Journal Submission (Week 5) – Reagan Schwarz
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Journal Submission (Week 5) – Reagan Schwarz
✎
Jesus in Historical Context II, Prompt #1:
Briefly write some personal
reflections on how learning about Jewish sectarian groups helps you find
deeper meaning in the teachings of Jesus, how you see some tendencies of
these groups within our own community, and (based on His interactions in
the first century) how you think Jesus might respond to these tendencies in
our own day. (3–4 sentences)
Seeing the hypocrisy within the various sectarian groups certainly
opens my eyes to the tendencies within our own religious community.
Specifically I look to the fence laws put up by the Pharisees and can
see the ways our community similarly put up our own surrounding
certain doctrine-based commandments. The danger then is the same
as it is now – that we will worry so much about the implications of
breaking the fence laws that we overlook the spiritual intention of the
core laws they surround. Jesus would, I imagine, respond in a similar
manner as well. Disrupting the status quo in a compassionate way that
points back, as ever, to God.
✎
Jesus in Historical Context ll, Prompt #2:
What do these passages say
about the nature and mission of this messianic king, and what do they not
say? If all you had access to were these prophetic writings, what would you
expect the messiah to accomplish? (3–4 sentences)
Across the different scriptural texts is depicted a messianic king from
the lineage of Jesse, who will establish harmony and justice on Earth in
righteousness and divine wisdom. His rule is said to provide prosperity,
security, as well as unity between nations in an everlasting kingdom. It
doesn’t state the specifics of how this will be accomplished, and if I did
not have the knowledge that I do I might expect a political aspect to it,
resulting in a spiritual transformation for God’s children once freed
from the oppression of other nations.
✎
Jesus in Historical Context ll, Prompt #3:
Based on contemporary
expectations of what the messiah would accomplish, why would even Jesus’s
earliest disciples not have clearly understood His mission to suffer and die on
a cross? (1–2 sentences)
It was understood that as the Messiah, Jesus was to be a victorious
liberator of Israel. Their understanding of him was as a triumphant
deliverer, not a sacrificial offering to God.
✎
Jesus in Historical Context lI, Prompt #4:
What do these Book of
Mormon passages say about the nature and mission of the messiah, and how
does this clarity differ from the Old Testament prophetic passages? What
insights about the nature of Christ did the Nephites have that the ancient
Jewish community apparently did not? (3–4 sentences)
They state that Jesus would come to earth dwelling in a mortal body to
perform miracles, including the healing of the sick. They highlight that
he would suffer for the sins of the world. The depiction of Christ as a
compassionate, sacrificially Savior contrasts with the more vague,
symbolic prophecies found in the Old Testament and underscores the
personal nature of Christ’s relationship as our Deliverer.
✎
Portraits, Prompt #1:
Compare and contrast reading the New Testament
Gospels in a harmony, in sequence, or in a synopsis. (3–4 sentences)
The harmony approach blends the different elements/strengths of each
gospel into one narrative. The synopsis approach utilized the side-by-
side comparison of the individual gospels reports on the same story to
identify key differences. Lastly, the sequential approach has you read
the gospels in order of their appearance in the New Testament, which
can be rather repetitive as a result of the similarities between the two.
✎
Portraits, Prompt #2:
Which approach to reading the Gospels have you
primarily done thus far in your life? (1–2 sentences)
Mainly I have gone about the sequential approach when reading
(rather slowly) the New Testament cover to cover.
✎
Portraits, Prompt #3:
For each verse you read, record the human
experience Christ had or the emotion He felt. You will submit this at the end
of the unit, so keep track of it. (1–2 paragraphs)
Across the verses, the emotional range of Christ’s experiences are
depicted. He expresses frustration for the people’s lack of
understanding; pity when healing the afflicted; a combination of anger
and grief when witnessing the lack of faith among the people and the
hardness of their hearts; love and compassion for God’s children when
contemplating their importance in Kingdom of God; love and sorrow for
the rich man who chooses his wealth over Him; agony, distress, and
vulnerability in the Garden of Gethsemane in His submission to God’s
will; spiritual, emotional, and physical anguish on the cross before his
disciples and antagonists. These verses offer us a rich understanding
of Christ and the real, complex human emotions he too faced in his
mortal journey.
✎
Portraits, Prompt #4:
What are the three themes of the Gospel of
Matthew? (1–2 sentences)
The fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament (the prophecies
Messiah), the connection between Moses and Jesus (Jesus is the new
moses, bringing a higher law), and the connection between Jesus and
David (via lineage, i.e. Son of David, the Messiah).
✎
Portraits, Prompt #5:
What are the three themes in the Gospel of Luke?
(1–2 sentences)
Jesus as a universal savior (for all humanity), the focus on women
(their significant roles within the narrative), and a ministry to the poor
and outcast (Jesus’ compassion to the marginalized).
✎
Portraits, Prompt #6:
What similarities did you notice in each of these
accounts? What differences did you notice? (1–2 sentences)
The similarities include John the Baptist’s time preaching in the
wilderness, Jesus’s baptism for repentance by John, and the descension
of the Holy Ghost upon Christ. Differences include Mark’s highlight of
John the Baptist’s humility, Matthew’s portrayal of John’s admonition of
the Pharisees and Sadducees, the ethical conduct discussion in Luke,
and the specific labeling of Jesus as the Son of God by John the Baptist
in John.
✎
Portraits, Prompt #7:
What did you read in this paper that you didn’t
notice in your initial reading? (1–2 sentences)
The paper focuses on the specific differences in John’s teaching to
various groups, and the variations in the voice from Heaven.
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