Religion 22 Life of Jesus
parable
A short story that contains a theological truth.
the story of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection
Jesus was crucified on Friday and he died quickly. Pilate was quite surprised that Jesus was dead, because many people who were crucified took a few days to die; crucifixion was designed to bring about a very slow and painful death. Pilate allowed Jesus' body to be buried.
the various opponents of Jesus
In the unit on Judaism, we learned that both of these religious sects attempted to follow the Jewish laws very literally. They simply differed over the issue of the Oral Torah and traditions. Sadducees looked to the written law of the Tanakh as their guide. Pharisees, on the other hand, were more willing to accept as binding religious rituals that were based on the Oral Torah.
Beatitudes
Short, simple proclamations about happiness that Jesus made to describe those who are blessed by God.
John the Baptist
A Jewish ascetic who baptized Jesus and warned of God's coming judgment.
Eucharist
A ceremony in which Christians eat bread and wine during worship to commemorate Jesus' last meal.
Sanhedrin
A group of court officials who, with the Jewish High Priest, were charged by the Romans with keeping peace among the Jewish community.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
Although some of the Jewish leaders were responsible for Jesus' death, the nation was under Roman rule. Only the Romans could condemn anyone to death; the Jewish leaders could only bring criminals to a Roman court for execution. According to the Gospels, Pilate condemned Jesus to satisfy the crowds who wanted him to die. Most scholars, however, believe that the Gospel writers overemphasize the importance of the Jewish officials and blame them for Jesus' death because the early Christian church feared the Romans.
Jesus's experience in the wilderness
During his experience in the wilderness with Satan, Jesus accepted his ministry. He could have abandoned God's calling, or accepted Satan's temptations. Instead, Jesus began his public ministry upon his return from the desert. Because of this, Christians view the temptation as one of the most important events in the Gospels.
Jesus's experience in the wilderness
Immediately after his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days. During this period, Satan tempted Jesus. Satan asked Jesus to turn stones into bread to relieve his hunger. He then challenged Jesus to jump from the pinnacle of the Temple to prove that he was the Son of God. The final temptation was Satan's promise to give Jesus rule over the kingdoms of the world if he would first worship Satan. However, Jesus refused to listen to Satan.
scribes
People who had attended the ancient equivalent of a modern university, could read and write, and recorded official documents.
the miracles of Jesus, including transfiguration
The Gospels contain other miracle stories about Jesus. For example, he miraculously multiplied food to feed the hungry, walked on the water, and even controlled the weather. These stories were not simply told for entertainment; they are recorded in the Gospels because the early Christians believed that they were proof that Jesus was the Messiah.
Christ
The Greek translation of "Messiah."
apostle
A person who proclaims a message; also, a term used for twelve of Jesus' closest disciples who traveled with him during his ministry. Greek meaning "to send forth."
baptism
A ritual that involves immersion in water for the repentance of sins.
Jesus's childhood and the concept of his role as the Son of God
According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus' family remained in the region after his birth. They took Jesus to the Jerusalem Temple to perform the Jewish purification rituals that were required after the birth of a child. When he was twelve years old, Jesus' family went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival. Jesus became separated from his parents after they left Jerusalem. When they returned, they found Jesus teaching the rabbis in the temple. Jesus later became a carpenter like his father Joseph.
Jesus's childhood and the concept of his role as the Son of God
According to the Gospel of Matthew, King Herod tried to kill the infant Jesus because he was afraid of a prophecy that God would choose a righteous king from Bethlehem to rule the nation. This city was very important to Jews because King David was born there. The Jewish scriptures also taught that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. Fearing that Herod would kill Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus' parents fled to Egypt. When Herod died, they returned to Israel and moved to Nazareth.
overview of Jesus's last three years
According to the Gospel writers, Jesus entered Jerusalem at the time of the Passover celebration. This event connects Jesus with Old Testament Judaism, since he, as a Jew, celebrated the traditional Jewish holidays. Christians believe that God intervened at this time in history to fulfill the covenant, just as when God delivered the Jews from the Egyptians and the first Passover was celebrated. For Christians, the last week of Jesus' life, with his death and resurrection, is the fulfillment of the promises made in the Old Testament.
the baptism of Jesus
According to the New Testament, Jesus was baptized by a Jewish ascetic known as John the Baptist, who warned people about God's approaching judgment. The ritual of baptism involved immersing people in water for the repentance of their sins. Because John stressed baptism, people gave him the nickname "the Baptist." Jesus went to hear John preach and was baptized by him. According to the New Testament, John recognized that God had chosen Jesus as the Messiah. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days. During this period, Satan tempted Jesus.
the role of the apostles
After his encounter with Satan, Jesus recognized that his work would be difficult. Jesus traveled around the country for approximately three and a half years, and a number of people began to follow him. Twelve of these disciples, or followers, became known as his apostles. The Greek word apostle means "to send forth." An apostle is a person who proclaims a message. Jesus chose the twelve apostles as his personal messengers to spread his teachings. Jesus called his message the "good news" (gospel).
overview of Jesus's last three years
Although they do not tell us much about most of Jesus' life, the writers of the four Gospels do focus heavily on Jesus' last three years. Early Christians considered the final week of Jesus' life particularly important because the events that transpired at this time culminated in the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. According to the Gospel writers, Jesus knew that he would die in Jerusalem. Christians even believe that Jesus predicted his own resurrection (Mark 10:32-34). Because Christianity begins with the Resurrection, it was essential for Christians to know exactly what happened in the final week of Jesus' life.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
Because the Romans occupied Israel, the Jewish officials had to take Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate, to be punished. The Jewish governor, Herod Antipas, also interviewed Jesus. Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews, and the Gospels state that Jesus did not actively defend himself before Pilate. From Pilate's point of view, Jesus was not a danger to the Jewish religion. His apparent claim to be king, however, was an act of sedition; a Messiah, or king, would be perceived by the Jews and Romans as a threat to the Roman powers. Pilate therefore ordered Jesus' execution.
the various opponents of Jesus
Both the Pharisees and Sadducees believed that their interpretation of the Torah was correct. The Pharisees were considered more liberal because they followed oral teachings and traditions about how to follow the Old Testament Mitzvot. They appear as legalists in the Gospels because, compared to Jesus, they were very conservative. Both the Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed with Jesus because he frequently taught people that they did not need to follow the Old Testament laws.
the teachings of Jesus, including his use of Beatitudes and parables
During his life Jesus gained a reputation as a great teacher, though he did not instruct people like the traditional rabbis. Jesus used very short and simple statements to convey profound theological truths. The most famous examples are known as the Beatitudes, short simple proclamations about happiness. In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes those who are blessed by God. For example, he said that the poor and meek, not the rich and powerful, were truly blessed by God.
the various opponents of Jesus
During his life, Jesus frequently clashed with two prominent Jewish groups: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. During Jesus' day, the Sadducees controlled the Temple, and the majority of priests and aristocrats were Sadducees.
the miracles of Jesus, including transfiguration
During his lifetime, Jesus was perhaps most famous as a healer. All four Gospels record that Jesus worked many miracles. Sometimes the Gospel writers portray Jesus like a shaman. He frequently conducts exorcisms and uses God's name to cast out demons. On one occasion, Jesus uses his own saliva as a magical potion to cure a man of his blindness. It took Jesus two attempts before the man could see (Mark 8:22-26). He even restored the dead to life (John 11).
the miracles of Jesus, including transfiguration
During the final period of his life, Jesus took three of his closest followers with him to a mountain. Jesus' body was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his garments were as bright as light. Moses and the Old Testament prophet Elijah appeared with Jesus. God then spoke from a cloud and said, "This is my beloved Son" (Mark 9:7). After this voice had finished speaking, only Jesus remained with the disciples. This event is known as the Transfiguration. Jesus told his three followers not to tell anyone what they had seen until he had risen from the dead.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
Following his last meal, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. Judas had told the officials that Jesus usually spent the evening praying in a garden called Gethsemane, located on a hillside.
overview of Jesus's last three years
Jesus went to Jerusalem at a particularly dangerous time of the year. During Jesus' day, the Romans occupied the nation of Israel. They had conquered the country in 63 B.C.E. and had ruled the Jewish nation since that time. The Romans placed Jewish rulers in power who governed on their behalf, and all Jews had to pay taxes to the Roman Empire.
the teachings of Jesus, including his use of Beatitudes and parables
Jesus' ministry was unique. He taught that repentance was possible for everyone, saying that people only needed to turn their hearts toward God and ask forgiveness. He challenged many of the Jewish traditions as well, such as the Sabbath restrictions and purity rituals. In this respect, Jesus was similar to many of the Jewish prophets, who also taught that the laws of God were only intended to help people maintain the covenant relationship with God and were designed to teach people how to be just.
the teachings of Jesus, including his use of Beatitudes and parables
Jesus, moreover, frequently spoke in parables. A parable is a short story that contains a theological truth. The parable of the good Samaritan is perhaps his most famous. In this parable, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan came upon a person who had been attacked by robbers and left for dead alongside the road. Of the three men, only the Samaritan stopped and helped the injured man.
overview of Jesus's last three years
Many Jews looked forward to the day when God would intervene in history and overthrow the Romans. Some believed that God would send a Messiah to help the nation. Because the Passover commemorated God's deliverance of the Jewish people in the past, many Jews thought that the Messiah would appear at Passover and expel the Romans. Riots and insurrections sometimes occurred during Passover. In order to prevent trouble, the Roman governor would leave his palace on the Mediterranean and spend the Passover holiday in Jerusalem with his Roman forces.
the impact of the Last Supper on the beliefs and practices of historical and current Christianity
On Thursday evening, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, he ate a final meal with his followers. It is uncertain whether this meal was a Passover seder. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation when the lambs were sacrificed in the Temple for the Passover meal. For the author of John, Jesus was the Passover lamb. His death was the final sacrifice in the Temple and made the Old Testament Temple rituals unnecessary. Sin was now atoned for through Jesus' sacrifice.
Jesus's childhood and the concept of his role as the Son of God
Only two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, contain information about Jesus' childhood. Both record that Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary, but each contains a slightly different story about the miraculous events that accompanied his birth. The New Testament teaches that Mary, Jesus' mother, was a virgin when she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit of God.
the story of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection
Pilate handed Jesus over to the Roman soldiers for crucifixion. They abused Jesus before they crucified him, and, according to the Gospels, Jesus was crucified between two thieves. His male followers, afraid that they would face possible execution by the Romans, largely abandoned him, so most of those who remained with Jesus were women.
Jesus's experience in the wilderness
Some Christians view these temptations as myths, and do not believe that they actually occurred. They see these temptations instead as symbols for Jesus' inner debate concerning the future course of his ministry. According to this mythical understanding of the temptations, Jesus struggled to determine how he should act. He had to decide whether to focus on people's economic needs, as symbolized by the bread of the temptation story, or to use his miraculous powers, as recognized by Satan in the challenge to jump from the Temple, to prove that he was the Messiah. Satan's request to rule the earth, according to some Christians, represents Jesus' decision as to whether or not he would seek political power.
concept of the Gospel
The Christian scriptures are the primary source for reconstructing Jesus' ministry. In the New Testament, the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John contain stories about Jesus' life and his teachings, though they contain very little biographical information about Jesus. They mainly record Jesus' sermons and miracles, as Jesus' sayings and deeds were passed down orally by his followers and the Gospels were written many decades after Jesus' death. Thus, each Gospel has its own unique interpretation of Jesus.
the miracles of Jesus, including transfiguration
The Gospel writers believed the miracle of Jesus's transfiguration proved that Jesus had fulfilled the prophecies of the ancient Jewish prophets about the Messiah. Moreover, this event connected Jesus with the Torah, symbolized by Moses, and the Old Testament prophets, symbolized by Elijah. It demonstrated to Christians that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament law and prophets.
concept of the Gospel
The Gospel writers explained the significance of Jesus' life and death for the early Christian community. They were not interested in writing a biography about Jesus. For this reason, these four books do not contain everything that Jesus taught or did. Consequently, it is impossible to write a complete biography of Jesus because the Gospels primarily document the last three and a half years of his life.
the story of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection
The Gospels contain different versions about what happened after the Crucifixion, but they all agree that Jesus was resurrected three days after his death. His followers discovered that his tomb was empty, and Jesus appeared to them on numerous occasions in Jerusalem and even in Galilee in northern Israel. According to the Gospels, Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after his death.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
The Gospels contain slightly different stories about the events that transpired following Jesus' arrest. After his arrest, Jesus was brought to the High Priest, Josephus Caiaphas, for questioning. He was charged with blasphemy because he apparently claimed to be the Messiah. (Blasphemy is the religious offense committed when a person believes that he or she is God.) The witnesses at the trial also told Caiaphas that Jesus had told his followers that he would destroy the Jerusalem Temple and build a new one in three days.
Jesus's childhood and the concept of his role as the Son of God
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke focus on Jesus' childhood to show that God chose him to be the Messiah before his birth. These Gospel writers, moreover, wanted readers to know that Jesus was a literal descendant of David and that he was born in Bethlehem. These two facts, for the authors of Matthew and Luke, were proof that Jesus was the Messiah. Christianity also teaches that Joseph is Jesus' real father, but that Jesus' birth to the Virgin Mary is a sign that he is the Messiah and the Son of God.
Gospels
The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which all contain information about Jesus' life and ministry. a Greek word meaning "good news."
Jesus's childhood and the concept of his role as the Son of God
The New Testament makes it clear that Joseph was not Jesus' earthly father. At the time Joseph was engaged to Mary, an angel appeared to them and declared that Mary had conceived through the Holy Spirit. This child would be the "Son of God" (Luke 1:35). God would give this child the "throne of his ancestor David" (Luke 1:32). These angelic prophecies referred to the Jewish scriptures, where God had promised the Jews that a descendant of David would always sit upon the throne. This person would be the Messiah mentioned by the Jewish prophets and would usher in a new era of peace.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
The Romans were aware of the fact that only the Romans could execute criminals, therefore they killed Jesus. During the next centuries they persecuted Christians for worshipping a man they had executed as a criminal of the Roman Empire. Christianity's claim that Jesus was the Messiah amounted to treason under Roman law, as only the Emperor was king and the Romans believed that their emperors were divine.
the impact of Jesus's arrest and trial on Romans and Christians
The crowds mentioned in the Gospels likely included some Jewish leaders and their supporters. These people, however, did not speak for all Jews. When the Gospels were written, Christianity was a persecuted religion. The Romans tried to ban Christianity and sometimes killed Christians. Moreover, the Romans had executed Jesus, which meant that under Roman law, he had been considered a criminal. For this reason, the Gospel writers were very cautious in placing too much blame upon the Romans, though they had to state the Romans did kill Jesus because everyone knew that only the Romans could execute criminals.
the impact of the Last Supper on the beliefs and practices of historical and current Christianity
The other Gospel writers believe that Jesus celebrated a Passover, which symbolized God's final intervention in history to save humanity. Jesus told his followers to eat the meal of bread and wine as a memorial. Christians today continue to celebrate this meal, known as the Eucharist, and partake of bread and wine during worship.
blasphemy
The religious offense committed when a person believes that he or she is God.
Transfiguration
Transfiguration The event during which Jesus' face and garments shone with bright light, Moses and the Old Testament prophet Elijah appeared with him, and a heavenly voice blessed him.
