Person of Jesus Flashcards
What three things is jesus known as?
Son of God
Teacher of wisdom
Political liberator
Jesus as son of god
Jesus was divine and was expressed through his knowledge of God, miracles and resurrection
Son of God
Jewish meaning was a king chosen by God to free Israel
Greek means divine being
Both influenced Christian belief on nature of jesus
Evidence for son of God
Seen through his knowledge of God
Many passages where he speaks abt his relationship with God
‘ whoever has seen me has seen the father’ (john 14:9)
‘The father and I are one’(john 10:30)
Shows jesus knew he was divine and God
Counterargument for him as son of God
He was human so couldn’t be fully God
‘The father is greater than I’ (john 14:28)
As a human jesus was fully aware of God, but wasn’t him
His relationship with God mirrors Adams before the fall
Jesus’ miracles
Shows he is the son of God
Indicates status more than human
Healed a blind man (john 9:1-41)
Walked on water (mark 6:47-52)
Demonstrates jesus’ divine power
Able to perform tasks impossible for an ordinary ar human
Jesus’miracles and authority
Shows insight into nature and kingdom of God
E.g. healed blind man
Could be contrast between faith of healed man and scepticism of pharisees
One who is blind sees truth but those who can see are blinded, becomes a metaphor
Nor exactly miracles but metaphors
Jesus’ resurrection
Shows he is the son of God
Ultimate demonstration of divinity
Points us to resurrection on day of judgement
Jesus as teacher of wisdom
Teaches repentance, forgiveness, inner purity and moral motivation
Sermon on the mount
Jesus taught gods law
Presents jesus as new Moses as he did similar thing
Image is reinforced when jesus frequently spoke of mosaic law ‘you have heard that it was said’
Jesus also talks of his mission to fulfil the law of Moses rather than abolish it
Repentance and forgiveness
Repentance through story of prodigal son
Disobedient son turns around and goes back to father and seeks forgiveness
Forgiveness - principally used to explain forgiveness as cancelling of debt
Parable of prodigal son
Demonstrates repentance and forgiveness through the reactions of the father and elder son to younger sons return
Father welcomes on with open arms
Immediately restores him and celebrates and let’s go of any anger and resentment
But elder son holds onto anger and resentment
Father coaxs son to forgive other one
Lords prayer
Reinforces message of repentance and forgiveness
‘Forgive us our trespasses, qs we forgive those who trespass against us’
Ask God to not hold our sins and forgive them and we should do likewise
Purity and morals
Very critical of pharisees accusing them of hypocrisy and legalism
‘Whitewashed tombs which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all kinds of filth’
Inner motivation
Emphasises prohibition of murder and adultery
‘If you are angry with a brother or sister’ or if you look ‘at a woman with lust’ you have already committed those actions
Must focus on inner motivation for our actions
Jesus as political liberator
Seen through challenges to political and religious authority
Jesus as a liberator
Critical of religious authorities, such as pharisees
Critical of values and behaviours of society in which he lived
Healing the bleeding woman
Heals the bleeding woman
Liberated the woman from illness that blighted her life for 12 years
Menstruating women were viewed as impure and shunned
Liberated her from illness but also marginalisation that she faced
Challenges mosaic law and those in the crowd to alter the treatment of such ‘outcasts’
Parable of good samaritan
Challenges conventional thinking in a number of ways
Touching a dead body was impure
Challenges excuse for why priest and levity didn’t stop to help
Good samaritan
Criticises religious law for taking precedence over compassion
Aims to liberate audience from legislatic approach
Praising actions of samaritan, reinforces pre eminence of compassion in the law
Jesus and pharisee
Story of jesus at home of Simon the pharisee
Liberated the woman from her sins through forgiveness
Challenges pharisee for his attitude to marginalised women
Does this through his critique on pharisee behaviour and praising women’s behaviour
Jesus triumphant return
Entry into Jerusalem and cleansing of temple
Arrives on dinkey liberating crowd from expectations of him as a kingly liberator
By heading to temple and turning over tables indicates main focus was religious authority liberating people from roman occupation
