Person Of Jesus

Question 1

How does the New Testament speak of Jesus?

Answer 1

The New Testament applies the term ‘God’ to Jesus. Paul speaks of Jesus as God’s ‘own Son’. The New Testament says Jesus is God’s ‘only’ son or ‘own’ son, implying something unique. Jesus seems uniquely close to God as shown in the Baptism of Jesus and the Transfiguration.

Question 2

How is Jesus’ knowledge of God represented in the Bible?

Answer 2

Jesus calls God ‘Abba’ (Greek for ‘father’) and a heavenly voice declares Jesus ‘my son’ but Jesus does not use the term ‘son’ himself. The Gospels say Jesus comes into this world through the intervention of the Holy Spirit and Mary.

Question 3

Examples of Jesus being directly associated with God by the text and is believed to be so by Christians.

Answer 3

• St John writes of Jesus as Word, and that the ‘Word was God’
• (Doubting) Thomas refers to Jesus as ‘my Lord and my God’
• in the letter to the Hebrews a psalm is addressed to Jesus as God
• God’s spirit will come again in Jesus’ name
• Jesus has a saving God-like power
• Jesus is worshipped, something done to a God

Question 4

What idea about Jesus’ closeness to God was rejected by the early church?

Answer 4

If Jesus is God and human, does that mean he had two beings inhabiting one body with one in power over the other? While this explains how Jesus could know God, it would mean Jesus is both God and a separate human being. This was rejected in the early Church:

“… teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; consubstantial (coessential) with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in-confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the difference of the Nature being in no way removed because the Union, but rather the properties of each Nature being preserved, and (both) concurring into One Person and One Hypostasis; not as though He were parted or divided into Two Persons, but One and the Self-same Son and Only begotten God, Word, Lord, Jesus Christ”.

Question 5

What phrase did the early Church use to describe Jesus?

Answer 5

This belief in the ‘perfect conjunction of Jesus’ 2 natures was termed a hypostic union by the early Church. But there were still difficulties.

Hypostic union: the belief that Christ is both fully God and fully human, indivisible, 2 natures united in one person.

Question 6

How human was Jesus?

Answer 6

In order to save humanity from sin, Jesus had to be divine as only God has that redemptive power. However, if Jesus was God, does that mean he didn’t really suffer on the Cross - as how can a God suffer? If Jesus did not feel pain and did not actually die from Crucifixion, that would mean his Resurrection was not real, the cross is false and Jesus wasn’t a real human being.

Question 7

Why does Jesus have to be God? Why does Jesus have to be human?

Answer 7

He had to be God, as only God can save. He had to be hi,an, as only humans need saving. If he wasn’t God he couldn’t overcome those forces for humanity. If he’s not God, he can’t reveal the Father; if he isn’t human, he can’t reveal the father to us. Or as Gregory of Nazianzen put it, ‘what he has not assumed he has not healed’.

If Jesus was fully human as well as divine, then that also creates problems. Paul wrote that humans have a sinful, corrupting nature, so if Jesus became human, wouldn’t he become corrupted?

Question 8

What did Bishop Apollinaris of Laodicea worry about?

Answer 8

Bishop Appolinaris worried that ‘a human mind - that is a changeable mind.. is enslaved to filthy thoughts’, so suggested the Word replaced the human mind and soul with a divine one, without taking on fallible human nature. Gregory of Nazianzen rejected Apollinaris’ suggestion because it constituted a ‘half salvation’. Apollinarism was rejected as heresay.

Question 9

What do the Church think about Jesus’ humanity?

Answer 9

Most Christian Churches today, including the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and most Protestant Churches, follow the agreement established by the major ecumenical councils. The First Council of Nicaea in AD325 resolved that Jesus was of the same substance as the Father, or of one being - homoousios. The Council of Chalcedon in AD451 affirmed that Christ is acknowledged in 2 natures, which come together into one person and one hypostasis. Jesus was not a mix or a blend.

The Council of Chalcedon’s definition is not recognised by any Oriental Orthodox Church and, as a result, these Churches may be classified as non-Chalcedonian.

Question 10

What was the extent of Jesus’ self knowledge?

Answer 10

Was Jesus free to what he did? Is freedom a basic part of being human? Was his knowledge a human knowledge or did he look onto the world as the creator looks onto its creation? To what extent did he have knowledge of of his divine reality? Did he wander around being the Son of God, without realising it?

If Jesus had divine knowledge what do his expressions of emotions mean? Was his anxiety in the Garden of Gethsemane and his tears at the death of Lazarus just fake?

Question 11

What did Medieval theology respond with about the extent of Jesus’ self knowledge?

Answer 11

Medieval theology responded with three kinds of knowledge that Jesus might have:

• knowledge of the divine reality of God, face-to-face, and all the created realities (scientia visions)
• an infused knowledge (scientia infusa)
• knowledge of life in the normal way of human life (scientia experientia)

Question 12

What is Karl Rahner’s solution to the extent of Jesus’ self-knowledge?

Answer 12

Karl Rahner suggests a genuinely human consciousness must have an unknown future in front of it. Our life is conditioned by our uncertainty. If Jesus was conscious of God the Father’s awareness all the time, then his view of life can hardly be called a human one.

Rahner’s solution is to think of an onion, with its many layers of skin. We have deep within us better understandings of our self which are not always on the surface of our consciousness. The expression of fear in Gethsemane or uncertainty in the desert or on the cross makes sense if Jesus’ human self - consciousness was close to the surface but his divine self - consciousness was deep within.

Question 13

What challenges does Gerald O’Collins raise about the possibility of answering these kinds of questions?

Answer 13

1. It is very difficult to undertake any study of the inner world of any being, alive or dead, so trying to make sense of the kind of inner experience of life that Jesus might have is very challenging, particularly as he left no writings of his own.
2. Before anyone can say ‘yes, Jesus knew he was the saviour’ a person must first show an appreciation of the complexity of knowledge, the multi-layered structure of how we experience reality, with memory, emotion, experience, intuition, instinct, identity and many other factors play a part. Know theyself is easier said than done.
3. Consciousness is not the same as knowledge of a separate object. Knowledge of a separate object takes place without reflection, but consciousness always involves a degree of reflection.

O’Collins concludes that one answer is possible given all of these caveats:

“What did Jesus know about himself and his mission?… He knew that he stood in a unique relationship to the Father and that as the Son he had a mission of salvation for others….. His basic awareness of his Sonship did not mean observing the presence of God, as if Jesus were facing an object out there. It was rather a self consciousness and self-presence in which he was intuitively aware of his divine reality”.

Question 14

What may miracles suggest about Jesus?

Answer 14

The account of Jesus’ miracles would indicate to those that believe them that there is something very special about Jesus. For example, his authority over death, illness and nature of Godly attributes. At the time of Jesus, humans could not control death, nature or the human body in ways that we might be able to nowadays.

Question 15

What does Hume suggest about miracles?

Answer 15

Hume suggested that as we have no current day proof of Jesus’ miracles, it’s not possible to trust them even if the Gospel writers believe that they were truth.

Question 16

What does Schillebeeckx say about miracles?

Answer 16

Schillebeeckx says maybe Jesus calming the storm is a metaphor Jesus bringing calm into our lives.

Question 17

What does Wright say about miracles?

Answer 17

Wright takes this further and suggests that Jesus is not just bringing calm to the individual, but, in his time, Jesus was bringing calm to a factionalised society drawing different groups together to start establishing the kingdom of God on Earth.

These miracles might be something more however. They are direct evidence that Jesus uses to show us that he is the Son of God.

Question 18

What did Paul say about the resurrection?

Answer 18

Paul says that ‘we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised’ (1 Cor 15:15)

‘And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith’ (1 Cor 15:14)

Question 19

What did N.T. Wright suggest about the resurrection?

Answer 19

N.T Wright suggests that the belief that Jesus had been raised from the dead was the reason Jesus’ disciples regrouped and rapidly changed their traditional worship practices to focus on Jesus. The disciples had been shattered by Jesus’ crucifixion and without this belief in his Resurrection, the Christian Church would not have been developed.

Resurrection became fundamental to what Christians believe about God: like Jesus, everyone will be raised from the dead. Salvation is dependent on believing that Jesus was resurrected: ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans 10:9).

Question 20

What does the resurrection show about God and Jesus?

Answer 20

It is a great demonstration of power and underlines Jesus’ status. On the other hand, Jesus himself raise Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus discloses God in a new and startling way, through a focus on suffering, new life and unconditional love. “it enables the death of Christ upon the cross to be interpreted in terms of God’s victory over death [and] it gives birth foundation and substance to the Christian hope of eternal life”. - McGrath.

The resurrection vindicates his certainty in the future Kingdom of God: what O’Collins thinks. The preaching and miracles of Jesus had met with apparent defeat but it’s power is demonstrated through the Resurrection and justifies Jesus’ personal authority. Luke emphasises vindication in the Act of the Apostles.

The resurrection is the full and final revelation of Jesus: It fully and finally reveals and seals the meaning and truth of Jesus’ life, person, work and death. Paul emphasises revelation (Galatians 1:12, 1:16) in his reading of the Resurrection, and the New Testament presents the Resurrection in a very different way from any other miracle. It is described as the beginning of the end of all things.

The Resurrection reveals the glorified transformed being: It reveals Jesus in a new and finally transfigured way. It is the fulfilment of the promise Jesus made to to the Sunhedris ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’ Mark 14:62, New International Version), and this is visualised through his ascension into heavenly glory (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9-11 and John 20:17).

Realisation that the weak can mediate God’s revelation: In the Resurrection there is the realisation that ‘the weak, the despised, and the suffering - those who became fools for God’s sake - can serve as special meditators of revelation (and salvation)’ (O’Collins). Jesus shows God’s self-giving, divine love, even to the extent of an appalling death: ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we are still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8, New International Version).

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16, New International Version).

Question 21

What does it mean to call Jesus a teacher of wisdom?

Answer 21

To call Jesus a teacher of wisdom means that he gave moral guidance. He taught people how to be good. Even Richard Dawkins said that Jesus was a great moral teacher (although, this is a backhanded compliment as Dawkins believes that Jesus was nothing but a teacher).

Much of Jesus’ teachings are centred around love for our neighbour, love for God and forgiveness. Jesus highlights our responsibility towards those less fortunate and warns that we will be judged if we fail to help them (the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, and the parable of the Good Samaritan).

Question 22

What did John Hick say about Jesus as a teacher of wisdom?

Answer 22

John Hick has stated that there is nothing unique in Jesus’ attitude about love. Indeed, he states that all of the main world religions have similar figures who promote the idea of loving your neighbour and loving God.

Hick suggests that Jesus is our incarnation of the ultimate role model for how to be good, but this is not the same as Jesus being divine.

Question 23

How did C.S.Lewis criticise John Hick?

Answer 23

C.S.Lewis criticised John Hick saying that you cannot separate Jesus as a moral guide from Jesus as the Son of God. These are indivisible qualities of Jesus.

Question 24

What did Bonhoeffer say?

Answer 24

Bonhoeffer’s beliefs have strong links to the idea that we meet God in those who are oppressed. When God became flesh in Jesus he experienced human emotion and suffering. Bonhoeffer believed that we become closer to God when we suffer. This is backed up by Jesus’ teachings in the Beatitudes.

Question 25

Bible accounts of show Jesus’ authority as the Son of God

Answer 25

• Mark 6:47-52 Jesus walks on water:

Disciples were stuck in the middle of the lake on a boat rowing against the wind. Disciples were shocked to see Jesus walking on water, who initially was going to pass by them. Jesus spoke to them who initially at once, “Courage!” he said. “It is I. Don’t be afraid!” Then he got into the boat with them and the wind died down. The disciples were completely amazed because they had not understood the real meaning of the feeding of the 5000; their minds could not grasp it.

• John 9:1-47 Jesus heals a Man Born Blind:

Jesus spat in the ground and made some mud with the spittle; he rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes and said “Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing. People denied that this blind man could now see. The authorities heard of what happened and whoever believed that Jesus made this man see would be expelled from the synagogue. They questioned the man himself saying, “Promise before God that you will tell the truth! We know that this man who cured you is a sinner”. The man responded, “I do not know if he is a sinner or not… One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see”. Jesus said that “I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind”. Pharisees asked him “Surely you don’t mean that we are blind, too?”. Jesus answered, “If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still guilty”.

Question 26

Bible accounts showing Jesus’ authority as a teacher of wisdom

Answer 26

• Teaching about the law (Sermon on the Mount):

Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with - not until the end of all things. So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.

• Teaching about Anger (Lk 12:57-59):

Whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial, whoever calls his brother ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Council, and whoever calls his brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. ‘Settle a dispute before you get to court’.

• Teaching about Adultery:

Anyone who looks at a woman and wants to posses her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. So if your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

• Teaching about divorce (Mt 19:9; Mk 10:11-12; Lk 16:18:

If a man divorces his wife, for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also.

• Teaching about vows:

Do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

• Teaching about Revenge (Lk 6:29-30):

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’. But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slows you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too.

• Love for enemies (Lk 6:27-28, 32-36):

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!

• Luke 15:11-32 (Parable of the Lost Son):

A man divides his property between his 2 sons. The younger son sold his property and left home with the money and wasted his money on and reckless lifestyle. A severe famine spread and he was left with nothing, so he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. He came to his senses and went back to his Father and said, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers”. His father made a feast for him rejoicing that his dead son had finally become alive. His eldest son was jealous as he had never disobeyed his father and did what was required of him and he never got a feast. His father simply said “My son you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found”.

Question 27

Examples of Jesus as the liberator

Answer 27

• Political revolutionary:

At the time of Jesus, the Jews were ruled over by the Romans. Historically the Jews had been oppressed. We have evidence of this going back to Moses in the Old Testament where he freed the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The Old Testament scripture had many prophecies about a Messiah who would save the Jews. Many Jews believed this Messiah would be a warrior prepared to gift their cause. We have evidence of Jesus warning his disciples that they needed to arm themselves (Luke: “He who has not a sword should buy one”). Some of the disciples were also regarded as Zealots hinting that Jesus himself might have been extremist. When Jesus entered the temple on a donkey, at what we call Psalm Sunday, he was purposely fulfilling prophecy about a Messiah who would overthrow the oppressors of the Jews.

Aslan has emphasised these teachings on Jesus being revolutionary but his book ‘Zealot: The life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth’ is controversial because we have even more evidence that Jesus promoted peace and that he was more interested in the kingdom of God rather than any Roman led kingdom on Earth.

• Social revolutionary:

We have evidence to show that Jesus wanted to bring different groups into society together. For example, the Parable of the Good Samaritan shows the Samaritan to be the good guy. Through this parable, he’s trying to break down social barriers and racist attitudes. Jesus is also mixing openly with groups of people who have been marginalised in society, for example, the extremely poor, the very sick (contagious), the women caught in adultery, tax collectors, etc. Jesus is a social-leveller. He is liberating people from social constraints.

• Religious Revolutionary:

We have evidence to suggest that on a number of occasions Jesus came into conflict with the Jewish authorities too. When Jesus turns the tables over in the temple, it is a clear indication that he is against the way the Jewish authorities have enforced temple taxes and turned the temple into a ‘den of thieves’. Jesus conflicts with the Pharisees on teachings about the Sabbath. He heals someone and also picks food for his disciples on the Sabbath. He is accused of breaking Sabbath law by the Pharisees. When Jesus is arrested he is first put on trial by the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court). The Jewish authorities saw Jesus as a trouble maker and someone who did not behave according to Jewish Law.

Some have suggested that maybe Jesus was painted in more of an anti-Jewish light than he actually was. Jesus was a Jew. The first writings of the New Testaments were written for the early Christian Church and so maybe set Jesus up as this religious revolutionary to set Christianity apart from Judaism. However, Jesus does not really go against the Old Testament in the scripture, he just clarifies teachings that have been misunderstood over 100s of years. Jesus also never refers to himself as the Son of God so he wasn’t setting himself up as the leader of something new, he was just providing clarity for people who already believed in God. Saunders has suggested that maybe he wasn’t as opposed to Jewish authority as scriptures have suggested.

Question 28

Was Jesus only a teacher of wisdom?

Answer 28

Jesus’ only message was not just how to be good. It was also about forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. Love thy neighbour is only half the story for Jesus loving your God meant that there was more than just life on earth.

Question 29

Was Jesus more than a political liberator?

Answer 29

Jesus has been credited with liberating people in a number of ways; from physical oppression due to poverty and illness, from political oppression under the Romans, and religious oppression under the wealth of Jewish laws. Jesus goes further than this though and shows people how they can be liberated from death through believing in him and achieving eternal life.

Question 30

Was Jesus’ relationship with God very special or truly unique?

Answer 30

Many people in the scriptures have a special relationship with God, for example Abraham, Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus goes further though, Jesus fulfils the prophecies given to these men before him. We even have confirmation from God the father at Jesus’ baptism that this is his Son. Jesus is an inspirational figure but delivers so much more through his actions e.g. miracles and promise of eternal life.

Question 31

Did Jesus think he was divine?

Answer 31

If Jesus did know that he was God, this would mean that any human emotion or doubt that he expressed, for example, in the Garden of Gethsemane seems fraudulent. If Jesus didn’t know that he was God, where does his conviction about salvation and the afterlife come from? How is he able to perform miracles. It’s a mystery. Remover onion analogy about different layers of consciousness.