Jesus' Resurrection Miracles

We've talked a lot in class about Jesus' healing of the lepers and of the casting out of demons. Though I may disagree with Crossan that there were no supernatural occurrences happening, I do agree, however, that there are social implications. The acceptance of people that Jesus shows is fantastic and his "open-table fellowship" with everyone from prostitutes to lepers and tax collectors shows that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone. What does Jesus' raising of the dead, such as with Lazarus mean?

In more than one of the Gospels, Jesus raises different people from the dead. Even if we agree with Crossan's method and take these stories as figurative constructions, there is still something important here. The Judaism of the first century A.D. was very concerned with the body, and so it only makes sense to show an immense figure such as Jesus raising those who were dead. To Jesus, the Kingdom of God does not end when someone dies, but rather that all people are part of it. Death is no immediate release from the world, but rather the world has something important to give. The Kingdom is here and now according to Jesus, and therefore even the dead should partake in it.

Giving Jesus Meaning

We talked in class today about the power of a story (such as Santa Clause) and how that can inspire people or affect their lives. But, I have a different question. Would someone die for their belief in Santa Clause

It is apparent that the very early Christian communities were persecuted to some extent in the Roman Empire. Why, then, would they believe in stories of a man who they didn't believe to be God and the messiah? Was Jesus' simple message of "do unto others as they do unto you" worth dying for? Many of Jesus' lessons can be found in many cultures since they're apparent to humanity. However, maybe they died for something more.

I would argue that the gospel writers must have believed that a good portion of their writings were actually true, or at least tried to convince others they were.

Perhaps these early followers did actually believe Jesus to be an actual savior worth dying for. I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't be martyred in the name of an illiterate Jewish peasant who taught some good moral lessons.

"Fear" in a Religious Context

"Fear" is a term that in modern English almost always means terror. However, in antiquity, fear did not always have these connotations. We discussed the fear aspect of Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita today in class and learned a lot. Because of the immensity of the divine, people are often overwhelmed when they come in contact with it. Glimpsing the infinite as a finite being can cause stress, and fear: a fear which is awe.

Arjuna's glimpse of Krishna had a similar allegory to Christianity. In the Gospel of Luke, the angels of the Lord reveal themselves to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. They had to tell the shepherds to "be not afraid," due to their majesty (since they are beyond human experience.)

So, whenever we come in contact with the divine, whether in writing or in reality (if that's your thing) then we should "be not afraid" and appreciate the divine for what it is.