Imagining Jesus

Here’s what I imagine. If you were in Galilee, let’s say in the 30’s. You would have seen a person called Jesus. Let’s imagine there were three different people responding to that person. One says, “This guy’s a bore. Let’s leave him.” The second one says, “This guy’s dangerous. Let’s kill him.” The third one says, “I see God here. Let’s follow this guy.” Now each of these, in its own way, is an act of faith.” ~John Dominic Crossan

In his introduction to a special issue of Theology Today on the historical Jesus, Editor Thomas Long tells a story of a little boy who comes home from school appalled. “I found out today that Santa Claus is not real,” he sputtered to his mother. “And another thing,” he hissed as he turned away. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this Jesus business, too.”(1)

I just finished writing a short paper surveying a variety or perspectives on the relationship between history and faith in the "Jesus quest". This was the introduction. Fascinating, really, how tangled up this question can be. I used some of the findings in leading worship over the Easter week, particularly during the Maundy Thursday service. It was helpful to start naming the different ways we approach the person of Jesus. Do we start from above (i.e. Jesus as a divine figure, the second person of the trinity) or from below (Jesus as historical person, born in Nazareth, etc). How do we hold these together?

Fascinating.

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[1] Thomas G. Long. “Stand Up, Stand Up for (the Historical) Jesus.” Editorial Theology Today Vol 52 (April 1995) p. 1.