CRS LESSON: WEEK 1-4(YEAR 8)

PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES  (Matt. 13:24-30,36-40)

A man sowed good seeds in his farm and at night, the enemy came and sowed weeds/tares (unwanted poisonous seeds). His servant saw this and wanted to act immediately to remove the weeds but the master said he should leave both to grow so that he won’t destroy the good seeds and when both have grown during harvest both will be separated.

He who sows the good seeds is the son of man (Jesus).

The field is the world.                   

The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom.

The weeds are the sons of the evil one.

The enemy is the devil.

The harvest is the end of the world.

The reapers are the Angels

 

TOPIC: THE PASSION OF JESUS

BIBLE REFERENCES: Matt.21:1-11; Mark11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; Matt 26:17-30.

SUB-TOPIC 1: THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY.

After Jesus finished His ministry in Galilee, He decided

 to go to Jerusalem. On the way to Jerusalem He and

 His disciples got to a village called Bethpage

situated on the slopes of Mount Olives near

 Jerusalem. Jesus sent two of His disciples to

Bethany another village near Jerusalem. They were instructed to bring back a young colt that had

 never been driven by anyone. If challenged, they

 should reply, the master had need of it and it will be

 returned after use.

The disciples went and found things exactly the way

 Jesus instructed. They brought back the colt and laid

 their garments on it.

 Jesus sat on the colt and He, his disciples with people

 that had gathered began to move slowly towards

 Jerusalem.

The people paid homage to Jesus by spreading their

 garments and palm leaves on the road for Jesus to

 ride over. Many hold palm leaves in their hands and

 were shouting as Jesus entered Jerusalem ‘’Hosanna

 in the highest, blessed is he that comes in the name

 of the Lord’’. Hosanna means Praise thy Lord.

The Pharisees among the crowd told Jesus to silence

 his disciples and the people, Jesus replied:

‘’ I tell you if these were silent the very stones would

 cry out.’’

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY

   1.     Christians remember the triumphant entry of Christ today and celebrates it as Palm Sunday, a Sunday before Easter Sunday when most Christians go to church with palms in their hands.

   2.     The triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem shows that Jesus is a Messiah of Peace, who had come to bring peace into the world. Jesus rode on a colt instead of a horse to show that He was a Messiah of peace, because the horse was used in those days as a symbol of war.

    3.     The riding of Jesus on a young colt which had never been used by anyone, shows His humility and the sacredness of His mission.   

   4 .     The palm leaves and garments on the floor were indications of his royal reception and acceptance.

   5.     This is the first public announcement of Jesus as the Messiah by the people.

The Last Supper

This was the last meal Jesus ate with His disciples

 during the Passover celebration, before his arrest,

 trial, death, burial and resurrection.

The Jews normally celebrate the Passover to mark and

 remember the coming out of the Israelites from the

 land of Egypt.

Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples in

 Jerusalem. When the time came for the celebration of

 the feast, his disciples came to Him and asked of the

 place where they would celebrate the Passover. He

 directed them to a certain house to inform the

 a landlord that He would celebrate the Passover in his

 house.

The disciples made all necessary preparation for the

 feast in an upper room. As they were eating during

 the feast in the evening, Jesus told them that one of

 them would betray Him. The disciples began to ask

 question about the person but He replied that the one

 who will dip his hand together with Him into the dish

 was the one to betray Him.

Jesus later took bread, blessed and broke it. He gave

 it to His disciples and said:

               ‘’ Take, eat; this is my body.’’

He also took the cup, and when He had given thanks,

 He gave it to them and said:

‘’ drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the new

 covenant which

                  Is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’’

He made them to know that He would not drink of the

 fruit of the vine again until the day He will drink it

 anew in the kingdom of God.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAST SUPPER

The Jews celebrate the feast of Passover to mark the

 liberation and freedom of the Israelites from political

 bondage in Egypt. Jesus during the last supper gave

 the Passover a new significance.

   1.     It now signifies the spiritual liberation from the sin of all who believe.

   2.     The bread represented His body which was broken at His death on the cross.

   3.     The wine represents the covenant blood that God use to establish the New Covenant to give us the power to overcome the temptation to sins.

   4.     The last supper, from the foregoing, represents the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross which saves us from our sins.

   5.     Christians all over the world celebrate the last supper on special occasion while some observe theirs every Sunday as the Holy Communion/Eucharist