Christian views of Jesus
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Christian views of Jesus vary somewhat among different Christian denominations, but almost all Christians base their beliefs around what they hold to be Jesus' teachings, and believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the saviour of mankind foretold in the Old Testament. Most further believe him to be the Son of God, and the incarnation of God himself.
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[edit] Belief in the divinity
Apart from the role of Jesus as the Messiah, the vast majority of Christians also regard belief in his divinity to be a significant part of Christianity. According to mainstream Christian theology after it was systematized in the first centuries AD, Jesus is conceptualized as a member of the Trinity, who along with the Father and the Holy Spirit are thought to be three "persons", each alone being God, but also making up one metaphysical substance and always in unity as the one God. See Trinity; Nicene creed. Some, although a minority in Christianity, do not subscribe to this view in part or at all, such as: Unitarians, Oneness Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons. More specifically, Mormonism refers to this triune as the Godhead and believes that they are three distinct persons unified in will and mind, but not in body; Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus is the first creation of God, a distinct being, and the Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force.
Some denominations have developed other metaphysical conceptualizations of Jesus, including the idea that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one "person" with three or more manifestations (see Modalism) or are distinct not just in "person" but in metaphysical essence, and unified only in "will" or "mind". Many of these doctrines were rejected as heresies by the Ecumenical councils of Christianity, and some modern variants (for example, Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses) are at times excluded from the umbrella of Christianity, particularly by Evangelicals, though they often call themselves Christian. See Christology, Mormonism and Christianity.
Christians see many passages in the Gospels and other parts of the New Testament as debating the divinity of Jesus Christ. Raymond E. Brown discussed the issue in Does the NT call Jesus God?
[edit] Life
[edit] The ministry and message of Jesus
Jesus taught love for God as the foremost responsibility of man and that this love would be demonstrated by obedience to the words of Jesus John 14:15. Some Christians believe his message to have been that universal love is a direct fulfilling of God's will, rather than observing the laws which were contained in the Hebrew Bible, see also Law and Gospel. Others believe that the Gospel message wasn't revealed to the disciples until after Jesus' resurrection from the dead and that people may obtain salvation through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ; these Christians believe that this salvation can be obtained through faith in the atoning sacrifice of resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Very often, Jesus hid the specificity of his messages through the use of parables. When asked privately by his disciples Matthew 13:10 why he spoke in parables, Jesus told them in Matthew 13:11-16 that it was so those who weren't his disciples wouldn't understand. Some Christians believe that this was an act of mercy, because they believe sin and judgement increase with knowledge; by hiding this knowledge in parables, the ignorant remain less sinful.[citation needed]
The early fathers of the church further expanded on his message, and much of the rest of the New Testament is concerned with the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection with the associated responsibilities of Christian life, along with prophetic revelations that show future circumstances and the final outcome of the current age (i.e. 1 Timothy 4 and The Revelation of John). One idea that has remained constant throughout Christian theology is the idea that humanity was redeemed, saved, or given an opportunity to come to salvation through faith in Jesus' death and bodily resurrection. "Jesus died for our sins" is a common Christian aphorism.
While faith in Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection is sufficient for salvation within the Christian doctrine, (i.e. John 3:16) good works are certainly expected as evidence of the convert's salvation. The writer, in James 2:18, says that he will show his faith by his works. Revelation 3:2 asks the reader to "strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die," implying that failure to produce good works might lead to a loss of rewards at the believers' judgment. John 13:15 claims that Jesus' life is an example or role model for followers. And at John 14:12 Jesus states that followers who believe in him can do the works that he does and even "greater works". This last scripture has provoked much debate on the role of miracles and healing in current times. See also Antinomianism.
However, the idea of "salvation" has been interpreted in many ways, and a wide spectrum of Christian viewpoints exist and have existed throughout history up to the present day.
Some especially notable events in the ministry of Jesus, recounted in the Gospels, include:
- When Jesus was asked what is the most important commandment in the Mosaic Law, Jesus answered: "The most important one... is this:... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'" Mark 12:29-30, echoing Deut. 6:5, the Shema), and then he said, "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (found in Lev. 19:18)
- Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:15-19
- Seeing merchants doing money-changing at the Temple in Jerusalem, he used a whip to drive out all the animals being bought and sold by the merchants, released the doves, and overturned the tables to scatter the money-changers' coins, saying to those who sold the doves, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" John 2:16
- On the day before Passover started, now referred to as Good Friday, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his disciples—the Last Supper. During the meal, he gave bread to his disciples, saying, "Take it and eat. This is my body", and then gave them a cup of wine, saying, "Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:26-29 Many Christian denominations take this as the institution of the sacrament of Communion, or the Eucharist.
[edit] Crucifixion interpretations
While hanging on the cross, the Gospel of Mark has Jesus asking, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Many readers find this theologically perplexing, believing that God left him to die on the cross. According to a common interpretation of the scriptures, God the Father was turning away from Jesus at this time because He was suffering in the place of sinners. Others recognise this as an exact quotation of the first verse of Psalm 22, a common way at the time to refer to an entire Psalm. That Psalm begins with cries of despair, but ends on a note of hope and trust in God's triumph and deliverance. It also contains several details that have been taken to apply to Jesus' crucifixion, such as the soldiers casting lots for Jesus' garments and leaving his bones unbroken. Still, others of a long-held tradition see Jesus' words as the ultimate climax of Jesus' entering into the human condition; his exclamation here evinces his full experience and solidarity with humanity, even the experience of alienation from God.[citation needed] Yet, others consider "why hast thou forsaken me" to be a mistranslation of the original Aramaic: they argue that a better translation is "for this I was kept" or "why hast thou let me to live?".[citation needed] Jesus' final words in Luke 23:46 are "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
The Gospel of John, on the other hand, describes Jesus' final words as, "It is finished" upon his death. Also, the account in John does not mention Jesus asking for the "bitter cup" to be taken away from him while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before (eventually ending his prayer with the words, "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done"), but rather skips this and proceeds directly to Jesus' acceptance of God's will, expounding upon his atitude of surrender (John 18:11). Although, it does include his praying to God to watch over his followers.
[edit] Resurrection, Ascension, and Second Coming
According to the New Testament, he was raised from the dead by God on the third day following his crucifixion and appeared to his disciples; the Acts of the Apostles reports that forty days later he ascended bodily into Heaven and retains since then both of his natures, divine and human. Paul's letters to the Romans, Ephesians and Colossians, as well as the letter to the Hebrews (traditionally attributed to Paul) claim that Jesus presently exercises all authority in heaven and on earth for the sake of the Church, until all of the earth is made subject to his rule through the preaching of the Gospel, see also the Great Commission. Based on the New Testament, Christians believe that Jesus will return from heaven at the end of the age, to judge the living and the dead, and fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy.
In many sects of the Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism), it is believed that Jesus appeared in the Western Hemisphere after his resurrection and taught some early Americans, whom The Book of Mormon says were of Israelite descent. It is also believed that, because the Book of Mormon refers to "other lost sheep," when Christ left America he may have visited other civillizations in different parts of the world, although it is not mentioned where.
[edit] Miracles performed
Main article: Miracles of Jesus
Miracles performed by Jesus, according to the Gospels, include:
- Turning water into wine for a wedding feast.
- Curing a sick child who was near death.
- Curing a lame man, a man with a virulent skin disease, a paralyzed man.
- Feeding a crowd of five thousand using only fives loaves of bread and two fish.
- Walking on water to reach his disciples who were in a boat (and enabling Peter to walk on water, also).
- Giving sight to a man born blind.
- Resurrecting a man (Lazarus) who had been dead for four days.
- Appearing to Peter, James, and John in a transfigured state, with unearthly, brilliant white clothes, and with Elijah and Moses.
[edit] Quotes
Well-known quotations attributed to Jesus in the Gospels include:
- The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
- The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
- "No one can be the slave of two masters... You cannot be the slave of both God and mammon [i.e. material possessions, wealth, money]." (Matthew 6:24) (Discourse on ostentation)
- "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." (Matthew 7:1)
- "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs..." (Matthew 7:6)
- "Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find." (Matthew 7:7)
- "Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it." (Matthew 7:13)
- "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword... A person's enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:34)
- "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (the Sole Satisfier - Matthew 11:28)
- "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven." (matthew 19:24)
- "Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." (Matthew 22:21)
- "The spirit is willing enough, but human nature is weak." (Matthew 26:41)
- "Love your enemies, do good to those who treat you badly. To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well". (Luke 6:27)
- "Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the great log in your own?" (Luke 6:41)
- "I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
- "I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me." or "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
- "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give to you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you." (John 14:27)
[edit] Christology
Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus Christ is. It is generally less concerned with the minor details of his life; rather it deals with who he was, the Incarnation, and the major events of his life (his birth, death, and resurrection), and the nature of miracles.
Christology may also cover questions concerning the Trinity, and what, if anything, Christ accomplished for the rest of humanity. There are almost as many Christological views as there are variants of Christianity. The different Christological views of various Christian sects have led to declarations of faith by ecumenical councils, accusations of heresy, and subsequent religious persecution.
[edit] Legacy
According to most Christian interpretations of the Bible, the theme of Jesus' preaching was that of repentance and faith. During his public ministry, Jesus extensively trained twelve Apostles to continue after his departure his leadership of the many who had begun to follow him, mainly in the towns and villages throughout Galilee, Samaria, and the Decapolis. Most Christians who hold that Jesus' miracles were literally true, not allegory, think the Apostles gained the power to perform miracles and heal both Jews and Gentiles alike after they had been empowered by the Holy Spirit of Truth (to pneuma tēs alētheias, John 14:17, John 26; Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4). Some Christians, citing Mark 16:17, believe that these supernatural powers are given to all believers. According to Acts 2:4, these claims were fulfilled at Pentecost, poignantly the Jewish feast that, in addition to other Scriptural events, commemorates also the giving of the Law to Moses. For Christians the legacy Jesus left was one of sacrifice and redemption; they believe that Jesus was sent by God to die as a sacrifice in place of all humanity. Christians hold that this sacrifice had to take place because all humans sin (they claim God's penalty for sin is death and separation from God), so God sent his son to die in their place and take his judgment on us upon himself. Jesus is held as an important person, a great teacher or a prophet by many other religions (who deny him as being God in the flesh).
[edit] See also
- Islamic view of Jesus
- Judaism's view of Jesus
- List of Jesus-related articles
- New Testament view on Jesus' life
- Religious perspectives on Jesus
[edit] External links
- Jesus Christ - A Christian Source of Apologetics on Jesus Christ
- Gibson, Mel, "The Passion Of The Christ". ISBN 0-7886-0588-7
- "Prophecies of Jesus Christ as Messiah". GodAndScience.org.
- Domínguez, J., "Prophecies of the Old Testament Fulfilled in Jesus". Jan. 26, 2004. (Public domain text)
- "The Gospel of Jesus Christ". BiblePlus.
- Jesus Blog - Looking at current events through the eyes of Jesus.
