San Diego, California, United States First United Methodist Church Sunday School Class "Heart of Christianity" & Lesson for Sunday, 3 August 2014

San Diego, California, United States First United Methodist Church Sunday School Class "Heart of Christianity" & Lesson for Sunday, 3 August 2014
Hi folks,
This week we will continue our discussion with the remaining parts of Chapter 6.  On Aug 10, Ken will lead a discussion of Chapter 5.  And on Aug 17 and 24, Kay will be leading on Chapter 7.
Thoughts for this Sunday:
1. Crossan asks the basic question – Why was Jesus crucified?  And why by Pilate and not Herod Antipas? He looks at 3 events:
The triumphal entry – Crossan does not believe this actually happened. He believes later Christians look back to find appropriate “prophecy” (eg Zechariah 9:9) to bolster the case for Jesus as the messiah.  This brings up the entire question of using Old Testament writings to point to Jesus as Messiah.  Where do you come down on this? 
2. Crossan says pretty much the same for the last supper. Gospels differ on whether this was a Passover seder or not.  Does it matter?
3. The cleansing of the temple.  John puts this at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, the synoptic gospels put it at the end. If it was at the beginning, it cannot be the proximate event leading to the crucifixion.  What did you think of Crossan’s point that by stopping the functions of the temple, Jesus was destroying it?  
4. James the Just – brother of Jesus – stoned at the order of Ananus the younger who used time between one gov leaving and the next arriving. 
Did James have important friends???
5. Pontius Pilate – Had history of using force to stop protests. 
a. Had soldiers in civilian dress ready to beat up protestors, or met them with large force. 
b. So, why would he crucify Jesus when he didn’t want to? Why would he care what the crowd wanted? Where do you think this part of the story came from?
6. Crossan  spends quite a bit of time demonstrating how he thinks the details of the crucifixion developed and arrives at his conclusion on p. 171. Do you agree? Is his argument convincing?
7. Barabbas – Crossan says he was a “social bandit”   Crossan says Mark uses Barabbas to show that Jerusalem chose the armed rebel over the unarmed savior. 

Is that a choice we make? Do we want our God to be omnipotent? Are we willing to accept a God who will not interfere against our “enemies”? 
See you Sunday.
Lembi
Lembi Saarmann, RN, EdD
Professor Emerita
School of Nursing
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4158
Cell:  619-987-1604
Email:  Lsaarman@mail.sdsu.edu
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