2.To what extent was Jesus merely a political liberator?

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

• Jesus can be seen as liberator, wisdom teacher or the son of God
• Liberator – someone who frees a person or group of people
• He was more than a liberator to a great extent

Question 2

paragraph 1

Answer 2

• Zealots – freedom fighters used violence to attempt to rid Palestine of the romans – Simon was a Zealot
• Jesus link to Zealots can be argued to link to him a political liberator
• SUCCESSFUL – he challenged the political authority
• Jesus teaching of the Kingdom of God and being in a future when God will rule can be seen as political – suggests that the power would be taken away from those with authority – God would be the central focus of society and not laws but would be based on love

Question 3

paragraph 2

Answer 3

• NOT SUCCESSFUL
• He was not merely a political liberator – at the very least he can also be seen as a religious liberator – his main focus was on the interpretation of religion that had been made by politics – for example sermon on the mount, focusing on what you should do and follow in the bible (what the pharisees had got wrong – praying loudly on street corners to be heard)
• This can be seen to make him more of a wisdom teacher than a liberator – through his teachings of wisdom he enabled the liberation of people whether it was on a religious or political level
• His teaching where much more spiritual than political – the teachings of the kingdom of God ‘My Kingdom is not from this world’ – more spiritual in his authority

Question 4

paragraph 3

Answer 4

• ON THE OTHER HAND
• Jesus came to free people from themselves which can be seen as a move that would be made by a liberator – he wanted to make society better for people as politics made life worse
• His work was around being a political liberator
• NOT SUCCESSFUL
• Helped to liberate the outcasts in society as one of his main things – looking out for people and helping them – not a violent/ zealot behaviour
• IN ADDITION
• In regards to Jesus and his disciples being a zealot – Jesus said ‘live by the sword die by the sword’ – a very pacifist statement
• As well his disciples where not arrested alongside Jesus – they would have been seen as more of a threat if they were part of a revolution and zealots hoping for power and political liberation

Question 5

conclusion

Answer 5

• Jesus was not a political liberator
• He can be seen as more of a wisdom teacher talking of the bible which lead to religious liberation – helping people follow religion correctly and teaching of God – not creating a revolution and uprising against politicians of the time