Controversial Issues of the Bible - Assignment Example

Theology I –Project Jesus Christ #2 Instructions Read through the questions before studying the biblical passages in each section. 2) Read each biblical passage that is listed, and write what is revealed about the topic of the section (use complete sentences). 3) Answer each question by applying the evidence from all the passages listed in that section. (Don’t leave out any relevant details.) Write everything in complete sentences. You can delete these instructions. New Testament evidence for the identity and work of Jesus Christ who is God and Man Matthew 16:21-28 Jesus predicted his death and mentioned that son of man will die while son of God will return in all his glory. John 1:1-18 The word of God became flesh of man is a clear indication of Jesus being God and Man and his transformation 4:32-34 Jesus does not need food as humans do since his food is reaffirmation of his devotion 13:1-17 The mentioning of coming from Father and going back to Father is indication of Jesus being related to God as no humans and yet being human 14:28 Father is greater than I indicates that he is great himself and in the Godly capacity too 17:4 The work of Jesus was the glorification of Lord on the earth Romans 8:17-18 The work that Jesus did had its sufferings but glories attached as well. 15:1-7 Jesus brought praise to God by putting all his will and energy in his work Ephesians 5:21-33 Jesus was head of Church, its savior, and he cared, fed, supported and improved the church Philippians 2:5-11 Jesus was humble to the extreme and accepted being a man just for the sake of his work Colossians 1:9-23 Jesus was the firstborn son of God and his work exalted the lives of humans and made them worthy of God’s pleasure 2:8-15 Through Jesus’ work, we have been relieved of our ‘legal indebtedness’ Hebrews 1:1-14 Identity of Jesus as God’s son is reaffirmed and it is said that his work is that of Justice and his glory is eternal 2:1-18 Though his work, Jesus exonerated us of the burden of being afraid of death all the time. To accomplish this, he accepted to be human while he was already God. 4:14-16 Jesus is an infallible high priest in his work and identity 5:7-10 Jesus perfected himself through his work and attained the position of High priest 10:1-39 Jesus’ work imbibed both mercy and justice and his identity was that of a person who cleanses the body and soul 12:1-4 Jesus is identified as the foremost among all in faith and also the one who perfects it 1 Peter 2:18-25 In first part, Jesus is identified as master of all servants (Christians) and in the second part Lord Jesus is identified as the Suffering Servant who is the main motivator, model and the path for others to follow Revelation 1:9-18 Jesus is all powerful and the first and last 5:1-14 Jesus’ work has delivered us from our sins and made us worthy of God’s kingdom and he is the one savior for all humans regardless of cast, creed, nation and color. 19:11-16 The allegory is regarding Jesus triumphing over evil through his work and identifies him as God and Man alike 1. What are the three things that stand out to you most about Jesus from these passages? Explain why each is valuable and important. a. Jesus was humble and down-to-earth and lived simply. b. He treated everyone equally and never discriminated against anyone. c. He taught to love one’s wife as he himself loved the Church. 2. Think about Jesus as a human being. How much can His daily life (habits, responses to others, action, etc.) realistically compare closely with yours? Jesus lived the life of a simple human being, yet he was faced with many hardships and have to undergo them in order to emerge as an example for all of mankind. Realistically, he was a more grounded, tolerant person than one can hope to become today, and he lived a simple life without complaining. 3. Explain why people who knew Jesus were able to miss the full reality about Him as God the Son. This was because Jesus was in the form of a human despite being the Son of God, and lived a simple life that made His humanity simple to all those around him. 4. What does it mean that the Christian life is based upon Jesus’ life experience? The life of Jesus serves as an example for Christians to adopt and follow in their own lives. 5. Most people who knew Jesus overlooked His deity because His humanity was so apparent. Explain why you imagine this would have been easy to do. This would be easy to do because Jesus looked like everybody else, and lived a simple life, and so it was difficult for people to accept Him as being anything greater than what he appeared to be. 6. Many Christians tend to overlook Jesus’ humanity because His deity is so prominent. Explain how to keep His humanity in view and why this is valuable. Christians learn about Jesus by reading about Him and His deity is prominent in His actions and His sacrifice on the cross, making His humanity less prominent than His deity. 7. What are the characteristics that Jesus models for the Christian? Identify and explain at least four. a. Jesus washes the feet of his disciples to explain through his own example that he was not greater than the disciples, and that they all were equal to each other. b. Help neighbors and build them up in their time of weakness. c. Remain strong in the face of adversity and have faith in yourself. d. Sacrifice for those you love. 8. Why do people need God to become a man? People need God to become a man so they can believe in Him, otherwise they would disregard religion as a miracle or as a magic, and would not believe. Becoming a man allowed God to interact directly with people on an equal platform. 9. What are the advantages for the Christian in knowing God because of the Incarnation (as compared to saints during the OT period)? Compared to saints during the OT period, the Christians know God more closely, they can study how He lived His life, and model their lives accordingly, and learn of His sacrifice on the cross for their sins, because He loves His people. 10. How does Jesus’ ability to sympathize with you in all the strains and concerns of your life count for help to you? It helps to know that Jesus understands the problems we are going through, and gives us solace to strive and struggle for a better life, and emerge stronger through all hardships. 11. What are the metaphors or other labels used for Jesus in these NT passages? Explain the meaning of each: Word, Son, Lamb, Lion, and Root of David. Word - On the Day of Judgment when Jesus returns as the Lion on a white horse, He is called the Word of God Son – Jesus is the Son of God Lamb – Jesus is the Lamb of God because of His sacrifice; he went out as the Lamb Lion – Jesus will return the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on judgment day Root of David – Jesus is the spiritual Root of David; also means that His bloodline goes back to David 12. Why was it necessary that the Son of God suffer many different things (in addition to the crucifixion and Hell) to save His people? This was necessary for two reasons; firstly, so the sins of His people could be forgiven, and secondly, to serve as an example of humility and sacrifice. 13. What do God’s chosen method of salvation through the Incarnation and the chosen adversities of Jesus’ earthly life tell about God? This tells us that God is immortal and knows no bounds of time or space; this tells us that God loves us and tests our character by putting us through these hardships. 14. Identify the specific ways Jesus is held up as a pattern for Christians. Jesus gave up his life for the atonement sins of His people. He was humble, and tolerant and kind. He was helpful to his friends and foes, and forgiving to all. 15. What was Jesus’ relationship as a man to God, and what does this model for Christians? Jesus is the Son of God, and He lived a life of hardships but emerged stronger and more determined to teach the people the way of God, making him a model for Christians because of his perseverance. 16. Since Jesus is God, why did He pray so frequently? Jesus is God, but He prayed frequently for gratitude, and for the atonement of the sins of His people, and to guide them to the right path. 17. How is Jesus a model for men in marriage? Men should love their wives as they love themselves, and cherish and nourish them so. They should love their wives as Jesus loved the Church and give himself up for her. 18. What are the ways that meditation on Jesus encourages you or otherwise helps you to live the sort of life He demonstrates God wants of all of us? It allows for peace to penetrate through the stress and for the worries to temporarily disappear, and allows for clarity of thought. Doctrinal summary: Jesus Christ according to the NT Write a paragraph in which you explain your understanding of Jesus Christ and his salvation as taught in the Bible. Be detailed to state things you think are true, and things you think are false. My understanding of Jesus Christ and his salvation is premised on Jesus giving up his life on the cross as a sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of all of mankind. Jesus is kind and loving, and he died for his people. There was a betrayal from amongst his followers, and despite knowing this, on the Last Supper, he gave in to the demands of the people and was nailed to a cross. His death was a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice. I believe all of this to be true. Personal Integration and Response 1) Take time to pray and reflect about how you think about and respond to Jesus Christ. 2) Write a paragraph reporting on what went on for you in this time of contemplating Jesus’ identity and work as the Savior, and what the implications are for your life. On reading in detail about the kind of life Jesus led, it is apparent that he was a simple, forgiving man. Too often we ruin our lives by focusing on the unimportant trivialities of life, I feel, and as a result, we allow negative energy to enter our lives and affect us and our approach on life. Like Jesus, we should be stronger, and face each hardship with patience and strength. 3) State what further questions that you have about Jesus. There are still certain questions that arise regarding Jesus. The most pressing of these is that despite knowing about the betrayal from Simon that inevitably caused his death, why didn’t Jesus tell his loyal followers about this? I believe mankind needed Jesus for longer than he gave them, and he should have fought back harder instead of giving up and surrendering his life. There are more lessons he could have imparted for the benefit of all of mankind. Read More