There are four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Matthew- wrote in 60 AD to a Jewish audience to convince them that Jesus was the promised
Messiah.
Mark- wrote in 64 AD, relies on Peter, showed Messiah must suffer
Luke- wrote in 64 AD to a Gentile audience, companion of Paul, used Blessed Mother as eyewitness,
wrote Acts of the Apostles
John- wrote in 90 AD, John the Apostle in Ephesus, stressed divinity and majesty of Christ

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? To fulfill all righteousness which means Jesus accepted his
mission and knew he would die and rise from the dead.
1. Though sinless, he identified and supported us.
2. Self-emptying- kenosis (complete self identification with us), he will suffer for our sins
3. Marks beginning of his public ministry
4. Holy Spirit is represented as dove. God the Father approves of Jesus’s baptism.

The wedding feast at Cana is recounted in the gospel of John and is Jesus’s first public miracle. It’s
Jesus’ first sign- John refers to Jesus’ miracles as signs. The mother of Jesus was present and will
be present again at the cross (last appearance). When Mary tells Jesus there’s no more wine, he says
“My hour has not come yet”. Hour refers to his passion and crucifixion. Mary says her last words in
the Gospel- “Do whatever he tells you”

The 40 days Jesus spent in the desert is like the time the Hebrews spent in the desert and the 40
days of Lent. He was tempted by the devil.
All 3 temptations can be summed up by temptations to POWER.
1. 1st temptation- change change these stones to bread. Devil- use miraculous power for basic
needs. Jesus to Devil- No!
2. 2nd temptation- throw yourself off the temple. Devil wants to destroy Jesus and have him test
God. Jesus to Devil- No!
3. 3rd temptation- bow down and worship me and I will give you everything in the world. Devil
wants to own Jesus totally and have him use political power to accomplish his mission. Jesus to
Devil- Get lost Satan! This is the most dangerous temptation
What do we do to deal with serious temptation? Pray, think about the consequences of our actions,
don’t just react.

The main purpose of the miracles is to prove that Jesus is God.

Flavius Josephus called Jesus a doer of startling deeds.

Talmud alleges that Jesus did magic or sorcery by the power of the devil.

The kingdom of God:

A. Christ himself
B. Church

Accomplishing God’s plan of salvation. Kingdom of God announced through words:

A. Wedding feast at Cana
B. Healing the sick
C. Exorcism of demons
D. Multiplication of loaves and fish.
This is all evidence of who Jesus was.

Christ’s miracles reveal that he is the son of God- liberating humanity from the enslavement of power
of sin.
Healing of paralytic- your sins are forgiven.

Kingdom announced through parables.

• parable of lost sheep- extreme mercy of God
• Parable of prodigal son- God’s unlimited forgiveness, connected to sacrament of penance/
reconciliation/confession
• Parable of sower and the seed- effectiveness of God’s word depends on how we receive it
• Parable of the hidden treasure- we must pursue our salvation above all things
• Parable of the unforgiving debtor- we must forgive others if we expect to be forgiven by God
• Parable of 10 bridesmaids- we should always be ready for Jesus when he comes for us at the end
of our life
• Parable of rich man Lazarus- we must be sensitive to the suffering of others
• Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector- humble yourself before God

At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus about his suffering and death.

The sermon on the Mount- moral of spiritual life at the highest level. It begins with the Beautitudes.
Beautitudes- means blessed, Jesus’ teachings on happiness, different from rest of world

Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law or the prophets. He came to fulfill it.

The Marcionites rejected the Old Testament because of the gnostic heresy.

Anger originates in heart and must be addressed before it magnifies.

Raca is Jesus’ word for fool.
Gehenna is Jesus’ word for hell.

Rabbi Shammai allowed divorce only only the grounds of adultery (strict school of divorce). Hillel was
looser and allowed it for less strict, trivial reasons. When Jesus was asked what he thought, he cited
the book of Genesis (original plan is that they stay together not apart)

Lust- offense against dignity of a person who is viewed as an object of gratification rather than in the
fullness of his or her personal dignity.

Annulment means there was a defect in the marriage significant enough to declare it null and void.

Christ gave his new commandment of love at the Last supper. He washed their feet- service he wants
us to give one another. His commandment is to love one another.

At the last supper Jesus also instituted the Eucharist- his real body and blood (not just a symbol). If
Jesus was to walk into a room, he’d be no more present that he is in the Eucharist. Real presence

Passover prefigures the Eucharist. Connection between Mass(Eucharist) and Passover- blood

A miracle is a sign or wonder that can only be caused or explained by divine power.
Types of miracles:
1. Faith-healing. Jesus helped the blind man, Jesus heals an officials son at Capernaum in Galilee.
(John)
2. Exorcism- Jesus drives out an evil spirit from a man in Capernaum. (Mark 1) (Luke 4)
3. Resurrection- Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11). Jarius’s daughter (Matthew 9)
4. Control over nature- Jesus calms the storm (Matthew 8). Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14).
 Jesus feeds 5000

Peters mother-in-law wasn’t raised from the dead by Jesus.

The rosary:
• popular devotion in which we say particular prayers- our father, hail Mary, glory be- while
meditating or thinking about particular scenes or mysteries regarding Christ and the blessed Virgin
Mary.
• Joyful mysteries- incarnation and infantry of Christ.
• Sorrowful mysteries- Christ’s suffering and crucifixion.
• Glorious mysteries- resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit
• Luminous mysteries (mysteries of light)- added by Pope John Paul II and are:
1. Baptism of Christ
2. The miracle at the wedding feast of Cana
3. The proclamation of the kingdom through his miracles and parables.
4. His transfiguration
5. The institution of the Eucharist at the last supper.

In the parable of the prodigal son what does the younger son do? After demanding his father to
give him his inheritance and setting off to the country, he struggles with poverty and famine and
decides to return to his father to beg for forgiveness and work for him.
What was the reaction of his father to what he did? When his son returned, the father embraced
and kissed his son and wanted to celebrate his return with a feast of the fattened calf.
What was the reaction of the elder son to what he did? The elder son becomes jealous because
he has always obeyed his father and never received as much as a young goat.
What was the reaction of the father to the elder son’s attitude? He tells him that he is with him
always so everything he has is also his, however his brother was dead and has came back to life, he
was lost and has been found so they must rejoice.