In this essay
submitted as part of his theology studies at ACU National, Daniel
Gullotta explores the difficulties involved in trying to build
a picture of the historical Jesus…
The controversial figure of Jesus…
Jesus of Nazareth — there really is no one else in history quite
like him. No other figure unleashes debates and arguments of epic proportion,
stirs so much controversy or imagination as Jesus of Nazareth does. His
followers called him Messiah, his enemies called a blasphemer, the Romans
called him 'King of the Jews', some called him a mad man, others something
worse, and now millions of Christians around the world call him God. Yet
who was he? What was his world like? What was his mission? Why was his
teaching so profound and yet so dangerous? Scholars call this Jesus, the
Jesus of History. This Jesus is a theoretical reconstruction,
a scholarly way of seeking to better understand this amazing marginal
Jew. This essay will provide a portrait of the historical Jesus which
situates him in the Jewish society of his time, explains the nature of
his life and mission, and accounts for his tragic fate.
Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, born shortly before the end of the reign
of King Herod I (37 - 4 BCE) and during the
Roman occupation of Israel. The son of the carpenter and craftsman, Joseph
and his wife Mary, Jesus grew up in a world surrounded and entrenched
by conflict, oppression, poverty and violence. Jesus' youth would have
been enriched with the Jewish identity. Within the stories of his ancestors
and forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he would have learnt about
the origins of his faith and through the tales of Moses and his vocation
to free the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt at the Exodus, he would
have learnt of God's special chosen and covenanted relationship with the
people of Israel.
Chosen people…
Yet with these tales of the national election of Israel, blessings from
within and victory of her people, many, Jesus included, would have asked
if Israel was the chosen nation home to the chosen people of God, why
weren't they ruling the world? How could Rome and other pagan nations
be so successful while Israel was suffering so much, and at their hands
no less? With these stories, ideas and beliefs, Jesus was born and raised
into a people whose national aspirations were all the stronger for being
constantly trampled upon by the callous Roman government and equally constantly
whipped up by would-be revolutionary leaders. It was a time when almost
all Jews of any description looked for God to inaugurate his kingdom,
his sovereign rule, and so to vindicate their cause in fulfilment of his
ancient promise. For many Jews, this hope of God's coming reign and kingdom
was crystallized in the expectation of a Messiah, an 'anointed' king or
prophet who would spear head God's deliverance of his people. This Messiah
was hoped and expected to restore the Temple to her former glory and the
throne of David to her rightful heir and bring the glory of God back to
Zion.
One of the most famous preachers of this message is the man known as
John the Baptist. John began a ministry and movement calling all of Israel
to repentance, promising them deliverance in the imminent judgement of
God by a baptism in the Jordan (Mt 3.1-12; Mk 1.2-8;
Lk 3.1-20). John offered the forgiveness of sins in ritual and
symbolic form, and in a form independent and critical of the Temple. John
preached that the suffering and persecution of Israel was coming to an
end and that God would surely and soon act to liberate and exalt his true
people. Whether it was John's message of fiery hope, the offer of the
forgiveness of sins or another angle of John's ministry, Jesus joined
John's movement for a time and he too shared in a baptism by John (Mt
3.13-17; Mk 1.9-11; Lk 3.21-22; Jn 1.29-34). Jesus would have learned
much from John and perhaps was even taken into John's inner circle, yet
it appears that something changed for Jesus. Perhaps it was John's emphasis
on the judgment and vengeance of God rather then the grace and mercy,
but it is clear that near or after the death of John, it seems that Jesus
experienced a call and vocation to force him to appear independent of
John the Baptist.
Jesus it seems had a radical and intimate closeness to God. Jesus called
God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth as a small child who his father,
he called God 'abba', a title that mirrors today's 'daddy'. Through this
experience and relationship Jesus felt called to share this with all of
Palestine. Perhaps it was through this intimacy that Jesus saw and announced
that the time of fulfilment had now dawned. The kingdom of God, long awaited,
was now at hand, finally and fully. In a way he saw himself as a prophet,
bringing God's word to his people but even more so as the promised Messiah,
bring God's people back to him.
He travelled all over and throughout Palestine as a homeless wandering
preacher, giving his attention, message and teaching to the common folk
but even more radically to the marginalized, the hated and the outcast.
He chose an inner circle of twelve disciples from all types of professions
and backgrounds, some being fishermen, farmers, a zealot and even a tax
collector (Mt 10.5-42; Mk 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6).
As his following grew it began to include women, prostitutes, tax collectors
as well as the sick, the poor and the weak. Yet while a popular preacher,
he became well known for his ability to heal diseases and disabilities
plus exorcising the demonic. Though Jesus' ministry did attract a lot
of attention, not all of this was positive. He debated and argued his
behaviour and teachings with the Pharisees and made his criticism of the
Temple well known.
Giving the Passover new meaning…
Yet when he entered Jerusalem in his final days and in apparently deliberate
fashion, all the elements of Jesus' ministry came together in word, symbol
and deed. In a symbolic action of God's judgement, similar to Isaiah's
nakedness (Isa 20.2) and Jeremiah's smashed
pot (Jer 13:26), Jesus turned the tables of
the money changers and made his final predictions of God's impending judgment
on the nation. By this controversial act and these shocking words Jesus'
life was placed at risk, for he was seen now as a dangerous rebel. With
no doubt of his death approaching, Jesus celebrated the Passover with
his disciples, yet in a unique fashion he gave the meal new meaning by
rather than lamenting the exodus, he looked and spoke forward to his own
death and future vindication (Mt 26.17-30; Mk 14:12-25;
Lk 22.7-23). When the meal was ended, Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus'
chosen twelve betrayed him (Mt 26. 47-56; Mk 14.43-50;
Lk 22.47-53; Jn 18.3-11) and he was given over eventually to the
Roman authorities to be dealt with as a political revolutionary. Jesus
was condemned as a criminal of the people of Palestine and enemy to the
Roman Empire.
To the normal onlooker on the cross, Jesus' story ended there butwe know
from history and belief in faith it didn't end there. In conclusion, while
from our study we may be able to reconstruct certain aspects of the life
and ministry of the historical Jesus it is important to understand that
we cannot ever fully know or appreciate the Jesus of history. This Jesus
of History is merely a modern theoretical reconstruction, which is both
tentative and fragmentary. By studying the Jesus of History, scholars
can step back into the past and understand what were Jesus' aims, understandings
and beliefs and while trying to dig deeper into who Jesus really was,
we must remember, in reality we can only scratch the surface. The theologian
Gerald O' Collins makes this beautifully clear saying, "The
unquestionable standard is an impossible dream, above all because Jesus
will never find a theologian worthy of him."
Perhaps it's that lust and wonder we have for more and more understanding
and knowledge that keeps us coming back to the questions we ask when studying
about this strange man from Nazareth, the Carpenter's son, Jesus.
REFERENCES:
Elmer, I. Did Jesus think he was the Son of God? (Catholica: 2006)
URL: http://www.catholica.com.au/ianstake/014_it_141006.php
Hall, G. Jesus the Christ: A Christology Course. McAuley: ACU National,
2004.
Theissen, G & A. Merz, The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.
O' Collins, G. Christology: A Biblical, Historical and Systematic Study
of Jesus. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
Wright, N.T. The New Testament and the People of God. London: SPCK,
1992.
Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Victory of God. London: SPCK, 1996.
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Daniel
Gullotta is a student at ACU National, studying a Bachelor’s
degree in Theology. He is a convert to the Anglican Church and a
member of MEC's Youth Ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane.
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©2007
Daniel Gullotta
[Index of Commentaries by Daniel]
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