The Day the Revolution Began

Name: The Day the Revolution Began
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Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus's Crucifixion

Created byN.T. Wright, David P. Seemuth, Jennifer Loop

Last updated 5/2021

English

What you'll learn

Understand the reasons for attempting to gain further understanding of what changed as of 6:00 PM on Good Friday.
Describe some of the historical reasons for certain theories that surround the meaning of Jesus's crucifixion.
Articulate the perspective of the ancient pagan world with reference to sacrifice to gods.
Provide reasons why the early Christians thought that the Old Testament provides background for the idea of Jesus's crucifixion.
Discern how the stories of Israel intersect with Christian belief especially surrounding the idea of sacrifice.
Explain how the concept of "rescue" pervades the work of Jesus in His life and death.
Present biblical arguments that support a rich understanding of the meaning of Jesus's crucifixion.
Encourage Christians to walk in a new sense of wonder as those who have been rescued from death in order to live lives of love.

Course content

4 sections • 20 lectures • 3h 17m total length

A Brief Welcome to the Course by Prof. David P. Seemuth0:21
Part One: Introduction with Prof. N.T. Wright12:26
In this lecture, Prof. Wright begins to unpack the importance of Jesus's crucifixion in our own world. He will call upon present understandings and practices that show its relevance.
How The Best Use this Course Along with the Book by Prof. Wright1:17
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session One
Session Two: with Prof. N.T. Wright14:10
This lecture begins to probe the somewhat unusual merging between the history of the events surrounding the death of Jesus and the theological relevance that became attached to the historical event.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Two
Session Three: with Prof. N.T. Wright12:31
Prof. Wright begins to unpack the meaning and importance of crucifixion as it would have been seen by a Roman citizen and by Jewish inhabitants within the Roman Empire.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Three
Processing Ideas and Probing Questions: Sessions 1-3; Chapters 1-30:41

Session Four: with Prof. N.T. Wright13:23
In this lecture, Prof. Wright explains the Old Testament background in which an understanding of Jesus's work may be understood. It is the story the finds a link between the Pentateuch and the great Servant Songs of Isaiah 40-55. In this way we understand how the story is "According to the Scriptures" as Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 15.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Four
Session Five: with Prof. N.T. Wright13:59
Professor Wright explains the calling, the vocation, of Jesus as the King inaugurating the Kingdom of God. He does this in ways that are quite in accordance with the Scriptures as we have pointed out. Here, however, we see that the darkness of the cross was fully expected by Jesus and embraced by him. He also brings his disciples into the understanding of this mystery through the meal of the last supper. This lecture helps summarize Chapters 6-7 of the book, The Day the Revolution Began.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Five
Processing Ideas and Probing Questions: Sessions 4-5; Book Chapters 4-70:37

Session Six: with Prof. N.T. Wright13:47
In this lecture, Prof. Wright describes how Jesus, through the defeating the powers of evil, inaugurates a new era where men and women can live in a new reality of being image-bearers of God. As a result, they have the authority of being people who represent God's covenant faithfulness on earth.
Comprehension Assessment of Session Six
Session Seven: with Prof. N.T. Wright14:23
Session Seven presents the description of how Jesus confronts the powers of evil and injustice in himself through his self-sacrifice. This represents the bringing forth of a new creation freed from the power of sin and the Satan.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Seven
Session Eight: with Prof. N.T. Wright15:39
Prof. Wright provides further description, starting with the Gospel of Luke, about how God's rescue story works. This is a closer look at some of the Gospel narratives that interpret the event of the crucifixion.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Eight
Session Nine: with Prof. N.T. Wright20:49
The letters of St. Paul are particularly important for understanding the meaning of Jesus's crucifixion. In this lecture, Prof. Wright will start by looking at Paul's letters to the Galatians, the Corinthian letters, Philippians, and Colossians. The goal is to discover the renewal of all creation.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Nine
Session Ten: with Prof. N.T. Wright15:46
Prof. Wright begins to explain how the Apostle Paul addresses the role of Jesus's death and crucifixion in his Epistle to the Romans. This lecture takes the learner through Romans 3:21-26 primarily in order to understand the nuances of this beautiful but tightly packed argument.
Comprehension Assessment Covering Session Ten
Session Eleven: with Prof. N.T. Wright14:10
Prof. Wright continues his explanation of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans with an explanation of Romans 5-8. It is here that the idea of New Creation comes into fuller light in order that we might be gripped by the ultimate destiny of redeemed humanity: being part of the New Creation with Christ as King over all.
Comprehension Assessment of Session Eleven
Processing Ideas and Probing Questions: Sessions 6-11; Book Chapters 8-130:37

Requirements

Students should come with curiosity about the meaning of Jesus's crucifixion.
Students should be ready to discover historical and theological concepts that may be foreign to them.
Students should acquire the book "The Day the Revolution Began" by N.T. Wright published by HarperOne (ISBN:0062334387). The book is available in various formats including eBook.

Description

The renowned scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author widely considered to be the heir to C. S. Lewis contemplates the central event at the heart of the Christian faith—Jesus’ crucifixion—arguing that the Protestant Reformation did not go far enough in transforming our understanding of its meaning.

In The Day the Revolution Began, N. T. Wright once again challenges commonly held Christian beliefs as he did in his acclaimed Surprised by Hope. Demonstrating the rigorous intellect and breathtaking knowledge that have long defined his work, Wright argues that Jesus’ death on the cross was not only to absolve us of our sins; it was actually the beginning of a revolution commissioning the Christian faithful to a new vocation—a royal priesthood responsible for restoring and reconciling all of God’s creation.

Wright argues that Jesus’ crucifixion must be understood within the much larger story of God’s purposes to bring heaven and earth together. The Day the Revolution Began offers a grand picture of Jesus’ sacrifice and its full significance for the Christian faith, inspiring believers with a renewed sense of mission, purpose, and hope, and reminding them of the crucial role the Christian faith must play in protecting and shaping the future of the world.

Who this course is for:

Any person who has wondered about why Christians have an affinity for thinking that Jesus's crucifixion has any ramifications for the present day.
People who wish to have a deeper understanding of the meaning of Jesus's death.
People who long for hope that is grounded in Jesus's crucifixion as an historical event.
Followers of Jesus who wish to have greater appreciation for what God has accomplished in Christ.

The Day the Revolution Began

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