Chapter 11 Jesus of Nazareth

Chaplain Ron McCants

Instructor

Jesus of NazarethDistortions and Misconceptions

• Jewish Law so burdensome, no one could follow the commandments.

• All Jews desired a militant Messiah to defeat the Romans

• Jews rejected Jesus because he taught a path of peace

• Jews were obsesssed with purity rules• Judaism oppressed the poor people and women• Judaism put a bridge of divisions between

"Insiders" and "Outsiders"

Evidence Outside the Gospels

• The Historian Josephus was a reliable reporter on Jesus, John the Baptizer, and James, the brother of Jesus.

• The eighteenth book of Antiquities

• The Slavonic translation of The Jewish War

• Roman Historian Publius Conelius Tacitus in his Annals

The Gospels as Sources

• Strong Concensus among Historians and New Testament Scholars

• Jesus was a Galilean Jew of the early first century C.E.

• Jesus was a teacher and wonder-worker and taught a love doctrine

• Messianic claims were made for him• He was executed by Pontius Pilate during

the reign of Tiberius

• Luke 2:4-6 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,… While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. …

• Matthew 2:1 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem"

• John 7:42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”

• Was he an Essene, Covenanter, Zealot, or Jewish Gnostic?

• Did the term Rabbi refer Jesus to Pharisaic Judaism?

• Choices:

• 1. Follows the laws dictated by Pharisees or

• 2. Fulfill the laws given by God

• Jesus appointment of the Twelve Apostles• Charismatic Judaism empowered with a

special spiritual gift• Bath qol - Jesus proclaimed "Son of God"

by God's voice from Heaven.• Anthropologists contend that holy men and

women worked miracles:• Miraculous feeding of multitudes; healing

people; raising the dead

Jesus and the Titles Attributed to Him

Jesus and the Titles Attributed to Him

A Brief Life of Jesus

• The son of a young virgin name Mary• Her husband was a carpenter named Joseph• After his baptism, he was tempted by the devil in

wilderness• Ministry was for three years.• Jesus taught people about compassion• He warned people of the perils of wealth• He taught the importance of the Kingdom of God• He was a wonder-worker in first-century Judaism• Jesus died on the eve of the Sabbath day• His body was placed in a rock tomb• He appeared to his disciples various times• Jesus ascended into Heaven

CLASS ASSIGNMENTThe Contemporary World

• Group Presentations (choose a leader, recorder, and spokesperson)

• Page 238: Questions for Discussions and Reflections

• Group 1 Group 2

• Group 3 Group 4

Each person turn in a written paragraph on the group’s assignment.