wamt: new testament surveythe gospels as literature •historiography: conventions for how we choose...

Jesus

WAMT: New Testament Survey

Who was Jesus?

Two Approaches

• Chronology: try to piece together the life of Jesus “in order” (focus on history).

• Gospels: take each Gospel account on its own merits to try and see what each has to say about Jesus (focus on literary).

• Also, Topical: look at different aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry (focus on theology?)

Who is Jesus?

• Pre-modern thought accepted the truth of the Gospels without much questioning.

• The Enlightenment (late 1700’s, beginning of “modern” era) started to call this into question, wanted scientific proofs.

• Led to the “Quest for the Historical Jesus.”• Modern society wants “proof”, tends to be skeptical

(especially of things that go against observable science), does not necessarily accept the truth, authority, or validity of the Bible!

Who is Jesus?

1. Do we know what Jesus actually ever said? Do we know what Jesus actually ever did?

2. How accurate are the stories that we have about Jesus?3. How do we separate the “real Jesus” from 2000 years of

church history and tradition? Is there a difference?

Who is Jesus?

The “Historical Jesus”(The “historical” words and deeds of Jesus was 2000 years ago. What he did.)

vs.

The “Christ of Faith”(The Church’s understanding of who Jesus was, influenced by history and

tradition. What he meant.)

Who is Jesus?: A Non-Biblical Story (3rd century)

This child Jesus, when five years old, was playing in the ford of a mountain stream; and He collected the flowing waters into pools, and made them clear immediately, and by a word alone He made them obey Him. And having made some soft clay, He fashioned out of it twelve sparrows…And Jesus clapped His hands, and cried out to the sparrows, and said to them: Off you go! And the sparrows flew, and went off crying…

After that He was again passing through the village; and a boy ran up against Him, and struck His shoulder. And Jesus was angry, and said to him: Thou shalt not go back the way thou camest. And immediately he fell down dead.

— The Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Who Is Jesus?: Some Problems

• Our primary knowledge about Jesus comes through the biblical Gospels (written 30-60 years after his death, not always by eyewitnesses): Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

• Each one of these gospels tells the story of Jesus slightly differently.• Gospels are literary interpretations of the meaning and significance of Jesus for

a particular audience: “Jesus according to Matthew,” “Jesus according to Mark,” etc. (This is why they tell different stories!)

• Gospels are inherently biased. But does this make them “wrong”?• “Other stories” about Jesus give a different picture of who he was, though

these never received recognition from early followers of Jesus as accurate portrayals.• 2000 years of church history has muddied the waters so that it is difficult to

see the “real Jesus.”

What is a Gospel?• A genre of literature that tells the story of Jesus’ life and

ministry.

• Four biblical Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.• Many other non-canonical gospels that tell stories and sayings

but are not considered authoritative: Thomas, Peter, Judas, James.

• εύαγγελιον: euangelion, “good news,” term used to talk about a king’s military victory.

Why Four Gospels?

Why does the Bible tell the story of Jesus four times?• Authors have different perspectives• The audiences are different• Communities have different needs• The Gospels highlight different events and pieces of

Jesus ministry.• Just like the portraits of Obama are trying to make

different claims about who he is and what he represents…

The Gospels as Literature

• Historiography: conventions for how we choose to write history. Luke 1:1-4

• Gospels are theological biography...not simply historical accounts of life of Jesus, but intended to show that Jesus is Lord. Mark 1:1

• Gospels are apology (a.k.a. a “defense”), written to convince us of something. John 20:30-31

• Gospels are independent pieces of literature, must be understood on their own…only then can they be understood in conjunction with one another and the rest of the “drama.”


What is the relationship between the four Gospels? How do we fit them together?

• Matthew, Mark, and Luke have a lot of common material: 95% of Mark (all but 30 verses) is found in either Matthew or Luke. These three are called the synoptic Gospels (“view together”).

• John stands alone: has some of the same stories, but mostly his own material.

• What might this suggest?• Hint: Luke 1:1-4: tells us that he is using sources, researching, compiling and

organizing stories.


The Two-Source Hypothesis:

Mark

MatthewLuke

John

Q

“L” “M”

• Mark was written first. • Matthew and Luke both use Mark

as a source • Matthew and Luke also have a

common external source (called “Q”)

• Mathew and Luke each have their own “other” sources (“M” and “L”).

A Few Thoughts on Reading the Gospels

• Read the Gospels independently, hearing what that particular author is trying to say about Jesus.

• Listen for what is emphasized and highlighted in each Gospel.• Don’t try to “mash up” the four stories into one...they have

different purposes and audiences.• Read the Gospels in light of one another and in light of the whole

“drama.”

...According to Mark• Contrasting Jesus as wonder-worker (1st half) and suffering servant (2nd

half)• Highlights the unexpectedness of what it means for Jesus to be the

Messiah.• Talks about the costliness of discipleship in the way of Jesus.• Brings up question of who is “in,” but turns it on its head: those on the

outside seem to “get it” better than those on the inside.• Mark is perhaps combatting a “triumphal outlook” that believes that

Jesus is still going to come back and “conquer.”

...According to Matthew

• Written to Jewish-Christian community, trying to show the continuity between the Israel of the OT and Jesus.

• Contrasts Jesus to Herod: “Who is the King of the Jews?”• Emphasizes the theme of fulfillment.

• Jesus is a “new Israel”…Jesus lives up to the things that Israel was never able to do.

• Jesus is a “new Moses” who gives a “new Torah”…highlights Jesus’ teaching ministry…

• Jesus is a “new Joshua” who ushers God’s People into the Promised Land.• Jesus is a “new David” who will reign over God’s People.

...According to Luke

• Written after the destruction of the temple in 70AD, views Jesus through that lens.

• Interested in the bigger picture: places Jesus within the context of world events, sees ongoing impact of Jesus (Luke also wrote Acts).

• Contrasts Jesus and Caesar: “Who is ‘savior,’ ‘lord,’ etc.?”• Highlights Jesus as healer, liberator, the one who inaugurates

God’s Kingdom and “levels the playing field”: the first will be last and the last will be first.

...According to John

• The latest Gospel (written around 90 CE) and therefore most theologically developed.

• The eyewitnesses to Jesus have all died off, John is writing to a new generation of Jesus-followers emphasizing the importance of belief without seeing.

• People are starting to question whether Jesus will come back (he said “I am coming back soon” and they thought that meant a few days...months...years...).

• Main theme is “belief/faith” (πιστευω)...not just cognitive affirmation of doctrine, but faith that God is setting the world right, redeeming creation.

• Records long discourses rather than short sayings/teachings.

The Life of Jesus

• Birth• Early Life• Baptism• Ministry

• Teaching• Miracles

• Entry into Jerusalem and Incident at the Temple• Death• Resurrection

Who is Jesus?

The “Historical Jesus”(The “historical” words and deeds of Jesus was 2000 years ago. What he did.)

vs.

The “Christ of Faith”(The Church’s understanding of who Jesus was, influenced by history and

tradition. What he meant.)

Jesus the first-century Jew

What is the least (or most) that we can definitively say about Jesus in his first-century

historical situation?


• Was born around the year 4-6BC in Bethlehem.• Lived most of his life in obscurity in Nazareth in Galilee, never

traveling much further than Jerusalem.• Was taught the Jewish scriptures (like most Jewish boys) and

drew his own conclusions about them.• Came to public attention around age 30, probably with a baptism

by John the Baptist, for a ministry that lasted no more than three years.

• Was known as a teacher (Rabbi) and gathered a band of disciples.


• **Performed miraculous signs**: healing, exorcism, natural miracles.• Spoke out against the religious-political establishment, engaged in

controversy with the temple.• His preaching was largely focused on the idea of the Kingdom of

God.• He was charged with being a “rebel leader” and was crucified by

the Romans around the year 30 CE, a fate reserved for rebels and insurrectionists.

• **Is said to have risen from the dead** which resulted in the founding of a new religious reform movement within Judaism.


• He was a teacher (rabbi)• He was a wonderworker• He was a prophet (religious reformer)• He was a political revolutionary

These are his “historical roles.”

Jesus the Son of God

What did the earliest Christians come to believe about Jesus and how did they express

those beliefs?

Jesus the Son of God

• He was the King• He was the High Priest• He was the Prophet• He was the Sacrifice

These are his “theological roles.”

Metaphors• Metaphors help us to understand one thing by means of analogy to

another, more familiar thing.• Metaphors are non-literal ways of describing something so that we

can understand something about its significance.• Metaphors have limits! They do not suggest a 1:1 correlation, only

similarity in some particular way.• Multiple metaphors can help to round out an image, but they do not

give a full picture.• The metaphor is not the point!

Jesus’ Mission

What was Jesus all about? What is “the good news”?• Matthew 10-11• Mark 2-3• Luke 4:14–6:11• John 2:1–3:21, 10:7-10

Jesus’ Mission

What was Jesus all about? What is “the good news”?• Individual and communal repentance• Religious reform and renewal• Freedom from oppression and sin• Give “life”• Inaugurating the Kingdom of God

Jesus’ MissionWhat was Jesus all about? What is “the good news”?

The Kingdom of God• Kingdom is main theme in Matthew, Mark, and Luke!• Only John is concerned with “belief.”

Matthew Mark Luke John

Kingdom of God/Heaven 55 20 46 5

Believe/Faith 11 14 9 98Eternal Life 3 2 3 16

Number of Occurrences of Key Phrases in the Gospels

Jesus’ Mission

What was Jesus all about? What is “the good news”?The Kingdom of God

• Eschatology: what we think about “the end things”• Brings us back to the Day of YHWH, the waiting for God to intervene and

set things right.• Jesus says the Kingdom of God is at hand, that he is ushering in that

Kingdom, starting to set things right.• Biblical eschatology says that the Kingdom is inaugurated with Jesus, but

not yet consummated; Kingdom is already here, but it is not yet here!

Jesus’ Mission

What does it mean that “The Kingdom of God is at hand!”?• Jesus is proclaiming a “new world order” that flies in the face of the

Roman Empire.• Jesus actions “announce” the coming of this kingdom: healing,

celebration, pardon.• Jesus replaces the function of the Jewish Temple, offering forgiveness

outside of the sacrificial system!• Jesus declares that through him God is finally bringing an end (for good!)

to the Exile.• Jesus lives into what is expected of the Jewish messiah and the Jewish God!

How does Jesus reframe expectations about the Kingdom of God?• Read Jesus temptation story: Luke 4:1-12• What kind of messiah was Jesus being tempted to be? How was he

tempted to bring the Kingdom of God?• Contrast this with how Jesus chose to be the messiah/bring the

kingdom: Luke 4:16-20; Matthew 5:1-12, 38-48.• N.T. Wright suggests that would-be “messiahs” tended to follow a

similar agenda: defeat the enemies, cleanse the temple, and establish the kingdom. Jesus “reframes” the typical messianic “battle” agenda: Jesus is fighting a different enemy. (SJ p. 120-122)

Jesus’ Mission

The Politics of JesusJesus’ Titles: • Son of God: royal title (not “divine title”), see Psalm 2. Caesar Augustus claimed

to be “Son of a god.”• Son of Man: ambiguous title, refers to “regular guy” (as in Ezekiel) or to divine/

messianic figure (as in Daniel 7).• Son of David: Jewish political/royal/messianic title, suggests the one who will

reestablish the line of Jewish kings from David.• Lord: could mean nothing, a.k.a “sir” (when Jesus is addressed as “Lord”), but

could be asserting authority over and against Caesar who is called “lord.” Also, the word used to translate YHWH in the Greek Old Testament.

• Christ: Greek for “messiah,” the one who would deliver the Jews from their enemies.

Jesus and the Kingdom of God

What is the Kingdom?• Stems from the Old Testament ideas about God’s rule on earth: see Isaiah

65:17-25, Daniel 7.• The Kingdom of God is the time of God’s rule over all of creation and the

eradication of evil. • The Kingdom of God expresses the hopes of God’s People that the injustice,

conflict, and oppression of the world will come to an end and that God’s People will be vindicated (i.e. receive justice, Why do bad things happen to good people?)

• God’s Kingdom will be characterized by Peace, Justice, Righteousness, Truth, and Love: see Matthew 5:3-12.

• It is the consummation of God’s redeeming work in creation!

What is the Kingdom of God like? Metaphors: Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 13-14

• A mustard seed• Yeast• A valuable pearl• A lost coin• A great banquet• A field of wheat...with some weeds mixed in.• A narrow road


The Bottom Line:1. Jesus challenges the ideologies of nations and empires and subverts

the structures of power, dominance, and oppression.2. Jesus teaches that our first and primary allegiance is to God and to

God’s Kingdom, not to any political entity.3. The ideology of the Kingdom of God is one of solidarity and

identification with the poor, the marginalized, the outcast.4. Any effort that tries to establish the Kingdom of God by force or to

identify it with those in power is absolutely not the Kingdom.


Jesus and the Temple

• Matthew 23-25• Mark 13• Luke 21• John 2, 5, 9


• Throughout his ministry, Jesus subverted the temple by offering atonement/forgiveness outside of the sacrificial system.

• In the final week of his life, Jesus goes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and deliberately and explicitly suggests that the temple has become obsolete and is no longer relevant.


• Jesus actions at the temple are related to his claim to kingship:• He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey: pointing to

Zechariah’s prophecy about a coming king• He comes just before the Passover: pointing to God’s

deliverance in the Exodus• He immediately goes to cleanse the temple: pointing to

God’s judgement of the current system

Parables

What is a parable?• Story intended to convey truth.• Draws connections between things that we don’t understand and

things that we do understand in order to help us understand the first thing better.

• They use common images of the day to help illustrate the truth.• They put abstract truth into practical/livable terms.• Can be allegorical, simple metaphor, illustration of a truth about

God/life, or a practical example of how to live.

ParablesWhen reading a parable, try to answer the following

questions:

• Who is supposed audience and what is the context?• What lesson does this parable teach me?• What images does it use to convey the truth?• Is it allegorical, metaphorical, illustration, or practical

example?• What is the response that it calls for?

The Death of JesusFinal Days (Holy Week): about one week before his death, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for Passover after journeying from Galilee and gathering a band of disciples along the way:

• Sunday: “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem, allusions to OT royal imagery.• Gets into scuffles in the temple: drives out moneychangers, conflict with

religious leaders.• Spends time teaching in the temple.• Thursday: has a “Last Supper” with disciples, goes to Garden of Gethsemane to

pray, is “betrayed” by Judas (what is the nature of Judas’ betrayal?) and arrested by the Romans, is tried before Pilate (Roman governor) and Herod (Jewish ruler).

• “Good” Friday: is tortured and crucified, dies, is buried before sundown (when Passover would start).

The Death of Jesus

How does each Gospel tell the story of Jesus’ death?

What are the differences in the four accounts?

Commonalities between the Gospels:• Jesus and his disciples have a final meal together• They go to a garden together to pray• Judas betrays Jesus• A disciples cuts off the ear of one of the people arresting Jesus• Peter denies Jesus three times• Jesus is tried before the Sanhedrin (Jewish religious council) and Pilate (Roman

governor)• Pilate finds Jesus innocent• Pilate offers to release Jesus or Barabbas• Pilate puts a sign above Jesus saying “King of the Jews”• Jesus is beaten, crucified, dies, and is buried.

The Death of Jesus

Commonalities in Matthew, Mark, Luke (not in John): • Jesus institutes “communion” at the Last Supper• Jesus is crucified with two “bandits”• There is darkness at the time of Jesus’ death• The temple curtain is torn in two• A Roman centurion confesses Jesus’ innocence• Simon carries Jesus’ cross

The Death of Jesus

Distinctives in the Gospels:• Matthew: Pilate “washes his hands”; Judas betrays Jesus for

thirty pieces of silver and later commits suicide• Mark: details are included in Matthew and Luke• Luke: Jesus “sweats blood” while praying in Gethsemane; Jesus

is sent before King Herod; Jesus talks with the two “bandits”• John: longer account of the “last supper” (chs. 13-17) that

includes Jesus washing disciples’ feet but not “communion”; Jesus has a discussion with Pilate; all this takes place on the day of preparation for the Passover

The Death of Jesus

Why Was Jesus Killed?

• Matthew 26:57-68, 27:11-13• Mark 14:53-65, 15:1-5• Luke 22:66-23:5• John 18:28-38


• Matthew: charged with blasphemy against the temple, claiming to be the “Son of Man,” and claiming to be a “king”

• Mark: same as Matthew• Luke: charged with claiming to be a Messiah, the Son of

God, the Son of Man, “stirring up the people”• John: charged with being “a criminal,” claiming to be “King

of the Jews,” claiming to be the Son of God

• Rome saw Jesus as a potential threat to peace and stability, he might start a revolt.

• Some Jewish leaders saw him as a threat to the stability of the religious system; they saw Jesus as an “uppity religious reformer” and a “fanatic.”

• Other Jewish leaders saw him as a threat to the Covenant and what they understood to be God’s will.

• Deuteronomy demanded that false prophets be executed...the Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a false prophet because of the ways he spoke “blasphemy” against the temple and religious establishment.


A Few Thoughts on Jesus’ Death

• Jewish leaders did not have the legal authority to execute anyone, thus they had to turn to Pilate for permission.

• Luke says Pilate sent Jesus to Herod (Galilee was Herod’s jurisdiction) for trial so that he wouldn’t have to be the “bad guy.” He saw it as a no-win situation; he would make someone mad (either Jewish leaders or Jewish populace).

• We don’t know the precise motivations that led to Jesus’ death: Was Pilate manipulated? Was Pilate putting down a perceived political threat? Were the Jewish leaders sincerely trying to respond to a threat to the Covenant? Were the Jewish leaders concerned with preserving their own power and privilege?

• Jesus’ last week and death is the central event for the Gospel writers. Mark and John each dedicate half of their Gospels; Luke is all about a journey toward the cross.

A Few Thoughts on Jesus’ Death

Crucifixion:• Crucifixion was a form of death reserved for the worst kind of criminals: rebels and

insurgents.• Two bandits: Luke 23:32-43• Jesus or Barabbas: Luke 23:13-25//Matthew 27:15-26//Mark 15:6-15//John 18:38-40

• Roman citizens could not be crucified (had to be treated humanely!), only “barbarians” (i.e. non-Romans)

• Crucifixion was a systematic way of inflicting maximum pain on someone before death (same root word as excruciating)

• It was intended to humiliate and scare anyone away from challenging the Empire, to create “an example.”

• Victims eventually died through suffocation when they became too exhausted to pull themselves up to breathe.

Interpreting Jesus’ Death

• All of the New Testament essentially represents attempts by Christian people to work out the meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

• The Gospels are written 30-60 years after Jesus and so represent more developed thinking on the subject. The earliest reflections on Jesus are Paul’s letters.


• The first reactions to Jesus’ death were despair; nobody expected the Messiah to die (see Luke 24).

• If the messiah was going to be crucified, they at least expected him to not die and to come off the cross and lead a miraculous revolution. Jesus didn’t do that. He actually died.

• Paul talks about Jesus death as foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews.• Foolishness: heroes don’t die by crucifixion, only the weak.• Stumbling Block: messiahs don’t die at all; they lead military revolutions.

• The early Church very quickly began to reinterpret the meaning of Jesus’ death and to read the Old Testament in ways that allowed for a suffering messiah (e.g. Isaiah 53).

Inscription in Rome: “Alexander worships his god”


Did Jesus “have to” die?

How does Jesus’ death play into the story of God redeeming all of

creation?

Re-Interpreting Jesus’ Death

• Jesus as Passover Lamb: Imagery from the Exodus where the blood of the Lamb marks out the People of God and they are delivered from death.

• Jesus as Sacrifice: Jesus death atones for (takes the place of) our death as payment for sins.• Jesus as Representative: Jesus acts on behalf of humanity and the entire cosmos and takes

on death for them (cf. Isaiah 53 and the Suffering Servant) • Jesus’ Death as Victory: Through Jesus death, God defeats death. Death could not hold Jesus

captive.• Jesus’ Death as Exaltation: John says Jesus’ death is a lifting up that brings healing, in the

same way that Moses “lifted up the snake in the wilderness and all who looked on it were saved.”

• Jesus’ Death as Solidarity: Through Jesus’ death, God experiences what it is like to be truly human, takes on our suffering to let us know that we are not in it alone.

• Jesus’ Death as Exposure: Crucifixion of innocent man reveals the brutality of the social and political systems of Empire and the evil that lies that behind them.

Re-Interpreting Jesus’ DeathNT Wright: “these constructions need to be put within a larger one…Somehow, Jesus’s death was seen by Jesus himself, and then by those

who told and ultimately wrote his story, as the ultimate means by which God’s kingdom was established. The crucifixion was the shocking

answer to the prayer that God’s kingdom would come on earth as in heaven.” (SJ p. 185)

BUT, the significance of Jesus’ death can only fully be understood in conjunction with the resurrection.

• Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried on Friday, before sundown (the start of the Passover).

• Jesus’ friends and disciples waited until Sunday (after the Passover/Sabbath) to go anoint his body and prepare it for burial.

• The Gospel reports say that it was the women who first found the tomb empty.

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

The Resurrection of The Christ

Ways that people “explain” the resurrection:

1. Jesus made a big impression, so he was “resurrected in their hearts.”2. The disciples (or someone) stole the body.3. Jesus only “fainted” on the cross, he woke up after he was put in the

tomb.4. The disciples saw a “ghost” or “apparition”5. Christian Church says he actually died and was actually raised to life

again!



Is there evidence for the resurrection?

1. The Jesus Movement didn’t die out (see Gamaliel’s prediction in Acts 5), but exploded into a worldwide movement.

2. The disciples (and others) went to their deaths defending what they had seen and believed. People aren’t usually willing to die for a lie they made up.

3. The idea of “resurrection” was entirely foreign to Jewish thought...this wasn’t what anybody (including) disciples were expecting. Paul says it is “foolishness,” not the kind of thing you use to start a new movement.

Responses to the Resurrection

• Take a look at Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21.• What happens in each of these accounts?• What are the different Gospel writers trying to show?

Mark’s Account

• The women go to the tomb and find it empty. They see an angel who tells them that Jesus is risen. They go out and tell nobody because they are afraid.

• Abrupt ending! What is this telling us? What is Mark’s message?• Later Christians added endings because it seemed so incomplete

(shorter and longer endings).


Matthew’s Account

• Women find the tomb empty, angel commands the women to tell disciples to go to the mountain; Jesus meets disciples on the mountain and gives them the Great Commission.

• Continuation of New Moses theme...• Jesus has established a New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31)


The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD.

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. --Jeremiah 31:31-34


John’s Account

• Emphasizes difficulty of belief; acknowledges that doubt is a part of life.• Jesus reaffirms the disciples after their failure to stand by him at his

death.• John tells us that “Jesus did many other things as well that are not

written in this book.”


Luke’s Account• Meets two disciples on the road to Emmaeus, stays to have a meal with

them; they recognize him when he breaks the bread.• Jesus reinterprets the scriptures, rereads the story of God in the Old

Testament to show them how it was leading up to him.• The disciples are disturbed by what has happened; it did not fit with

their expectations of messiah.• Jesus ascends to Heaven: declaring something about his glorification, who

Jesus is (i.e. King of the Jews).



Atonement Theories: How do we understand “what happened” when Jesus died and was raised? How does Jesus’ death and resurrection become redemptive? • The Penal-Substitution Theory: law-court image, we are guilty but Jesus takes our guilt

upon himself and we are declared “righteous.”• The Ransom Theory: slavery image, we are held captive by sin but Jesus’ death “pays

the price” to set us free.• Moral Influence: example image, Jesus life and death “shows us the way” to be in

relationship to God, “enlightens” us.• Christus-Victor: conflict image, Jesus conquers death so that we do not have to die.• Participation: when we are in Christ, we experience his death and resurrection with him.

Jesus as Fulfillment

• τελος (telos): “end, goal”• Jewish thought suggested that all of history was working

toward the telos of God’s Kingdom.• Jesus (and the Gospel writers) suggest that this telos comes

through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus himself!• Jesus claimed (and later Christians argued) that all the

various threads of Jewish thought and theology and all of the hopes of history were coming to a head in Jesus.


Jesus fulfills the roles of Jewish expectations:• Jesus as King: he is the one who comes to rule righteously over Israel, like David• Jesus as Prophet: he is the one who comes to “give a new law” and “lead the Israel in

a new Exodus”; he is the one who comes to “turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents”; like Moses and Elijah

• Jesus as Priest: he is the great high priest who is able to offer a proper sacrifice on our behalf, who doesn’t need a sacrifice for himself, like Melchizedek

• Jesus as Savior/Messiah: he is God’s anointed one who delivers God’s people, like Moses, David, Cyrus, and many others throughout the Old Testament

• Jesus as Sacrifice: he is the “atoning sacrifice” for our sin that reconciles us to God, like an unblemished lamb


In Matthew, Jesus is portrayed as the “New Israel,” who succeeds where Israel failed: • Matthew 2: Jesus comes out of Egypt, like the Exodus.• Matthew 4: Jesus spends forty days in the wilderness being tempted, like

Israel’s forty years.• Parallel temptations: trusting God for provision, testing God,

worshipping other gods.• Matthew 5-7: Jesus goes up a mountain and gives a “new Torah,” like

Moses at Sinai.• Matthew 10: Jesus calls twelve disciples, like the twelve tribes.• And more…

Jesus as FulfillmentIn Luke, Jesus is the liberator that the OT has been pointing toward:• Luke 4:16-30: Jesus reinterprets stories from the Old Testament to show how

the Jewish people had misinterpreted what God was doing in their midst. • Luke 24:13-35: “Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he

interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures…They said to each other ‘Were not our hearts burning within us…while he was opening the scriptures to us?’”

• Luke 24:44-45: “‘These are my words that I spoke to you…that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”

Jesus as FulfillmentIn John, Jesus is claims imagery from the Old Testament and applies it to himself:• John 1:29: “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the

world.”• John 4:13-14, 7:37-39: Jesus is the living water and river of life.• John 6:35: “I am the bread of life.”• John 8:12: “I am the light of the world.”• John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd.”


Paul’s thoughts:• Rom 10:4: For Christ is the telos of the law so that there may be righteousness for

everyone who believes. • Eph 1:8-10: With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his

will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

• Col 1:16-19: All things have been created through [Jesus Christ] and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together…he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

wamt: new testament surveythe gospels as literature •historiography: conventions for how we choose...

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