Historical Jesus
There are many faces that Jesus showed the world and continues to show the world today. We begin by looking at the historical Jesus.
Jesus was born during the Roman Empire, between 6BC and 4BC, the year that King Herod died.
Matthew 1-16 recites the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham, then verse 17 says: “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah,[i] fourteen generations.”
When Jesus was alive, Caesar Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, was ruler. When Jesus died, it was the reign of the emperor Tiberius, and Pontius Pilot, who ordered his execution, was the Roman governor of Judaea province.
Jesus lived in Nazareth until he was about 30 when he began travelling around the area. At the start of this period, he recruited 12 disciples to follow him. Dozens of other men and women also followed him. Two disciples, Matthew and John, later wrote about their experience, as recounted in the Bible.
In 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which accepted Christianity: 10 years later, it had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. According to Constantine’s biographer an image was presented to him by Jesus Christ that was guaranteed to protect him from his enemies, including those that he would soon conquer, allowing him to reunify the Roman Empire. After this vision, a face of Jesus, Constantine legalized Christianity and promoted religious tolerance through the Edict of Milan.
This history lesson may not be exactly accurate, but it seems to be close anyway. We know that Jesus was born, he made an impact during the 30 or so years that he was alive, and that he died through crucifixion. After his death, the impact that he made while alive was spread and multiplied throughout the world.
Jesus the teacher and rabbi
Jesus, while alive, was a rabbi, a teacher of Jewish faith. He translated the Hebrew Bible in a different way than the Pharisees, religious men who strictly observed Jewish laws. Jesus, for example, taught that the way to earn favor from God was through admitting one’s imperfections and returning to loving God; not through animal sacrifice. Jesus taught that God loves all people, and his message was especially for those who suffered, through poverty, poor health, oppression or hunger. His teachings were meant for the common people of all faiths, as there was a great disparity between the ruling class and the working class.
The pharisees, on the other hand, taught adherence to Jewish law as the way to gain God’s favor. They dealt with the lower class by shunning them and isolating the sick.
Much of Jesus’ teachings came in parables, like metaphors. He would say, the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, then continue to describe how a tiny mustard seed can grow to a large bush that can house birds.
Here is one of my favorite parables from Matthew 20
20 1-2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.
3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.
5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’
7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.
8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’
9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’
13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’
16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
Jesus the healer
The Bible is full of stories of healings. Jesus healed lepers – those with a horrible skin disease who had to stay far away from people. He healed those plagued by demons. I wonder if those demons would be called anxiety and depression today? Or was it more like epilepsy? He healed paraplegics. Blindness, deafness and muteness, lameness, even some who had died.
To most of these, he would say, “Your faith has healed you”. Here is one of those stories, from Luke 18: 35-45, 35-37 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”
38 He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me?”
41 He said, “Master, I want to see again.”
42-43 Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!” The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.
A quick note here, this face of Jesus is the healer, yet he was simply the conduit for people to know the power of their faith in God and Jesus’ healings.
The question here is, and many question it, is the Bible being accurate? Is this the historical Jesus, or is this story a metaphor?
Jesus the miracle maker
There are many miracles referenced in the Bible. He turned water into wine at a wedding. He fed thousands of people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He walked on water in the middle of the sea. He calmed a storm instantaneously.
And of course, after dying, he rose from the dead himself.
Here is one story about a miracle, from Luke 5: 1-11
1-3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
10-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.
Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in the face of the miraculous Jesus?
Jesus the Messiah, the Resurrection and the Life
Today, many people believe in the Jesus who saves, who saves people from Hell, both during life and after death. They may believe that their faith will bring them to the Kingdom of Heaven.
In this story, Jesus explains.
John 11: 17-27 17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus[e] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” This is face of the Jesus who saves, the Messiah.
Jesus the son of God, Son of Man
Many times during his ministry, Jesus describes himself as the Son of God, or the Son of Man. Sometimes he describes himself as the Messiah. During his baptism by John the Baptist, his cousin, the heavens tore open, and the Holy Spirit came down and said, “You are my Beloved”. And in today’s scripture, “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved;[b] with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
In the prophecies from Isaiah, and in the birth story from Matthew and Luke, angels came to Mary and Joseph to tell of the immaculate conception, of God’s son to be born. This is the face of the one who is the Son of God.
So which Jesus is your Jesus? All are correct. All lead to the place that Jesus wanted us to see: our spiritual path. This path could be the path of knowledge. Using this path, you are the student; you walk into libraries, read the Bible, learn about the history of the time, learn the stories and their meanings. Let history and Jesus the rabbi be your teacher. To me, the main lesson to learn is to let go, lean on God when you are suffering and to come from a place of love in all your dealings.
Maybe you love Jesus the Healer most. Perhaps you have seen or heard of miraculous healings, and the words of Jesus that your faith, not Jesus, healed you, are words of Truth. Perhaps you have been fascinated by stories of NDEs – Near Death Experiences, where people have come back from being clinically dead, and tell stories of some version of Heaven. Perhaps you know someone who had spontaneous remission from cancer. Or perhaps you know none of these, but your faith has led you to this Healer Jesus.
Maybe it’s the miracles that grab you. Maybe, at one or more times in your life, you have witnessed or experienced the impossible. Where you could or should have died but didn’t. Where you witnessed the unexplainable.
Maybe you believe in the Jesus who saves. A Jesus who promises of Heaven through your belief in Him.
Or perhaps, you are one who believes in Jesus, the beloved Son of God. He who God sent to earth to heal all people through a message of Love from God. Who showed 2 disciples his true light through the transfiguration.
Does it matter which one you believe in? or which of these is the real face of Jesus? I don’t think so. Because the most important story is the story of Jesus and His Love.
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