How does the person of Christ bring a renewed understanding of being human and being

in a relationship with God?

A Christian brings a renewed understanding of what it means to be human and being in a

relationship with God through the teachings of Jesus and living a life in his footsteps. For a
Christian, human life is sacred. God sent his only son to die for his followers so their faith in him
could be restored. People who follow Christ have free will and may sin, but they also have the
chance to repent and restore their relationship with God. Greek Philosophers such as Plato, had
an impact on the followers of God as he believed that the body and soul are separated,
influencing Christian theologians. Through this understanding, the Gospel scriptures Luke 2:7,
Matthew 14:22-23 and Luke 23:33-34 are stories of Jesus teaching Christians what it means to
be human as well as being in a relationship with God.

The Gospel of Luke 2 is the story about the ‘Birth Of Jesus’. In verse 7 of the scripture passage,
it is shown that the Son of God is born as a human in the flesh but is also divine. Jesus was the
saviour for humanity. A person of faith saw Jesus as a role model, someone they can look up to
and follow in his footsteps. His human birth saved people of faith and helped them to live a
righteous life that God would expect. Through the birth of Jesus, Christians are taught how to
act the way God wants them to act. He is a testimony to faith and his miracles prove that. A
person of faith can gain a renewed understanding of what it means to be human by following
Jesus’ life. He was able to live and endure this world in human form, teaching others to love and
turn to God.

The Gospel of Matthew 14:22-23 is the story of ‘Jesus walks on Water.’ In this scripture
passage, Jesus teaches Christians to have a relationship with God through prayer. The passage
says “he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,”
Jesus goes up a mountainside to pray on his own. A believer of Christ can recognise Jesus’
love for God as he goes up to reflect on his own. Some Christians prefer to sit on their own and
reflect on prayer. Praying privately is a spiritual way of communicating with God in comparison
to praying with a congregation as one is unable to reflect deeply and becomes very distracting.
This is done because Christians follow Jesus’ footsteps. A person of Christ can gain a renewed
understanding of what it means to be in a relationship with God by reflecting through prayer
alone, just as Jesus did when he climbed the mountain to reflect.

The Gospel of Luke 23 is the story of the ‘Passion of the Christ.’ In verses 33-34 of the scripture
passage, Jesus is crucified along with two criminals. The passion of the Christ represents
suffering. Christ suffered agony to redeem humanity from sin. God promised humans, salvation
and eternal life. Therefore, Jesus died to atone for humanity's sins and reconcile humanity with
God. Many Christians hold the belief in the resurrection in high regard because it demonstrates
Jesus triumphed over death and serves as proof of life after death. People of Christ have a
renewed understanding from this scripture passage because Jesus suffered, prayed, and died.
Faith is also renewed because Jesus resurrected, giving Christians the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
and promised to make the faithful go to heaven.
Many Greek philosophers had different beliefs about the human body and soul, some believed
they were separated while others believed they were not. The Greek philosopher Plato believed
the body could be broken down into 3 parts: the body, the mind and the soul. The body was the
physical part significant to the non-spiritual world and when it dies it is truly dead. But he also
believed that the mind, a part of the soul, is immortal; lives forever. Plato once said, “you ought
not to heal the body without the soul, for this is the great error of our day in treating the human
body”. The soul is the divine part in oneself, after death, it leaves the physical body and joins the
heavenly realm. The heavenly realm is the spiritual world where souls ‘live’ in their purest form.

In summary, a person of Christ brings a renewed understanding of being human and being in a
relationship with God by understanding his teachings through the Gospel scriptures Luke 2:7,
Matthew 14:22-23, Luke 23:33-34. Also the Greek philosopher Plato believed the physical body
and soul were separate. It is through these scriptures and Plato’s beliefs that Christians learn
what it means to be human and develop a closer connection to God.
References
A-Z Quotes. 2021. Plato Quote. [online] Available at:
<https://www.azquotes.com/quote/823304> [Accessed 16 March 2021].

Bbc.co.uk. 2021. BBC - Religions - Christianity: The Passion of Christ. [online] Available at:
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/history/passionofchrist_1.shtml> [Accessed
16 March 2021].

Bible Gateway. 2021. Bible Gateway passage: Luke 2:7 - New International Version. [online]
Available at: <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A7&version=NIV>
[Accessed 16 March 2021].

Bible Gateway. 2021. Bible Gateway passage: Luke 23:33-34 - New International Version.
[online] Available at:
<https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+23%3A33-34&version=NIV> [Accessed
16 March 2021].

Bible Gateway. 2021. Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 14:22-23 - New International Version.
[online] Available at:
<https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+14%3A22-23&version=NIV>
[Accessed 16 March 2021].

Renewal Ministries. 2021. Why The Birth Of Jesus Matters To You - Renewal Ministries. [online]
Available at: <https://renewalministries.com/message/why-the-birth-of-jesus-matters-to-you/>
[Accessed 16 March 2021].