What I am doing here is to look at Jesus' life as if he were a
religio-political leader and seeing what fits.
In science one puts together a theory and then tests it against the data.
One then adjusts the theory in an effort to make it more precise.
I am not advocating that this is the 'true' picture of Jesus, it is simply
one working template which could give us insight into him.
... while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the
Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, "You are my son, today I have become your father."
Luke 3:21-22 (quoting Psalms 2:7).
You might notice I am quoting a variant of the text.
Many scholars believe it is the original since it is more controversial.
The text was likely altered to conform
with the other Gospels rather than imply Jesus became God's son.
... the devil showed him [Jesus] in a moment of time all the kingdoms of
the world and said to him,
"I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms,
for it has been committed to me and I give it to anyone I choose.
Worship me, then, and it shall all be yours."
Luke 4:5-7
Jesus refused of course, but I am struck by the way Satan parallels the
Roman Emperor.
Who else controls "all the kingdoms of the world", gives them to
whom he wants and wants to be worshiped as a 'god'?
After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed
the Good News from God.
"The time has come,"
he said
"and the kingdom of God is close at hand."
Mark 1:14
John's arrest put things into motion.
Jesus said. "In truth I tell you. there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land ... now in this present time and, in the world to come. eternal life. Mark 10:28-31
Jesus said to them [the Twelve Apostles], 'In truth I tell you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:27-30
He [Jesus] said to them, 'In truth I tell you, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not receive many times as much in this present age and, in the world to come, eternal life.' Luke 18:28-30
It seems strange to me that Jesus would be promising a return of a hundred times as many 'houses' and 'land' in this world to anyone who follows him.
John's arrest would have created a leadership vacuum Jesus could step into.
It is possible Jesus' first aim was to organize a rescue force to free John.
Jesus recruits his first disciples in Mark 1:16.
Later, Jesus recruits Levi, a tax collector and eats dinner
at his house along with other tax collectors and 'sinners'.
He is criticized
"... for there were many of them among his followers"
Mark 2:15
Presumably, these were the money people
Jesus would need to support his movement financially.
Jesus selects out his Twelve Apostles from among his disciples.
It seems amazing to me that one of them should be referred to as
"Simon the Zealot".
Mark 3:18
The Zealots were a radically anti-Roman, Jewish resistance group.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet
and shouted at the top of his voice,
"What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God?
Swear by God you will not torture me!"
For Jesus had been saying to him,
"Come out of the man, unclean spirit".
"What is your name?"
Jesus asked.
"My name is legion," he answered, "for there are many of us."
And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Mark 5:1-20
Instead Jesus cast them into a herd of swine which
charge down the hillside into the lake and drown.
It seems possible this is really talking about
driving the Roman legion out of Israel.
Jesus sends out his Apostles
"...to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that
the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 10:6
...I am sending you as sheep out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as
serpents and yet as harmless as doves."
Matthew 10:16
If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they
persecute you in that, take refuge in another.
Matthew 10:22
I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of towns of
Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 10:23
In our political model, these could be viewed as "advance men" preparing the way for Jesus as he moves toward Jerusalem.
This happens twice in Mark 6:30-44 and 8:1-10. Matthew also has two 14:13-21 and 15:32-38. in both Gospels the first is 5000 and then 4000 men.
Luke 9:10-17 has only one with 5000 men, and John 6:1-13 also has only one and only mentions a crowd.
Only Matthew mentions the additional presence of women and children.
If we adhere to our political model, one cold imagine Jesus and his tax-collector money men, having prearranged food along the way for his followers.
Variations, and the women and children, could be later embellishments.
Meanwhile King Herod had heard about him [Jesus],
since by now his name was well known.
Some were saying "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that
is why miraculous powers are at work in him".
Others said, "He is Elijah"; others again, "He is a prophet,
like the prophets we used to have".
But when Herod heard this he said, "It is John whose head I cut off;
he has risen from the dead."
Mark 6:14-16
I am not sure what this verse is really telling us.
Why would people think Jesus is someone
else risen from the dead?
Why can't he just be Jesus?
Now one day when he [Jesus] was praying alone with his disciples he put this
question to them,
"Who do the crowds say I am?".
And they answered,
"John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say
one of the ancient prophets come back to life".
Luke 9:18-19
In the text this is the set up for Peter's confession of faith; that Jesus is the Christ.
And he [Jesus] said to them [his disciples],
"I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death
before they see the kingdom of God come with power".
Mark 9:1
This may be a very important verse in explaining why Jesus movement survived
his death and resurection.
We will note later that the revolts in the late 60's AD are at the limits of
this generation.
For us the Kingdom of God is the Church on earth, but in the Jewish mind of the times it was the re-establishment of Israel brought about by divine intervention.
After Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave, some of the Jews ...
... went to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done.
Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting.
'Here is this man working all these signs' they said 'and what action are we taking?
If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him,
and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.'
One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said,
'You don't seem to have grasped the situation at all;
you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people,
than for the whole nation to be destroyed'.
John 11:45-50
From that day they were determined to kill him. John 11:53
Clearly the opponents of Jesus saw his movement as a political threat.
Return to "Origins of Christianity"
(c) 2004 Thomas F. Swezey All rights reserved.