St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Risen, Ascended, Glorified - Who?

June ends the “going through the life of Jesus” part of the church’s year, with the Ascension, the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and the church’s formulation of what we believe about God - the Trinity. Time to ask the big question: “So who was this Jesus and how do we summarise his life?”

Was Jesus basically just a good teacher? He taught the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. The “Golden Rule” comes from him (“Do one unto others before they do one unto you”, as a child wrote in an exam!). The problem with this is that it doesn’t explain why people reacted to Jesus the way they did? Why bring sick people to him for healing? Why bring babes in arms for his blessing? Why did the crowds accuse him of being out of his mind? Why are megalomaniac claims of his (“I and the Father are one”, or “when the Son of Man comes in glory with the holy angels”) recorded in the scriptures?

Was Jesus mainly a “faith-healer”? Certainly he healed people: various theologians have tried to take the miraculous bits out of the gospels so as to uncover the “real” Jesus behind them, but the problem with this is that you soon discover there’s virtually no “gospel” left at all. But if the “healer” bit were the whole truth, then why would the authorities try to crucify him? Why would people follow Jesus even to their own deaths? Jesus must have been more than just this.

Was Jesus just a prophet? Yes, he did fulfil the criteria for a prophet: he spoke God’s word, and pointed people to him. But prophets are not supposed to be part of the message themselves. Why did the early Christians focus on Jesus as God’s Son, if he were only a man - maybe a man with a special message, but still merely a man?

Was Jesus a messenger needing someone else to fulfil his message? Maybe someone like Joseph Smith or Mary Baker Eddy or Muhammad? But the New Testament isn’t written like this. The OT looks forward to a Messiah who will fulfil it, but the NT claims that Jesus has already fulfilled it.

Or is Jesus really God himself? Once come down to live on earth as a person, and now enthroned in heavenly splendour”? Can he give us power for living, and show us the inside view of God? That’s what Christians believe, and that’s what the festivals of this month are all about.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2003, Page 1.
Home Page. Index of articles. Vicar's Letters: index, Zimbabwe, Basics in Lent, Resurrection, Who to vote for? Who's Jesus? Bruce Almighty. In this issue: (June 2003) Vicar's Letter, Injustice, Budget, CTNB, Unchurched.	Risen, Ascended, Glorified - Who? June ends the “going through the life of Jesus” part of the church’s year, with the Ascension, the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and the church’s formulation of what we believe about God - the Trinity. Time to ask the big question: “So who was this Jesus and how do we summarise his life?” Was Jesus basically just a good teacher? He taught the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. The “Golden Rule” comes from him (“Do one unto others before they do one unto you”, as a child wrote in an exam!). The problem with this is that it doesn’t explain why people reacted to Jesus the way they did? Why bring sick people to him for healing? Why bring babes in arms for his blessing? Why did the crowds accuse him of being out of his mind? Why are megalomaniac claims of his (“I and the Father are one”, or “when the Son of Man comes in glory with the holy angels”) recorded in the scriptures? Was Jesus mainly a “faith-healer”? Certainly he healed people: various theologians have tried to take the miraculous bits out of the gospels so as to uncover the “real” Jesus behind them, but the problem with this is that you soon discover there’s virtually no “gospel” left at all. But if the “healer” bit were the whole truth, then why would the authorities try to crucify him? Why would people follow Jesus even to their own deaths? Jesus must have been more than just this. Was Jesus just a prophet? Yes, he did fulfil the criteria for a prophet: he spoke God’s word, and pointed people to him. But prophets are not supposed to be part of the message themselves. Why did the early Christians focus on Jesus as God’s Son, if he were only a man - maybe a man with a special message, but still merely a man? Was Jesus a messenger needing someone else to fulfil his message? Maybe someone like Joseph Smith or Mary Baker Eddy or Muhammad? But the New Testament isn’t written like this. The OT looks forward to a Messiah who will fulfil it, but the NT claims that Jesus has already fulfilled it. Or is Jesus really God himself? Once come down to live on earth as a person, and now enthroned in heavenly splendour”? Can he give us power for living, and show us the inside view of God? That’s what Christians believe, and that’s what the festivals of this month are all about. John Hartley
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