The person of Jesus Christ

Question 1

What did the phrase, ‘son of God’ mean to the Jews?

Answer 1

For Jews, it tended to mean someone specially chosen by God, perhaps with angelic or supernatural aspects.

Question 2

What did the phrase, ‘son of God’ mean to the Gentiles?

Answer 2

For Gentiles, it was a way of saying someone was devine.

Question 3

At which 2 events does God call Jesus his son?

Answer 3

At his baptism and transfiguration, God specifically calls Jesus his son, but Jesus does not seem to use the title of himself.

Question 4

In who’s Gospel does Jesus use the phrase, ‘I am’, which indicates that he is the same as God?

Answer 4

In John’s Gospel, there are a number of sayings that begin, ‘I am’, written in Greek.

Question 5

Give an example of a miracle which showed Jesus was able to oerfin actions only

Answer 5

The calming of the sea

Question 6

What is the resurrection?

Answer 6

Jesus, as God, raised himself from the dead to show that, for humans, death is not the end.

Question 7

What is divinity?

Answer 7

Divinity is the divine aspect of Jesus - the part of Jesus that is God

Question 8

Jesus’ sayings are similar to sayings in which Biblical book?

Answer 8

Jesus’ sayings were often similar to those in the book of Proverbs.

Question 9

What are parables?

Answer 9

Jesus’ parables were stories that were designed to catch the attention of his contemporaries and to make them think differently about the world around them.

Question 10

What did Jesus think about the Sabbath Law?

Answer 10

The Sabbath Law needed to be kept in perspective.

Question 11

What does repent mean?

Answer 11

To turn your life in a new direction, away from your past life.

Question 12

Give an example of someone Jesus praised for their repentance?

Answer 12

Jesus praised the repentance of Zacchaeus the tax collector or those of his desciples who left behind old lives to follow him.

Question 13

How many times did Jesus say to forgive?

Answer 13

Jesus taught that people should not just forgive an action just once or just seven times, but seventy times seven times.

Question 14

Which daily prayer did Jesus teach that places forgiveness at the centre?

Answer 14

The prayer Jesus left the Church, the ‘Our Father’, places forgiveness at the centre of the daily prayer for the Christian when it says, ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us’.

Question 15

What is Jesus’ teaching about the Law ?

Answer 15

Jesus has come to fulfil the law, not to replace it. Christians need to be more faithful than the teachers of the law.

Question 16

interpretation of the teaching about Law

Answer 16

Christians must not pick and choose their interpretation of the law and all people are responsible for moral decisions, not just the teachings of the law.

Question 17

What is Jesus teaching about anger?

Answer 17

Whoever is angry needs to make peace with their brother as being angry is as bad as the murder it can lead to.

Question 18

Interpretation of the teaching about anger

Answer 18

Christians might strive for harmony in all aspects of their lives - and repent to bring about that harmony.

Question 19

What is Jesus’ teachings about adultery

Answer 19

Whoever thinks lustfully about a woman has committed adultery in his heart- it is better to cut off parts of your body that cause you to sin than for your whole body to go to hell.

Question 20

Interpretation of the teaching about adultery

Answer 20

The Christian must be pure in their thoughts, as well as their deeds - both are as important as the other.

Question 21

What is Jesus’ teaching about divorce?

Answer 21

Divorce, which used to be allowed for many reasons, is now to be very rare.

Question 22

Interpretation of the teaching about divorce

Answer 22

The Christian does not have easy ways out of difficult situations.

Question 23

What is Jesus’ teaching about vows ?

Answer 23

Don’t swear by oaths- just let Yes mean Yes and No mean No.

Question 24

Interpretation of teaching about vows

Answer 24

There should be no hidden agenda for the Christian; personal integrity is key.

Question 25

What is Jesus’ teaching about revenge and enemies?

Answer 25

Turn the other cheek- go the extra mile- love your enemies.

Question 26

Interpretation of teaching about revenge and enemies.

Answer 26

Christians must always strive to be the ‘bigger people’ in a situation.

Question 27

What is the Sermon on the Mount?

Answer 27

It is a series of teachings of Jesus, apparently given while he was on a mountain surrounded by crowds.

Question 28

What is the meaning of the parable of the lost son?

Answer 28

Jesus shows through the story the process of realising you have done wrong, turning your life around and being forgiven. While the focus is on the sinner, the younger son, it is clear that God’s forgiveness is total. The wisdom that Jesus is teching in this passage seems to be that God’s love and forgiveness is huge, but humans need to remember that they are responsible forn their actions and need to repent.

Question 29

Why was the phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ a political statement?

Answer 29

Because it suggested that authority was going to be taken away from those with earthly authority.

Question 30

Why was the phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ a political statement?

Answer 30

He made tax collecters, who represented the government, turn away from their former lifestyles and follow him.

Question 31

What did Jesus do in the last week of his life and how could you link that to politics?

Answer 31

• publicly entered Jerusalem on a peaceful donkey, not a military horse, suggesting he would bring about peace where the government could not.
• turned over the tables in the temple, objecting to that fact it had lost its religious focus.
• was crucified by the Roman government as a trouble-maker.

Question 32

What did Jesus do that challenged religious authority?

Answer 32

• Jesus was accused of not folllowing the strict laws relating to the Sabbath, but he said that following the laws needed to be kept in perspective.
• Jesus was critisicised from eating with outcasts, but he said that he was here to help the people that needed him most.
• Jesus was said not to respect the purification laws, but he pointed out that following rules is not the same as worshipping God properly.
• The religious authorities objected to Jesus forgiving sins because only God could forgive sins.

Question 33

What is a liberator?

Answer 33

somoen who frees a person or a group of people.

Question 34

How is ‘the woman with the flow of blood’ liberated?

Answer 34

Her interaction with Jesus makes her liberated from the spiritual aspects of her illness - from her being an outcast.

Question 35

How is ‘The parable of the Good Samaritan’ a good example of being liberated?

Answer 35

Not only does the Samaritian set an example of how to be a neighbour but the parabel teaches that people must be neighbours to everyone, whoever they are. Jesus teaches that all are equal and so all people are liberated by him.

Question 36

Give a reason why Jesus could be seen to be ONLY teacher of wisdom

Answer 36

Much of Jesus’ ministry was made up of him teaching through sayings, through parabled and through the example of miracles. Some suggest that his main aim was to purify Judaism, rather than to start a new religious movement: he seemed to expect the new Kingdom to come quickly and most of his work was with the Jewish people around him, rather than the Gentiles as well.
Some modern scholars have tried to strip away the elements of the Gospel that are likely to have sprung up after the time of Jesus and, in removing the supernatural elements, we are left with a teacher of wisdom. Some people find it difficult to accept that Jesus was divine, especially as there is little evidence that Jesus taught about himself.

Question 37

Give a reason why Jesus could be seen to be more that a teacher of wisdom

Answer 37

Jesus’ teaching was certainly authentic- it engaged people on a new level and made people think about the situation that they lived in, but some would argue that this does not mean that he was ‘only’ a teacher of wisdom: they would say that it is the whole picture - the miracle worker who rose from the dead - taht agve Jesus particular authority.
Jesus also started new systems that would last beyond his time on earth, such as the eucharist, and he saw himself as having followers who would carry on his work. He also taught his followers how to pray, suggesting that they would need to be in it for the long haul.

Question 38

What did Jesus model?

Answer 38

Jesus modelled an excellent religious lifestyle, taking time to pray, always remembering that God was at the centre of the decisions people make and perhaps understanding that religion needs to be reinterpreted for each new situation.

Question 39

What did Jesus speak with?

Answer 39

Jesus was known to speak with authority and he certainly had at least a special relationship with God, giving him the confidence to teach within the context of his tiem.

Question 40

Which other people had a special relationship with God?

Answer 40

Old Testament figures

Question 41

Give a reason why Jesus was truly unique

Answer 41

His miraculous birth, surrounded by unusual visitors, a moment of religious experience at his baptism and the again at his transfiguration and his resurrection from death by crucifixion all seem to suggest that Jesus was more that just another prophet.
Jesus seemed to embody both the Jewish and Gentile understandings of what it meant to be a Son of God.
Jesus was a miracle worker and inspirational teacher. The resurrectiob, however, is a key moment that changes our understanding of evrything that has gone before.