Class 6 English Sunday School Textbook PDF

ORTHODOX SYRIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF THE EAST Galilee Division Class VI (English) Sunday School Central Office Devalokom, Kottayam-4 Ph: 2572890 1 AN OSSAE PUBLICATION Sunday School Padavali-6 First Revised Edition December 2013 Third Revised Edition October 2021 Copies 5,000 Price ` 50.00 2 FOREWORD Orthodox Sunday School Association of the East could successfully publish Sunday School text books, modifying those in use comprehensively, according to needs of the hour. The effort behind this deserves appreciation from all angles. This publication was the result of concerted hard work from a fellowship of clergy and laity well experienced in the area of education under the capable leadership and guidance of the then OSSAE President and educational wizard H. G. Dr. Yakob Mar Irenaios and the then Director General of OSSAE and reputed Psychologist Fr. Dr. O. Thomas. Now, it has become necessary for a re-publication of those books. Let us recall thankfully those who worked behind this: we submit them in the hands of our Almighty God. The Word of God, Church Liturgy, family prayers, life of Church Fathers and their exhortations, faith of our Church, Church History and social issues are integrated systematically and equitably developed from BALAPADOM to VEDA PRAVEEN DIPLOMA and different topics arranged in different textbooks most sensibly and in an orderly manner. There can be further modifications and corrections. All those going through these texts may note that they have the freedom and opportunity to make suggestions for improving this further. Let us not forget one thing. Along with the topics covered in the curriculum, children come across another open text, which is the presence of their teacher, which they experience and assimilate. In young minds, which is more influential, presence of teacher or textbooks? Both are important. However, what integrates more in a child mind is the presence of teacher, as we perceive. Facial expressions happen to enlighten a person. It is a direct perception rather than sense of hearing. Mother, father, priests, teachers, elder brothers and other elders are all masters, but the one standing on top of all is mother as the saying goes, “GURUNAM MATHA SHREYASI”. The very first open house of education is home followed by church and school. All these join to form a concept of GURUKULAM and an ongoing master – child relationship. It shall be in such a learning scenario, one has to perceive curricular and non-curricular topics with teachers and students. With this note of Foreword, the revised print of Sunday School texts are presented before Church. Devalokam Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios 01-12- 2019 President, OSSAE INTRODUCTION ‘The goal of OSSAE is to give the students the firm faith in Jesus Christ, our God, the Lord and the Saviour. This aim shall be given emphasis in every class. Teachers and parents shall take care to see that teaching Holy Bible, worship, history of Christianity and Malankara Sabha, and the life and witness of great personalities shall be grounded on this. Students shall be led by the faith that ‘Jesus Christ is my Lord’ in all their endeavours like planning the future and selecting the partner. Sunday School study should inspire them to have faith in the Triune God, partake in all salvific acts of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as a member of the Holy Church, and also to work for the glory of the Kingdom of God. What we are to be is more important than what we are. Let our teaching be learner centered. Teacher shall inspire the student. He/she shall be a facilitator for them. Help the student to know God, experience God and to walk in His ways. Teachers and students shall grow together facilitating each other. The parents have a great evangelical role in moulding their children in Godliness. The parents should teach their children without fail. St. John Chrysostom opined that ‘Home Church is the cradle of Catechism’. The parents are the most influential teachers of children. Video classes of all chapters from Balapadam to Class XII are available on ossaebodhanam.org. Parents should take care to teach children using online resources along with regular classes of Sunday School teachers. The ultimate aim is theosis, not just achieving high marks. One of the reason for spiritual decline is delimitation. Let thoughts overflowing with goodness and ideal to the glory of Kingdom of God fill our minds. Let this stream to the coming generations. Devalokam Fr. Dr. Varghese Varghese 16-09-2021 Director General 4 PREFACE The OSSAE curriculum was thoroughly revised during 2012-13. The revision was done considering child psychology and giving emphasis to student centered teaching and learning. Intensive supervision of the then OSSAE President, H. G. Dr. Yakob Mar Irenaios and the leadership of the then Director General Fr. Dr. O. Thomas were the real assets in the revision process. Prof. Dr. Sam V. Daniel, Omalloor served as the Executive Editor of the Curriculum Committee. After Fr. Dr. O. Thomas, Fr. Dr. Reji Mathew became the Director General and he worked hard day and night to complete the revision. Many distinguished persons co-operated with him to complete the lessons. Let us express the gratitude to all of them. When Fr. Dr. Jacob Kurian took charge as the Director General, he initiated the correction of printing mistakes and other errors in the first edition. The process is still going on. It is now ten years since the new curriculum had been formulated. Present Curriculum Committee, under the leadership of OSSAE President H. G. Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios and Director General Fr. Dr. Varghese Varghese, is taking steps to include necessary revisions in the texts. The service of Fr. Job Sam Mathew, our Office Administrator in remodelling this book is to be mentioned with gratitude. There are thirteen classes at present under five sections – Bethlehem, Nazreth, Galilee, Jerusalem and Tabore. This text is for class Six of Galilee section, Here students are of the age 10-12. This means they are entering into their teenage. So teachers and parents shall take utmost care in handling them. We together shall help them to walk along with Jesus Christ. Give first priority to mould them, not marks. Let the Holy Spirit guide us to attain our goal. Devalokam Prof. Dr. Cherian Thomas 14-09-2021 Publication Officer 5 CONTENTS Unit 1: Bible Events Chapter 1: Institution of the Holy Qurbana.........................................................9 Chapter 2: Prayer at Gethsemane........................................................................13 Chapter 3: The Trial of Our Lord........................................................................16 Chapter 4: The Crucifixion of Our Lord............................................................20 Chapter 5: Resurrection.......................................................................................24 Chapter 6: Ten Commandments.........................................................................28 Chapter 7: Journey through the Desert and the Worship Life of Israelites.......32 Chapter 8: Joshua, the Successor to Moses.........................................................37 Chapter 9: The Jericho Wall Falls........................................................................42 Chapter 10: Dividing the Land of Canaan..........................................................46 Unit 2: Prayer Chapter 11: Psalm 51...........................................................................................50 Chapter 12: Psalm 91...........................................................................................53 Chapter 13: Psalm 121.........................................................................................55 Unit 3: Liturgical Hymns Chapter 14: The Vision of Isaiah.........................................................................58 Chapter 15: Becoming Children of God.............................................................61 Unit 4: My Church Chapter 16: Church and the Community in the Early Centuries.....................63 Chapter 17: The Churches Founded by St. Thomas...........................................66 Unit 5: Holy Qurbana Chapter 18: Holy Qurbana –Continuation of Eternal Worship........................70 Chapter 19: Bible Readings in Holy Qurbana....................................................74 Unit 6: The Basic Dogmas Chapter 20: Role of Sacraments in Spiritual Growth.........................................78 Chapter 21: Fruit of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Growth................................83 Unit 7: Introducing Great Men Chapter 22: St. Anthonios (St. Antony of the Desert)........................................89 Chapter 23: St. Pachomios...................................................................................92 Unit 8: Good Habits Chapter 24: Sacrifice – The Noblest Quality.......................................................93 Chapter 25: Respect and Observe the Law..........................................................97 STRUCTURE OF THE LESSONS (Prepared by Prof. Dr. Sam V. Daniel) 1. Message: The central idea that should be sensitised through each lesson is given here. 2. Verse to be Memorized: A biblical verse related to the central theme of the lesson is given for memorizing. The teacher should read out this verse from the Holy Bible at the end of the class and the students should say it aloud several times. 3. Teaching Aids: Information on pictures, books, etc. connected to the central theme are given to present lessons effectively. 4. Introduction: This section helps in making the presentation of the lesson attractive and enjoyable. 5. The Lesson or Text: This is the content of the lesson. We have tried our best to make it student-centred. The ideas should be presented by participating students. The teacher should take the Holy Bible to class and should readout the biblical passages. The descriptions made should have the quality of a narration. The students should be encouraged through interaction questions. When important ideas come let the students recite them in Chorus. 6. Song or Hymns: A song or hymn connected with the lesson is given here. The teacher should sing it aloud and the students should recite it in chorus. 7. Let Us Pray: A simple prayer connected with the theme of the lesson is given here. The teacher and the students can say this prayer in the class together. All should stand up and cross themselves before the prayer. 8. Our Decision or Resolution: An idea that can touch the students’ mind like a decision and that can be implemented in their lives is given in this section. Make the students say aloud this concept. 9. Let Us Think: These are evaluation questions given to examine how far the students have grasped the ideas in the text. 10. Activities: Most of the tasks given in the section are for enacting, drawing, physical action or narration. 11. Further Reading: Various biblical passages connected with the lesson are given for reading in the evening and in the morning of all days of a week. Unit 1 Bible Events Chapter 1 Institution of the Holy Qurbana (St. Luke 22:7-30) Message: Our Lord, who came down to earth as a human, instituted the Holy Qurbana by giving His flesh and blood to disciples at the Upper Room of St. Mark (Sehion Mansion), prior to His crucifixion. As such, we must live Christ centred through our fellowship with the Holy Qurbana in our day to day life. Verse to be Memorized: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (St. John 6:53). Teaching Aids: A picture of the Last Supper, the Service Book of Holy Qurbana and a picture of the Holy Sanctuary. Introduction What is the purpose of incarnation of Son of God? His purpose was to liberate the sinners. God sent His begotten Son to us as a ‘sin offering’, for the emancipation of human beings who were fully immersed in sin, moving towards perdition and non – existence. And, Jesus Christ was born as son of virgin in the lineage of King David. He accepted Baptism from John the Baptist at age thirty. He preached to and healed the sick among the people for three and half years. And now, as his earthly sojourn was about to end, just before his death on the cross at Calvary, he gave his flesh and blood to us through the institution of Holy Qurbana. This was preceded by washing the feet of his disciples like a servant, teaching them and us lessons on humility. Today, we are going to learn the details of this important event. The Lesson Do you remember the occasion when you received Holy Qurbana for the first time? No, because you were small babies at that time. When you were about three months old, your parents had carried you to the church. By accepting the first sacrament of ‘Baptism’, we all became members of the Christian Church. Along with 9 this, we received Holy Qurbana also. Subsequently, we have been participating in the Service of Holy Qurbana every Sunday. Is it not interesting to learn how and when this very important sacrament was instituted? It is the last part of our Lord’s public ministry. The main festival of Israel, the feast of ‘Passover’ was round the corner. Right from the time of Moses, they have been observing this feast, also called the ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread,’ to remember the great liberation from Egyptian slavery. Our Lord sent two of his disciples to make preparations for the Feast, according to Jewish tradition. They reached Jerusalem and a well arranged mansion was ready for them. It is believed that this was the house of evangelist Mark, which is also called Sehion Mansion. The disciples arranged the Passover feast there following Jewish religious tradition. In the evening, Jesus and his twelve disciples sat together to eat the Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus gave them a warning – ‘One among you will betray me’. On hearing this, they were so shocked and felt too sad that they could not say anything. Not knowing who this deceiver was, they were perplexed and looked among themselves. Jesus gave enough indication that it would be Judas Iscariot. We must remember that we are always answerable to God for each of our deeds. After the Passover meal, Jesus took the bread, blessed, broke and gave them, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body”. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me”. Jesus gave them bread as his own body and wine, as his blood, symbol of the new covenant. He also taught them that he was the new Passover lamb. This sacrament commenced at the Sehion Mansion and got completed with the crucifixion at Calvary. The Holy Qurbana we celebrate today is the very same that was instituted by Jesus at the Sehion Mansion and completed at the Calvary. Before, instituting the Holy Qurbana, our Lord washed the feet of his disciples. This noble act was an answer to a silent dispute among the disciples as to who was the greatest in the group! ‘Perhaps, you have attended the feet washing service held on the Holy Thursday afternoon, where a Metropolitan of the Church washes the feet of twelve people: a very moving moment for those who participate in this service. Through his action of washing his disciples’ feet, our Lord taught an unforgettable lesson that we are to serve others, and this alone makes us noble and Godly. The Syriac word Qurbana or Qurbono means offering, sacrifice, offertory etc. Syriac had two dialects - East and West. They said Qurbana in the East, and Qurbono in the West. Even before our Lord instituted Holy Qurbana at the Sehion Mansion, he had taught his disciples its purpose and importance. (Refer St John chapters 5 and 6). Our Church, therefore, attaches a lot of importance to celebrating and receiving 10 Holy Qurbana. Holy Qurbana is considered as ‘Sacrament of Sacraments’, ‘medicine of immortality’, ‘Living Sacrifice’ etc. To experience the mystery of Holy Qurbana in its fullness, one must take part in it with complete faith and piety. St. Paul has stated, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Holy Qurbana is blessing, peace, sacrifice and thanks giving; we must be careful to take part in it with proper preparation and devotion. Hymn (Rakshakanuracheythan...) Savior has thus spoken - My body and blood Those who receive them - in them I reside. By the faith so pure - he who receives Me And keep My command - is he not My friend? Body be your food - blood be your drink Those who accept them - I will dwell in them. Salvation of soul that - we may attain Sacred blood body - O Saviour You give. By the body Thine - seek we remedy Certainly attain - our eternal life. Having eaten Thine - sanctified elements Do not sentence us - on Thy judgment day. Let Us Pray Oh! Lord, the Word who has come down as human, we receive you through Holy Qurbana. Enable us to eat your body and drink your Holy blood with a pure conscience. May this serve to forgive our debts and sins and lead us to eternal life. Amen. Resolution We shall participate in the Holy Qurbana and partake of it with full devotion and in humility. Let Us Think 1. On which Jewish festival, did our Lord institute Holy Qurbana? 2. Write down the words of institution of the Holy Qurbana. 3. What is the meaning of the term, "Qurbana?" 4. What are the adjectives our Church fathers have given to Holy Qurbana? 11 5. Is the Holy Qurbana we celebrate today a ‘repetition’ of what our Lord had instituted at the Sehion Mansion? 6. Is Holy Qurbana just a remembrance of an incident or an institution? If not, explain what it means. Activities 1. In chapter 14 of the Book of Genesis, we see a high priest making an offering in the presence of Abraham with bread and wine. Try to find out his name. 2. Have you ever participated in a feet washing service? Discuss what all things caught your attention there. 3. What is the warning St. Paul gives to those who participate in Holy Qurbana carelessly? (1 Corinthians 11:26-31) 4. Make an attempt to identify the twelve disciples by looking at a picture of the ‘Last Supper’. 5. Find out the different words used to describe Holy Qurbana. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * Exodus 12:1-11 Monday St. Matthew 26:17-29 Exodus 12:21-28 Tuesday St. Mark 14:12-25 Exodus 13:1-10 Wednesday St. John 13:1-20 Leviticus 16:3-10 Thursday St. John 6:26-40 Ezekiel 45:18-25 Friday St. John 6:47-51 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 Saturday Romans 12:1-8 Hebrews 10:19-25 Sunday St. Luke 24:13-35 * 12 Chapter 2 Prayer at Gethsemane (St. Matthew 26: 36-56) Message: Our Lord gathers strength through prayers, to face crucifixion, which is just a few hours away. This is a great example for those who pass through crisis situations. Total submission to the will of God is the essence of spirituality. Verse to be Memorized: “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (St. Mark 14:36) Teaching Aids: A picture of our Lord praying at Gethsemane, liturgical Hymns. Introduction Some of us have experienced moments of terrible fear and anxiety in our life once in a while. Your experiences can be shared with the class such as a major surgery of a very close relative, a road accident involving someone who is quite close to you, unexpected demise of friends or relatives and similar incidents. Events like these create tremors in our life. How do we face them? Here, the way our Lord faced such a situation, shows us the path to follow. He was sure that he was going to be crucified the very next day. That being the will of God, our Lord prays and gains strength and courage from God, the Father. We will try to understand the extreme agony undergone by Lord Jesus Christ during the hours prior to his crucifixion. The Lesson In the life of Jesus, the Gethsemane experience is perhaps the most moving and agonizing. Gethsemane is a garden close to the Mount of Olives. The meaning of the word Gethsemane is ‘oil press’. Do you remember the name of that garden where the first man Adam disobeyed God? Because of his disobedience, the humans have been ‘tasting’ condemnation and death. Here, in another garden, Son of God subjects himself to obedience in its fullness so that we are blessed and that we are led towards eternal life. At the mount of Transfiguration, three disciples namely Peter, James and John were with Jesus to witness the glory of God; and now Jesus enters Gethsemane along with the very three disciples. At Gethsemane, Jesus is seen to be sharing the feelings of his heart with these three disciples. He advised them to be awake and be vigilant. Jesus alone goes a little forward. He prayed to Father with a heavy heart. He fell on the ground and prayed, not once, but three times. St. Luke records drops of blood tickling through the sweat 13 glands. On coming back after the prayer, he found the three disciples sleeping. He admonished Peter who had assured that he would stand by his master in all his trying circumstances. Jesus warned them that those who fell asleep when they ought to be awake and praying are doomed to failure. Our Lord prayed in deep sorrow and grief that the cup of tribulation should move away, but that was not to be. His prayerful submission to the will of God must be emulated by us. After he finished his prayer, Jesus talked like a hero who had won a battle, ‘get up, we are going’. The power of prayer is immense. The secret behind the successful spiritual life of all our saintly fathers is nothing but their committed prayer habits. The more and more you pray, the more and more strength you earn. Let us memorize this saying in English: ‘more prayer, more power; less prayer, less power; no prayer, no power’. Our Lord got himself strengthened through prayer. But the disciples failed at the crucial testing time as they could not remain awake and pray. Peter denied his master thrice, but repented and was forgiven. But Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus for money, instead of repenting, chose to commit suicide, where his money or his own abilities failed to protect and console him. Judas is a warning signal to those who deviate from true faith for worldly gains. Hymn Teacher may help the student to sing the hymn ee raavil shishyar kurissippor... (Good Friday service, Night prayer, First vigil) connected with this lesson. (Meaning: In this night the disciples, the crucifers and our Saviour kept vigil. Three vigils were kept: the people to kill our Lord, and the apostles to flee, and the Son of God on the Mount Olives) Let Us Pray Oh! Lord Jesus, You were in great agony and grief on our behalf at Gethsemane; help us to emulate your prayer in our crisis. Show us Your mercy that we too submit fully to the will of God when we are to drink the cup of affliction. Amen Resolution With the help of God, we will not fail in difficult situations. With Christ, we shall take crises into opportunities 14 Let Us Think 1. What is the meaning ‘Gethsemane?’ 2. Who were those disciples who accompanied Jesus to Mount Tabor as well as to Gethsemane? 3. The....................... is willing, but the......................... is weak. Activities 1. Compare the experiences at the gardens of Eden and Gethsemane. 2. Have a discussion on this topic: While you pray, which is given importance: Will of God or our own interests? 3. Let your teacher share an experience of his having overcome a problem through prayer. You too come up with similar experiences you have come across in your life. 4. Jesus was praying at Gethsemane with a very heavy heart, but his disciples were in deep slumber. Is it proper to sleep during prayer time? Learn to exercise vigil while praying. 5. Let us meditate Jesus who was undergoing deadly pain for us. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * St. Mark 14:32-42 Monday St. Luke 22:39-46 St. John 18:1-9 Tuesday Psalm 1:1-11 St. Mark 10:35-45 Wednesday St. John 12:27-36 Psalm 31:1-14 Thursday Hebrews 5:1-10 Psalm 31:15-24 Friday St. John 5:30-36 Psalm 43:1-5 Saturday 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Isaiah 51:9-17 Sunday Psalm 20:1-9 * 15 Chapter 3 The Trial of Our Lord (St. Mark 14: 53-65) Message: Don’t we engage in activities which cause pain to Jesus? Jesus is pained when we do evil. Instead, we must engage in good and virtuous deeds so that the name of Jesus is glorified. Verse to be Memorized: “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4) Teaching Aids: Pictures of Jesus being tried. Introduction Have you ever seen a court in session where an accused is undergoing a trial? There is always an advocate who argues for the accused. Our judicial system has a dictum that even if a thousand criminals are let free, an innocent should never be punished. But the trial of Jesus was one where law and justice were given the go by. The Jewish leaders forced a trial on Jesus, the symbol of justice and innocence personified. Surely, this happens to be the darkest episode in judicial history. Our Lord was subjected to severe harassment physically and mentally and he went through all such torture patiently for saving us from the slavery of sin and eternal punishment; he was slapped on his face by sinful men and was subjected to the most unjust judgment as if he was a proven criminal. And all this was for our sake. The Lesson Jesus, who earned strength through his prayer at Gethsemane, was arrested by the Roman soldiers and the temple guards deputed by Jewish leadership. That traitor Judas showed them the way. Judas was quite familiar with the location because he had been there frequently with Jesus and other disciples. He kissed Jesus and thus the soldiers identified him. Jesus faced the situation calmly and with a gentle composure. Peter who could not pray with Jesus at Gethsemane took a sword and attacked a guard of the high priest cutting off his ear. This incident made Jesus teach a new lesson to Peter and others present there by healing the guard who was attacked and commented, “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword”. The unjust trial of our Lord was carried out in four stages. Jesus was dragged before Annas, Caiaphas, Jewish ruling council and Pilate for carrying out their farce which they called a trial. 16 From Gethsemane, Jesus as a captive was produced before previous year’s high priest Annas. He, as the father in law of current year’s high priest Caiaphas was an elderly leader of the community and was highly respected. Caiaphas would have thought that his job could have been made easy had the sharp minded Annas succeeded in identifying some serious and punishable charges against Jesus. Annas raised two allegations against Jesus namely, one – Jesus had been organizing his disciples against the Roman government and, two – he was misleading the people. Jesus replied to these allegations with absolute confidence and courage that he was teaching the people in public and that those who have listened to him during his teachings may come forward to testify against him. This response irked the soldiers and they slapped him on his face. Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas as he could not find any charges against Jesus as alleged. It was during the trial before Caiaphas that Peter denied Jesus thrice. While Jesus was being tried before Caiaphas, experts in the law, and leaders of people were all present. Many false witnesses came forward to testify, but no concrete evidences were forthcoming. To the question of Caiaphas, “Are you then the Son of God,” Jesus replied, “You are right in saying I am”. He continued to tell them about the glory and power, Son of God was going to have in future. At this, they all came to the conclusion that the statement of Jesus was a clear case of blasphemy deserving death penalty. They started spitting on his face, beating him with their fists and slapping on his face. In the morning, Jesus was tried before Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. This was a 72 member supreme body of Jews apart from the high priest, which was enjoying full authority of Jewish Law. To their questions, Jesus affirmatively answered that he was Messiah and Son of God. The council decided to award death penalty to Jesus on charges of treason, claiming to be Son of God and for blasphemy. Then, he was sent to the Roman Governor Pilate as he alone had the power to impart a death penalty. Pilate was Roman Governor for Judea from AD 26 to 36. His head quarters were at Caesarea. However, being the Passover festival season, to oversee law and order situation at Jerusalem, he was present at the palace here. St. John describes in detail the various stages of Jesus being tried at the different locations of this palace (St. John 18:28 – 19:26). Pilate utilized a chance to befriend Herod of Galilee by sending Jesus to him for his trial as recorded by St. Luke. Pilate was quite convinced that Jesus was innocent and that he needed to be set free. Even Herod did not find anything wrong with Jesus. However, Pilate knew that he himself was not in the good books of Jewish community and therefore, it was safe to entrust them to take the final decision and save his position. There was a tradition among Jews to liberate a prisoner every year during the Passover festival and Pilate gave them a choice as to who should be freed 17 this year; Jesus or Barabbas, the murderer? They shouted favoring Barabbas; but Pilate made one more attempt. The multitude gathered there threatened Pilate that they would lodge a complaint against him if he decided to set free Jesus who had moved against the emperor Caesar. With this, Pilate surrendered meekly as he was not ready for any step that might endanger his position of power. Thus, Pilate surrendered his better judgment and awarded death penalty to Jesus. ‘It was the day of preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour’ (St. John 19:14). At the same time when the Passover lamb was to be slaughtered, the Lamb of God too was handed over for sacrifice. The King of Kings was now thoroughly exhausted with blood drained out and with the physical torture. Who had beaten up our Lord? Only Jews and Romans? The late His Grace Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios sings, “En Hastham thane thalli, Ennittum Snehichenne” (I gave him up, but still be loved me) Hymn Teacher may help the student to sing the hymn Udaye Shobhana vasanathal... (Good Friday service, Morning prayer, Mar Ephrem) connected with this lesson. Meaning: In the morning, You covered the sky with beautiful and luminous garments. And in the morning the ungrateful people covered You with the garments of mocking. In the morning the Cherubim cries out before You: ‘Blessed is Your honour from Your place’. In the morning, the harlot clamoured against You: ‘Remove him, remove him from earth!’ Let Us Pray Oh my Lord, it was for us You accepted the judgment in silence; for our trespasses, You, the Judge of judges subjected Your body to torture, and Your face for slapping and in all these, we all see Your divine love; Lord, make us love You always and live as per Your will. Amen. Resolution I will live as the obedient child of my Lord who was obedient till the death on cross, only to save me Let Us Think 1. Jesus was tried by two high priests and two rulers. Name them. 2...................... betrayed Jesus;..........................denied Jesus thrice, but repented. 18 3. What is the name the Head Quarters of Pilate at Jerusalem? 4. Find out the name of the guard whose ear was cut off by Peter (St. John 18:10) Activities 1. Name of Pilate, who had awarded the death penalty of Jesus, is included in one our prayers. Which prayer? He knew the truth, yet he passed the judgment of death on the innocent. Discuss the possible reasons behind adding Pilate’s name to the prayer. 2. During the time of Moses, we see such a person in the Old Testament, who took a wrong decision like Pilate because of pressures from public. Who was that? Explain that incident. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * St. Matthew 26:47-56 Monday St. Matthew 26:57-75 St. Matthew 27:1-10 Tuesday St. Matthew 27:11-26 St. Luke 22:47-71 Wednesday St. Luke 23:1-12 St. Luke 23:13-25 Thursday St. John 18:12-27 St. John 18:28-40 Friday St. John 19:1-16 Isaiah 50:1-9 Saturday Isaiah 53:1-101 Corinthians 1:18-31 Sunday Psalm 35:1-11 * 19 Chapter 4 The Crucifixion of Our Lord (St. John 19: 17-42) Message: Let us meditate on the cross and submit ourselves in sacrifice and perseverance to understand the redemption our Lord Jesus Christ earned for us through the cross. Verse to be Memorized: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2: 6-8). Teaching Aids: The Good Friday Service Book. Introduction The tribulations and sufferings of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross are so moving and heartbreaking; we shall meditate those events with great reverence and devotion. We participate in the day-long Holy service at our church on Good Friday and try to assimilate the sufferings and agony of our Lord and experience for ourselves the pain of the cross. The last moments of the Son of God on this earth were really grievous, but while undergoing such unbearable pain on the cross, Jesus prayed for those who tortured him. This certainly is the real and divine model for all times. The Lesson The Roman Governor Pilate handed over Jesus to the soldiers for crucifying. Death by crucifixion during the Roman regime was a cruel mode of punishment, practiced by Romans for punishing slaves and those who rebelled against the empire. The soldiers started beating up and ridiculing Jesus. He was made to wear a cheap red coloured cassock and a crown made of hard thorns pressed on his head. He was made to hold a stick as if that was a scepter (symbol of kingly power) and was made a subject of mockery. They started spitting on his face in addition to severely beating up. But our Lord accepted all this in absolute silence. Jesus, who was quite tired after the lengthy trials at four different places as well as due to the cruel physical torture, was forced to carry the heavy cross on his shoulders, to Calvary. He was being beaten up continuously with leather belts on which lead balls were stuck, which made blood flow from all over the body. A virtually drained out Jesus slowly walked his way to Calvary carrying that heavy cross, his body drenched 20 in blood. And while he fell down on the way out of sheer exhaustion, a person, Simon of Cyrene came that way and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross. A big crowd was following Jesus to Calvary. The women folk among them were crying aloud, but Jesus tried to console them. They reached ‘the place of Skull’ outside the city walls of Jerusalem, which is called Golgotha in Aramaic and Calvary in Latin. On this hill, Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9 a.m.). There was a practice of writing on the top of the cross the crime committed by the convict; it was written, ‘Jesus, of Nazareth, king of Jews’ in Hebrew, Latin and Greek languages. Two robbers were also crucified, one on his right and the other on his left. The Jewish priests and the teachers of law were still continuing to ridicule our Lord. Meanwhile, the one crucified on the left side of Jesus scoffed at him; the other one repented and came to inherit Paradise. See, how great and noble is our Lord listening to the prayers of sinners even as he himself was in deep agony on the cross and was about to die. For the three hours, Jesus was suffering from unbearable pain on the cross. The seven statements of Jesus from the cross are the true enlightenment of love of God. These Sayings of our Lord on the cross were overflowing with hope and courage. Let us read those sayings. 1. “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”. (St. Luke 23: 34) 2. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise”. (St. Luke 23: 43) 3. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (St. John 19: 26-27) 4. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (St. Matthew 27: 46) 5. When Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty”. (St. John 19: 28) 6. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (St. John 19: 30) 7. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. (St. Luke 23: 46) During the time of crucifixion, many supernatural incidents took place such as earth quake, rocks splitting into pieces, tombs getting opened and the dead getting resurrected. Jesus accepted death on cross as the will of God. The guards present there including the Roman centurion testified openly that Jesus was truly the Son of God. 21 With the crucifixion of Jesus, the whole Universe was saved. Cross is the flag of victory over Satan, sin and death. The cross has the central place in all our worship services. Pilate got confirmation through the centurion that Jesus was dead. Next day (Saturday) was Sabbath and therefore the funeral was to take place in the evening itself. Joseph from Arimathea met Pilate and obtained permission for bringing down the body of Jesus and burying it. Joseph, a disciple of Jesus in private, buried Jesus according to Jewish rites in a tomb that was made for his own use. (St. Matthew 27: 57-61). Nicodemus, another private disciple too was present along with Joseph. A big stone was placed at the mouth of the tomb to seal it. St. Mary, Mary of Magdalena and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, Salomy, wife of Cleophas were also present and witnessed all these. For our worship on Good Friday, all the incidents which took place through the trials to the funeral are systematically and devotionally laid down. We are to participate in this service from morning till evening with piety and repentance. Hymn (en natha nin kripa ninne..., Kyamtha namaskaram, Evening worship) “Thy grace brought thee down, O Lord! Unto Thy servants, sinners, Thy Church now doth cling to the, Wings of Thy Cross have mercy!” Let Us Pray Oh Lord, You have, out of Your eternal love suffered unbearable pain and died for us on the cross. We meditate on Your sufferings. Let the love of cross show us the right way to live and die. Amen. Resolution Jesus, we adore the Holy Cross; we meditate on Your suffering on our behalf. Your love is boundless and amazing. Forgive our sins and sanctify our souls and bodies. We thank for the great redemption You have achieved for us. Let Us Think 1. Name the person who helped Jesus to carry the cross. 2. What was the writing on the cross? In which languages was this written? 22 3. What was the promise Jesus gave to the robber crucified on his right side? (St. Luke 23: 43) 4. ‘Golgotha’, ‘Calvary’ – These words come from which languages? What are their meanings? 5. Which two private disciples of Jesus made arrangements of the funeral? Activities 1. Find out the expansion of ‘INRI’. 2. Memorize the seven Sayings of Jesus on the cross. 3. Sing the hymn of dialogues of the two robbers in the Good Friday service, first in your class and later in the Sunday School. 4. Examine whether the robber on the left side of Jesus’ cross scoffed at Jesus and the one on the right side repented as per the Holy Bible. 5. During the Good Friday service, while bowing before the cross in reverence, there is a prayer “We adore the cross... “ Complete this. 6. Study the changes on the Golgotha that is erected at the middle of the church during mid lent to Easter day and have a discussion in the class. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * St. Matthew 27:27-44 Monday St. Matthew 27:45-66 St. Mark 15:16-32 Tuesday St. Mark 15:33-47 St. Luke 23:26-43 Wednesday St. Luke 23:44-56 Psalm 22:1-21 Thursday Hebrews 13:8-17 Leviticus. 4:1-7 Friday Numbers 19:1-10 Habakkuk 1:1-12 Saturday Psalm 35:1-17 1 Corinthians 4:12-19 Sunday Psalm 69:1-25 * 23 Chapter 5 Resurrection (St. Luke 24: 1-12) Message: Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basis of Christian faith. We experience in our life, the hope of salvation conveyed to us by Resurrection of Jesus. Verse to be Memorized: The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. (St. Luke 24: 5) Teaching Aids: The Service Book of Holy Qurbana and the service book of Major Feasts. Introduction Let us look at the incidents that took place following the death of Jesus on cross and the funeral. By order from Pilate, the tomb was sealed and soldiers were entrusted to guard it. The disciples returned disappointed and in deep anguish. This was a situation like “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate,” says the Lord of hosts”. (Zechariah 13:7) The disciples were really perturbed whether it was the end of the road for them. But we do realize, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (St. John 1: 5). After his death, our Lord went into the world of the dead and preached the gospel to all the dead beginning from Adam. (St. Peter 3: 19, 4:6). The Orthodox churches believe this entry to Sheol and they observe Holy Saturday as a day to remember all the departed souls. The Lesson It was Sunday, the first day of the week. Early in the morning, Mary Magdalena and a few other women went to the tomb to apply perfume on the body of Jesus. It was customary for Jewish women to apply perfume on dead bodies after burial. They were moving towards the tomb with great enthusiasm and unparalleled devotion to their dear master, but they were also a bit anxious how they would enter the tomb because they had seen the heavy stone with which the tomb was sealed on Friday. They were wondering as to who would remove the stone for them. They were in for a surprise. The heavy stone at the tomb was already moved away! Yet another and more fascinating surprise was in store – at the mouth of the tomb, there was an angel in a pure white rob! The angel explained to them why the tomb was empty. “He is not here; he has risen.” The angel asked them to convey the 24 glad news of Resurrection to the disciples. While they were moving out with fear and joy, Jesus appeared before them. He told them, “Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me”. (St. Matthew 28: 10) Immediately on hearing that Jesus had risen, Peter and John rushed to the tomb. The young John reached there first, and saw the empty tomb and the clothe which was used to wrap the dead body, lying there. It was sure that nobody had removed the body from the tomb. Peter was the first to enter the empty tomb and became a witness to the resurrection. Later, Peter declared, “... and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses” (Acts 3: 15). Books in the New Testament testify risen Jesus appearing to his disciples at many places several times. It was Mary Magdalena, to whom risen Jesus appeared first and who had the fortune to announce the good news to his disciples. How Jesus talked to Mary Magdalena is described in the hymn sung during the Easter procession in the Church. (Oh Mariame njan thottakkaran thanne...) Truly am I the gardener, Oh Mary, I only planted Paradise, the Great One! Oh, Mary am I life of all living things, I am the Resurrection and new life, I am who was killed; I was in the tomb, Touch me not for I, have not gone to my Father, With glory have I ascended from the tomb, Good news this, carry to my disciples. Risen Christ allowed his presence occasionally to disciples for forty days. On the fortieth day, he blessed them on the Mount of Olives and commanded them to spread the Good News throughout the world and then ascended to Heaven. Ten days later, on the feast of Pentecost, Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples. And our Lord lives even today with us. Had the death of Christ on cross ended with crucifixion, it would have been a failure. But Christ overcame death and rose as he had said earlier and according to the scriptures. Jesus resurrected on Sunday and therefore the Church assembles on Sunday instead of Saturday (as Jew do), and this continues till now. The empty tomb and the growth and spread of the Church perhaps are the strongest evidences of the Resurrection. It was the power of Resurrection that strengthened the helpless disciples and equipped them for preaching the Good News. Resurrection is the focus of our faith. Again, it is Christ’s Resurrection that is the basis of our own resurrection and eternal life. “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who 25 raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” (Romans 8: 11) Hymn (Daivamuyirthu mahathwathode... , Kyamtha Namaskaram, Morning Worship) God in glory - arose from the death, and gave life to Adam and all his - children Angels on high adored their Lord Earth was made bright And trembling stood watchers then. Let Us Pray Oh Jesus, You rose from the dead and thus ensured our resurrection at Your second coming. Give us the wisdom and humility to seek, understand and be blessed by Your Resurrection from the dead. Amen. Resolution Jesus died for my sake, and gave me freedom from sin and death. I shall live for Him, serving Him and His Church. Let Us Think 1. “If Christ has not been raised, then our........................ has been in vain and your............ has been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15: 14) 2. To whom did the Risen Christ appear first? 3. What would have been the reason why Peter and John rushed to the tomb? 4. On the fortieth day of Resurrection, there happened a very important event. What was that? What is its significance? Activities 1. In the Orthodox tradition, we use the plain cross and not one with the image of a crucified Jesus. What must be the reason for this? 2. Go through the Service Book of Holy Qurbana and find out five hymns illustrating the great joy and importance of Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 3. The Declaration of Resurrection is a very important part of the service on the Easter Day worship. Read it out in the class. 26 4. Sing together the hymn “Vismayasahitham kabarupilarnnu...” in the class, all joining together. 5. Jesus went down to the Sheol and preached good news to the dead. What do you understand from this? Could the dead listen to him and be benefitted by it? Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * St. John 20:1-18 Monday St. John 20:19-31 St. John 21:1-14 Tuesday St. Matthew 28:1-15 St. Mark 16:1-8 Wednesday St. Mark 16:9-18 St. Luke 24:13-35 Thursday St. Luke 24:44-53 1 Corinthians 15:3-19 Friday Isaiah 60:1-15 Isaiah 61:1-11 Saturday Acts 2:22-36 Romans 4:17-25 Sunday Psalm 16:1-1 * 27 Chapter 6 Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17) Message: The Lord God gave commandments to His people, the Israelites, to help them live a righteous life as well as to enjoy the presence of God. It is for us to obey God’s commandments always. Verse to be Memorized: “Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine.” (Exodus 19: 5) Teaching Aids: The ‘Ten Commandments’ written as two big charts, pictures depicting the Commandments being handed over to Moses by God. Introduction We have a police force and a judicial system in our country. Have you ever thought of the reasons as to why they are there? This is for ensuring justice and law and order. Neither the judicial system nor the police force can act on their own. They have to co-ordinate their functioning within the Indian civil code and criminal procedure code. The Indian constitution oversees the effective implementation of these rules and regulations. In your secular schools, you would have learnt how these systems have developed over a period of time and got well established within the administrative framework. We shall try to understand how such systems came into existence in Israel. The Lesson Israel as a community can be said to have had its origin with Abraham, father of the faithful, being obedient to God’s call. This is followed through the life history of Isaac, Jacob, and their descendents. We have already learnt how Joseph, the son of Jacob, got elevated to top administrative position in Egypt. He saved his brothers from the acute famine and made them settle down in Egypt. They were there for a few generations, but later rulers of Egypt, the Pharaohs, conceived plans to subjugate them. As they were undergoing very cruel persecutions in Egypt, God chose Moses to liberate them from their slavery. Moses, forsaking all the palatial comforts, threw his lot with his people. His brother Aaron was there to help him. They appealed to the Pharaoh many times to set free the people, but the hard hearted Pharaoh did not yield. God sent down ten calamities to the land of Egypt. Ultimately, the Israelites moved out of Egypt, and proceeded to Canaan, the Promised Land. The content of 28 the book of Exodus is the history of this great journey. This Hebrew community took forty years to accomplish this. It was Moses who led the people. “... and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34: 12). Moses led the people as leader, prophet and priest. It was through him that God gave the rules and regulations for the people of Israel. This is indeed a true indication of the love and care of God for his people, who had been liberated from slavery. In the third month of their exodus from Egypt, God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses atop the Mount Sinai. Tradition says that these commandments were given on the fiftieth day of the day of liberation or Passover i.e. on the day of the feast of Pentecost. To witness the Glory of God, Moses purified the people for two days. On the third day, amidst thunder, lightning and sound of trumpets Moses climbed up the Mount Sinai. The people waited at the foot of the mountain. Moses faced God in the darkness of the cloud. Moses fasted for forty days on the mountain. God gave him the Ten Commandments, which form the center point of all ethical practices. These commandments are recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and also in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Following are those commands God gave to His own people as the code of morality. 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 4. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. In the history of humankind, especially of Israel, the Ten Commandments are important ethical codes. The first four among these indicate the relation of human beings towards God. Faith in ‘one God’ is insisted here and discarding of idolatry is affirmed. The remaining six commandments are for strengthening human’s social relationships. When we respect and obey our parents, we are only keeping a commandment of God. In the New Testament, we read that Jesus Christ acknowledged the Ten Commandments and gave new interpretations for them. 29 Based on Deuteronomy 6: 5 and Leviticus 19: 18, Christ gives the summary of Ten Commandments: “He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (St. Matthew 22: 37-40). The Old Testament Law has its base in the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, we get the Old Testament Laws and Rules fulfilled through Jesus Christ. In this context, St. John says, “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (St. John 1:17) While Moses was with God on Mount Sinai for forty days, the Israelites forgot their Lord God who liberated them from the slavery of Egypt. They chose to turn towards idolatry and forced Aaron to make a golden calf for them to worship. Moses as he came down from the mountain was terribly shocked to find his people worshipping a golden calf. He became very angry and threw away the stone plates on which the Ten Commandments were engraved by God Himself. As atonement for the sin of the people, Moses burnt the golden calf, powdered it, mixed the powder in water and made the people drink it. Then Moses interceded before God to save his people from God’s wrath. God acceded to the intercession of Moses. The Covenant was renewed and God blessed them and continued to guide them in their onward journey to Canaan. Let Us Pray Oh Lord, kindly guide us and show us the way to live according to Your plans for us and following the commandments You have given us instead of getting attracted to the worldly comforts. Amen Resolution I will live as a child of God under all situations without getting diverted from the commandments of God. I shall be beware of the temptations of the world. Amen Let Us Think 1. What is the main content of the book of Exodus? 2. Among the Ten Commandments, which one is accompanied with a promise? 3. Fill up the blanks: “For the law was given through.........................; Grace and truth came through........................” 4. Explain Ten Commandments. 30 Activities 1. Classify the Ten Commandments into two, like for e.g., the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ 2. The history of Israelites’ exodus is recorded in detail as a sermon in the book of Acts. Name the chapter and also the preacher. 3. Read the book of Exodus 19: 16-18 and based on these verses, find out what were the incidents on Mount Sinai. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * Exodus 20:18-26 Monday Deuteronomy 5:6-21 Exodus 19:1-13 Tuesday Exodus 19:14-25 Exodus 21:1-19 Wednesday Exodus 21:20-36 Exodus 23:1-17 Thursday Exodus 23:18-33 Exodus 24:1-18 Friday Exodus 31:18-32:14 Exodus 32:15-35 Saturday St. Matthew 5:1-20 St. Matthew 5:21-48 Sunday Romans 9:1-18 * 31 Chapter 7 Journey through the desert and the worship life of Israelites (Exodus 40: 1-16) Message: God was in their midst during the journey of Israelites through the desert. They believed that God travelled with them in a tent. The cluster of clouds during day time and pillar of fire in the night were the indicators of the presence of God. Even today, to those who worship Him, God is close by with His helping hand. Verse to be Memorized: “For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy”. (Leviticus 11: 45) Teaching Aids: A map of the exodus (a sort of diagrammatic representation showing the route). Introduction The Israelites, having liberated from Egypt, reached the Promised Land of Canaan after a sojourn of forty years through the desert. Imagine a large group of people numbering a few lakhs travelling on foot through the desert year after year aiming to end up at the Promised Land. In this lesson, we learn about their experiences, their responses to different happenings, the inimitable leadership of Moses, the care of God which was unparalleled and the like. We would also learn about their religious life. The Lesson You might have carried out journeys to distant places from your home or from the school. Just think about the preparations you make for such a trip. Before you commence the journey, you plan out in detail many aspects such as the places you intend to visit, time schedule, arrangement of convenient vehicles, places of rest on the way, need of food, finance for meeting the expenses, necessary clothing and so on. The group would be relatively small, each one knowing each other, and all would be happy to carry out the trip with all the time for getting ready individually. Now what we see at the exodus from Egypt to Canaan is totally different; lakhs of people are commencing a journey with fear, with no time to properly prepare, taking all their possessions including their animal wealth too and starting in a hurry. The multitude of people includes aged ones, the sick, children and pregnant women. 32 And the journey is through a desert and that too lasting a good forty years (though, originally, this was to get completed within just forty days or so). This was a fascinating exodus, where lots and lots of experiences of the care of God came up for us to learn. The Israelites were liberated from Egyptian slavery by God through Moses. About six lakhs of men and their family members along with their assets including animal wealth started a great journey to the Promised Land on the 14th day of Abeeb month of Jewish calendar. They started their journey at night after observing the Passover. In all the Egyptian families, the first born were struck by Lord including those of animals and there were loud wailing everywhere. The houses of Israelites were spared wherever the blood of the lamb was applied on the top and sides of their doors. After 430 years of slavery, they commenced the journey with great enthusiasm and happiness of God’s liberation under the leadership of Moses as well as the heads of tribes. The route of their ‘exodus’ identified by Moses was noteworthy. The shorter coastal path through which they could have reached the promised Canaan within a year was not chosen because God had other plans. The idea was to avoid the area of Philistines who were strong warriors. These Israelites during those days never had any experience of waging battles. They proceeded to south through the desert adjoining Red Sea. Moses was well-experienced in theses sort of terrains, as he was wandering through similar areas as a shepherd of his father in law Jethro’s flock. The people who left Egypt were experiencing continuous divine providence. They were protected from the extreme heat of the desert by the pillar of cloud and for light at night, the pillar of fire accompanied them throughout. We must believe that those who rely on God will be taken care through all calamities by the mysteries of God. Moses and the whole people were praising the Lord throughout their journey. Psalm 136 is one that illustrates God’s care. They camped at Sukkoth and Edom, and then they were in for the big obstacle, the Red Sea right in front of them! And the Egyptian army following them was strikingly close! In this crisis, there was that wonderful interference from our Lord. God made a dry path in the middle of Red Sea and the Israelites walked across safely, but the Egyptians almost caught up with them. And they too stepped into the dry path within the sea, but suddenly, the sea came back to its original state. The enemies got drowned and perished inside the Red Sea. Thus, the Israelites crossed Red Sea and walked along the border of Paran desert. But they faced another problem; there was no drinking water. At Mara, they had water, but the water was very bitter to taste. God answered Moses’ prayer and the water turned sweet. Thereafter, at Eleem, they enjoyed pleasant atmosphere. They relaxed, people and animals, after sufficient rest, proceeded further. 33 Now, they had to confront fresh calamities as they entered Seen desert. They started murmuring against their Lord as they didn’t have sufficient food for all. They thought over the meat they enjoyed in Egypt and felt, it was a blunder leaving all those ‘comforts’. But, here too they had their Lord taking care of them. They were provided with Manna from the skies (Exodus Ch. 16). When they cried for meat, Moses too got perplexed and worried. Moses went to the extent of asking God whether He could provide meat sufficient to feed this multitude (Numbers 11: 21, 22). And now, God showered quails from the skies and satisfied them. After a month, they reached Rephidim and faced shortage of water once again. The people, started murmuring against their Lord and that place was called ‘Massa’ as they tested God and also ‘Mareeba’ as they quarreled there. Moses cried before God and as directed, beat the rock at Horeb, which then produced sufficient water. This was followed by the attack from Amalekites and God saved them from this enemy. Moses constructed an alter there and called it “The Lord is my Banner” (Jehovah Nisei). Now, the family of Moses – wife Zipporah, sons Gershom and Eliezer – joined Jethro. Jethro witnessed, “Jehovah greater than all gods”. The enviable task of leading the multitude of people was found quite manageable once Moses implemented the suggestions of Jethro. Worship of Israelites: To ensure a systematic and disciplined worship, as directed by God, Moses made the Tabernacle, Ark of Testimony and the Tent of Meeting. Tabernacle is the small house where God came down and stayed. The Ark of Testimony is the chest where the stone tablets and the book of laws are kept. And the Tent of Meeting is where God and people meet together. As the representative of people, Moses used to enter this. The book of Exodus chapters 25 – 27 illustrates how this Holiest of Holies was to be made. Whenever Israelites settled down in the desert at night, the Tent used to be spread and when journey commenced, Levites used to carry it. The Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting are considered the same, but described differently in different contexts. Further, God gave the people a system for worship to live a holy life and defined the responsibilities of priests to give proper leadership to the people. Book of Leviticus, the third among the books of Moses contains these instructions. The book describes in detail different types of sacrifices and how they are to be offered. In worship, Levites are to play the key role and therefore their responsibilities are very important. The most common offerings are burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering and guilt offering. The offering of Christ on the Cross at Calvary turns out to be a completion of all the Old Testament offerings. We have learnt earlier that our Holy Qurbana is the observance and performance of that supreme offering of Christ on the Cross. The book of Leviticus chapter 23 narrates the order of observing various festivals of Israel. These are their main festivals. 34 (1) The festival of Passover is to remember how Israelites were saved from being struck off by Lord. This is also the feast of unleavened bread in relation to the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. (2) Then there is the harvest festival or the festival of Pentecost falling at the beginning of harvest. (3) Then, they have the festival of Tabernacle which is the festival to remember the Lord’s protection during their sojourn through the desert. (4) The festival of Trumpets is a feast to express thanks and gratitude to our lord. (5) They also observe the festival of Atonement of sins where the sins of people are atoned. In addition, two more festivals came up later namely the Purim (Book of Esther 9: 29-32) and the Feast of Dedication (St. John 10: 23). The Jews observe these festivals with devotion even today. Observance of Sabbath: As commanded by Yahweh, the Israelites kept aside the seventh day of the week for God and used to observe that day exclusively for worship. There used to be specific commands as what to do and what not to do. On a Sabbath day, no worldly work was to be done, but the day has to be kept for prayers, contemplation of the Word of God and to attend synagogue worship. Which day we have kept aside is similar to the Sabbath of Jews? Yes, it is the Sunday. But how do we spend this day? On Sunday, we stay away from all sorts of worldly affairs and participate in church worship as well as Sunday school. We do not engage in playing on Sundays. Our Lord as per His covenant promise protected His people in their journey through the desert. They were provided with those commandments so that they would lead a life of justice, truth and holiness; and they were given orders of worship too so that they could go on with a life of worship throughout. “Therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11: 45). This central theme of Old Testament is expected to be followed by us all always. Let Us Pray Oh my Lord! The loving care You showed towards the Israelites leading them miraculously through the desert be with us too in our lives. Amen. Resolution I shall obey Lord and enjoy his loving presence always. Let Us Think 1. ‘There is no leader ever in Israel like Moses’. What are the main characteristics of the leadership style of Moses? 2. Narrate five incidents of divine providence and care during the exodus through the desert. 35 3. Explain briefly those five important festivals of Israel including their background. 4. Who were Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:2,6) 4. Try to screen the famous movie ‘Ten Commandments’ in the Sunday School using a projector or at least download the important scenes from internet and view from a lap top. Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * Exodus 33:1-11 Monday Exodus 33:12-23 Exodus 36:1-10 Tuesday Exodus 37:1-16 Exodus 40:16-38 Wednesday Leviticus 1:1-17 Psalm 78:1-28 Thursday Psalm 78:29-51 Psalm 78:52-72 Friday Leviticus 23:1-14 Leviticus 23:33-44 Saturday Psalm 106:1-24 Psalm 106:25-48 Sunday Hebrews 10:1-18 * 36 Chapter 8 Joshua, the Successor to Moses (Deuteronomy 34:1-12) Message: God will raise those who are committed and dependant on God, to positions of leadership. God will find suitable persons capable enough to lead His people. Verse to be Memorized: “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”. (Joshua 1: 9) Introduction Who is the President of our country now? Yes, you know him. But can you tell who will succeed him? Looks difficult to give an answer? Change of power from one hand to another sometimes creates unpleasant situations too. But in religious history, God chooses suitable persons and trains them. Elisha succeeding Elijah and Solomon succeeding David are all examples. Even in our Church, we choose the successor of the Catholicose and call him ‘Catholicose designate.’ Moses, who was leading lakhs of Israelites, died at the land of Moab. The people mourned the death of their loving leader. They now needed a capable person who was committed to the will of God to go and occupy the Promised Land and establish the community there. But God had chosen Joshua for this role well in advance and the way the mantle was handed over to him is noteworthy. This further gives us a message that the leaders should aim at the glory of God and welfare of people only. The Lesson The Ten Commandments were give to Israelites at Mount Sinai and then, the first ever census of Israelites were taken as desired by God. They found the number of soldiers aged above twenty years as six lakhs. After thirty eight years, a similar census was taken once again and the number remained almost the same. The reason why the population did not increase during these thirty eight years is that many of the people perished in thousands as they rebelled against God and perished in the wrath of God. The fourth book of Moses (Pentateuch) describes these in chapters 1 and 26 and this is the reason why this book has come to be known as the ‘Book of Numbers’. 37 Many incidents took place before their entry into Canaan. The murmuring and quarrelling of people continued; however, God continued to protect His people. Moses was standing between God and the people. Moses survived many challenges relying exclusively on God. There are many incidents narrated in the Book of Numbers such as the sin of Miriam (chapter 12), the quarrel of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (chapter 16), death of Aaron (chapter 20), the venomous snakes and bronze snake (chapter 21), Balaam and the donkey (chapter 22), the disobedience at Baal of Peor and the punishment (chapter 25) and so on. In chapter 33, the places where they used to stay during those forty years of journey is listed out and numbered. The Book of Numbers ends up with the description of the boarders of Canaan, the Promised Land and the cities of refuge. Just before the end of their forty years’ exodus, they reached the plain land of Moab. Among those who commenced the exodus from Egypt, nobody survived barring, Joshua and Caleb. Based on his memory, Moses talks to the new generation in detail. And this forms the content of the fifth book of Moses called the Book of Deuteronomy. This book is an abridgment of the sweetening words of God such as the recital of the sacred history, commandments from God, the rules and regulations to be observed at the Promised Land, the calling based on God’s care to the people and last words of Moses. The last chapter of this book gives an account of the end of Moses. Moses could not make his entry into the Promised Land. He climbed the Pisgah peak on Nebo Mountain and saw the whole area of Canaan to his satisfaction. And he died there. Can you explain why Moses could not enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:50-52)? The Bible says that God Himself has buried Moses somewhere opposite the valley of Baal Peor (Deuteronomy 34:1-6). The Israelites wept and mourned thirty days for Moses. Moses carries many an adjective with him like, ‘the liberator of Israel’, ‘the leader’, ‘the law giver’ and the ‘moral advisor’. God repeatedly says about him, ‘My servant Moses’. Moses was so obedient and trustworthy. He suffered forty years with his people confronting different calamities. He took them in his stride with patience and led them to Canaan silently following the way of God. The very last verse of the Book of Deuteronomy records who Moses is; “For all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34: 12) Moses had, as commanded by God, ordained Joshua, son of Nun of the Ephraim clan as his successor (Deuteronomy 34:9). Joshua has been assigned the role of leading Israelites in their war against Amalekites earlier. We read in Exodus 33: 11 about this young man as one who was totally committed: “... but his young assistant Joshua, son 38 of Nun did not leave the tent”. Moses had assigned twelve men to spy on the land of Canaan of whom only Joshua and Caleb declared their faith in God without fearing adversities. After the death of Moses, Joshua took over the leadership of the whole Israel. Moses had the permission only to view the Promised Land from a distance, but Joshua had the call, as per God’s will, to occupy the Promised Land. God has been repeating to Joshua the very same advice He has been often giving to Moses: “Be strong and courageous”. Even in our own adversities, this verse will strengthen us: “Be strong and courageous”. The Book of Joshua is one that links the five books of Moses to the subsequent history of Israel. The content focuses on taking control over Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and distributing the land to different clans and making them settle down at their specified assigned areas. Thus Joshua took over the mantle effectively from Moses. God strengthened him to lead the people. The people took a pledge that they would obey Joshua as they obeyed Moses. The entry point to Canaan was a town called Jericho. Joshua sent two of his men to spy on this town, but the palace guards got the information and came down to arrest them. But a woman called Rahab saved them. We can see later when Jericho was defeated and taken over, Joshua took care to protect Rahab and her family. The Israelites continued their journey and reached Shittim on the banks of Jordan. They were carrying with them the Ark of Testimony, the symbol of the presence of the Lord. Now, they were to cross Jordan. A miracle was in store for them similar to what they had at the crossing of Red sea by Moses. Joshua purified the people. The Levites walked in the front carrying the Ark of Testimony and the rest followed them. When the priests stepped into the river, flow of the water stopped. Water stood like an embankment, and the Levites stood firm in the middle of the river till the whole people crossed over. Joshua took twelve stones from the place where the Ark of Testimony stood and erected them on the shore. Once the priests crossed over to the shore, Jordan came back to original state. Thus, the people realized Joshua as a man of God just as Moses was. On reaching Gilgal, Joshua submitted everyone to God and observed the Passover. They ate from the produce of the land, and with this, the supply of Manna ceased. In short, the exodus was completed and the Israelites reached the Promised Land. Hymn Teacher may help the student to sing an English hymn connected with this lesson 39 Let Us Pray Oh God, please raise noble leaders like Moses and Joshua for our Church and community. Bless our leaders to lead us relying on God and with dedication. Amen. Resolution Whatever responsibilities are coming to me, I will carry out them according to God’s will being strong and courageous following the examples of Moses and Joshua. Let Us Think 1. What are the reasons for the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy getting these names? 2. Where did Moses die? Who buried Moses? 3. Deuteronomy is the last of the five books of Moses. Quote the last verse of this book. 4. Among those who started from Egypt, only two entered Canaan. Who are they? 5. Discuss three qualities you see in Joshua, the successor of Moses. Activities 1. There are certain incidents namely, the sin of Miriam, the quarrelling of Korah and followers, the bronze snake and Balaam and the donkey where there are many dramatic moments. Read the relevant Biblical passages and prepare poetic stories or a skits and present them in the Sunday school general class. 2. Jesus has quoted certain verses from the Book of Deuteronomy as recorded in the Gospel according to St. Matthew. With the help of a concordance New Testament, find out these verses. 3. “Be strong and courageous”. This advice is one that is repeated quite often. Try to identify ten references those are reflections of this advice from the Books of Deuteronomy and Joshua. 4. ‘Joshua, son of Nun’ is a usage that is repeated quite often. Can you find out some other characters of the Bible where a name is linked with that of a person’s father? 40 Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * Deuteronomy 1: 1-22 Monday Deuteronomy 1: 23-46 Deuteronomy 4: 1-25 Tuesday Deuteronomy 4: 26-49 Deuteronomy 5: 1-21 Wednesday Deuteronomy 6: 1-17 Deuteronomy 15: 1-15 Thursday Deuteronomy 31: 1-19 Numbers 13: 21-33 Friday Numbers 14: 1-12 Joshua 1: 1-18 Saturday Psalm 136: 1-26 Acts 7: 20-34 Sunday Acts 7: 35-45 * 41 Chapter 9 The Jericho Wall Falls (Joshua 6: 12-20) Message: Children of God can overcome any problem, howsoever big that may be. Our God will help implement good decisions taken after prayers. Verse to be Memorized: “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” (Psalm 16: 5-6) Teaching Aids: Download ‘Joshua and Jericho – Images’ from the internet and present them in the class. Introduction You must have read about different kinds of ‘walls’ in history. The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Berlin wall which separated West Germany from East Germany is nonexistent now as the two blocks have joined together as one nation. The famous drama, ‘Mathilukal’ (which means walls) by Basheer was quite popular in Malayalam. In Bible, you have come across the enthusiasm shown by Nehemiah for constructing the walls of Jerusalem and how God made it possible for him. One of the most noteworthy incidents in the Old Testament is the destruction of Jericho walls. This was a shining achievement among all missions undertaken by Joshua. The Lesson The first step for Israelites to occupy the Promised Land was to overcome the city of Jericho. This was an old city protected by very strong walls. Joshua had a revelation before commencement of the battle (Joshua 5: 13-15). Yahweh’s commander of army stood before Joshua with a sword stretched out. Joshua sought for instructions from Yahweh and he was told to remove the shoes from his feet as the place where he stood was Holy. Joshua followed the commands of God in letter and spirit which made him victorious in all the battles. The term ‘Yahweh of the army’ used by Jews in their worship is based on such events in their history. People of Jericho came to know that Joshua had crossed Jordan and that he was about to attack them. They were terribly afraid at these and closed all the doors of the city. All the instructions from Yahweh were totally obeyed by Joshua and all Israelites. The priests walked ahead with seven trumpets. People followed them. The priests blew the trumpets and the people gave loud shouts. They circled the city once 42 and returned. This was repeated for six days. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times and the priests blew their trumpets followed by loud shouts from people. With this, the walls of Jericho, thought to be impenetrable, fell into pieces. People entered the city and took possession of it. They struck the residents with their heavy hands. But, the family of Rahab, which saved the spies from Israelites, was taken care of and protected. Israelites believed the fall of Jericho as a great miracle performed by the Lord. This was the beginning of many victories to follow. Joshua’s leadership was accepted totally. He turned out to be a great hero of Israel. When we work relying on God absolutely, victory is ours always. In the absence of God we are a big zero. And there is a saying, “With God, You are a Hero; Without God, You are a Zero”. With the overconfidence of their victory over Jericho, Israelites attacked the town ‘Ai’ without proper preparation and they were easily defeated. Many lost their lives. Joshua and the people, with great sorrow, cried before the Lord. God told them the reason why they failed in the battle against Ai. When they looted Jericho, they were instructed not to lay their hands on certain articles, but someone disobeyed this. The reason for their failure was revealed as their disobedience of Lord’s orders. Joshua identified the culprit. It was Achan, son of Carmi of the Zerahites from the clan of Judah. He had hidden a beautiful robe, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels. Achan and his family were stoned to death in the valley of Achor. We must always remember that those sins committed by individuals would destroy the community also. Entertaining small sins too is a big sin. It is a big sin to love small sins. When the sin was removed, God was delighted. They got God’s guidance to capture Ai. The battle was won. They built an alter to Yahweh and did burnt offering and fellowship offering. The priests blessed the people. They heard the books of Laws being read and worshipped God. Subsequently, they entered into a covenant with Gibeonites, which was not to God’s liking. They had to wage battle against Amorite Kings for Gibeonites. It was in this war over the valley of Aijalon, Joshua made Sun and Moon stand still for a day. The Sun did not set for one full day. “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a human voice; for the Lord fought for Israel.” (Joshua 10: 14). We must understand that God’s anointed possess mysterious gifts. This was followed by a series of battles. They set up their main camp at Gilgal to plan strategies. The Bible witnesses that God waged battles for Israelites. They defeated Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Hivites and Anakites and occupied their land. Chapter Twelve of the Book of Joshua gives a list of those 31 kings who were defeated by Israelites. However, tired with wars for seven years, peace descended on 43 the land. There are twenty four chapters in the book of Joshua. The first part of it summarizes how Canaan was taken over and occupied. Hymn Teacher may help the student to sing an English hymn connected with this lesson Let Us Pray Oh Lord! who is trustworthy in promises, kindly make us good enough to receive your many holy gifts. We will obey Your commands steadfastly. Amen. Resolution We will not fall behind the attractions of this world; instead, like Joshua, we will hold on to God’s commands and march forward. Let Us Think 1. Give a dramatic narration of the strategy employed by Joshua that resulted in the destruction of Jericho wall. 2. When Israelites defeated the city of Jericho, they saved one family. Whose family was it? This person has found a place in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Locate that particular verse and its importance from St. Matthew chapter 1. 3. What was the reason for failure in the battle against Ai? How this problem was solved? 4. Read Joshua 10: 12-14 and discuss the great miracle at the valley of Aijalon. Activities 1. When Israelites were overcoming Jericho, how many times, the number seven is repeated? This number is a symbol of fullness and as such assumes significance in Church as well as in Bible. Find out ten examples for this. 2. Joshua had made Sun and Moon stand still. Now, there is another prophet who has made the Sun dial of a time piece move backward, by his prayer. Who is this prophet? (Read 2 Kings chapter 20) 3. Find out the similarities and differences between Moses and Joshua and arrange them in a tabular form. 44 Further Reading Day Morning Evening Sunday * Joshua 3:1-8 Monday Joshua 3:9-17 Joshua 4:1-15 Tuesday Joshua 4:16-24 Joshua 5:9-15 Wednesday Joshua 6:1-11 Joshua 6:12-27 Thursday Joshua 10:1-43 2 Kings 20:1-11 Friday Isaiah 38:1-9 Joshua 10:38-43 Saturday Joshua 11:1-15 Joshua 11:16-23 Sunday Joshua 12:1-24 * 45 Chapter 10 Dividing the Land of Canaan (Joshua 14:1-5) Message: God shall shower countless and immeasurable gifts upon those who believe in His promises. Verse to be Memorized: “Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24: 15) Teaching Aids: A map illustrating the land allotted to different clans / tribes. Introduction Parents usually divide their wealth among their children. But it is not unusual that disputes occur in this exercise even if the family is very small. Israelites have taken possession of the whole of Canaan by uprooting those thirty one kings, the hitherto rulers of the land. Twelve clans and thousands of families! A proper and justifiable settlement for this multitude is a tough task, but Joshua has to accomplish it. Let us learn how Joshua managed this job, fully relying on God. The Lesson The Book of Joshua chapters 13 to 21 describes the division of the land. During the time of Moses himself, the land lying to the east of Jordan was assigned to two and a half tribes namely Ruben, Gad and half of Manasseh as they had so requested. But this was on a condition that the people of these two and a half tribes must move with their brothers and take part in all future battles actively for the sake of the fraternity. It is found that they did so and acted in total obedience to Joshua. The exercise of dividing the land was carried out by Joshua, the priest Eliezer and the tribal heads. They put lots at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to fix the rights of each tribe. The heirs of Joseph namely Manasseh and Ephraim were treated as tribal heads and were assigned shares equivalent to others. Even though this division was being done tribe wise, it is seen in chapter 14 that a small portion is given to one individual. This is to Caleb, the trustworthy servant of Moses. Remember that among those who started the exodus from Egypt, only two, namely Joshua and Caleb could reach the Promised Land. It was only Joshua and Caleb, while spying on the Canaan submitted them to God in faith and encouraged the people to be courageous. Caleb 46 stood with Joshua and fought all the battles and was given the Mountain of Hebron. Being confident and faithful in all assignments is very important. Once Mother Teresa said, “It is not being victorious, but being faithful is important”. Please look closely at the map where the tribes of Israel are identified. (This is an annexure to most Bible versions.) This map makes us understand as to how the division of land was done. The area where Bethlehem is located can be seen to be given to the tribe Judah. But the tribe of Levites is not to be seen anywhere in the map. Moses did not give any right to Levites. “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said to them.”(Joshua 13:33). Joshua followed the instruction of Moses. Though they were not given the rights, they were given 48 towns and the grasslands surrounding them. These towns were given among all the twelve tribes. The purpose was to ensure that the study of the books of Law and priestly service are available to all tribes. When Aaron made the golden calf at Sinai, it was only Levites opposed it and stood apart. Moses had advised that Levites were not to take part in battles and that they should be given tithes. Wherever the people of God stayed, it was expected that the service of Levites were available for priestly services. Among the 48 towns given to Levites, six were earmarked as cities of refuge as commanded by God. Three each on the east and west of Jordan were thus set apart. In case one kills another accidentally, he can stay in a city of refuge till the case is examined and decided. If it is proved during the examination that the murder indeed was an accident, he can continue to stay there. Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth and Golan were those cities of refuge. Remember, our God is just and always shows mercy and takes care of us. It took seven years to annex the land of Canaan. Almost the same period was needed to divide the land among different tribes and make them settle down. The land was assigned tribe wise and arrangements were made for their peaceful co existence. A system of worship too was formulated. In the present era, to fulfill a task of this magnitude could be achieved only by unprecedented hard work of great administrators and military force round the clock for a long time. Ultimately, Joshua, who spent his life fighting battles and shedding sweat for his people, standing close to God got aged and realized that his end was near. He summoned the whole Israel and reminded them of the blessings they had received from God during the past. And he warned them of the impending punishments in case they break their covenant with God. Before his death, Joshua addressed the whole Israel at the valley of Shechem. He spoke to them at length recalling the history of the people of God right from the call of Abraham up to the anne

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