Self-Portraits of God

Studies in the Life and Work of Jesus

Lesson 4: Historical Portraits; Jesus the Person in the New Testament

The Teachings of Jesus

In the accounts of the life of Jesus that we have, His work is barely getting started when surrounded by large crowds of people He invites them to sit down on the grass on the plain on the mountain near the sea, and presents to the crowd the principles of His Kingdom- a presentation known as the Sermon on the Mount. In this presentation Jesus repeatedly uses the word blessed, makarios, health to the soul, the language of heaven. He seems to have forgotten that He is here.

The work that He came to earth to do is revealed by the often repeating of this word in this primary presentation of the principles of the kingdom He had come to establish and was announcing. The kingdom of heaven is at hand was His first message. And the second was like it; the kingdom is within you.

But His favorite theme was the paternal love of the Father, as we have seen; a love manifested by the word blessed being repeated so many times in the Sermon on the Mount. The repetition of this phrase by Jesus showed the hearers that both the kingdom of heaven in heaven, and the kingdom of heaven to be established here on earth had the same objective—the health of the soul, the eternal life of its subjects.

The kingdom of heaven is here seen to have as its central focus the welfare of all connected with it; the Father, the Son sent to the earth doing the presenting of the kingdom to men, and of the Holy Spirit, yet to be announced, and of the people created by God to be the inhabitants of the earth He had created.

The centrality of the blessed, in the message and acts of Jesus and the Father who asks all to hear His Son, means that the intent of the work of the kingdom was to have one glad pulse of harmony pulsing through all the creation of God—eternally.

Teachings #1

As all good stories start—Once upon a time, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who had heard of Jesus and was intrigued by what he heard. By nature he must have been a researcher, because he just had to hear what Jesus would say in answer to some of his questions.

However! So he went at night.

When the two of them met he said to Jesus,

Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

Jesus immediately changes the topic of discussion from Himself to His hearer!

Most assuredly, Jesus said, one cannot see the kingdom of heaven, unless one is born from above (Greek), again (English).

Nicodemus perhaps feels a little uncomfortable- he was a ruler in Israel, and very religious. Therefore we are not surprised to find him saying back to Jesus, Can a man re-enter his mother’s womb, and be born?

Jesus responds to the question by saying, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus asks Jesus what we all want him to ask- how can these things be?

Jesus’ reply to this question is to point out that the new birth, salvation, is only possible through His death, and our being re-made by God into His image. No alteration or improvement of us is adequate. There must be a new principle implanted. One must be born from above—by the powers of heaven.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

The reason that Jesus came was because the Father let Him come; they were in total agreement on the need for a Redeemer to buy back the forfeited dominion that Adam had lost to Satan; what they were not in agreement on was the part each was to play in the redemption operation. If the Father had come instead of the Son, the story of the Redeemer would not be changed. This account would read the same.

For God so loved that He gave. It was a struggle with the Father to let Someone die—the unguilty for the guilty—His love is the love of a father, and the love of a mother. Remember, can a mother forget her infant child? Yes, they may forget, but I will not forget you.

But He also rejoices over us, His children, the needing to be re-made ones, with singing. Therefore we are not surprised that someone came to help. (For this story see the book of John, chapter 3, verses 1-21.)

Teachings #2

As Jesus was traveling through the villages teaching and healing,

a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.

And Jesus answered and said to her,

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. (See Luke 10: 38-42.)

In this story one immediately notices the change of teaching style- the instructions of Jesus were often given in parables. Here He answers directly the implied question as to what is the important element in the activities of daily life, when sin is not one of the issues.

One also notes the setting—a private home with people who from other passages we learn are Jesus’ comfortable friends. This is one of only a few records preserved for us of Jesus interacting with His friends in the home of His friends.

Because in response to the request from Martha Jesus answers directly, we conclude that when Jesus was comfortably with friends He did not speak in parables; in this setting, we see Him speaking with simplicity and perfect freedom. He knows that His words will be understood.

By implication we see Jesus at rest from the conflicts of public life. The leaders of the people never let His life become boring!

The Portrait here is of Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to words of life, while Martha is in the kitchen, preparing for the welfare and comfort of their Guest.

The one needful thing that Jesus referred to was the quiet desire of Mary to be in Jesus’ presence, learning of the food for the soul—acquiring the graces necessary for spiritual advancement; gaining the qualifications for the future immortal life.

It was these things Jesus said should not be taken from her, for the preparation of those things that were necessary for His comfort.

But there is also another dimension to this story.

The work of God on this earth needs energetic workers. There is obviously a wide arena of service for the energetic Marthas. But in this record we find Jesus saying that all need first to sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus, being sanctified by grace.

The Self-portrait

We have here was taken in the kitchen—Jesus among the dishes, food, and workers—who all bear a family resemblance to Him.

Teachings #3

One day Jesus was doing what He usually did- teaching the people and healing their illnesses- when a lawyer stood up and said he had a question.

The lawyer’s question was, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

With this question begins the account of one of the most famous of the stories told by Jesus in His teachings; a story which was a part of Jesus’ reply to the question which the lawyer asked, politely, twice.

The exciting part of this exchange between Jesus and the lawyer is found in the double formulation of the one question. The first formula being the one we have seen, what shall I do to inherit eternal life, and the second formulation of that question being, who is my neighbor?

Because the word neighbor means by dictionary definition, one who is near by, or close by, the repetition of the question with the change in the formulation shows a politely hidden dispute over the issue, who is my neighbor, or, who is the one who is ‘near by’? The answer seems to be so obvious one is surprised by the question. (See Luke 10:25-37 for the record of this very interesting dialogue.)

Jesus, in answer to the first formulation of the lawyer’s question, the what shall I do to inherit eternal life formula, had the lawyer answer his own question; something it turned out the lawyer was able to do. Then Jesus commended the lawyer for giving the correct answer, adding only, this do and you will live.

The hidden dispute attached to the lawyer’s question comes to light when, having been commended by Jesus for giving the correct answer to the question what shall I do to inherit eternal life, the lawyer, instead of sitting down, asks his question again, politely, with the second formulation- Who is my neighbor?

To reply to this formula of the question Jesus tells His very famous story about the leaders of the church living useless lives.

Probably there are several reasons for the great fame which has attached to this story; not the least of which being the fact that this story was of a contemporary event that all Jesus’ hearers in the crowd of listeners knew about.

It is also likely that all those who knew of this event approved of the actions of the church leaders—though they probably did not all approve for the same reason—except for the questioning lawyer!

At the first of the encounter the lawyer appears to be trying to stir up the crowd against Jesus, but at this point in the exchange it becomes apparent that the lawyer is seeking a greater good than the one being set in front of the nation by its contemporary leadership.

We can expect Jesus to gently answer the lawyer’s question, who is my neighbor, in such a way as to answer the lawyer’s real question—what does one live in front of those who surround him, if one wants his life to lead to entering heaven? What shall I do to inherit eternal life? What is it that makes me a child of God’s? I want to inherit what He has promised to His children.

The story of course ends with Jesus assuring the lawyer to do what is written in the law of God is the requirement—go and do likewise; and the assurance is, the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever—commendation by Jesus (See Isaiah 32:17).

The judgment of God is, by this story, set on the shoulders of the good deed.

The Self-portrait

here is of God in His home, dressing for the storm his neighbor is in.

Teachings #4

Jesus had been traveling throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, making the headlines of the daily news, and was “being glorified by all”, when He decided it was time for a visit to His home town.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.

And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed. (For this story see Luke 4:16-31).

Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant—and all eyes were on Him!

The reports of His work had been sensational! They had heard stories they could hardly believe!

After reading and then sitting down, Jesus began to talk to the people about the passage He had just read from Isaiah—the Old Testament prophet, and the writer of the book from which He had just read.

The people liked the sermon very much until He said that the work they had heard He was doing, He was actually doing; that the scripture He had just read described the works He was doing; that His mission was for Him to fulfill the passage in Isaiah He had just read—that the Isaiah passage was a prophecy of Him.

They knew that the reports which they had heard prior to His return to their town matched the Isaiah passage—but they had already decided that the reports were false, or greatly exaggerated, for they knew His family—He was from their town. Besides, works that good would have been done in their district, the Jewish one, and not in the district where the half-Jews and non-Jews lived.

The people in the synagogue interrupted Jesus’ sermon to question Him as to the appropriateness of the works they had heard He was doing for non-Jews.

Jesus responded by showing them from scripture that the works He was doing were in harmony with the works done in the past by the prophets of God. He reminded them that in some time periods the Jews, God’s specially-called people had become a people, by their choices, who God could not work for—but that that fact did not stop God from working for those who let Him work for them. AND THEY GOT MAD! They pulled Him out of the pulpit and across town to a high cliff to throw Him over but He disappeared from their sight, and left town—to go and do more of the work described in the Bible passage He had read—the passage which described His mission.

Jesus taught that He was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. And His works, and His way of relating to all the people who were around Him, added the testimony of correct representation to His words and revealed the purpose for which He came.

Conclusion

It was Jesus’ human necessities that enabled Him to be one with the people in their daily lives, and it was His divinity expressed in acts that humanity could not accomplish which made Him their Savior, and enabled Him to reveal the Father as He met humanities needs.

In the mirror of the historical Jesus we see reflected the life we all desire; available as we piggy-back with Him, as He did with the Father.

For in the daily life of Jesus we see that for others He worked miracles- but He worked none for Himself. From the way in which He addressed the issues that He solved, it is apparent that the authority with which He worked for others was His own. But for the necessities of His own life He was dependent on the Father, while His prayer life reveals the fact that He had no interest in a life apart from the will of His Father. I and My Father are one was not only what He said, it was the way that He lived.

In these accounts that we have reviewed from His daily life, it is apparent that His reason for living was to reveal that the testimony should bear with it the incense of correct representation.

The Self-portrait

of Jesus in His daily life is of a powerfully gentle person leaving an endless trail of fragrance everywhere He goes.

Historical Life as a Mirror

In the mirror which is the historical Jesus we see reflected One like us doing faultlessly the acts of God.