But was Jesus obvious and was his tactic one full of purpose? (Main Forum)

by Oh Yet We Trust, Brisbane, Thursday, February 04, 2010, 18:57 (1231 days ago) @ vynette
edited by Oh Yet We Trust, Thursday, February 04, 2010, 19:38

Vynette, I understand what you are saying and I know that this question as to what scripture actually says about Jesus' divinity is one which has become a major issue in modern scripture scholarship not to mention church history. And one could ask why Jesus himself wasn't less cryptic about who he was.

But you see I suppose I have a problem with a mere man saying such things as "I am the way the truth and the life; no can come to the father except through me." John 14:6. Or, "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall not have life within you." (John 6:53) And, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water" (John 4:10). How can any man/woman say such things, demand such intimacy and allegiance?. How could any mere mortal say that he could forgive sins especially in the context of his culture and religion. I suppose that's at the heart of my questions and that's at the heart of later theological/traditional developments as to who this Jesus was/is.

I wish Jesus had just come out in black and white statement and said he was God. Why didn't he or why didn't he come out with a black and white statement to say he wasn't God?

I wonder if the reason is that he wanted us to make the choice, the leap of faith and for ourselves, to make a decision as to "who do you say I am". And in making that choice we embark on the life of faith, the type that stretches us and pushes us into creative dimensions of living we can only dream of had we not, a life to the full which knowing through certainty can never bring us. Could that be what this is all about?

Stephen

Oh yet we trust that somehow good
Will be the final goal of ill