Andrew M. Rector - Christ Simply: A Chronological Self-Guided Study of the Life of Christ

A Chronological Self-Guided Study ofthe Life of Christ

Andrew M. Rector

Copyright 2016 Andrew M. Rector

All rights reserved. Except as permitted underthe U.S.

Copyright Act of 1976, no part of thispublication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system,without the prior written permission of the author.

All rights reserved.

Dedication

To Mom, who never stopped believing inme.

Table of Contents

PART ONE

Before YouBegin

Who Is This Bookfor?

Everyone is invited

RookieChristians : If you are new to the Christianfaith, this study is an opportunity to read through the life ofChrist to discover the stories about and teachings ofJesus.

VeteranChristians : If you have been a Christianfor a while and have never read through the life of Christ inchronological order, this is your opportunity. Or perhaps you wantto review the Gospels once again for more personal growth andreflection.

Non-Christians : If you grew up or arepart of another faith, you are invited to read through this guideas an introduction to the central figure of Christianity. After youhave done so, you can make a decision on what you havefound.

So this book is for anyone who haswanted to read through the life of Jesus Christ for the first time.Anyone who wants to journal his or her thoughts exploring who theSon of Man was. Anyone who wants to be introduced to Christ for thefirst time.

The invitation is alwaysopen.

Why Study the Life ofChrist?

More reasons abound to study the lifeof Christ than I could list here, but here are a few importantones:

That he wasGod : This is what Jesus Christ claimed tobe. It is what got him killed. The testimonies of the four men whowrote the Gospels each present a case that Jesus was GodHimself.

That he washuman : Though beyond our understanding,Jesus was both a human and God. By reading through his life, youwill see how he overcame the weaknesses of his humanity and thepower he had as the Father.

That he made the ultimatesacrifice : Again, though beyond ourunderstanding, Jesus Christ sacrificed himself so that sin would nolonger enslave those who believe he was the Son of God.

To learn how to loveGod : By giving up all, including his life,Jesus Christ showed us how to love the Father in his dealings withthe people he encountered throughout his ministry.

To see how he demonstratedlove for all : From the woman at the well tothe little children, Jesus Christ is an example for us all onloving our neighbor.

To understand the core ofChristianity : By reading through the lifeof Christ in chronological order, you may gain a deeperunderstanding of the man who has influenced history more than anyother person.

How to Use thisBook

Use this book in a way best for you.There are no rules. You can answer every question for every page,or you can answer one or two. You can just read the passage onlyand answer none of the questions. You can read through the entirelife of Christ in two or three sittings or go one page per day. Goat your own pace.

You can use this book as a self-studyor as a small group study. You can go through the entire bookconsecutively, or stop between sections of the life of Christ andstudy something else for a while: a devotional book, another bookin the Bible, or a sermon series from your church. You can alwayscome back.

You can answer the questions in yourmind, or you can write down your answers in a separate notebook.You can draw your answers. Keeping a journal as you go through thisself-study is highly recommended, but not necessary.

Every few years, you can redo thisstudy and see how youve grown spiritually since your last reading.Highlight the passages you wish to commit to memory. Make a list ofquestions about Jesus Christ before you begin this study. See ifthey get answered.

However, you decide to use this book,remember to be proactive in your study. If you have a question,research the answer online. Or speak to your pastor. If you do notknow the location of a town mentioned in scripture, look on a mapof New Testament times. Be auto-didactic.

The choice is yours.

What Are the FourGospels?

Simply defined, they are the firstfour books of the New Testament. They all tell the life of Christ,but from the viewpoint of four different men from differentsections of society.

Matthew : A Jewish tax collector, who later became one of Jesus 12followers, is said to have written this book. He was also calledLevi.

Mark : A Jewish young man, John Mark was the son of a widow whoopened her home for the earliest church services in Jerusalem.Hewas also a protg of Peter, one of the 12 followers ofJesus.

Luke : This physician was a friend of Paul the apostle. He was nota Jew. Luke wrote a letter to a new Christian named Theophiluswhich became this book in the New Testament named afterhim.

John : He was one of the 12 followers of the Christ, and also oneof his closest friends. He was part of the inner circle of Jesus,which included Peter, Andrew and James.

PART TWO

Christ Simply
Self-Guided Study

Jesus as aBoy

Prologue of JohnsGospel

John 1:1-18

• In your journal, write or draw yourthoughts on the following questions as they relate to this accountin the life of Christ.

• In one or two sentences, summarizewhat happened in this account.

• Who are the characters in thisaccount?

• What are the names of places mentionedin this account? Can you find them on a map of New Testamenttimes?

• What did Christ say in todaysscriptures?

• Does this account relate to somethinggoing on in your life right now?

• Does this account remind you of anycurrent events?

• Can you find lessons from todayspassage(s) to apply to your life?

• Write a prayer to God.

Preface of Lukes Gospel

Luke 1:1-4

• In your journal, write or draw yourthoughts on the following questions as they relate to this accountin the life of Christ.

• In one or two sentences, summarizewhat happened in this account.

• Who are the characters in thisaccount?

• What are the names of places mentionedin this account? Can you find them on a map of New Testamenttimes?

• What did Christ say in todaysscriptures?

• Does this account relate to somethinggoing on in your life right now?

• Does this account remind you of anycurrent events?

• Can you find lessons from todayspassage(s) to apply to your life?

• Write a prayer to God.

Two Genealogies

Matthew 1:1-17, Luke3:23-38

NOTE: This may seem like aboring list of ancestors, but each had a point. They signifiedJesus belonged to a lineage of Gods chosen King of Israel. Theancestors of Jesus were the most famous figures of the OldTestament. Matthew, being Jewish, focused on showing how Jesusancestry went back to Abraham, the first Jew, while Luke, beingnon-Jewish, listed a genealogy going back to Adam the first man.Jesus is called the Son of David, and both of these lists show KingDavid as a forefather of Jesus.

• In your journal, write or draw yourthoughts on the following questions as they relate to this accountin the life of Christ.

• In one or two sentences, summarizewhat happened in this account.

• Who are the characters in thisaccount?

• What are the names of places mentionedin this account? Can you find them on a map of New Testamenttimes?