Lesson 7.4

Jesus told His disciples that anyone who wished to follow Him would have to take up his own cross. Many of the early believers did just that, willingly following in their rabbi's footsteps even when it meant certain death. Count their cost as you ...

Lesson 8.4

As God's plan of deliverance from Egypt for the Israelites unfolded, He began their "basic training," cultivating for Himself a people marked by shalom through obedience to His kingship. The very route they took out of Egypt illustrates ...

Lesson 9.4

Over and over in the Bible, God used the image of fire to illustrate His power, holiness, and passionate love for His people. The fire on Mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments was just such a display of power, highlighting the holin...

Lesson 10.4

Interestingly, when God chose a person to lead His people out of Egypt by the power of His word, He chose Moses, a man with a speech impediment. In this lesson, consider the implications of allowing His strength to work in weakness as you discover...

Lesson 11.4

In the story of God making Himself known to His people, Passover is a foundational element. As the continuation of this redemptive process, the Lord's Supper finds its most profound meaning when taken in the context of Passover imagery. In this le...

Lesson 12.4

Some of the dangers in the desert are slow to develop: the build-up of scorching heat from the sun, the slow evaporation of streams, the depletion of food supplies. Others are more sudden; the flash floods of desert wadis can come out of nowhere, ...

Lesson 13.4

Of all the parables Jesus told, the one we call "The Prodigal Son" is possibly the most famous. In the story, a younger son demands his inheritance from his father and leaves the family behind, taking his riches to a far country. The imp...

Lesson 14.4

It was customary in the Roman world to consider the emperor a divine being. New emperors would claim this status because they believed that when the previous ruler died, he would ascend to heaven to be seated among the gods, making ...

15.4

At one point during his ministry, the Apostle Paul was at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He was accused by some Jews of bringing a Gentile into the courts where only Jews were allowed. He hadn’t, but they thought he did and a riot started. W...

16.4

The Jews of Jesus’ day lived together as extended families, sharing the family resources. The task of the father was to use those resources to care for everyone who lived in “the father’s house,” as they called it – r...

Lesson 1.5

Lesson 2.5

Lesson 3.5

Lesson 4.5

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Lesson 5.5

Lesson 6.5

In ancient times, people craved words of counsel and knowledge from their gods. The city of Didyma in what is now modern-day Turkey functioned as one of three main oracles, places where ordinary people would travel to hear advice and predictions o...

Lesson 7.5

In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote that the body of Christ is a unit made up of many parts and when one part suffers, the whole body suffers along with it. Are you aware of the suffering of brothers and sisters, both in your own ex...

Lesson 8.5

The themes of the exodus experience look forward to the good news of God's kingdom, which Jesus would later proclaim. In this lesson, journey beyond the Red Sea and into the desert with the Israelites as you explore the gospel in this context, cel...

Lesson 9.5

The covenant at Sinai is often thought of as a wedding between God and His people, between God and the bride He chose for Himself. This became the picture of God's redemptive plan for humankind, fully realized in Jesus' death and resurrection. In ...

Lesson 10.5

The blessings of a good land can often obscure the hard-learned lessons of the desert. In a sense, the real test for the Israelites came after they had crossed into the Promised Land, when their need for God was less obvious throughout daily life....

Lesson 11.5

The Passover Sedar employs four symbolic cups to help the Jews remember the miraculous ways that God delivered His people from the hand of Pharaoh. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the Father to take away the cup placed before Him, a "...

Lesson 12.5

After their escape from the might of Egypt, the Israelites spent forty years wandering in the desert of Sinai. But were they really wandering? The Bible says that God led them like a flock, like sheep through the desert with a pillar of cloud by d...

Lesson 13.5

Throughout His ministry, Jesus' compassion for sinners and those considered unclean raised the eyebrows of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. God's word warned His people not to touch any unclean thing, and they could not understand why Je...

Lesson 14.5

After His resurrection, Jesus spent about 40 days with His followers in Jerusalem and back in the Galilee region, where they had received much of their training. He explained that after His ascension to heaven, He would send them a ...

The Main Assembly Hall at Qumran

With the Dead Sea to the east of Qumran in the background, we can see the size of the assembly hall. On the right is the kitchen where the food was prepared. The size of the room and its prominence highlight the importance of this sacred meal to t...

The Making of a City

The environment of the Middle East, including Israel, is harsh and mostly unsuitable for settlement. For a location to be habitable, three conditions were needed:1. Fresh Water - Although rainfall is plentiful in some regions of Israel, most rain ...

The Meaning of the Rock

Throughout church history, there has been discussion and debate on exactly what Jesus meant when he said, 'on this rock I will build my church' (Matt. 16:28). The cliff face in Caesarea Philippi that was used for centuries in idol worship provides...

The Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is 2,650 feet above sea level. The ridge is two miles long. Beyond the Mount of Olives is the Judea Wilderness. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would come from the east through the wilderness and would enter Jerusa...

The Mudbrick Gate in the Tel of Dan

This gate was filled in 3,500 years ago, during an ancient "urban renewal." You can still see the stone pavement leading to the gate. Note the mud brick arch over the supported entrance. Just inside the entrance are the gate chambers typ...

The New City

This view is from the northwest looking southeast across the New City. Jerusalem expanded to the north in Jesus' time, to the area in the foreground called the New City. The wall in the center is the second wall, and the area inside it is the busi...

The Northern Edge of the Wilderness

This land is at the northern edge of the Israelite wandering. Clearly, the people of Israel could not have survived without God's provision. They had to learn to depend on him. The small shrubs that grow here were called broom trees and frequently...

The Oasis of Jericho

This photograph displays the sharp contrast between the barrenness of the wilderness and the fertility of the oasis of Jericho. The lushness of Sodom and Gomorrah against the desolate plain would have appeared this way to Lot.

The Outer Court of the Temple at Arad

Altar of sacrifice: It measures 4.5 feet high and 7.5 feet square, the same dimensions as the altar of the tabernacle. It is made of unworked stones, just as God commanded. A large stone on top provided a place for the sacrifice to be made. Archae...

The Path to the Cross

DVD-The Path to the Cross - DVD w/ Leader's guide in DVD caseSynopsis:God’s story culminates with the intense devotion of his people in this 11th volume of the Faith Lessons series. Discover how their passionate faith prepares the way for Je...

The People God Uses

There are numerous biblical accounts of those who came from a sinful past, chose a personal relationship with God through Jesus, and went on to become powerful instruments in sharing the message of Jesus. God reveals the depth of his forgiveness b...

The Philistines

The Old Testament frequently mentions the Philistines, a pagan people who clashed with God's children in the Promised Land. The Bible itself provides many interesting facts about Philistine culture, and archaeological discoveries have added to our...

The Pilate Stone

While excavating the theater in 1961, archaeologists discovered this stone, which was being used as a step in a small stairway. When they had uncovered it, they found that it was in secondary use.Originally, it had been the dedication stone for a ...

The Plain of Gennesaret

This aerial view looks north over the fertile plain of Gennesaret. The road follows the route of the biblical Way of the Sea (Matt. 4:12-17). The modern-day Kibbutz Ginnosar is not far from what was Gennesaret in Jesus' time.In the distance along ...

The Promised Land

When the Israelites finally reached the edge of the Promised Land after wandering 40 years in the barren wilderness, they must have been overwhelmed by Canaan's fertility. To North Americans, it does not look particularly lush; but to desert nomad...

The Remains of Susita

This neatly arranged row of marble and basalt columns was part of a basilica church during the period after Jesus' time. The floor of the church was made of colored marble tiles arranged in geometric designs. This church was in Kursi, near Susita....

The Road to Jerusalem

The roads leading to Jerusalem through the Judea Wilderness traverse some barren, desolate, and rugged areas. This path following a wadi is one such trail. Seeing this path can help us understand the parable Jesus told of a man who went down to Je...

The Salt of the Earth

The City of SardisLocated on Mount Tmolus in southern Turkey, the city of Sardis stood at the crossroads of Asia Minor, the most prosperous, powerful, fertile, and pagan province of the entire Roman Empire. First-century Sardis had a unique blend ...

The Sea and the Abyss

The Sea of Galilee is beautiful, but its calm, peaceful setting does not present a complete picture of ancient people's feelings toward it: Many biblical images related to the sea had very negative connotations.Jews were not seafarers; they were d...

The Sea of Galilee

Rabbis of ancient times said, "The Lord has created seven seas, but the Sea of Galilee is his delight." Anyone who sees the Sea of Galilee understands this statement: The blue water, set against a green and brown background of surroundin...

The Seeds of Revolt

The Seeds of RevoltThe Seeds After the Romans began their occupation of Judea in 64 BC, the Jews became divided on how to respond.The religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees, believed the Messiah would come from the Jewish people and make Is...

The Shephelah

Shephelah is a Hebrew word meaning "low" and is usually translated "lowlands" or "foothills." The term refers to a twelve to fifteen-mile wide region in Judea, comprised of foothills that are located between the coast...

The Sleeping Loft

Located on the second floor, this typical loft provided sleeping space for the family. The bed is a wooden frame with rope stretched over it. The mat over the bed provided some additional comfort. In poorer families, people often slept on mats on ...

The Storeroom

This storeroom was where the occupants kept their all-important farming tools. Most families needed to provide their own food. Small gardens, vineyards with grapes and olive trees, and some small livestock provided most of their diet.Hanging on th...