The Person of Jesus Christ

• Jesus' knowledge of God

  -accounts of Jesus speak of a man who taught charismatically & tried to reform his religion (Judaism)

  -accounts of miracles & he had a special relationship w/ God that he wanted his followers to try to have as well

  -by the time of the great councils of Church in 4th & 5th centuries, Jesus was identified as fully God & fully human which would give him authority beyond that of a radical preacher

  -however, through his ministry, Jesus seemed to be more human than divine: he wept, didn't know who touched him during a miracle, was tempted by devil & prayed not to have to undergo death

  -yet he must have been aware of the power in him to perform miracles (included raising people from death) & he had the confidence to predict his death wouldn't be the end

  -knowing ourselves is not as straightforward as it might seem & if Jesus was fully human as well as divine, he surely would have undergone these same feelings
• miracles

  -Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry & over time affected the lives of a wide variety of people

  -were displays of God's power working through him (or his own divine power) but were also teaching tools he used to make a point

  -the many miracle stories in Gospels suggests Jesus was known as a miracle worker, whether or not the detail is true

  -Jesus wasn't only miracle worker around at time - other magicians mentioned in NT as well as other sources

  -these magicians were likely performing wonders people couldn't understand & Gospels make an effort to distinguish Jesus from them: he did miracles not to draw attention to himself & his 'magic tricks' seemed to go beyond anything anyone had experienced before

  -Jesus' miracles often categorised into 4 broad areas: healing of sick, exorcisms, nature miracles & raising from the dead, which each give different perspectives on his power & kingdom he was trying to bring
• key points on miracles

  -Jesus healed outcasts, women & foreigners as well as Jews: his ministry is for all

  --> perhaps this is the level on which the miracles need to be understood: opportunities for teaching about inclusivity & the Kingdom of God

  -Gospels contain the only accounts of Jesus' miracles & the earliest (probably Mark) was written about 35 years after his death

  --> could the stories have been embellished?

  -the great OT prophets performed miracles but Jesus' miracles seem to be even more powerful

  -Jesus' miracles often included forgiveness of sins, which was something that it was thought only God could do
• the resurrection

  -Jesus' death was, for Christians, not the end

  -resurrection transforms Christian message: it's in the light of the resurrection that Calvin wanted the Bible to be read & it's the resurrection that is the final revelation of God mentioned by the Catholic Church

  -Gospels take care to show continuity from Jesus who died to raised Christ, but also to show his body had been transformed into a heavenly one: he eats & has wounds but appears & disappears & isn't immediately recognisable

  -resurrection serves as an absolute confirmation that Jesus was more than simply another human & offers promise to humans of eternal life & the future Kingdom of God

  -for most Christian thinkers, belief in the literal truth of the resurrection is an absolute requirement for Christian faith

  -some theologians have attempted to consider the resurrection as symbolic because Paul's letters (written before Gospels) do not mention the empty tomb
• Jesus didn't think he was divine strengths

  -in Luke 2, Jesus lost in Temple as child & when found, says to parents: 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?'

  --> BUT we can't use Gospel evidence to conclude Jesus thought he was divine: they are stories of a human & radical preacher

  -earliest tradition in NT, Paul's letters, indicates an assumption that Jesus was divine (e.g, Philippians 2:6-11)

  --> BUT clearest claims of Jesus' divinity (e.g. 'l am' sayings) come from John, which may have been written as late as AD 100 & may have been added later by writers

  -Jesus was keen not to overwhelm audience & so wants to keep divine actions a secret esp. at start of ministry

  -'Messianic Secret' found in Mark 1:43-45

  --> BUT Jesus understood himself as prophet & Messianic figure - he refers to his fulfilment of prophecy many times. OT doesn't suggest Messiah would be divine so why should Jesus think that of himself?
• liberator

  Someone who frees a person or group of people.
• outcast

  A person on the margins of society & not accepted by the majority.
• religion and politics

  -at the time of Jesus, religion and politics overlapped much more than they do in the UK today

  -religious authorities were often political authorities & there was not such a separation as daily life revolved around the synagogue (or Temple in Jerusalem)
• Romans

  -the conquering nation who controlled the Holy Land at the time of Jesus but who allowed the Jews day-to-day control in order to keep peace

  -Jesus seemed not to mind their presence as long as they left spiritual matters to individuals
• Pharisees

  -representing the majority of Jews - the 'people's party' but criticised by Jesus for following the OT Law too literally & ignoring humans around them

  -they wanted a strict religious purity on their own terms
• Scribes

  Usually members of the Pharisee group but experts in the interpretation of the Law and so wanting to interpret the Law's demands in the context of the Roman occupation.
• Sadducees

  -the aristocratic group who controlled the Temple & also the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin)

  -they only accepted the 1st 5 books of OT and so were often at odds with Jesus' teachings

  -they wanted greater focus on Temple practices & as a group had died out by time the Gospels had been written because of the Temple's destruction in AD 70
• Zealots

  -a small revolutionary group that wanted to overthrow the Romans by force

  -Jesus was sometimes hoped to be one of them but seemed careful to distance himself from them - e.g, he entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, not a war horse
• Jesus' challenge to political authority

  -Jesus preached abt KoG - seen as political statement

  -rule of God would become central to society & God's ways would be understood not as a set of laws to obey but based on rule of love

  -Jesus welcomed tax collectors as followers

  -tax collectors were seen by many as people who represented Roman govt. & cheated people (represented corruption on an institutional level)

  -when he entered Jerusalem, was welcomed as a revolutionary Messiah by crowds chanting, 'Hosanna,' but Jesus rode in on a donkey, suggesting a way of peace, rather than military approach of Romans

  -in last week, he turned money-changing tables over in Temple, challenging fact Temple had lost its spiritual focus

  -Jesus crucified as a political troublemaker by Romans

  -when asked whether it was lawful to pay taxes, Jesus said people should 'give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's' (Matthew 22:21)
• challenge to religious authority

  -Jesus was well-known among important people of his time e.g. he dined with important Pharisees & wasn't ignored when caused chaos

  -however, Jesus disagreed w/ focus on letter of Law that was usual among Pharisees of his time

  --> criticised Pharisees at length in Luke 11:37-53 for getting their priorities wrong & moved on to scribes for their missing of the point of the Law

  -when criticised for healing on Sabbath, Jesus illustrated his change in focus by pointing out that Pharisees had lost sight of God's true message: to do good before all else

  -in his preaching, Jesus challenged Temple authorities, suggesting Temple would be replaced by a spiritual temple

  -Christian interpretation saw this spiritual temple as Jesus himself & he showed this at the start of his ministry in Mark 2:1-12 when he forgave sins, which only God was seen to be able to do
• Jesus wasn't more than a political liberator strengths

  -Jesus the liberator wasn't just abt politics - but politics brought by inadequate interpretation of religion

  -Jesus was a religious liberator as well

  --> BUT at time of Jesus, 'politics' referred to religious as well as political aspects & Jesus came to free people from themselves

  -Jesus liberated humans first & foremost - he freed outcasts from their bondage & people from being tied to sin ultimately through his forgiveness of world through death & resurrection

  --> BUT when Jesus liberated people he did so because society - & therefore politics - made life worse for them. Ultimately all his work boils down to his work as political liberator

  -Jesus shouldn't be classified as simply a liberator - he was a teacher & divine miracle-worker, too

  --> BUT ultimately Jesus' relationship w/ authorities had him killed, demonstrating that he was merely a political revolutionary
• Jesus the teacher

  -Jesus' teaching was made up of parables - stories which used imagery that his audience would have been familiar with to make a point either through symbolism (such as characters standing for someone else) or through making a moral point that was challenging

  -Jesus also taught, short, memorable sayings that people could take away with them & memorise

  -finally, he taught by his actions - the people he interacted with, the miracles he performed & the priorities he showed
• wisdom teaching

  -in the time of Jesus, being a 'teacher of wisdom' was recognised as a spiritual occupation

  -wisdom was abt restoring balance to society or to the self

  -the Greek word for wisdom (the NT was written in Greek) is sophia, meaning clever, skilful, intelligent - which is the context that John's Gospel portrays Jesus in

  -John uses the term logos - the Word or essence of reason that God created the universe with - to personify Jesus

  -by his very birth, John claims, Jesus brings the wisdom of creation to the world
• characteristics of wisdom teachers

  -teaching of 2 alternative paths in life - Jesus taught people to choose to enter by narrow gate

  -offer a complete way of life - gave comprehensive account of how to live & summed it up in the law of love

  -teaching abt morals

  -using short, pithy statements

  -teachings memorable - parables designed to be memorable - e.g, Lost Son where story starts w/ son wishing his father dead ('give me my share of the estate')

  -teachings are challenging - authorities plotted to kill him

  -teachings based on past wisdom - didn't come to start again but to renew Judaism

  -teachings come across as unique - inspired amazement in listeners

  -wisdom teachers often itinerant - ministry not fixed in 1 place

  -wisdom teaching often put people 1st

  -wisdom teachings often spiritual (abt godly things, not just earthly ones) - Jesus taught as much abt right relationship w/ God as w/ neighbour
• Rabbi

  A Jewish teacher.
• Jesus' teachings - repentance and forgiveness

  -central to Jesus' teachings is idea of relationships between people

  -only way to maintain relationships is to restore broken ones & move on from past

  -Jesus sees this at local & national level: concerned w/ people's relationships w/ neighbours & society's relationships w/ those on edges

  -Jesus taught reconciliation must come 1st before worship (Matt 5:23-24) & outcasts must be drawn back into society (outcasts he healed or tax collector Matthew who became disciple)

  -must not judge others (individually or collectively - Matthew 7:1-5); forgiveness must be excessive (must forgive 70x7 times - Matthew 18:21-22) & must pray daily for forgiveness (Matthew 6:12)

  -humans must forgive others in same way God forgives them (e.g, Parable of unforgiving servant) & Jesus is central example (through death & forgiving sins of others - see Mark 2:1-12 where forgiveness of sins comes before miracle)
• Jesus' teachings - inner purity and moral motivation

  -Jesus criticised authorities of his day for being more concerned with the outward appearances of their religion (e.g, Luke 18:9-14 - the Pharisee & the tax collector) than w/ what is going on in their heart

  -morally, Jesus said that even thinking about adultery was as bad as committing it (Matthew 5:27-30) & he reminded his audiences that God will judge us on our attitudes towards others (The Sheep and the Goats, Matthew 25)

  -Jesus was more interested in what was going on inside a person & so interacted with all sorts of people that religious leaders would have ignored - he touched the sick, including lepers, & interacted w/ women on a level that was frowned upon
• Jesus wasn't only a teacher of wisdom strengths

  -Jesus may have come to shake up Jewish practices but all he did was reform Judaism through challenging ways of religious leaders of time & can't be said to be more than teacher of wisdom

  --> BUT some might argue it's wrong to say Jesus was a teacher as Son of God, this loses sight of his central function - to save world

  -some theologians reject all aspects of Gospel stories that have supernatural elements that could have been added after time of Jesus

  -once removed, what is left is the story of a wisdom teacher

  --> BUT it's wrong to box any individual into 1 category - Jesus' authority came from far more than just his teaching

  -miracles can be rejected as can the resurrection, leaving Jesus only as a teacher of wisdom.

  --> BUT it's wrong to call Jesus a teacher of wisdom. He taught about too many different things & in too many different ways to place him in a narrow category
• Messianic figure

  A ruler sent by God.
• the Incarnation

  -Luke's Gospel shows significance of Jesus' birth in 2:1-12:

  --> 'town of David' - Messiah was to be a descendent of David

  --> 'A Saviour has been born to you' - Jesus came to save

  --> 'He is the Messiah' - moment all Jews had been waiting for, for 100s of years, the fulfilment of the message of the prophets

  --> 'The Lord' - term used of the divine

  --> 'This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger' - great King seen in most humblest of states

  -Christians understand Incarnation as moment God chose to become a human to be ultimate mediator between God & humanity; only through this can God reverse effects of Fall

  -if all this came about as in the Gospels (Gospels don't agree on birth stories & Mark doesn't have one) then Mary & Joseph would have brought Jesus up knowing how special he was
• Jesus & prayer

  -as well as teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus himself prayed

  -he took himself off on his own to communicate with God (e.g., Matthew 14:23) & prayed he would not have to undergo crucifixion (Matthew 26:39)

  -if Jesus needed to pray, perhaps he can only be counted as a very special human w/ a special relationship with God, rather than something more

  -equally, if he was fully human, perhaps he needed to pray as much as anyone who is not also fully divine
• John's Gospel

  -John's Gospel was written about a generation after other 3 Gospels in NT

  -early writers stated he set out to write a spiritual Gospel that taught theology rather than recounted Jesus' life as other Gospels did

  -late date for text makes it difficult to use contents of the Gospel as literal accounts of Jesus' life, although some Christians maintain that John was the disciple of Jesus called John who was simply recording Jesus' life later on & who focused more on symbolism than other writers

  -Gospel includes 7 miracles (which John calls 'signs') and 7 great narratives, suggesting that at a structural level it is trying to do something different to the other Gospels

  -also includes 7 important phrases, the 'I am' sayings
• 'I am' sayings

  -'I am' sayings use an unusual Greek construction that points the reader to the Greek version of OT where 'I am' (in the same format) is the revealed name of God

  -each of the 7 sayings not only tells the reader who Jesus is at one level ('I am the Way and the Truth and the Life' - John 14:6) but also reminds reader of the divine nature of Jesus

  -at the very least, these sayings demonstrate that by the end of the 1st century, Jesus' divinity was taken for granted & probably came out of the tradition of the earliest Christians - that is, the disciples who had travelled with Jesus
• John's Gospel beginning

  -John's Gospel begins with his famous prologue (1:1-14) which echoes the creation story at the start of Genesis & shows that out of the darkness of sin, the light of Christ the redeemer will shine through

  -it culminates with the statement that God, who is shown in creation through his speech - the Word - became a human & lived on earth (the Greek literally means 'pitched his tent' or 'made his tabernacle' among us)

  -no doubt in the mind of the author of the Gospel that Jesus was truly unique
• Jesus' relationship w/ God was truly unique strengths

  -earliest Gospels downplay Jesus' divinity - if it were true, they would have said more about it

  --> BUT by the end of 1st century, as seen in John's Gospel, Jesus' divinity was clearly assumed - this makes it more likely that the idea of Jesus being unique or divine comes from the earliest Christians

  -Jesus had a close relationship with God - he prayed to God & taught people to call God 'Abba', meaning 'Dad' rather than 'Father'

  --> BUT Jesus' miracles demonstrate the power of God coming from him because he was a miracle-worker unlike any other

  -if Jesus had anything more than an excellent relationship with God, he would not have taught his followers to try to follow his example spiritually because they would not have been able to achieve it themselves

  --> BUT Jesus forgave sins in the way that only God could do in Jewish tradition - to the point he was accused of blasphemy
• Son of God: Mark 6:47-52

  -account of Jesus walking on water is sometimes explained as it was dark & Sea of Galilee is often foggy & very shallow

  --> perhaps sleepy disciples couldn't make out where Jesus was walking

  -Jesus had been praying & disciples were struggling to row

  -passage suggests Jesus was intending to pass by the boat but because they cried out, he responded

  -he comforted them, got into the boat & the wind died down - suggesting that there are two miracles in the one passage

  -account might be dismissed by theologians as a dream, but to many Christians, it's a sign that God's power working in Jesus has power over the elements
• Son of God: Mark 6:47-52 continued

  -hidden in the passage is the Greek phrase 'I am' (verse 50 - 'it is I') which may be a coincidence as Mark doesn't use phrase in same way John does, or else it might be a deliberate statement of Jesus' divinity (Jesus would have spoken in Aramaic, not Greek, & so this would be a literary device)

  -last verse of passage points back to previous chapter where Jesus fed 5000 - despite seeing that, disciples hadn't understood Jesus' nature

  -could indicate why Jesus' ministry had to be far more than just one of miracles as even those closest to Jesus failed to recognise him in his miracles
• Son of God: John 9:1-41

  -has a miracle, a debate w/ authorities & an 'I am' saying in it

  -Jesus gives sight to blind man (healing blind was 1 of the prophets' marks of the Messiah) & talks abt how he will bring light to the world through his divinity

  -Pharisees tried to find a way to explain away the miracle - Jesus was a sinner who didn't keep the Sabbath laws (9:16) - but Jesus' ministry was abt people & salvation he brought, not about keeping laws that the Pharisees focused on

  -in verse 22, read that those who acknowledged Jesus to be Messiah would be put out of the synagogue - this is not something there is evidence for elsewhere in the Gospels but indicates relationship between & authorities
• Son of God: John 9:1-41 continued

  -comedy of situation continues as Pharisees object to blind man's account on basis they are disciples of Moses and blind man has become a disciple of Jesus: they continue to miss the point

  -at end of passage, Jesus makes an effort to back up his actions with teaching

  -blind man has believed on account of miracle, but Jesus ensures his belief is backed up with understanding

  -Jesus then accuses Pharisees of being blind

  -miracle becomes side-lined but the passage should be read as more than just abt a miracle story
• wisdom teacher: Matthew 5:17-48

  -5:17-20 - Jesus says he hasn't come to 'do away' w/ Jewish tradition, inc. Law, but to fulfil or complete them

  --> he is drawing on part wisdom to shake up ways of the world & his followers must be more holy than the Pharisees

  -5:21-26 - murder still not allowed but harbouring anger (which could lead to murder) is just as bad

  --> Jesus' teaching on need for absolute inner purity & importance of reconciliation is central

  -5:27-32 - same is true for adultery & divorce: Jesus' way is not simply to allow them but to tighten up on existing practice

  -5:33-37 - similar approach to oaths but what matters most is what is inside a person: 'All you need to say is simply "Yes," or "No"; anything beyond this comes from the evil one'

  -5:38-48 - teachings here are abt being the bigger person - turn the other cheek, love your enemies: Jesus' morality is based on love but love is not the easy way out
• wisdom teacher: Luke 15:11-32

  -parable of The Lost Son begins with younger son's demand for his share of estate - essentially, wishing his father dead

  -son then wastes money to point of shame (forced to eat with pigs) & then realises he had done wrong, repents & decides to go home to seek father's forgiveness & place in his house as a servant

  -example of story Jesus would have told w/ shocking elements so his audience would remember it (teaching style)

  -on returning home, father's forgiveness is complete, immediate (doesn't wait for apology) & excessive

  -son is welcomed back into family & his elder brother's jealousy is put to 1 side

  -message: forgiveness must be absolute

  --> only takes repentance & forgiveness will be granted

  -Jesus probably pointing to absolute forgiveness & love offered by Father for anyone who turns back to him

  --> other Christians who have never turned away shouldn't be jealous of anyone returning to KoG
• liberator: Mark 5:24-34

  -woman's bleeding would've made her unable to take part in public worship & as she had been bleeding for 12 years, she would have been an outcast

  -miracle is brought abt by her faith - she knows she just needs to touch his cloak to be healed - & she was right

  -miracle is in some ways incidental to remainder of story

  -Jesus knew his power had been used - demonstrating something of his nature & divine power

  -he consoled woman and sends her off in peace, free from her suffering

  -doesn't bother him that she is an outcast & ritually unclean - his focus is on her freedom from status she has found herself in

  -God will always welcome those who come to him in faith, whatever their status, which challenged thinking of time
• liberator: Luke 10:25-37

  -parable of The Good Samaritan begins with exploration of what Law means

  -Jesus' interpretation is not heretical but would have shaken up thinking of authorities of time who had become insular in approach

  -Samaritans were often seen as worse than Gentiles (foreigners) as during 6th century BC they had betrayed their Jewish roots - people would go out of their way to avoid Samaritan land, even if it meant going abroad where it might take longer & be more dangerous
• liberator: Luke 10:25-37 continued

  -righteous person being a Samaritan, not priest of Temple or Levite (person of authority in Temple), challenges approach of authorities

  -presumably priest & Levite avoided injured man as were on their way to Jerusalem & contact w/ blood would have made them ritually unclean (& unable to do their jobs in Temple); Samaritan, as should moral Christian, has no regard to this & goes above & beyond in care for man

  -audience called to treat everyone as their neighbour (like 'The Sheep and the Goats') but also challenged to get priorities right

  -Jesus' liberation is offered to all, inc. marginalised & the Christian must create that liberation in lives of others
• Jesus quotes

  -"If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" (John 14:9)

  -"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17)

  -"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1)

  -"God said to Moses, "I am who I am." This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I am has sent me to you"' (Exodus 3:14)

  -"As for what is inside you - be generous to the poor & everything will be clean for you" (Luke 11:41)

  -"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17)