SAINT DOMINIC COLLEGE OF BATANES, INC.

BASCO, BATANES

ACTIVITY FOR THEOLOGY I

Topics covered:
THE NEW COVENANT
REDEMPTION
THE BIRTH AND LIFE OF JESUS

GARLITOS, SHIRLEY ANN V.

BSED-MATHEMATICS STUDENT – SDCBI

THE NEW COVENANT

 The New Covenant is the promise that God will forgive sin and restore
fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the
mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the
promise (Luke 22:20). The New Covenant was predicted while the Old
Covenant was still in effect—the prophets Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all
allude to the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant that God had established with His people required
strict obedience to the Mosaic Law. Because the wages of sin are death
(Romans 6:23), the Law required that Israel perform daily sacrifices in order
to atone for sin. But Moses, through whom God established the Old
Covenant, also anticipated the New Covenant. In one of his final addresses to
the nation of Israel, Moses looks forward to a time when Israel would be
given “a heart to understand” (Deuteronomy 29:4, ESV). Moses predicts that
Israel would fail in keeping the Old Covenant (verses 22–28), but he then
sees a time of restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–5). At that time, Moses says,
“The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your
descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your
soul, and live” (verse 6). The New Covenant involves a total change of heart
so that God’s people are naturally pleasing to Him.
The prophet Jeremiah also predicted the New Covenant. “‘The day will
come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of
Israel and Judah. . .. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people
of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds, and I
will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my
people’” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses
(Matthew 5:17) and to establish the New Covenant between God and His
people. The Old Covenant was written in stone, but the New Covenant is
written on hearts. Entering the New Covenant is made possible only by faith
in Christ, who shed His blood to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
Luke 22:20 relates how Jesus, at the Last Supper, takes the cup and says,
“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (ESV).
 The New Covenant is also mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26–27, “I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your
heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you
and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel
lists several aspects of the New Covenant here: a new heart, a new spirit, the
indwelling Holy Spirit, and true holiness. The Mosaic Law could provide none
of these things (see Romans 3:20).
The New Covenant was originally given to Israel and includes a
promise of fruitfulness, blessing, and a peaceful existence in the Promised
Land. In Ezekiel 36:28–30 God says, “Then you will live in the land I gave
your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. . .. I will call for
the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will
increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no
longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.” Deuteronomy
30:1–5 contains similar promises related to Israel under the New Covenant.
After the resurrection of Christ, God in His grace brought the Gentiles into the
blessing of the New Covenant, too (Acts 10; Ephesians 2:13–14). The
fulfillment of the New Covenant will be seen in two places: on earth during
the Millennial Kingdom, and in heaven for all eternity.
We are no longer under the Law but under grace (Romans 6:14–15).
The Old Covenant has served its purpose, and it has been replaced by “a
better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22). “In fact, the ministry Jesus has received is
as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to
the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises”
(Hebrews 8:6).
Under the New Covenant, we are given the opportunity to receive
salvation as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). Our responsibility is to exercise
faith in Christ, the One who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and brought an
end to the Law’s sacrifices through His own sacrificial death. Through the
life-giving Holy Spirit who lives in all believers (Romans 8:9–11), we share in
the inheritance of Christ and enjoy a permanent, unbroken relationship with
God (Hebrews 9:15).

REDEMPTION
The dictionary defines redemption as: 1. the action of saving or being
saved from sin, error, or evil. 2. the action of regaining or gaining possession
of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.
Romans 5:8-11 specifies, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been
justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath
through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall
we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation.”
Redemption is used in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
The Old Testament. In the Old Testament, redemption involves deliverance
from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. The Hebrew
root words used most often for the concept of redemption are pada, gaal,
and kapar. The verb pada is a legal term concerning the substitution required
for the person or animal delivered. The verb gaal is a legal term for the
deliverance of some person, property, or right to which one had a previous
claim through family relation or possession. The meaning of the third verb,
kapar, is to cover.
Fundamental to the message of the New Testament is the
announcement that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of Israel's messianic
hope and that, in him, the long-awaited redemption has arrived. Deliverance
of humankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished
through the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom 4:25; 2 Cor 5:18-19). In
the New Testament, redemption requires the payment of a price, but the
plight that requires such a ransom is moral, not material. Humankind is held
in the captivity of sin from which only the atoning death of Jesus Christ can
liberate. ("Entry for 'Redeem, Redemption'". "Evangelical Dictionary of
Theology")
When life gets hard, we tend to say that we need a break. What we
really need, however, is redemption. Instead of gaining a momentary respite
from the madness that surrounds us, redemption is the promise of God to
deliver us from the power and presence of sin.
If this promise sounds too good to be true, consider the fact that the
world used to work this way. Prior to their rebellion, Adam and Eve had
unbroken fellowship with God, unparalleled intimacy with each other and
undisturbed enjoyment in their Edenic environment. There has never been a
time such as theirs when humans exercised biblical dominion over creation,
complemented each other so completely and joyously lived every moment of
every day under the rule of God. But there will be.
The Bible envisions a day when these broken relationships will be
forever restored. God’s people will inherit a new earth that bears abundant
food apart from the sweat of their brow and without the threat of thorns
(Revelation 22:2). They will never feel pain or cause others to experience
hurt of any kind as their tears have been eternally wiped away (Revelation
21:4). Death will no longer haunt the living as gentle lambs will rest side by
side with formerly carnivorous wolves (Isaiah 11:6). Best of all, God will dwell
with his people (Revelation 22:3). Nothing unclean will be allowed to enter
the new creation. There will be no trees that trick or serpents that tempt.
Worship, not worry, will characterize the family of God in a world without
end. In a word, this fallen world will be redeemed.
Thus, the Christian worldview is premised on two realities: God’s good
world spoiled by human sin (fall) and sinful humans made fit to enjoy God
forever (redemption). In spite of the fall, the world continues to work – sort
of. After the fall, Adam and Eve’s oldest son proved remarkably adept at
navigating through life. Cain married a woman and loved their son (Genesis
4:17). The curse of the ground notwithstanding, Cain became a farmer and
then a city builder (Genesis 4:3, 17). Even Cain’s descendants were known
for their creative prowess, including advancements in shepherding livestock,
playing musical instruments and developing sturdy weaponry (Genesis 4:20-
22). Put simply, even fallen people in a fallen world somehow manage to
contribute to human progress.

On the other hand, even morally upright people manage to confirm the
human predicament. Noah is such a man who, in the midst of a moral sewer,
managed to find favor in God’s eyes (Genesis 6:8). His craftsmanship is
demonstrated through his ability to build an ark that withstood the most
destructive storm ever. His attention to detail spared not only his life but that
of his family and the entire animal kingdom (Genesis 6:14-22). Nevertheless,
in spite of God’s grace towards him, Noah later became drunk and passed
out naked in his tent (Genesis 9:20-21). When he awoke he cursed
generations yet to be born (Genesis 9:24). This is hardly the behavior one
would expect from the man God used to rescue the world but Noah’s life
confirms that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
Humans still retain the image of God, which accounts for any
semblance of goodness and enables any sense of progress (Genesis 1:26-27;
9:6). However, life is not as it should be in this fallen world. Theologians have
differed over the means by which Adam’s sin has been passed down to every
person but the reality of death provides sufficient confirmation that no one is
exempt (Romans 5:12). Though Charles Manson and Billy Graham took
completely different paths with their lives, both are subject to the death
sentence as are you and I. The Bible thus describes our common plight: we
are “dead” in our “trespasses and sins” and we are “by nature children under
wrath” (Ephesians 2:1,3).
Redemption is the reversal of the fall. In part, this reversal means that
those who were spiritually dead are made alive (Ephesians 2:4) and those
who were children of wrath are now children of God (1 John 3:1). Though the
Bible recognizes that fallen people may make positive contributions to the
world as a whole, the Bible is quite clear that no one can contribute anything
positive to their own redemption (Romans 3:23-28). The only person qualified
to undo the effects of the fall is Jesus Christ who, as the eternal Son of God
incarnated through the Virgin Mary, was exempted from inheriting Adam’s
sin. This is not to say that he was not tempted as he lived in a fallen world
and experienced genuine struggles that all humans face (Hebrews 2:14-18).
However, the Bible unflinchingly states that Jesus never sinned (2
Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22) and thus focuses on him alone
as the one who can make sinful humans fit to worship a holy God (Acts 4:12).
Even the death of Jesus was not the result of any sin he committed but
rather the most gracious act of love ever displayed, where he took upon
himself the sins of the world so that all who believe in him will be saved
(Romans 5:6-11).
The doctrine of redemption extends even beyond the matter of
individual salvation. During his lifetime, Jesus provided abundant proof of his
ability to completely restore a fallen world. He demonstrated his lordship
over heaven when he calmed the storms on the sea (Mark 4:35-41); he
demonstrated his lordship over hell when he exorcised demons from a
troubled man (Mark 5:1-20); he demonstrated his lordship over life when he
healed a woman of her incurable disease (Mark 5:24-34); and he
demonstrated his lordship over death when he raised a young girl from the
dead (Mark 5:35-43). With these and countless other miracles (John 20:30-
31; 21:25), Jesus provided ample reason for us to conclude that this troubled
world is not our home. He himself will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
The final book of the Bible is, therefore, a fitting end to the story of the
fall with its triumphant declaration of full redemption: “Then he showed me
the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of
life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit
every month. The leaves of the trees are for healing the nations, and there
will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the
city, and His slaves will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will
be on their foreheads. Night will no longer exist, and people will not need
lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will
reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).

BIRTH AND LIFE OF JESUS

Revelation to Joseph Regarding the Birth of Jesus

Matthew 1:18-25
Sometime after Mary's return from her three-month visit with
Elisabeth, it was discovered that Mary was pregnant. Since Joseph and
Mary were not yet married, and Joseph knew the child was not his,
Mary's supposed unfaithfulness could publicly be punishable by her
death. But Joseph was a righteous, merciful man and chose to privately
sever their engagement (see verse 19).

After making this decision Joseph had a dream in which the Angel
Gabriel appeared to him. Joseph was told of the virgin Mary's
immaculate conception and the upcoming birth of Jesus and was
commanded to take Mary to wife, which he did.

The Nativity: The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1-20
As the birth of Jesus drew near, Caesar Augustus sent out a
decree for all to be taxed. A census was put into place, and according
to Jewish custom, the people were required to register at their
 ancestral homes. Thus, Joseph and Mary (who was "great with child"
see verse 5) traveled to Bethlehem. With the taxation causing the
travel of so many people, the inns were all full, all that was available
was a lone stable.
The Son of God, the greatest of us all, was born in the lowest of
circumstances and slept in a manger. An angel appeared to local
shepherds who were watching over their flocks and told them of the
birth of Jesus. They followed the star and worshiped the baby Jesus.

The Genealogies of Jesus

Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38
There are two genealogies of Jesus: the account in Matthew is of
the legal successors to the throne of David, while the one in Luke is a
literal list from father-to-son. Both genealogies link Joseph (and thus
Mary who was his cousin) to King David. Through Mary, Jesus was born
in the royal lineage and inherited the right to David's throne.

Jesus is Blessed and Circumcised

Luke 2:21-38
Eight days after the birth of Jesus, the Christ child was
circumcised and he was named Jesus (see verse 21). After Mary's days
of purification were complete, the family traveled to the temple in
Jerusalem where Jesus was presented to the Lord. A sacrifice was
offered and the holy baby was blessed by the priest, Simeon.

Visit of the Wise Men; Flight to Egypt

Matthew 2:1-18
After some time had passed, but before Jesus was two years old,
a group of Magi or "wise men" came to witness that the Son of God had
been born in the flesh. These righteous men were guided by the Spirit
 and followed the new star until they found the Christ child. They
bestowed upon him three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
When searching for Jesus, the wise men had stopped and
inquired of King Herod, who became threatened by news of this "King
of the Jews." He asked the wise men to return and tell him where
they'd found the baby, but being warned in a dream, they did not
return to Herod. Joseph, also warned in a dream, took Mary and the
baby Jesus and fled to Egypt.

Young Jesus Teaches In the Temple

Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-50
After the death of King Herod, the Lord commanded Joseph to
take his family and return to Nazareth, which he did. We learn how
Jesus "grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the
grace of God was upon him" (verse 40).
Each year Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Jerusalem for the
Passover feast. When Jesus was twelve years old he tarried, while his
parents left for the return trip home, thinking he was with their
company. Realizing he wasn't there, they frantically began to search,
eventually finding him at the temple in Jerusalem, where he was
teaching the doctors who were "hearing him, and asking him
questions" (JST verse 46).

Boyhood and Youth of Jesus

Luke 2:51-52
From His birth and throughout His life, Jesus grew and developed
into a mature, sinless man. As a boy, Jesus learned from both of His
fathers: Joseph and His real father, God the Father.
 From John, we learn that Jesus "received not of the fulness at
first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness"
(D&C 93:13).

From modern revelation we learn:

"And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and
waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to
come.
"And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men,
neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should
teach him.
"And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh" (JST
Matt 3:24-26).

Bruner, Rachel. (2023, April 5). Chronology of the Birth and Life of Jesus
Christ. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/birth-and-life-of-jesus-
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