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<\/span><\/p>\nWritten by Marko Marina, Ph.D.<\/a><\/p>\n Author | Historian | BE Contributor<\/p>\n Verified! See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n Verified! See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n \nDate written: July 1st, 2024<\/p>\n\nDate written: July 1st, 2024\n Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n In a religious documentary<\/a>, a Canadian theologian, Charles Templeton, noted: \u201cNo one in history has touched the hearts of men and women the way Jesus did. He had the highest moral standard and the greatest compassion of any person I’ve ever heard of.\u201d <\/p>\n I wouldn’t go as far as he did. However, as a historian, I can say with certainty that Jesus of Nazareth is among the most influential figures in the history of the Western world. <\/p>\n But which Jesus? As is the case, there are fundamentally two distinctive Jesus figures<\/strong>: the Jesus in tradition and faith (the so-called “Christ of faith”) and the “historical Jesus” \u2014 the man behind the layers of tradition and myth that historians have been trying to uncover for more than 200 years.<\/p>\n In the realm of religious tradition, Jesus is a figure of divine prophecy, miraculous birth, awe-inspiring miracles, profound teachings, and a triumphant resurrection. This Jesus, enshrined in the beliefs of billions, is central to Christian religion and worship.<\/p>\n In contrast, the quest for the historical Jesus seeks to peel back these layers of tradition and myth to reveal the human figure who walked the earth two millennia ago. This pursuit began in earnest in the 18th century and has evolved significantly due to different criteria and interpretative models. <\/p>\n Our aim isn\u2019t to favor one over the other but to emphasize two different approaches to Jesus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In this article, we\u2019ll, therefore, explore both facets of Jesus of Nazareth. We\u2019ll begin with a summary of the traditional accounts, encompassing the prophecies, virgin birth, miracles, and resurrection. <\/p>\n Following this, we\u2019ll delve into the origins of the quest to learn about the historical Jesus and the modern approaches historians use to study this enigmatic figure. Finally, we\u2019ll examine what can be confidently stated about the life of the historical Jesus.<\/p>\n However, before we begin, you should consider enrolling in Bart D. Ehrman\u2019s captivating course<\/strong> \u201cJesus the Secret Messiah – Revealing the Mysteries of the Gospel of Mark<\/a>.\u201d In it, Dr. Ehrman provides a scholarly yet accessible look at our earliest Gospel, thus revealing interesting points about the origins of Christianity and Jesus\u2019 life. <\/p>\n In the Christian tradition, Jesus is perceived as a divine being who pre-existed before his incarnation. The Gospel of John opens with a profound statement about Jesus’ divine nature: \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God\u201d (John 1:1). This “Word\u201d, or \u201cLogos,\u201d is understood to be Jesus, who existed with God from the very beginning of time.<\/p>\n In his Commentary on John<\/a>, Craig S. Keener notes: \u201cJohn\u2019s choice of the Logos to articulate his Christology (the field of study concerned with the nature and role of Christ) was brilliant: no concept better articulated an entity that was both divine yet distinct from the Father… Jesus was thus the supreme revelation of God; the Torah had gone forth from Zion.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, this concept establishes Jesus as not merely a historical figure but as an eternal and divine presence within the Christian religion. Jesus allegedly said in John\u2019s Gospel: \u201cI am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me\u201d (John 14:6). <\/p>\n Furthermore, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus’ entry into the world was marked by a miraculous event known as the virgin birth<\/a>. Mary, a young woman betrothed to Joseph, was visited by the angel Gabriel, who announced she would conceive a child through the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n This account is foundational to the Christian understanding of Jesus’ dual nature as both fully divine and fully human, which sets the stage for his redemptive mission. <\/p>\n In his book Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives<\/a>, Pope Benedict XVI presents the theological perspective on Jesus\u2019 birth: \u201cFrom the moment of his birth, he belongs outside the realm of what is important and powerful in worldly terms. Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves to be the truly powerful one, the one on whom ultimately everything depends.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesus’ ministry, as depicted in the Gospels, revolved around his role as the Messiah and a divine being<\/strong> whose purpose was to bring salvation to humanity. Throughout it, Jesus performed numerous miracles, such as healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising the dead.<\/p>\n These miracles served as signs of his divine authority<\/strong> and compassion for humanity. In addition to his miraculous works, Jesus’ teachings were profound and transformative. He spoke in parables, conveying deep spiritual truths about the Kingdom of God, love, forgiveness, and justice. <\/p>\n Did You Know?<\/strong><\/p>\n Being one of the most influential figures in the history of the Western world, Jesus has sometimes been used to justify devious ideologies and ideas. During the Third Reich, for instance, German Protestant theologians redefined Jesus as an Aryan, thus aligning Christianity with Nazi racial ideologies. This disturbing transformation was spearheaded by the Institute for the Study and Eradication of Jewish Influence on German Religious Life, established in 1939. The Institute, under the direction of theologian Walter Grundmann, published altered versions of the New Testament and catechisms, proclaiming Jesus as the savior of the Aryans and stripping away his Jewish heritage. To learn more about it, be sure to check out Susannah Herschel\u2019s excellent study \u201cThe Aryan Jesus\u201d. <\/em><\/p>\n Moreover, Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection are central to the Christian religion. Christians believe that Jesus’ crucifixion<\/strong> was not merely a tragic end to his life, but a pivotal moment in God’s plan for the redemption of humanity<\/strong>. <\/p>\n As the Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/a> states: “The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: ‘There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer’.”<\/p>\n This statement underscores the religious emphasis on the universal scope of Jesus’ redemptive act, thus emphasizing that his suffering and death were for the salvation of all people. <\/p>\n Writing at the end of the 2nd century, the bishop Irenaeus<\/a> asserts: “For he came to save all through means of Himself \u2014 all, I say, who through him are born again to God \u2014 infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men.”<\/p>\n However, the story of Jesus didn\u2019t stop there. According to tradition, God conquered death by raising Jesus. His resurrection is celebrated as the cornerstone of the Christian religion. <\/p>\n According to all four Gospels, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead, appearing to his disciples and many others<\/a>. This event is seen as the ultimate validation of his divine nature and the fulfillment of his mission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In an interview<\/a>, Anglican bishop N.T. Wright explains the implication of Jesus\u2019 resurrection: \u201cGod\u2019s new creation has begun. Somehow, God seems to have dealt with the fact of death itself in the person of Jesus.\u201d <\/p>\n The resurrection not only signifies Jesus’ victory over death but also offers the promise of eternal life to all who believe in him<\/strong>. It\u2019s this hope of resurrection and eternal life that has sustained and spread the Christian religion for centuries.<\/p>\n In light of the belief in his resurrection, Christians revisited the Old Testament prophecies<\/strong> and concluded that Jesus precisely fulfilled them \u2014 a stream of thought that persisted well into the 2nd and 3rd centuries and continues to this day. However, by the end of the 1st century, Christians had already come to that realization.<\/p>\n The Epistle to Barnabas<\/a> (c. 90-120 C.E.) notes:<\/p>\n For to this end, the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood of sprinkling. For it is written concerning Him, partly concerning Israel, and partly to us; and [the Scripture] says thus: ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities: with His stripes we are healed. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb which is dumb before its shearer’\u201d (5.1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here, the author clearly evokes passages from Isaiah 53, interpreting them as direct prophecies about Jesus’ suffering and redemptive death.<\/p>\n Furthermore, writing in the middle of the 2nd century, Justin Martyr asserted: <\/p>\n In these books, then, of the prophets we found Jesus our Christ foretold as coming, born of a virgin, growing up to man\u2019s estate, and healing every disease and every sickness, and raising the dead, and being hated, and unrecognized, and crucified, and dying, and rising again, and ascending into heaven, and being, and being called, the Son of God. We find it also predicted that certain persons should be sent by Him into every nation to publish these things and that rather among the Gentiles than among the Jews men should believe in Him\u201d (1 Apology, 31).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n These examples (and there are many others!) reflect the early Christian belief that Jesus’ life and works were the fulfillment of numerous prophetic declarations found in the Old Testament<\/a>, thus encompassing his miraculous birth, his ministry of healing, his death, and resurrection.<\/p>\n Today, virtually all Christian denominations hold that the Old Testament prophets predicted Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. <\/p>\n For Christians, Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah<\/a> that Jewish prophets spoke of centuries before his appearance. The Congregational Presbyterian Church, for instance, has published a short article<\/a> emphasizing several key prophecies (e.g., Isaiah 53:7-9) that, in their opinion, foretell Jesus’ life.<\/p>\n These interpretations underscore the continuity between Jewish scripture and the Christian narrative, reinforcing the belief that Jesus’ advent was divinely orchestrated and anticipated<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Below you can find a table with the chronology of key events in Jesus\u2019 life according to the religious tradition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"Historical](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Historical-Jesus.png\" "\\"Historical")
<\/span><\/p>\nThe Christ of Faith: Jesus From the Religious Perspective<\/h2>\n
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