Jesus Calls Us
What does it mean to be a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven? The lessons this quarter explore some of the most basic principles of Christian faith: that Christ’s invitation is open to all people, that his resurrection changed everything, and that those who put their faith in Jesus and anticipate their own resurrections are Jesus’ chosen community. These truths have much to reveal about what it means to live in the kingdom of Heaven, both in the present and in the glorious future we anticipate.
Open to All
Our first unit highlights accounts in which Jesus disregarded artificial societal barriers, choosing instead to reach people on the margins. Emotions, biases, and ignorance can stand in the way of accepting people as Jesus did. But the welcome of the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable (Luke 15:11–24) sets the scene for all sorts of surprising people who can find their place in the kingdom of Heaven. Humble children (Matthew 18:1–9), foreigners, women, and even the formerly demon-possessed (Mark 5:1–13, 18–20; John 4) can find their place within Jesus’ community.
How often are we unable to hear God’s call, to perceive God’s choice, because we are blinded by our own incomplete knowledge and conditional love? These lessons call us to examine our hearts and motives in order to see who we might think to be excluded from the kingdom … but whom Jesus himself has called to join him.
Our New Reality
While we live in God’s kingdom on earth and pray for its fullness “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), our hope is for nothing if Jesus has not been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1–19). As amazing as his resurrection remains, our second unit invites us to remember how difficult it was for Jesus’ disciples to grasp that Jesus was raised back to life (Luke 24)—and how difficult it might be to continue to follow him (John 21).
The Spirit remains at work in us.
These lessons invite us to grapple with fear in the life of faith. Is it not often the case that we need to be reminded that we have been slow to understand (Luke 24:25), in part due to lingering fear? Are we not tempted, like Peter, to deny our Lord, even though we yearn to prove our love to him (John 21:15–19)? Jesus’ resurrection defines the kingdom of Heaven, and it is a kingdom intended to overcome not only death but also fear.
Our Heavenly Community
The work begun with Jesus’ ministry and transformed by his death and resurrection continues in the community he chose: the church. The third unit takes us back to the earliest days of the church, which was and is God’s instrument for the inbreaking of his kingdom. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come (Acts 1:1–11); and ever since he did, God’s kingdom has been transformed. Pentecost is one dramatic example of this (Acts 2). The same Spirit who empowered the disciples that day continued to work miracles for the sake of God’s kingdom. These included healing (3:1–11), welcoming people into the community who had been excluded before (8:29–40), and recreating the heart of a man who zealously tried to destroy this emerging kingdom (9:9–17).
The gospel poses a threat to our ideas of status, esteem, security, and the way things ought to be. The Spirit was at work in the apostles and in the growth of the early church. And the Spirit remains at work in us, citizens of the kingdom of Heaven who continue to grow in faith, love, and hope.
by Chris Cotten
Unit 1: Called from the Margins of Society
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| March 5 | The Prodigal Son | Luke 15:11–24 |
| March 12 | The Greatest in the Kingdom | Matthew 18:1–9 |
| March 19 | Jesus Talks with a Samaritan | John 4:7–15, 28–30, 39–41 |
| March 26 | Jesus Overpowers Legion | Mark 5:1–13, 18–20 |
Unit 2: Experiencing the Resurrection
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| April 2 | The Empty Tomb | Luke 24:1–12 |
| April 9 | Disciples Believe the Resurrection | Luke 24:13–27, 30–31 |
| April 16 | Jesus Cooks Breakfast | John 21:1–14 |
| April 23 | Jesus Reinstates Peter | John 21:15–19 |
Unit 3: The Birth of the Church
| Date | Title | Bible Text |
| April 30 | Jesus Makes a Promise | Acts 1:1–11 |
| May 7 | The Day of Pentecost | Acts 2:1–8, 14–24, 37–40 |
| May 14 | Jumping for Joy | Acts 3:1–11 |
| May 21 | An Ethiopian Is Baptized | Acts 8:29–39 |
| May 28 | Saul of Tarsus | Acts 9:9–17 |