Walking in the Way of Jesus

In the first of John’s letters he encourages his hearers saying, “the one who says, ‘I abide in him,’ ought to walk just as he walked” (1 John 2.6). As we follow Jesus through the pages of the gospels, we hear his revolutionary teachings, see his tension-filled interactions with religious authorities, stand in awe as he restores broken people, and experience intimate encounters with his disciples. While these moments are all important, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John each give particular attention to the few days of Jesus’ “walk” from Gethsemane to the Cross. In fact, more than 10% of each gospel is occupied with the stories of this portion of his life. As we anticipate Easter, we will spend the next five Sundays getting inside of the events that unfold in Gethsemane, among the Authorities, at Golgotha, and both around and beyond the Tomb. As Jesus alluded throughout his ministry, the events surrounding the Cross are the most determinative for the Gospel and therefore for what it might mean to walk “just as he walked.”

Each step on this journey will be illumined by a passage selected from one of the gospels. Because each gospel shines its own light on Jesus, the passages for this study were selected because of its particular approach to the events under consideration. In the expositions provided to help prepare for these classes that are available in the Resources section of the Adult Education page on the Crestview website, connections will be made to the other gospels as warranted and to additional Scriptures that provide a helpful theological framework. The goal of this study is to call Crestview once again to walk in the way of Jesus.