Who is Jesus of Nazareth?
Jesus of Nazareth is a Jewish rabbi and preacher from Galilee, born about 5 BCE. His name derives from the Hebrew name Yeshua, (Joshua), meaning “Yahweh is salvation”. He was crucified about 33 AD by the Roman prefect of Judea (26-36 AD), Pontius Pilate, and the Jewish authorities on charges of sedition and blasphemy as he claimed to be the prophesied Messiah, the Holy One of God.
Events in Jesus’ life and his teachings are recorded in 4 biographies (Gospels) assembled by his disciples after his death. These accounts document a resurrection from his burial tomb and being seen by more than 500 during the 40 days after his death. After his death, his followers affirmed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah or, in Greek, Χριστός (translit. Kristos), the “Christ,” based upon his miraculous works and his resurrection. His followers formed a community that became known in Greek as the “ἐκκλεσία – ecclesia” – the called-out ones, the assembly or church. Later they became known by their critics as “Christians” meaning “little christs” – the name that has persisted. They practiced and preached repentance and baptism for new life and the salvation of their souls through faith in the atoning sacrifice made by Jesus through his crucifixion. Events in the lives of many disciples over the ~30 years following Jesus' death are chronicled by the Greek physician, Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles (Greek: Ambassadors). These Christians and their teams of missionaries spread Jesus’ redemptive message of love, grace, and peace throughout Judea and Samaria and eventually touched every part of the world. Later, they assembled their early writings (the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and the letters of prominent Apostles) into a set of accepted scriptures held in equal authority to the Hebrew scriptures, that combined form the Christian Bible.
Jesus of Nazareth is a Jewish rabbi and preacher from Galilee, born about 5 BCE. His name derives from the Hebrew name Yeshua, (Joshua), meaning “Yahweh is salvation”. He was crucified about 33 AD by the Roman prefect of Judea (26-36 AD), Pontius Pilate, and the Jewish authorities on charges of sedition and blasphemy as he claimed to be the prophesied Messiah, the Holy One of God.
Events in Jesus’ life and his teachings are recorded in 4 biographies (Gospels) assembled by his disciples after his death. These accounts document a resurrection from his burial tomb and being seen by more than 500 during the 40 days after his death. After his death, his followers affirmed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah or, in Greek, Χριστός (translit. Kristos), the “Christ,” based upon his miraculous works and his resurrection. His followers formed a community that became known in Greek as the “ἐκκλεσία – ecclesia” – the called-out ones, the assembly or church. Later they became known by their critics as “Christians” meaning “little christs” – the name that has persisted. They practiced and preached repentance and baptism for new life and the salvation of their souls through faith in the atoning sacrifice made by Jesus through his crucifixion. Events in the lives of many disciples over the ~30 years following Jesus' death are chronicled by the Greek physician, Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles (Greek: Ambassadors). These Christians and their teams of missionaries spread Jesus’ redemptive message of love, grace, and peace throughout Judea and Samaria and eventually touched every part of the world. Later, they assembled their early writings (the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and the letters of prominent Apostles) into a set of accepted scriptures held in equal authority to the Hebrew scriptures, that combined form the Christian Bible.
The events of Jesus’ life are also recorded by first-century, non-Christian historians. This passage is from Flavius Josephus in the Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3§63,1 dated to ~93 AD.
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.” (Words in italics may not be in earliest manuscripts.)[i]
The Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus (56-120 AD) wrote in 116 AD, “"Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind" Christus: Annals 15.44.
This passage points to the persecution that had begun for the Christians and that the Christians were taking their message to the very heart of the Roman Empire. Christians took their message of Jesus as the Christ to the farthest reaches of the empire and, eventually, all parts of the world.
Through the witness of his followers, Jesus Christ has been the most influential figure in world history -- impacting culture, politics, religion, art, music, literature, education, economics, and science. Today, more than 2.2 billion people call themselves Christians.
[i] The Coincidences of the Testimonium of Josephus and the Emmaus Narrative of Luke, by G. J. Goldberg , The Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 13 (1995) pp. 59-77.
“About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had first come to love him did not cease. He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.” (Words in italics may not be in earliest manuscripts.)[i]
The Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus (56-120 AD) wrote in 116 AD, “"Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind" Christus: Annals 15.44.
This passage points to the persecution that had begun for the Christians and that the Christians were taking their message to the very heart of the Roman Empire. Christians took their message of Jesus as the Christ to the farthest reaches of the empire and, eventually, all parts of the world.
Through the witness of his followers, Jesus Christ has been the most influential figure in world history -- impacting culture, politics, religion, art, music, literature, education, economics, and science. Today, more than 2.2 billion people call themselves Christians.
[i] The Coincidences of the Testimonium of Josephus and the Emmaus Narrative of Luke, by G. J. Goldberg , The Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 13 (1995) pp. 59-77.
IMPACT. Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan writes,"Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture for almost twenty centuries." (Jesus Through the Centuries).
John Ortberg writes, "Jesus' vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history like the tail of a comet, bringing his inspiration to influence art, science, government, medicine and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness and hope." (Who is this Man?)
Ortberg lectures on the impact of Jesus' life.
John Ortberg writes, "Jesus' vision of life continues to haunt and challenge humanity. His influence has swept over history like the tail of a comet, bringing his inspiration to influence art, science, government, medicine and education; he has taught humans about dignity, compassion, forgiveness and hope." (Who is this Man?)
Ortberg lectures on the impact of Jesus' life.