person of Jesus
teacher of wisdom
Political liberator
son of God
Paul speaks of Jesus as "Gods own Son"
knowledge of God
St John writes Jesus as the word and that word "was the word of God"
Thomas refers to Jesus as 'my lord and my God'
Psalms adresses Jesus as God
Jesus calls God Abba and a heavenly voice declares him his son
Jesus Humanity
Gregory of Nazianzen 'what he has not assumed he has not healed'
Paul wrote about if Jesus was human his soul would have been corrupted by Sin
Bishop Apollinaris of Laodicea worried that a human mind is a changeable mind
Church resoloutions
The council of Chalcedon affirmed that Christ is acknowledged in 2 natures which come together into one person
The first council of Nicea resolved that Jesus was the same substance of God
Extent of Jesus self Knowldge
An infused knowledge
knowledge of the divine reality of God, face to face, and all the created realities
knowledge of mundane life
Challenges
Gerland O'Collins
before anyone can categorically say he was a saviour one must show an appreciation for the complexity of knowledge
consciousness and knowledge are different
it is difficult to undertake any study of the inner world of any being
Miricales
'Jesus walks on water' Mark 6:47-52
N T Wright Jesus not only cures people from sin but he helps social groups that have been excluded from society
Jesus cures a blind man 9:1-41
Resserection
E P Sanders 'Without the resurrection would Jesus disciples have endured longer than did John the Baptists
for Paul If Jesus wasn't resurrected then all preachings would be in vain
'If you declare with your mouth "Jesus is the lord" and believe it with your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be liberated'
A Rabbi with a special message
spoke on moral issues
the parable of the good samiritan
"Jesus the former disciple of the Rabbi John, corresponded to the contemporary notions of a Rabbi" Gerd Theissen
Teachings on Morality
his teachings are based around the concepts of love
commands for the Hungary to be fed
'Love thy Neighbour'
love of enemies Matthew 5:43-48
hunting for food on the Sabbath to allow time to be with God
Power and Wealth
Warns followers not to lord power over others
he identifies wealth as an obstacle to closeness with God
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven
Inspiring holy man
John Hick
Jesus awareness of God isn't unique to Jesus and is found In Moses, Jeremiah, The Isaihs, Muhammed etc
Christianity without incarnation becomes one of many religions that perceive God differently
A Political Revoloutionary
Challenge to political authority
Jesus was hoped to be a military messiah
Reza Aslan argues that Jesus was far more confrontational than presented in the new testiment
Jesus suggested about the coming of a revolution 'I did not come to bring peace but a sword'
Jesus followers carried weopons which were used in Gethsemane
Jesus was arrested as a result of civil crimes not ones against judaism
liberation theology
Jesus Denouncement of the wealthy
"Jesus doesn't idolise the poor because poverty is the consequence of sin" Valley Fitzgerald
"it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God"