Essay+--+Jesus

__a. Question of historicity about what is written about Jesus__
 * Jesus**

1. The Gospels tell us little that is historical about the birth of Jesus. 2. The intention of the writers was to explain the person of Jesus and the message of his life 3. Gospels focus on the kingdom of God and love not necessarily about history(first thing written was the passion)

__b. The Christological moment – the moment when Christ is seen to be divine/Son of God.__

1.Jesus is designated by divine Revelation of God's Son 2.Jesus becomes God and becomes divine during different times in different Gospel 3.In John Jesus was God before conception 4. We believe that Jesus is co-eternal ( he always existed with the father) 5. We believe that God always planned to become human, it was not what we did. This was one of the theories presented.

__c. Theories of Salvation__

1. Jesus Christ as Victim and Victor -- Jesus vanquished Satan by allowing Satan to conquer him. He permitted himself to be a victim of evil and in doing so undercut evil. 2. Jesus Christ as Reconciler -- Jesus fulfilled the requirements of justice and obedience. At the dawn of creation, God established universal requirements or norms concerning justice, faithfulness, etc. Adam and Eve violated these norms and generations of human beings were not able to enter into a fully appropriate relationship with God; therefore they could not maintain healthy relationships with other human beings and with the natural world. Through his life and death, Jesus remained faithful to God, thereby restoring the proper pattern of interrelating within creation. 3. Jesus Christ as penal substitute -- Jesus Christ is our savior because he chose to stand in our place before God and be the object of God's condemnation and wrath due to our sinfulness. Note: This view has functioned more strongly in Protestant churches than in the Catholic Church. //The three views above assume that salvation has occurred once and for all in Jesus Christ because Jesus' suffering and death on the cross brought about some kind of cosmic transaction.// 4. Jesus Christ as Sacrament -- also known as the moral-influence theory. Jesus Christ has revealed and so has imparted God's love for us, most especially in his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus' earthly life sums up for us the graciousness of God. Jesus is God's love incarnate. His suffering and death show unambiguously the extent to which God cares for us. 5. Jesus Christ as Our Representative -- Jesus is the new Adam who re-founded the human family by remaining faithful to God throughout his life, even in the face of a wholly absurd death. Jesus became our role model and released his Spirit so that he "saves" us in at least three ways. First, he draws out the best from each of us. Second, he forms us into the community that we desire to become. And third, he unites us with God.

__d. Resurrection—effects of, question of historicity, varying accounts of the empty tomb, etc.__

1. effects: Too dramatic to believe it was not true. < Explain. Through resurrection, Jesus Christ could properly be called Lord, Christ, Messiah, and seen as one with God the Father. Through the resurrection, a new hope and new life were brought to all of God's people. 2. The specifics of the event are unknown because each Gospel tells a different story. 3. Christian Church centers belief on the Resurrection.

__e. Paschal Mystery – events and meaning for today.__

1. Refers to the event of passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 2. Christians are believed to have eternal life and good can come from bad 3. Good also comes from suffering. 4. Transformation can occur through Paschal Mystery. (New life) Example would be useful in an essay.