Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART II: T HEOLOGICAL AND M ISSIOLOGICAL P RINCIPLES AND I NSIGHTS • 137

3. Its meaning in Jesus’ history : His teaching, exorcisms, miracles, and mighty works done among the people

4. The Season of the Church Year : Lent, the Ministry of Christ. The Lenten season, a forty-day period starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Thursday of Holy Week, calls us to reflect on Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, and death. Following our Lord, let us prepare ourselves on the way of the Cross for full obedience to God.

5. As to Spiritual Formation : In the person of Christ, the power of the reign of God has come to earth, and to the Church.

E. Holy Week: the Lamb of God

1. Biblical framework : As both High Priest and Paschal Lamb, Jesus offers himself to God on our behalf as a sacrifice for sin, and as victorious Lord who destroys death and the grave.

2. Exemplar Scripture references

a. John 1.29 – The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” b. 2 Cor. 5.18-21 – All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. c. 1 John 3.8 – Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

d. Isa. 52-53

e. 1 Tim. 2.3-6 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and