Who Was the Historical Jesus?

Everyone has an opinion. Here is the essence of Jesus.

Jesus is arguably the best-known person today. His life, reputation, and divinity have been debated for the past two millenniums.

So, apart from theology and religion, who was this man?

Background

During the days, years, and decades following Jesus’s death, his life was a story. Words were originally passed along by people who had actually encountered the man. Those who never had a personal experience with Jesus were apparently so zealous to share the news about him that they confronted religious and political authorities. And often, their consequence was death as a martyr.

The events of Jesus were originally communicated through oral transmission, which was common for passing along information during that era. Eventually, someone would write down the information in the form of a letter, written on parchment. Copies of respective letters were meticulously made from one scribe to another.

The original letters do not exist today. Instead, pieces of parchment have been discovered — forming a complete mosaic of scraps (known as a codex).

Today, we may read four distinct versions of the story of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each version contains a description of Jesus’s life — his words and deeds. Some words and verses vary depending on one’s bible translation.

Given the vast opportunities for miscommunication, it is amazing that most bibles read very similarly. In sum, there emerges an “essence” of who Jesus was.

So, without further ado, I want to share my belief about the essence of the historical man known as Jesus. It is entirely possible to distill the essence of Jesus by studying his words and actions, rather than starting with a provided religion and theology.

Kingdom Proclaimer

The book of Matthew repeatedly states that the essence of Jesus’s ministry was proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

So, what is the kingdom of God — and what exactly is the good news about it?

A kingdom is a territory, a definable place. It is ruled by a king — someone who has the authority and power to reign (i.e., rule) over the people who live there.

For example, there exists an actual Kingdom of Great Britain. It is a definable land mass made up of several islands. Such a kingdom is headed by a king (i.e., King Charles) who reigns over various groups of people (e.g., the Brits, Scots, and Irish). The king is invested with the power to rule over his territory. Thus, the king reigns.

God, too, has a kingdom (at least, according to many religious people of faith). God has the power and authority to reign over those in God’s territory. Many religions believe that God’s territory is unbounded by space and time. God simultaneously reigns over the earth and the heavens (so say several of the major religions).

What is the “good news” (a.k.a., gospel) about the kingdom of God? What is the news that Jesus was elated to proclaim repeatedly? The good news is that it is possible to experience the effects of God’s mighty reign here on earth, as it already exists in heaven.

Jesus kept proclaiming this good news regarding the kingdom to whoever would listen. According to Jesus, God’s earthly reign was most dramatically displayed wherever Jesus was. If one stood alongside Jesus, one would see many seemingly miraculous events. People were healed of lifelong suffering, and nature was subordinate to Jesus’s commands.

Jesus used many parables to describe the very nature of God’s kingdom. The kingdom is like a precious object that people prioritize over everything else. Some people understand the good news about Jesus in God’s kingdom, while others are blind to that information. Also, God’s kingdom begins with only a few people but grows large. Relatedly, the kingdom, though a tiny ingredient, can transform the very nature of people and culture.

In short, the good news about God’s kingdom (according to Jesus’s words in the Christian bible) is that it exists wherever Jesus is. And Jesus is God’s agent for affecting human nature and the laws of nature itself.

Whether we believe in heaven, miracles, or God, the fact is that Jesus believed in such things. And he was not shy about repeatedly proclaiming his good news to whoever would listen.

If one is inclined to believe the stories about Jesus, one would rationally want to stay near Jesus. Jesus invited all to follow him. No one was excluded. And for those who remain aligned with Jesus, amazing effects may occur.

I have decided to always stay near Jesus, come what may. And Jesus’s only “marital” requirement for being permanently united with him is that I love all others in Jesus’s way. According to the Christian bible, Jesus will always be the operator for bringing God’s kingdom into existence. Jesus will always love all people, regardless of their past, their religion, their marginalization, and their animus toward him. Jesus even loved, literally, those who brutally executed him.

If I am not willing to love all others in Jesus’s way, I figuratively need to abandon Jesus. Jesus proclaimed that God’s kingdom is not for those who permanently stay away from Jesus. Such people do not want to love all others and, therefore, will be uncomfortable being continually around Jesus’s all-inclusive, unconditional love. Such people self-eliminate from God’s kingdom of love.

I am committed to always being wherever Jesus resides, both in this world and the world that is to come upon my death.

Clergy Rebel

Clergy is when people are recognized as religious leaders within their religious establishment. In many ways, these individuals are respected (even revered) by their constituents. Accordingly, the clergy wields immense influence, even power, over the people within their religion.

In modern-day Christian religion, there are numerous “tribes” that believe in specific theology distinct to their organization. For one example, in Catholicism, the Pope is the supreme authority on customs that are to be obeyed. These customs come in the form of sacraments, liturgical rites, precepts, and long-held traditions.

Similarly, Protestantism has two primary distinct branches: Evangelical and Mainline. Within each of these two branches, there are countless distinct denominations. For one example, the largest Evangelical denomination is the Southern Baptist Convention. Its leadership consists of an elected president, and its source of “truth” is the principle of “sola scriptura” (i.e., the bible alone is the only reliable source of truth).

Additionally, the largest Mainline denomination is Methodism. Interestingly, Methodism is divided into two tribes: the United Methodist Church (which affirms LGBTQ individuals and gay marriages) and the Global Methodist Church (which does not affirm LGBTQ). Both tribes serve under their respective elected leaders. Methodists do not subscribe to sola scriptura.

So, why am I providing so much detail about clergy? I do so to introduce you to the clergy of Jesus’s day.

In the area and time Jesus lived in, there were two primary clergy: Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees were a religious tribe that demanded that Jews live in accordance with the written Torah (which Christians refer to as the “Old Testament”) and the oral Torah (declarations of proper behavior). Relatedly, scribes were experts in interpreting the written Torah.

Jesus was a rebel to his clergy.

When interacting with his clergy, Jesus often “spoke truth to power.” This means that Jesus acknowledged the clergy’s human authority but publicly chastised them for their hypocritical behavior. Jesus even ridiculed the clergy, calling them such disparaging terms as “sons of snakes,” “children of Gehenna” (i.e., the burning waste dump in Jerusalem), “blind guides,” and “full of dead man’s bones.”

Here are several examples of Jesus’s rebukes.

· Jesus told the clergy that they do not tell people about the “good news” of God’s kingdom. Subsequently, he scolded the clergy for preventing Jews from accessing Jesus.

· Jesus accused the clergy of making great efforts to convert non-Jews to Judaism — restricting their teachings to their dogma while demeaning Jesus’s good news. Accordingly, Jesus warned the clergy that “sorrow awaits them.”

· Jesus chastised the clergy for paying more attention to giving money to the church than providing justice and mercy to the marginalized.

· Jesus declared that the clergy emphasize obeying the smallest point of their self-made rules while neglecting to be generous to the poor.

· Jesus ridiculed the clergy for pompously looking holy, important, and better than the non-clergy rather than exhibiting a genuinely humble appearance.

· Jesus accused the clergy of loading people down with dogmatic rules but not lifting a finger to help.

· Jesus rebuked the clergy, emphasizing religious traditions over the ultimate command to love all others.

· Jesus said the clergy erred by trusting in religious traditions and the letter of the law rather than committing their faith to Jesus himself.

As a gay Christian, I applaud Jesus’s rebellion against the clergy. In all too many Christian religions, branches, denominations, and tribes, they resemble the clergy of Jesus’s day.

As for me, I stand with Jesus over any clergy.

Compassionate Healer

It was true to Jesus’s character that he felt compassion for the hurting and provided some form of merciful healing. Below are a few examples of Jesus’s ability to feel compassion and apply healing.

· Jesus healed people who were born with afflictions. He made the lame walk, the mute speak, the blind see, and the deformed restored.

· Jesus restored the “unclean” from being shunned to being accepted. Lepers were healed; a woman who could not stop her menstrual bleeding was made whole.

· Jesus forgave the “sinners.” He rescued a woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus embraced a woman who had five divorces and who was currently living with a man who was not her husband.

· Jesus brought life to dead people — several times!

· Jesus calmed the sea when those on the waters were terrified.

I admire people who can have compassion for those who are hurting. I respect them all the more when merciful healing is additionally provided. A hero of mine is the “good Samaritan,” who recognized someone who was his religious enemy and yet provided the enemy with healing sustenance.

Closing

Many people believe a man named Jesus (well, actually, “Yeshua”) traveled throughout the area now known as Israel approximately 2,000 years ago. Many believe this man to be a real person, a historical individual (as compared to a legend or myth).

The only information we have today about this person is the letters that a few people wrote. None of those letters exist in their original form; they consist of bits of pieces from ancient manuscripts. Many people doubt aspects of these letters; some disregard them altogether. And yet, those are all that remain of the story of the historical Jesus today.

Some may dispute the veracity and validity of the Christian bible, others may not believe in miraculous healings, and still others may view compassion as a weakness.

Many people believe that Jesus is part of a trinity Godhead. Others believe he was a significant prophet whose wisdom regarding how humans should treat each other is exemplary. Others refute his divinity, reject the letters of his life, and are (at best) agnostic about the existence of a higher power.

But I presume that anyone who reads the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would acknowledge that the protagonist in the story is someone who repeatedly spoke of God’s kingdom, rebelled against his clergy, and helped the suffering.

I want to always be with that man. And I have faith that I always will.

Dr. Mike Rosebush (Ph.D., Counseling Psychology; he, him, his;) is the creator and editor of GAYoda. A short synopsis of Dr. Rosebush’s life can be found at I Lived the Most Unusual Gay Christian Life Ever. He may be contacted at mikerosebush75@gmail.com.