Who is Jesus? Study 4

Jesus: The Redeemer

Gratefully used with permission from Global Media Outreach - A Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ

At the trial of Jesus it seemed that both the weak-willed Roman governor, Pilate; and the shouts of

the crowd sent Jesus to death. In fact, the Bible tells us that these events amazingly formed part of

God's purpose.

Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, "Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where

everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the

Gentiles, who will make fun of Him, insult Him, and spit on Him. They will whip Him and kill Him,

but on the third day He will rise to life." The disciples did not understand any of these things. (Luke

18:31-34a)

A. The Passover meal and "The Last Supper"

On the last night of His life, Jesus ate a meal with His disciples.

READ: Luke 22:7-20

1.         What do you think the atmosphere was like during that meal?

2.         What did Jesus say about the bread and cup of wine? (22:19, 20)

3.         What did you think Jesus meant when He said His body was "given for you," and His blood

was "poured out for you"?

B. The trial

After the Passover meal Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was taken before

the Jewish ruling council.

READ: Luke 22:66-71

1.         What did the Jewish leaders want to find out from Jesus?

2.         What did Jesus tell them?

3.         How did the Jewish leaders respond? (22:71)

C. The cross

Jesus was not condemned to death for anything He had done. He was condemned for who He

claimed to be.

READ: Luke 23:32-49

1.         What did the following groups say about Jesus:

(v.35) Jewish leaders?

(v.36) soldiers?

(v.39) the criminal?

2.         How was the second criminal's reply different from that of the first? (23:39-42)

What did he recognize about Jesus?

3.         What did the army of officer say when Jesus died? (23:47)

4.         What do you think Jesus' attitude was while He was being crucified? (23:34, 43, 46)

To think about

This study is called "Jesus the Redeemer." To redeem means to buy something back, to recover

something by payment. Jesus' death was for the sake of other people, to bring them back to God.

 As the criminal faced his own death, he asked Jesus to remember him in His future Kingdom.

Jesus promised that the robber would be with Him that day in Paradise. In what ways can we have

the same hope as the criminal did after hearing Jesus' words?

Background notes

Passover (Luke 22:7 and following)

The Passover is an annual religious festival when the Jews recall how God rescued their nation

from slavery in Egypt. They remember particularly how the angel of death killed the first-born of all

Egyptians, yet "passed over" all the Jewish families. God told them they would be protected by

sprinkling lamb's blood on their door posts. It was after this event that the Egyptians finally allowed

the Jews to leave Egypt. An important part of the Passover festival was the killing and eating of the

Passover lamb.

New covenant (Luke 22:20)

God had promised in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-34) that He would bring in a new era.

This promise became known as the new covenant. In the New Testament Jesus says that this era

is now beginning and that His death would confirm it. This is the guarantee that God gives to us

that He will forgive us and that we will have a special relationship with Him.

Messiah (Luke 22:67)

The Hebrew word "Messiah" means "anointed one." (To anoint someone with olive oil was to

honour him or to appoint him to do some special work.) In Greek, the language of the New

Testament, "Messiah" is translated "Christ." The Jews hoped that the promised Messiah would

come as king, to deliver the nation from foreign rule and to set up a righteous, divine kingdom in

Israel. There are many verses in the Old Testament that speak of this anointed one who was to

come. Although Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, He did not do what the Jews expected. Instead

He came as a servant and as one who would suffer. His Kingdom was established, not in a palace,

but in the hearts of men and women. Yet in the end all things were to be brought under His rule.

Son of Man (Luke 22:69)

To describe Himself Jesus used "Son of Man" most often. In Luke 22:69, He refers to an Old

Testament passage (Daniel 7:13, 14) about a son of man (human being) who was given an

everlasting kingdom. The Jews have understood Daniel to be referring to the promised Messiah.