Please read LR, pp. 298 – 313.
Birth and Childhood of Jesus:
Constructing a single chronology of Jesus’ life from the Gospels is impossible!
Birth – 4 BCE – Bethlehem or Nazareth – Born to a “virgin” – Two “genealogy”: Matthew’s (Matthew 1:1-18) and Luke’s (Luke 3:23-38)! You may want to explore why the two genealogies are very different.
Childhood – We read about Jesus at the age of 12 – What about before 12 and in between 12-30?
Ministry – Life and Work of Jesus:
What kind of ministry did Jesus perform? Peter, the chief of Jesus’ disciples, summarising the ministry of Jesus, said: “[Jesus] went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
Is the Nazareth Manifesto of Jesus (Luke 4:16-20), below, subtly political?
Birth and Childhood of Jesus:
Constructing a single chronology of Jesus’ life from the Gospels is impossible!
Birth – 4 BCE – Bethlehem or Nazareth – Born to a “virgin” – Two “genealogy”: Matthew’s (Matthew 1:1-18) and Luke’s (Luke 3:23-38)! You may want to explore why the two genealogies are very different.
Childhood – We read about Jesus at the age of 12 – What about before 12 and in between 12-30?
Ministry – Life and Work of Jesus:
What kind of ministry did Jesus perform? Peter, the chief of Jesus’ disciples, summarising the ministry of Jesus, said: “[Jesus] went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
Is the Nazareth Manifesto of Jesus (Luke 4:16-20), below, subtly political?
“When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down."
Was Jesus a miracle worker? How do you look at his miracles, literally or metaphorically? Conservative Christians often take it literally, while the more liberal Christians may view the miracle metaphorically.
Matthew 14:13-21:
Was Jesus a miracle worker? How do you look at his miracles, literally or metaphorically? Conservative Christians often take it literally, while the more liberal Christians may view the miracle metaphorically.
Matthew 14:13-21:
“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”
Feeding of the 5000: Is this a miracle of multiplication of the bread or miracle of sharing!
Feeding of the 5000: Is this a miracle of multiplication of the bread or miracle of sharing!
To Think: If you were a conservative/liberal Christian, how will you understand the Matthew 17:24-27:
“ When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?’ He said, ‘Yes, he does.’ And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?’ When Peter said, ‘From others’, Jesus said to him, ‘Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offence to them, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.’”
Jesus’ preaching had a “radical message” –
a. Touching lepers and his time with women!
b. Parables (Stories) – Make it clear or to conceal! Almost one third of Jesus’ teachings are through parables. There are about 60 parables attributed to Jesus. Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in LR, p. 305. Parables on “Lost and Found” are found in Luke 15.
c. Beatitudes (see below)
Beatitudes – Matthew 5:1-13 – Somewhat the Aspirations of Jesus!
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot."
Jesus’ life style compared to the Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes, and Essenes – religious contemporaries of Jesus – was very different. [To know more about these groups refer to notes on “Jewish Movements” under Judaism.]
Jesus’ preaching had a “radical message” –
a. Touching lepers and his time with women!
b. Parables (Stories) – Make it clear or to conceal! Almost one third of Jesus’ teachings are through parables. There are about 60 parables attributed to Jesus. Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in LR, p. 305. Parables on “Lost and Found” are found in Luke 15.
c. Beatitudes (see below)
Beatitudes – Matthew 5:1-13 – Somewhat the Aspirations of Jesus!
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot."
Jesus’ life style compared to the Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes, and Essenes – religious contemporaries of Jesus – was very different. [To know more about these groups refer to notes on “Jewish Movements” under Judaism.]
Death, Resurrection, and Ascension:
Jesus alienated his religious contemporaries through his lifestyle and teaching – both in its content and the way he presented his message. Jesus' contempraries, perhaps, were envious of his success that came through his fresh and forthright teaching. To know more about this you may want to read the books (known as “Gospels”) attributed to Matthew, Mark, or Luke. This led to his ccrucifixion, death on the cross.
His followers, however, announced Jesus’ resurrection and the subsequent ascension.
Jesus’ Return:
Christians believe that Jesus will return to earth. There is a wide variety of opinion about this among the different shades of Christians and church communities.
Jesus alienated his religious contemporaries through his lifestyle and teaching – both in its content and the way he presented his message. Jesus' contempraries, perhaps, were envious of his success that came through his fresh and forthright teaching. To know more about this you may want to read the books (known as “Gospels”) attributed to Matthew, Mark, or Luke. This led to his ccrucifixion, death on the cross.
His followers, however, announced Jesus’ resurrection and the subsequent ascension.
Jesus’ Return:
Christians believe that Jesus will return to earth. There is a wide variety of opinion about this among the different shades of Christians and church communities.
Some Sources:
Here are some books that you may consult to explore more on “Jesus”, our topic for today:
a. Borg, Marcus J., Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.
Here are some books that you may consult to explore more on “Jesus”, our topic for today:
a. Borg, Marcus J., Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.
b. Borg, Marcus J., and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.
c. Mayotte, Ricky Alan, The Complete Jesus, South Royalton, Vermont: Steerforth Press, 1998. (This book does not discuss Jesus but quotes Jesus’ words – arranging them under 9 themes – from 5 sources from the New Testament, 11 sources from Gnostic Texts, and 8 sources from Apocrypha).
d. Borg, Marcus J., The Heart of Christianity – Rediscovering a Life of Faith: How We Can Be Passionate Believers Today, HarperSanFrancisco, 2003. (Chapter 5 of this book has a discussion on Jesus. The book is a good introduction to a “non-conservative” Christian religion).
Questions to Explore:
1. What is known about the historical life of Jesus? How is this similar to and different from the Jesus that one encounters in the Christian Scriptures, especially the four gospels?
1. What is known about the historical life of Jesus? How is this similar to and different from the Jesus that one encounters in the Christian Scriptures, especially the four gospels?
2. Critically comment on the mind of Jesus revealed in the beatitudes and its relevance to the modern world.
