Lauren Casey- Final Thoughts

A Hitchhikers Guide to Jesus, by Bruce Fisk was probably the most rewarding book I have ever read.  I have never really looked into reading the Gospels like Norm does, so when reading this book it is almost like I am reading them with him.  This adventure to follow the Gospels relies solely on the word of the authors.  Unfortunately we realize early on that there is a little “pro-Jesus propaganda”, especially when reading about Josephus.  Josephus apparently wrote about Jesus as the Messiah who rose from the dead in fulfillment of the prophecy, but we know that Josephus is not a Christian, so it presents a little bit of suspicion (32).  Another example is when Norm has the idea that John the Baptist gets Christianized by the Gospels.  The writers are so worried that when John baptizes Jesus, it looks like Jesus is NOT free from sins; therefore they have to make Jesus look better by demoting John (46).  Before Norm ventures to Bethlehem, he wants to review a little more on the actual birth narrative of Jesus.  He organizes the story into a table in which he depicts events that happen in both Matthew and Luke including Joseph as descendent of King David, Mary is a virgin, and Jesus is born in Bethlehem (77-78).  Then Norm goes through to see where the gospels are different.  A major difference he sees in these is the towns Mary and Joseph travel to and who is the central character (79).  Another huge difference that Guilder points out is that in Mark, Joseph is not present. The story of Jesus walking on water is found in Matthew, Mark, and John.  They all tell the story of Jesus walking on water but in completely different ways (128).  Mark is one of the sources of Matthew and John, but when the gospels bring about the story that Jesus’ ministry is going to end, Matthew and Luke take Marks story and go completely different ways with it (154).  And lastly the Gospel story that really got my attention was the carrying of the cross.  Mark is really the only gospel that depicts Jesus as a terrified and troubled person.  Matthew, Luke and John depict Jesus as this leader who is strong and courageous, and not afraid to die (234-236).  The gospels are all from different people who write to different people in different places, so it is obvious that they are going to hear different stories and portray Jesus in their own way (27).  It is the academic method to read each Gospel separately that way there is no controversy.  It is when the gospels are compared that Lewis makes the statement, Christianity began going wrong and departing from the doctrine at an early age.”