _________________ Jesus: Life and teachings of Jesus
a. Jesus was born around ____________________
b. This is when Jesus actually__________________his message to his disciples orally and through
__________________
II. Stage Two: Oral Tradition
a. Mt 28:19-29 After Jesus ___________________, he commanded them to “ ________ therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you….”
b. This was first done by sharing the Good News by word of ________________
c. Natural reaction is to share it the most __________________way that they were familiar with:
__________ people
d. They believed that the end (coming again of Jesus) of the ______________was near, so they didn’t
believe that writing down the Good News would be an effective use of their ________________
e. A lot of people they wanted to reach were ________________, so writing it down would not be
__________________ in reaching the most people
f. Forms of Oral Tradition:
i.
Kerygma, or ________________to ___________________: This is the core or essential
teaching that Jesus is Lord. During this period, the disciples began to assemble
____________________ of __________________ about Jesus (miracle stories, parables,
etc.). They would have also used ___________ ___________________ to show how he
was the fulfillment of Prophecies
ii.
Didachae, or ___________________: This was further, more in depth instruction for
people who accepted Jesus as Lord.________________ means to “sound down” or
repeat and explain the message more ___ _____________________
iii.
Liturgy, or _______________ of Christians: The celebration of the ___________________
help shape many of Jesus’ stories that the Christian community preserved. Key events
of Jesus were reflected in the ___________________ and _________________ of the
people (ex: Jesus’ words at the Last Supper and the Our Father”
III. Stage Three: The Written Gospels and New Testament Writings
a. The four ____________________ (Gospel Writers) committed to writing four reliable accounts of Jesus’
life
b. They selected elements from ______________ (either what they preached orally or put in written form)
c. Luke 1:1-4