God’s Covenant Plan, Lesson 6.6

God’s Covenant Plan

Lesson Six: Into the Kingdom of the Son

Lesson Objectives

  1. To read the New Testament with understanding.
  2. To understand how the New Testament depicts Jesus as the fulfillment of the covenants of the Old Testament.
  3. To appreciate, especially, the importance of God’s everlasting covenant with David for understanding the mission of Jesus and the Church as it is presented in the New Testament.

VI. Study Questions

1. Explain how the New Testament depicts Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all God’s promises in salvation history. Make specific reference to God’s covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David.
2. What does Mary mean when she says the Christ Child fulfills God’s "promises to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever" (see Luke 1:55).
3. How does the New Testament present Jesus as the promised Davidic Messiah in (a) His birth and early years; (b) His Baptism; and (c) His public ministry? Provide examples and quotations from Scripture.
4. How does the New Testament present Jesus as a new Moses in (a) His birth and early years; and (b) in His temptation in the wilderness?
5. How is Jesus’ death and resurrection a new exodus and a new passover? In what way is the Eucharist a memorial of this new passover and exodus?
6. Explain the similarities between Abraham’s "sacrifice" of Isaac and the Crucifixion of Jesus. How does the event of the Cross fulfill God’s promise to Abraham?
7. When and how did Jesus teach the Apostles how to interpret the Old Testament Scriptures?
8. How does the New Testament present the Church as the restored Kingdom of David and a worlwide family of God?

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Lesson Outline

  1. Review and Overview
    1. The Covenant Plan Fulfilled
    2. Turning to the New Testament
  2. The Birth of the Messiah
    1. Annunciation and Visitation
    2. Nativity and the Temple
  3. The Kingdom is at Hand
    1. Baptizing the Beloved Son
    2. Tempting the New Moses
    3. Blessings of the Kingdom
    4. The Good Shepherd
    5. The Keys to the Kingdom
  4. New Exodus in Jerusalem
    1. With Moses and Elijah
    2. Making a King’s Entrance
    3. Passover - Old and New
    4. Our Paschal Lamb
    5. Death of the Beloved Son
  5. The End of His Story
    1. Beginning with Moses
    2. Kingdom of the Spirit
    3. Sacraments of Childhood
    4. Completing the Word of God
    5. Revealing the End
  6. Study Questions

Other Lessons

  • Lesson One: How a Catholic Starts to Read the Bible
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To learn how to read the Bible the way the Catholic Church has always read it.
    2. To understand the concepts of “salvation history” and “covenant” and their importance for reading the Bible.
    3. To learn the key points of the creation story in the Bible’s first book, Genesis.

    Begin Lesson One

  • Lesson Two: Creation, Fall and Promise
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read Genesis 1-3 with understanding.
    2. To learn God’s “original intent” in creating man and woman.
    3. To understand the sin of Adam and Eve and understand God’s promise of a New Adam and a New Eve.

    Begin Lesson Two

  • Lesson Three: East of Eden, Headed to Egypt
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read Genesis 3-50 with understanding.
    2. To understand God’s covenants with Noah and with Abraham and to see how these covenants look forward to, and are fulfilled in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.
    3. To appreciate the key figures in the story of Abraham - Melchizedek, circumcision, the sacrifice of Isaac - as they are interpreted in the Church’s tradition.

    Begin Lesson Three

  • Lesson Four: On the Way to the Promised Land
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To read the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with understanding.
    2. To understand God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai and to see how this covenant looks forward to and is fulfilled in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.
    3. To appreciate the key figures and events - Moses, the Passover, and the vocation of Israel as “a kingdom of priests” - as they are interpreted in the Church’s tradition.

    Begin Lesson Four

  • Lesson Five: To Kingdom Come
    • Lesson Objectives
    1. To finish reading the Old Testament (from Joshua to Malachi) and to read with understanding.
    2. To understand the broad outlines of the history of Israel in light of God’s covenant with Abraham.
    3. To appreciate the crucial importance of God’s everlasting covenant with David.

    Begin Lesson Five