Articles
THE BEACON~ By JH FORESTER
“Who was Jesus?”
Matthew 16:13 :” When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”
Jesus Himself was interested in people’s response to that question. “ Why the question? Many had already stopped following Him. Others were apparently confused and disappointed after He had rejected their efforts to make Him king. Furthermore, when challenged by His enemies, Jesus did not provide a sign from heaven to prove who He was. So in answering that question, what did His apostles say about His identity? They noted some of the views prevalent among the people: “.Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13, 14) They left unmentioned the many critical epithets then circulating in Palestine about Jesus—blasphemer, charlatan, false prophet, even madman.
If Jesus posed the same question today, He might even rephrase it: “Who are scholars saying that I am?” Once again, the answers would probably come down to this: There are many different opinions. “Jesus has been a horse that different people have ridden in a lot of different directions,” said David Tracy of the University of Chicago. Over the last century, scholars have employed a complex array of sociological, anthropological, and literary methods as they have attempted to formulate answers to the question of who Jesus really was. In the end, whom do they see behind the face of Jesus?
Some scholars continue to hold that the Jesus of history was an eschatological Jewish prophet calling for repentance. However, they stop short of calling him Son of God, Messiah, and Redeemer. Most question the Biblical account of His heavenly origin and His resurrection. To others, Jesus was just a man who through His exemplary life and teachings inspired several faiths that eventually were enveloped into Christianity. And as noted in Theology Today, still others see Jesus as “a cynic, a wandering sage, or a peasant mystic; a community organizer, a hippie poet jabbing at the establishment, or a street smart provocateur who raps his way through the seething, impoverished, socially volatile villages of backwater Palestine.”
There are also more unusual views. The image of a black Jesus is popping up in rap music, urban art, even dance. Others speculate that Jesus was actually a woman. In the summer of 1993, visitors to the Orange County Fair in California saw a statue of “Christie,” a nude, female “Christ” on the cross. About the same time in New York, “Christa”—a crucified female “Jesus”—was on display. Both statues generated their share of controversy. And in early 1999, shoppers could find a volume “about the love [that] Boy Jesus and his dog, Angel, share with each other.” Their relationship is described as one that is “spiritually moving and shows how boy and dog are prepared to sacrifice their lives for each other.”
Why should you be interested in who Jesus was and is? For one thing because, to quote Napoleon, “Jesus Christ has influenced and commanded His subjects without His visible bodily presence.” By His dynamic teachings and by the way He lived, Jesus has powerfully affected the lives of billions of people for approximately two thousand years. One writer aptly noted: “All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully.”
Moreover, you need to know who Jesus was and is because He will have a direct effect on your future. You have the opportunity now to become a subject of an established heavenly government—the Kingdom of God under Jesus.
But, who was the ‘real’ Jesus? The Gospels—the four Biblical accounts of Jesus’ life—portray a man of great empathy. Pity and compassion moved Jesus to help people who were suffering from illness, blindness, and other afflictions. (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 20:34) The death of His friend Lazarus and the grief this caused to Lazarus’ sisters moved Jesus to ‘groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.’ (John 11:32-36) In fact, the Gospels reveal the wide range of Jesus’ feelings—sympathy for a person with leprosy, exuberance over His disciples’ successes, indignation at coldhearted legalists, and sadness over Jerusalem’s rejection of the Messiah.
When Jesus performed a miracle, He often focused on the recipient’s part in the process: “thy faith hath made thee whole .” (Matthew 9:22) He praised Nathanael as “an Israelite indeed” saying: “in whom is no guile! “” (John 1:47) When some thought that a woman’s appreciative gift was extravagant, Jesus defended her and said that the account of her generosity would be long remembered. (Matthew 26:6-13) He proved Himself a real friend and affectionate companion to His followers, ‘loving them to the end.’—John 13:1; 15:11-15.
The Gospels also show that Jesus quickly identified with most people that He met. Whether talking with a woman at a well, a religious teacher in a garden, or a fisherman by a lake, He went directly to their heart. After Jesus’ opening words, many of these people revealed their innermost thoughts to Him. He struck a responsive chord in them. Although people of His time might keep men in authority at a safe distance, in Jesus’ case people crowded around Him. They liked being with Jesus; they felt comfortable in His company. Children felt at ease with Him, and when using a child as an example, He did not merely stand the child before His disciples but also put “ him in his arms.” (Mark 9:36; 10:13-16) Indeed, the Gospels portray Jesus as a man who had such charisma that people stayed for three days just to listen to His absorbing words.—Matthew 15:32.
Jesus’ perfection did not make Him hypercritical or arrogant and overbearing toward the imperfect, sin-laden people among whom He lived and preached. (Matthew 9:10-13; 21:31, 32; Luke 7:36-48; 15:1-32; 18:9-14) Jesus was never demanding. He did not add to people’s burdens. Instead, He said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” His disciples found him to be “meek and lowly in heart” , His yoke was kindly, and His load was light.—Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus’ character comes through in the Gospel accounts with a decided ring of truth. It would not be easy for four different individuals to concoct an out-of-the-ordinary character and then present a consistent portrait of Him throughout four distinct narratives. It would be nearly impossible for four different writers to describe the same person and consistently paint the same picture of Him if that character never really existed.
Historian Michael Grant asks a thought-provoking question: “How comes it that, through all the Gospel traditions without exception, there comes a remarkably firmly-drawn portrait of an attractive young man moving freely about among women of all sorts, including the decidedly disreputable, without a trace of sentimentality, unnaturalness, or prudery, and yet, at every point, maintaining a simple integrity of character?” The reasonable answer is that such a man really existed and acted in the way the Bible says.
Besides giving a real-life picture of Jesus while He was on earth, the Bible shows that He had a prehuman existence as the” Word.” ( John 1:1)Twenty centuries ago, God, the Father, transferred the life of the Son to the womb of a Jewish virgin for Him to be born as a human. (Matthew 1:18) During His earthly ministry, Jesus proclaimed God’s Kingdom as the only hope for distressed humanity, and He trained His disciples to continue this preaching work.—Matthew 4:17; 10:5-7; 28:19, 20.
On Nisan 14 (about April 1), A.D. 30., Jesus was arrested, tried, sentenced, and executed on the false charge of sedition. (Matthew 26:18-20, 48–27:50) Jesus’ death serves as a ransom, releasing believing mankind from their sinful state and thus opening the way to eternal life for all who exercise faith in Him. (Romans 3:23, 24; 1John 2:2) On Nisan 16, Jesus was resurrected, and shortly thereafter He ascended back to heaven. (Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-9) As the appointed King, the resurrected Jesus has full authority to carry out the original purpose for man. (Isaiah 9:6,7; Luke 1:32, 33) Yes, the Bible presents Jesus as the key figure in the outworking of God’s purposes.
In the first century, multitudes accepted Jesus for what He was—the promised Messiah, or Christ, sent to earth to vindicate the sovereignty of God and to die as a ransom for mankind. (Matthew 20:28; Luke 2:25-32; John 17:25, 26; 18:37) In the face of fierce persecution, people would hardly have been motivated to become Jesus’ disciples if they had been unsure of His identity. Courageously and zealously, they took up the commission He gave them, to “make disciples of all the nations.”—Matthew 28:19.
Today, millions of sincere and informed Christians know that Jesus is no legendary figure. We accept Him as the enthroned King of God’s established Kingdom in heaven, who , one day , will take full control of the earth and its affairs. This divine government, not a one world order or government from man, is welcome news because it promises relief from world problems. True Christians manifest their loyal support of the chosen King !
If you are in or visiting the central Carolinas, and would like to visit our services, we meet Sunday, 11am est, at 219 Maple Ave , Sanford, NC 27330. We have other times and locations- contact Pastor Forester at pastorj@431.org. The Lord never said our journey would be easy, but He does make our path much easier to travel. Come to Him today! May God bless you!