Name__________________________________ Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Chapter 4 Directed Reading Worksheet

Date___________________________________ The Message and Ministry of Jesus Christ

Directions: Read through the chapter and fill in the missing information. All the questions run sequential to the chapter. If a
true/false statement is false, correct it.

Introduction: Jesus Begins His Ministry (pages 119–122)

1. True or False? Jesus aimed his ministry at all people, calling the wealthy and influential to rethink the meaning of their true life’s
treasure while at the same time seeking those whom society considered “nobodies.”

2. True or False? Jesus was a sign of contradiction, meaning he provoked people to following him.

3. Some Jews expected a _______________ who would be a military leader who would re-establish _______________ as a
leading nation in the world. Consequently, they interpreted ____________ words and actions as opposing the Jewish
_______________ and could not perceive the Messiah to be the ___________________________ of God that Jesus revealed
himself to be.

4. What important theme repeats throughout Jesus’ public ministry?

5. True or False? The Gospel writers quote prophecies that apply to Jesus to show how he fulfills the true understanding of the
promised Savior.

6. What pattern develops during Jesus’ public ministry?

7. Jesus ____________ disciples to learn from him and chose ____________ specific men to be with him and participate in his
_______________, giving them his authority to _______________ the kingdom of God, to heal, and to drive out
_______________. In the Gospels, a _______________ – a student of the teacher – often refers to people who follow Jesus.
The word _______________ – meaning representative of the teacher – describes those whom Jesus sent to _______________
the Gospel to the whole _______________.

8. True or False? Discipleship carried more responsibility than apostleship.

9. First among the Apostles was _____________________ whom Jesus declared would be the rock upon which he would build
his ____________ . He gave Peter the “____________________________________,” meaning, Peter had the authority to
govern the Church. His power to “_________________________________” meant that Peter had authority to
________________ people of their sins, and make judgments about _______________ and disciplinary decisions for the
Church.

10. True or False? The Apostles were the first deacons in the Church.
11. Explain why the bishop of Rome is the pope.

Section 1: Jesus Announces the Kingdom of God (pages 124–126)

12. True or False? Jesus announced the coming of God’s reign of peace, justice, truth, and goodness.

13. How did Jesus’ contemporaries understand the expression “Kingdom of God?”

14. In what fundamental way did Jesus’ description of God’s Kingdom differ from the Jewish expectations?

15. Jesus __________________ the coming of God’s Kingdom from the beginning of his _______________ ministry, and
inaugurated it in his own Person. He _____________________ the coming of his Kingdom by giving up his life as a
_______________ for everyone. While Jesus first announced the coming of God’s Kingdom to the _______________________
his invitation was to all people, especially the _________ and the lowly. (pp. 124-125)

16. True or False? Jesus preached love in action towards those in need as a condition for entering the Kingdom of God.

17. True or False? Jesus’ invitation to enter the kingdom comes in the form of hyperbole, a characteristic feature of his teaching.

Section 2: Jesus Teaches about the Kingdom of God in Parables (pages 129–136)

18. In what ways does Jesus challenge his followers in his preaching, and especially in the parables?

19. Using images and __________________ examples that his audience knew well, Jesus was able to expand their understanding
of the ________________________ through the use of parables. A parable is an _______________ in which the storyteller
compares an __________________ or new reality with a familiar reality from _______________ life such as wedding
________________________, seeds, landowners, and servants.

20. Summarize the five reason Jesus’ parables are important.

21. The parable of the Good Samaritan answers the question: “______________________________?” In the story, the two law-
abiding _________ who feared becoming ritually ____________. Ironically, it is a Samaritan, a bitter ____________ of the
Jews, who shows compassion to the robber’s victim and treats him with _________________. In the story Jesus prioritizes love
over _______________ and reveals that non-Jews can also be _______________.

22. In the parable of the ________________________ Jesus speaks to the guests about their desire to sit in places of
_______________. He says, “For everyone who _______________ himself will be humbled, but the one who
__________________ himself will be exalted.” In the story, the guests invited refuse the __________________, so the host
orders the __________________ to make people come in that the home may be _______________.

23. What does the parable emphasize?

24. What comparison does Jesus draw between God and the landowner in the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard? What does
it illustrate about God’s Kingdom?

25. Below, briefly summarize the seven most important lessons of the parables and what they teach about the Kingdom of God.

Section 3: Jesus’ Miracles are Signs of God’s Kingdom (pages 138–140)

26. What did Jesus’ miracles signal?

27. True or False? Jesus was sometimes unable to perform miracles when the people around him lacked faith.

28. True or False? The intention of miracles is to satisfy people’s curiosity.

29. True or False? The miracles Jesus performed automatically cause people to believe in him.
30. What was absurd about the charge by some that Satan was the source of Jesus’ power?

31. Like the parables, Jesus’ __________________ mirrored his teachings on the ________________________. They freed
vulnerable people from _______________ problems and evils. Jesus’ mission was to bear human _____________________ in
order to free people from sin, the worst __________________, not simply abolish all human _____________________ on
earth. The signs and wonders ___________________________ the Kingdom that Jesus inaugurated.

32. What are the four categories of Jesus’ miracles?

33. Summarize what each of the four types of miracles uniquely reveals about God’s Kingdom.

34. True or False? The language and actions in the miracle of the loaves and fishes resemble Jesus’ language and actions when he
instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

35. Why were the raisings from the dead a clear sign that the Messiah had come?

36. True or False? The nature miracles foreshadowed Jesus’ Resurrection.

Section 4: Three Luminous Mysteries (pages 141–144)

37. Jesus’ first _____________________ took place at wedding feast in the town of ____________, and references three
sacraments. His attendance at the wedding _______________ marriage as a sacrament of divine ____________. The water
transformed into _____________ symbolizes the purifying waters of _______________, and the wine points to the
_____________________ which Jesus changes into his own Blood at the ________________________.

38. The ___________________________ of Jesus was one of the most dramatic in his life. It revealed all
________________________ of the Blessed Trinity. The appearance of Moses and _______________ testifies that Jesus was
the fulfillment of both the Law and the _____________________ . And Peter’s _____________________ of faith that Jesus
was God’s ________________________, was affirmed to the witnesses, _______________, James, and John.

39. True or False? The Miracle of the Wedding at Cana was a prefiguration of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
40. Jesus celebrated the Jewish _______________________ at the Last Supper. Knowing that he would soon return to his
____________, he gave his Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine as a __________________ of his love for his
__________________ and of his Death and Resurrection. The _____________________ meant that he would never be apart
from his ________________________ and made them sharers in his Passover.

41. True or False? When we accept the gift of the Eucharist, we are nourished by the Real Presence of Jesus.

42. True or False? Jesus commanded his disciples to celebrate the Eucharist until he rose from the dead.

43. In what sense did Jesus accomplish the full meaning of the “pass over?”