The Lewis quote from pages 40-41 of Fisk’s book does bring an important concept to life; all images of the “historical-Jesus” will be framed by an ideology. Having exposure to some biblical criticism before the concepts and research work done for this book are not new concepts to me but my ideology of Jesus has been pretty much unchallenged. In reading this book many interesting ideas of Jesus the man came into the light. First, that he and John the Baptist might have been competing parties, as well as, Jesus as a political figure.
In the Gospels as well as the churches I grew up in, John the Baptist is seen as a harbinger for Jesus. This relation may not be true. John was most likely a man from a special Jewish group that lived at Qumran. This group would have had political motives and special rituals including bathing. This bathing may have explained John’s habit of baptism. Regardless, John was most likely looking for the messiah but Jesus was not the one John wanted (52-65). In Mark we see that Jesus actually took disciples from John, and Jesus is even thought to be John at one point. John’s actions were also very much like Elijah’s (65-67); a wild man, possible a Nazarite (Funck), speaking apocalyptically and raising political problems. This might have lead to his death at Herod’s hand. John might have condemned Herod’s actions in marriage and thus John was sentenced to death (70-72).
The biggest thing for me in this book was the idea of a political Jesus, one that knew his actions were politically charged. Jesus has always been viewed as a political man to some level. Typically just as a man who was upsetting the order and treated by his followers as the next king, but Jesus never mad that claim. That might be completely wrong. Jesus would have known the Old Testament scriptures, which in turn would let him know the rituals and political aspects of the old kings. This concept is best exemplified in the episode of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. This humble act is the same act Solomon made when he was anointed to the kingship. Was Jesus making a move to emulate Solomon? Also, the way he rode in would have been exactly opposite from Pilate’s entry point. Was Jesus saying that there is a new king coming to town (198-201)?
Both this ideas are new to me and as such change my ideology of the story of Jesus as a man.
In the Gospels as well as the churches I grew up in, John the Baptist is seen as a harbinger for Jesus. This relation may not be true. John was most likely a man from a special Jewish group that lived at Qumran. This group would have had political motives and special rituals including bathing. This bathing may have explained John’s habit of baptism. Regardless, John was most likely looking for the messiah but Jesus was not the one John wanted (52-65). In Mark we see that Jesus actually took disciples from John, and Jesus is even thought to be John at one point. John’s actions were also very much like Elijah’s (65-67); a wild man, possible a Nazarite (Funck), speaking apocalyptically and raising political problems. This might have lead to his death at Herod’s hand. John might have condemned Herod’s actions in marriage and thus John was sentenced to death (70-72).
The biggest thing for me in this book was the idea of a political Jesus, one that knew his actions were politically charged. Jesus has always been viewed as a political man to some level. Typically just as a man who was upsetting the order and treated by his followers as the next king, but Jesus never mad that claim. That might be completely wrong. Jesus would have known the Old Testament scriptures, which in turn would let him know the rituals and political aspects of the old kings. This concept is best exemplified in the episode of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. This humble act is the same act Solomon made when he was anointed to the kingship. Was Jesus making a move to emulate Solomon? Also, the way he rode in would have been exactly opposite from Pilate’s entry point. Was Jesus saying that there is a new king coming to town (198-201)?
Both this ideas are new to me and as such change my ideology of the story of Jesus as a man.
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