Sessions 1 and 2: Background issues related to the four Gospels

• In his essay, “Why I Am Not a Christian,” philosopher Bertrand Russell asserted, “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if He did, we do not know anything about Him.”

• The American revolutionary, Thomas Paine, who held Christianity in utter contempt, said this about Jesus Christ: “He was a virtuous and amiable man.” Paine, of course, believed that the biblical statements about Jesus’ deity were mythological.

• The historicity of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection is not just a matter of curious interest for the believer. The tenets are the basis for the Christian faith.

• The intent of this class is to examine what the four Gospels have to say about Jesus’ life and teachings. The following are some of the topics we will consider:

o The four Gospels o The geographical, political, cultural, social settings o Jesus’ incarnation and early life o Jesus’ baptism and temptation o Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth and Galilee o Jesus’ call to discipleship o Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders o Jesus’ parables o Jesus’ miracles o The messiahship of Jesus o The Lord’s Supper o Jesus’ trials and crucifixion o Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension

An opportunity for Q and A

• As a disclaimer, our goal in the coming weeks is not to do an exhaustive study of Jesus’ person and work. Instead, our objective is to undertake a substantive overview of His public ministry and teachings.

• Because this aim encompasses a considerable amount of material found in the four Gospels, our limited amount of time requires us to be selective and strategic in what we can realistically cover.

• As we undertake our study, we do so from a confessional, Lutheran perspective. • The preceding includes affirming the centrality of the Lord Jesus, the inspiration and

authority of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, and the reliability of the Lutheran Confessions as a faithful guide in interpreting God’s Word.

• The above stance helps to preserve the clarity of the biblical message, particularly, as it pertains to the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This stance also reflects the viewpoint of OSLC, which is evangelical, creedal, and sacramental.

• A.J. Kostenberger and R.D. Patterson, in Invitation to biblical interpretation, discuss the helpful concept of the hermeneutical triad, as follows:

o the existence of God and His revelation in Scripture (i.e. theology); o the usage of texts as vehicles of that revelation, which require interpretation (i.e.

language and literature); and,

o the arc of salvation history (i.e. God’s revelation to people, as conveyed in Scripture, occurs within space-time reality).

• The interpretive task involves considering each of these three major elements, with the second and third items being foundational to the first one.

• Expressed another way, an appreciation of the historical-cultural background and linguistic-literary features of the four Gospels is pivotal in discerning their theological message.

An opportunity for Q & A

• The majority of our information about the life of Jesus comes primarily from the four Gospels. Yet, why are there four Gospels?

o To give four different “photographs” (in a manner of speaking) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

o To emphasize Jesus’ life and work by repeating it. o To show that there is far more than enough in the Lord Jesus to attract all different

types and races of people. o To show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, which pictured Christ as

King, Servant, Man, and God. • Synoptic means “seeing together.” • The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. • The synoptic problem concerns itself with why there are similarities and differences

among these three Gospels. o Our answer to the differences:

§ Each writer had a different purpose for writing. § Each writer had a different style of writing. § Each writer was guided by the Holy Spirit to present different viewpoints

or vantage points of Christ. o Our answer to the similarities:

§ Each writer had a direct connection with the events. § Each writer was acquainted with oral tradition. § Each writer was guided by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew Mark Luke John

To whom primarily written

Ethnic Jews Romans Greeks All humanity

Main purpose Explain the nature of divine kingdom

Drive home the power of the gospel

Set the words and works of Jesus within their historical context

Highlight the plan of salvation

Special emphasis

Discourses Miracles Parables Individual interviews

Portrait of Jesus as the Savior

Promised Savior Powerful Savior Perfect Savior Personal Savior (i.e. for each and every person)

Key text Matthew 2:2, The Magi asked, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Mark 10:45, Jesus explained, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 19:10, Jesus explained, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

John 20:30–31, Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, performed many other miraculous signs, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Approximate date of writing

The middle to late AD 60s

The early to middle AD 60s

The middle AD 60s to 70s

Around AD 85

Probable location of writing

Judea Rome Caesarea Ephesus

Main theme Jesus is the Messiah, whom many of His Jewish peers rejected

Jesus is the powerful Servant of God

Jesus is the ideal Son of Man

Jesus is the eternal Lord of glory

An opportunity for Q & A

• Outside of the four Gospels, there are other sources of information about Jesus. • To begin, we obtain information from Jewish sources, which help us understand the

background of Jesus’ life. • For example, Josephus in his Antiquities says, “Now there was about this time Jesus a

wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man.” • We also obtain information from secular literature, which verify the historicity of Jesus. • For instance, Tacitus, in relation to the persecution under Nero, tells how Christians—

already a great multitude—derived their names from one Christos, who was executed in the reign of Tiberius by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

• The first stories about Jesus circulated in oral form. Yet, as eyewitnesses began to pass from the scene, it became necessary to put important accounts about the Savior into

written form (for example, His presentation as a circumcised, Jewish male at the Jerusalem temple; Luke 2:21, 39).

• Several accounts of Jesus exist that are unreliable. For instance, in a document called the Gospel according to the Hebrews, Jesus is reported as referring to “my Mother, the Holy Spirit.” Another document, the Gospel according to the Egyptians, teaches celibacy as ideal—even within marriage. The Gospel of Thomas tells of Jesus performing miracles as a child, which contradicts John 2:11.

• The questionable authenticity of such accounts emphasizes why someone such as Luke found it important to conduct a careful investigation and sort through the claims (Luke 1:1-4).

• Indeed, Luke’s Gospel is the only one with an introduction (1:1-4), so we will use his opening statement as a basis to introduce Jesus’ life and theology. There are at least six facts that we can see presented in Luke’s introduction.

• The early followers of Jesus did not remain silent about their Master’s work, but handed on to others the blessed knowledge that they themselves possessed. In this way, they were obedient to the Great Commission (Matt 28:18–20).

• A number of people had endeavored to put down in writing what the early witnesses proclaimed.

• Luke resolved to compose a work about the deeds and teaching of Jesus. • Luke wrote it only after the most careful and painstaking research, having investigated

everything from the very beginning. • Luke decided to present his material in proper order. • Luke’s work was intended to make Theophilus (Luke’s patron or sponsor) certain that the

Christian instruction, which he had received, was true. An opportunity for Q & A

• We now turn our attention to background issues connected with the four Gospels, beginning with the broader geographical setting.

• The land of Israel is in a strategic location in what is called the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent is made up of the Nile and Mesopotamia River Basins.

• A mountainous region is located to the north and the Arabian Desert is situated to the south. Israel is located on the West side next to the Mediterranean Sea.

• Israel is often called the Land Between / the Land Bridge / or the Point of Balance. This is because the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Desert forces traffic through the narrow land area of Israel.

The Fertile Crescent

• The land of Israel is split into four main longitudinal zones, running north to south: o The Coastal Plain: A flat well-watered plain along the coast about 8-15 miles

wide. It provides the easiest and most natural route for travel from the areas of Babylon /Assyria / Syria to Egypt.

o The Hill Country or Centra1 Mountains: This is a range of mountains that rise over 3,000 feet in elevation in places. It runs from Galilee in the north to the Negev Highlands in the south. Jerusalem is located here at 2,600 feet and receives about 25" of rain annually.

o The Jordan Rift valley: This is a deep depression in the earth that stretches 3,700 miles from Southern Turkey into Africa. It is part of what is known as the Syro-African rift. The Sea of Galilee (6,690 ft.) and the Dead Sea (-690 ft.) as well as the Jordan River are located in this zone.

o The TransJordan Plateau: To the east of the Rift Valley rise the towering mountains of the TransJordan. This area has steep slopes, is somewhat rugged, and receives quite a bit of rain and even some snow.

Israel / Palestine around the time of Jesus

An opportunity for Q & A

• Next for us to discuss is the political setting during the time of Christ. • There were five Political / Religious Parties, as follows:

o The Pharisees: The Religious Conservatives o The Sadducees: The Religious Compromisers

o The Essenes: The Extreme Separatists o The Zealots: The National Jewish Party o The Herodians: The Jewish Supporters of Herod

• In terms of the cultural setting during the time of Christ, there were five favorable factors, as follows:

o The Roman Empire was in a state of relative peace (Latin, Pax Romana). o The Roman Empire had a universal trade language (Greek), one of the most

specific and detailed languages in existence. o The Dispersion of the Jews had spread an empire-worldwide knowledge of God. o The Roman Empire had developed a complex system of roads. o Inhabitants within the Roman Empire had begun to possess an extreme skepticism

toward pagan deities. • There are four cultural institutions worth mentioning:

o The synagogue: § The Greek word means “a congregation” or “an assembly.” § The synagogue was a place of prayer and instruction in the Scriptures. § Possibly originated in the time of Ezra and might be referenced to in

Psalm 74:8, which can be literally rendered, “the meeting places of God” (that is, the places where people worship God).

§ This is where the rabbis (Jewish Torah specialists) taught. o The Sanhedrin:

§ It means “a council” or “an assembly session.” § It is first mentioned in Jewish history in the time of Antiochus the Great

from 223–187 B.C. § It was an aristocratic body with the High Priest as its head. § In the time of Christ, it was the supreme civil and religious authority. § It was made up of 71 members (24 chief priests, 24 elders, 22 scribes, and

the high priest) consisting of both Pharisees and Sadducees. § It lost power in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem.

o The publicans or tax collectors: § They were collectors of Roman revenue. § They were hated by their ethnic Jewish peers and regarded as traitors and

apostates due to their frequent contacts with unbelieving Gentiles. § They were considered by their ethnic Jewish peers to be tools of the

oppressor and frequently overcharged for their own personal gain. o The scribes:

§ They were keepers and registers of public documents. § They studied and interpreted the Mosaic Law to people. § They were considered the highest form of teacher and were primarily

Pharisees. An opportunity for Q & A

• We now turn our attention to a broader set of contextual issues germane to the time of Christ, starting with the moral status.

• The nation of Israel was in a state of moral degeneration.

• The Roman Empire had about 6,000,000 slaves. • Divorce and immorality were widespread. • Thousands of lives were sacrificed in the arena for entertainment. • There was the existence of a messianic hope. However, the popular view of the Messiah

was confused and misunderstood.

• The following are approximate dates concerning key events in the life of Christ: o Jesus’ Birth: Winter 5-4 B.C. o Herod’s Death: Spring 4 B.C. o The Beginning of John the Baptizer’s Ministry (Luke 3:1): 29 A.D. o The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry (Luke 3:23): 29 A.D. o First Passover of Jesus’ Ministry (John 2:13): April 7, 30 A.D. o Second Passover of Jesus’ Ministry (necessitated by John 5:1): April 25, 31 A.D. o Third Passover of Jesus’ Ministry (John 6:4): April 13/14, 32 A.D. o Jesus at Festival of Tabernacles (John 7:2, 10): September 10-17, 32 A.D. o Jesus at Festival of Dedication (John 10:22-39): December 18, 32 A.D. o Jesus’ Passion Week: March 27th-April 5th, 33 A.D. o Jesus’ Crucifixion: April 3, 33 A.D. (Friday) o Jesus’ Resurrection: April 5, 33 A.D. (Sunday) o Jesus’ Ascension: May 14, 33 A.D.

An opportunity for Q & A

• We now consider further the various religious and/or politically affiliated parties mentioned earlier.

• To clarify, there were several religious parties or sects among the Jews, and none of the parties were exceptionally large.

• There were thousands of Pharisees during the time of Christ. They were a conservative ritualist party and more popular with the people because of their anti-foreign attitude and high regard for the Hebrew sacred writings.

• In the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees held a majority. They believed the oral law with its many interpretations and traditions to be just as binding as the Old Testament. They went to great lengths to keep themselves separated from all that they considered to be unclean, and to perform all mandated religious duties. They especially struggled with hypocrisy.

• The Pharisees kept the messianic hope alive, though their concept of the Messiah was skewed. They believed in a future state and the resurrection of the dead. They considered the common people as cursed because they did not know the Mosaic Law (Luke 18:9; John 7:49; Acts 23:6).

• The Sadducees were the priestly party and were smaller in number than the Pharisees. They were mostly from wealthy influential priestly families.

• The Sadducees were the rationalists of the day, only believing what they thought was reasonable. They denied the authority of the oral law, the resurrection, future punishment, and rewards.

• It is a paradox that these same unbelieving priests were the ones who ministered in the temple and offered the sacrifices; yet, as a group, they did not personally believe in the value or necessity of those sacrifices.

• It was the “business” of the Sadducees that the Lord interfered with when He cleansed the temple. Yet, Jesus died for them, too, so that we read in Acts 6:7, “a large group of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

• The New Testament does not mention the Essenes. They withdrew from ordinary society and lived near the Dead Sea. They practiced a monastic type of life.

• By adhering to an ascetic discipline and the simple life, the Essenes sought communion with God and purity of life.

• Because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which at least were deposited by the Essenes, they have become the object detailed study.

• The Zealots were the national Jewish party that arose after the Romans took over Palestine in 63 B.C.

• The Zealots sought to incite the people to fight for their deliverance. • The Zealots were responsible for several minor clashes with Rome, and were active in the

final clash in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed. • In many cases, the Zealots had degenerated into outlaw bands that terrorized the land. • Barabbas was probably a Zealot. He was in prison for insurrection (Mark 15:7). The two

thieves (or “robbers”) that were crucified with Jesus may also have been Zealots (Matt. 27:44).

• One of Jesus’ disciples was a Zealot, “Simon the Canaanite” (Matt. 10:4). “Canaanite” should be translated “Cananaean.” This is the Aramaic name for Zealot.

• The Herodians were a small political party that was trying to further the power of the Herod family. Judea and Samaria had been taken from Herod’s control and were governed by a Roman governor.

• The Herodians and Pharisees were bitter enemies, but they conspired together to kill Jesus. Pilate and Herod Antipas were enemies until after Jesus’ trials and death (Luke 23:12).

An opportunity for Q & A

• We now briefly turn our attention to Jesus’ social world. • Social distinctions in first-century A.D. Palestine were much different from those existing

in our society today. It was thoroughly a man’s world. • Men: Jewish men ranked higher than women in all forms of public life. Even within the

home the man was master, and boys ranked higher than girls. For example, only boys received formal schooling.

• Women: Except for those of nobility, Jewish women took no part in public life. They were to stay indoors and live in seclusion. However, where economic necessity dictated, wives helped their husbands with their work.

• Rules of propriety prohibited a man from looking at a married woman or to greet her. Also, it was disgraceful for a scholar to speak to a woman in the street. While rural woman had a little more freedom, they did not speak to men they did not know.

• The Jewish social spectrum was broad and diverse. • The upper class consisted of the priestly and lay aristocracies and the scribes. The

priestly nobility included the high priest, any retired high priests, and the chief priests who administered temple affairs.

• The middle class consisted of Jews of pure descent, among whom were found the ordinary priests (who served in the temple), the Levites (who served as temple musicians and servants), merchants, artisans, and farmers.

• The lower classes embraced all Jews who were not of pure descent as well as Jewish slaves, Jews with slight blemish (proselytes), Jews with a grave racial blemish (eunuchs), and Jews who worked in despised trades. Gentile slaves and Samaritans held the lowest rank in this social order.

An opportunity for Q & A

• We now focus on the person of Christ, especially His preexistence and incarnation, as unveiled in John 1:1–18.

• Jesus’ eternality: 1:1-2 o emphasis is on Jesus’ deity eternality o emphasis is on Jesus’ humanity o emphasis is on Jesus’ personality

• Jesus’ preexistent work: 1:3-5 • Jesus’ forerunner: 1:6-8

o vs. 6 focuses on the sender o vs. 7 focuses on the purpose o vs. 8 focuses on the identity

• Jesus’ reception: 1:9-13 o vs. 9 upon entering the world o vss. 10-11 rejected by the world o vss. 19-13 yet accepted by some

• Jesus’ incarnation: 1:14-18 o The divine Word became a human being.

• The details of Jesus’ entrance into the human race are given by Matthew and Luke. • Luke presents Mary’s point of view in 1:26-38. The angel Gabriel revealed to Mary that

she would conceive and would give birth to a son, who was to be named Jesus. In response to Mary’s question about how this conception would take place, the angel told Mary that it would be due to the work of the Holy Spirit.

• Matthew gives Joseph’s point of view in 1:18-25. When Joseph learned about Mary’s pregnancy, he decided to divorce her privately. Yet, when Joseph received an angel’s explanation about the circumstances, he took Mary to be his wife.

• The work of the Spirit in Mary’s womb did not include the creation of the person of Jesus, for this, together with His divine nature, is eternal (Micah 5:2; Galatians 4:4; John 8:42). The Spirit created within Mary’s womb a complete human nature for the eternal Son of God.

• Following this unique, divine conception, the prenatal development of Jesus’ human nature and the birth event took place in a normal way (Luke 2:6–7).

• Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a human . . . o to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17); o to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45); o to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and

recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19);

o to preach the good news of the kingdom of God (vs. 43); o to seek and save what was lost (19:10); o to provide eternal life (John 3:17); o to do the will of God and to finish His work (4:34); o to give life to the world (6:33); o to put to death the misdeeds of human beings (Rom. 8:13); o to break the power of the devil (Heb. 2:14); o to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (vs. 15);

and, o to become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and to make

atonement for the sins of people (vs. 17). An opportunity for Q and A

• An orthodox Christology emphasizes the following: o Jesus is God even as the Father and the Spirit are God o Jesus is human even as we are, except that He is sinless o Jesus is truly one person o God the Son took a true human nature and became the God-man

• With reference to Jesus’ human nature, He experienced normal development in body, mind, spiritual awareness, and social acceptance. All these occurred with the perfection that is suited to each phase of life through which Jesus passed (Luke 2:40, 52).

• Jesus experienced such sinless limitations as the need for nourishment and rest. • Jesus progressively became filled with wisdom as He gained knowledge through

observation, asking questions, and seeking instruction (Luke 2:40). • Though Jesus did not attend a rabbinical school, He received a common education, which

was primarily religious and which prepared Him for the practical duties of life. • The development of Jesus’ spiritual awareness was evident when He went with His

family to Jerusalem at the age of 12 to observe the Passover (Luke 2:41–42). • Jesus’ parents found Him in the temple with the Jewish scholars. These men were

amazed at Jesus’ ability to answer and ask questions. • Moreover, Jesus’ words to His parents revealed His awareness of His personal relation to

the Father and the necessity for Jesus to be doing His Father’s work. • Jesus also increased in social acceptance (vss. 51–52). He continued to submit to the

authority of His earthly parents. • Moreover, Jesus continued to advance in favor with God by pleasing Him. Additionally,

Jesus increased in favor with people by securing their admiration and respect. An opportunity for Q & A