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Person of Jesus (Son of God (Biblical Evidence (Mark 14:36 - Jesus prays…
Person of Jesus
Son of God
Albert Schweitzer - The focus of Jesus' life could not have been on his divinity as he himself did not even know he was divine
Biblical Evidence
Mark 14:36 - Jesus prays at Gethsemane
Luke 23:46 - Jesus' prayer on the Cross
Matthew 26:42 - Jesus' second prayer in Gethsemane
John 11:41 - Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus
John 1 - The fact that the 'Word' was with God means that Jesus was fully aware of his divinity even before his Incarnation
All of Jesus' miracles including his resurrection, the feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14), and the Wedding feast at Cana (John 2)
James Dunn
The fact that the relatively commonplace use of 'Son of God' at the time (used to describe Plato and Pythagoras) completely died out except to describe Jesus after his life suggests that there was a uniqueness about Jesus
The fact that Jesus refers to God as 'Abba' (a very personal Aramaic word for 'Father') suggests that Jesus' relationship with God was deeply personal. Only possible if he was divine.
Macquarrie - Jesus is the culmination of God's providential and revealing activity. He is also the supreme miracle of God. from history, we only know that he lived and died under Pontius Pilate and that he had a significant following
The Gospel writers didn't draw any benefit from inventing a fake divine Jesus. The fact that none of them denounced their beliefs even facing execution as well as their beliefs being taken in by so many people means they must have had some substance to them.
'For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty' (2 Peter 1:16)
Wisdom Teacher
C.S. Lewis - If Jesus was not divine, then all of his teachings - even those not linked to his divinity - are invalidated and provide no significant moral teaching
Biblical Evidence
Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount - Jesus goes to great lengths to make his teaching heard and by climbing a mountain to ensure that enough people can hear what he has to say. This demonstrates that for Jesus, his teachings were far more important to him than his divinity
Luke 23 - Jesus consoles women - The fact that Jesus stops to console and impart wisdom on women even when he is on his way to his death on the cross again highlights the importance of teaching to Jesus
Luke 10:25-37 - The Good Samaritan - Jesus teaching his followers that they cast off their prejudices and prioritising the needs of others over the fulfilment of Jewish law. Also challenging the Jews' views on Samaritans (which they viewed as inferior)
Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son - Teaching his followers that it is never too late to seek God's forgiveness
The only aspect to Jesus' life that can be confirmed by external historical documents. Cicero, Josephus, and Suetonius all talk of a 1st Century wisdom teacher in Jerusalem. Also shows Jesus was so well-known that he was referenced in official Roman histories.
Bultmann - It is clear from historical documents that throughout Jesus' life, Jesus never fully accepted that he was the Son of God
Political Liberator
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Walter Wink
Jesus' advocation of passive resistance to occupation is a model for many other successful freedom fighters such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi
'Violence can never stop violence because it very success leads others to imitate it. Ironically, violence is most dangerous when it succeeds.'
The phrase 'turning the other cheek' (Matt. 5:39) is not a submission to force but rather forcing your master to treat you as an equal by not hitting you with a backhand (done as a sign of disrespect in Jesus' time to those of a lower socioeconomic class)
Biblical Evidence
John 9 - The Healing of the Blind Man - Jesus is freeing the blind man not only from physical blindness, but also from the Jewish stigma that those who have a disability are inherently sinful
Mark 5: 24-34 - The Healing of the Bleeding Woman - Again, healing the woman from her physical ailment as well as freeing her from the Jewish laws about touching bleeding women because they are 'unclean'
Although none of his disciples or apostles were women, many of Jesus' followers were (such as his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene)