Part I
This chapter follows the final days of Jesus’ life, and offers many parallels to Old Testament stories. The chapter opens with Norm watching the sunrise on the Mount of Olives and comparing Jesus’ raising from the dead to that of Lazarus (187-189). Norm then questions Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and compares it to Solomon’s ride into Jerusalem (199-200) saying that it may have been a political statement (197). Next, Norm travels to the Temple that he notes as “political and theological Ground Zero” (202) for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. He thinks back on Jesus’ turning tables in the temple and notices parallels to Jeremiah’s call for national repentance in the Old Testament (209-211). Finally, Norm notices comparisons between the Judas narrative in Matthew and stories from the Prophets, specifically the story of Ahithopel who backed an anti-David coup (218). Norm notes that this is another example of the Gospel writers interpreting history through the lens of Scripture (219).
Part II
Norm acknowledges that John’s historical agenda in writing his Gospel is not for every detail to be completely factual in the modern sense. He doesn’t want us to just know what happened, he wants us to understand and believe it (189). This is an important fact to remember when trying to find historical Jesus. Gospel writers did not write with the intentions of throwing fact after fact at us. While faith and oral tradition were enough for them, factual proof has become a modern necessity. This is why the Gospel writers saw no harm in adding their personal interpretations to their historical accounts (220). Not only did they want to convict others that Jesus’ suffering was part of God’s plan, but they also wanted to create a way to cope with the difficult situations that they were faced with (220).
This chapter follows the final days of Jesus’ life, and offers many parallels to Old Testament stories. The chapter opens with Norm watching the sunrise on the Mount of Olives and comparing Jesus’ raising from the dead to that of Lazarus (187-189). Norm then questions Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem and compares it to Solomon’s ride into Jerusalem (199-200) saying that it may have been a political statement (197). Next, Norm travels to the Temple that he notes as “political and theological Ground Zero” (202) for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. He thinks back on Jesus’ turning tables in the temple and notices parallels to Jeremiah’s call for national repentance in the Old Testament (209-211). Finally, Norm notices comparisons between the Judas narrative in Matthew and stories from the Prophets, specifically the story of Ahithopel who backed an anti-David coup (218). Norm notes that this is another example of the Gospel writers interpreting history through the lens of Scripture (219).
Part II
Norm acknowledges that John’s historical agenda in writing his Gospel is not for every detail to be completely factual in the modern sense. He doesn’t want us to just know what happened, he wants us to understand and believe it (189). This is an important fact to remember when trying to find historical Jesus. Gospel writers did not write with the intentions of throwing fact after fact at us. While faith and oral tradition were enough for them, factual proof has become a modern necessity. This is why the Gospel writers saw no harm in adding their personal interpretations to their historical accounts (220). Not only did they want to convict others that Jesus’ suffering was part of God’s plan, but they also wanted to create a way to cope with the difficult situations that they were faced with (220).
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