Christian Doctrine

Who is God?
Part 2
Essay questions
• Trace the development of the fundamental Covenant
relationship of God and God’s people throughout…

• Demonstrate the similarities (2) and differences (2) of Jesus’

birth, life and death with the birth, life and death of ordinary
human beings in order to demonstrate his unique
relationship to God. (1)
Who is God? What does God do?
• Doctrine, docere, teachings
• Who do Christians understand God to be? (2/2)
• What do Christians understand God to do? (0/2)
• Previous presentation:
• Faith of the Apostles
• God the “Father”
• Today’s presentation:
• Jesus Christ
Jesus: Birth in Bethlehem
• Born in Bethlehem around 0 AD
• Bethlehem: Where King David was
born & raised 1000 years before
• Mary was a virgin betrothed to
Joseph, carpenter from Nazareth
• Birth accounts:
• Gospel of Matthew (ch 1-2)
• Gospel of Luke (ch 1-2)
Jesus: Childhood
• Qur’an says more than the Gospels
• Material from Qur’an overlaps with apocryphal Gospels
• What we do know:
• Refugees in Egypt
• Lived in Nazareth
• Lost and found in the Temple
• Brothers and sisters of Jesus !??
• Orthodox and Catholics: relatives (Mary was a lifelong virgin)
• Protestants: Mary & Joseph maybe had other kids
• Jesus’ cousin: John
Luke 2:51-52

“Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth…

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and [humanity].”
John the Baptist (‫)ﯾﺤﯿﻰ‬

• Jesus’ cousin John takes on

prophetic role

• Preaches:
• Someone is coming after me!
• Repent!
• Be obedient to commandments!
Luke 3:8, 16
“Produce good fruits
as evidence of your repentance…

I am baptizing you with water,

but one mightier than I is coming…
He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.”
Jesus: Mission

• Initially a disciple of John

• At Jesus’ baptism, God chose him
• Jesus began to preach in Galilee
• Repent and turn away from sin!
• Seek first the Kingdom, let it guide you!
Matthew 3:16-17
“After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and coming upon him.
and a voice came from the heavens, saying,
“This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased.”
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives and
recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”
Jesus: Mighty deeds
• Worked miracles
• Cast out demons
• Forgave sins in the name of God
• Comforted the sick, mourning and poor
• Associated with sinners
• Gospel of Mark examples:
1. Healing the leper
2. Healing the paralyzed man
3. Feeding the 4000
Jesus: Mighty words
• Criticized Jewish leaders and legal scholars
• Predicted a world crisis, the “Day of the Lord”
• Formed a community of disciples
• Sent this community of disciples on mission
• Gospel of Mark examples:
1. Story of the sower
2. Come to call the righteous, not sinners
3. Only what comes from inside defiles
4. Let your light shine like a lamp
5. Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
Matthew 10:7
“As you go, make this proclamation:
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick,
raise the dead,
cleanse lepers,
drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Jesus: Particularity as God
• Jesus was one person, fully human and fully divine
• Jesus grew in knowledge and self-understanding
So far, some human elements:
• Born in a human body
• Born to a human mother
• Was dependent on his mother
• Refugee with his family to Egypt
• Grew up learning, getting lost
• Had family
• Followed a prophet
• Began preaching
• Comforted those who were marginalized
• Criticized unjust leaders
• Formed a community that he sent on mission
• Suffered; died
So far, some divine elements:
• Born without the intervention of a father
• Had uncommon wisdom as a child
• Chosen by God at his baptism
• Worked miracles
• Cast out demons
• Forgave sins in the name of God
• Was tempted to sin, but never sinned!
• Was risen from the dead
• ….what? The Triduum
Triduum: Holy Thursday 1/4
• Synoptic Last Supper
• Passover dinner with apostles
• Gives bread to eat as body Gospel of John: Washing of the feet
• Gives wine to drink as blood “I have given you a model to follow”
• Early Church and Church today reenacts (Jn 13:15)
• Central act of worship for all Christians
• Jesus gave his entire self to us
Triduum: Good Friday 2/4
• After Last Supper, to Mount of Olives ( ‫ﺟﺑل‬
‫)ا ﻟ ز ﯾ ﺗ و ن‬
• Betrayed by Judas Iscariot
• Imprisoned
• Tortured
• Condemned to death
• Crucified (humiliating public execution)
• Buried in a tomb

[This suffering of Holy Thursday and Good

Friday of the Triduum can be called Jesus’
“Passion”]
Triduum: Holy Saturday 3/4

Silence.
The end?
Tragic. But interesting.
Triduum: Easter Sunday 4/4
• Resurrected from the dead
• Appeared:
• To Mary of Magdalene and ladies (Mk 16:1-11;
Lk 24:1-11; Mt 28:1-10: Jn 20:11-18)
• To the disciples (Mt 28:16-20; Mk 16:14-18; Jn
20:19-21, 21:1-14)
• To the disciples in Jerusalem (Lk 24:36-49)
• To Peter and fishing disciples (Jn 21:1-23)
• To the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk
24:13-35; Mk 16:12-13)
• Ascended (raised up to God) after 40 days
• “We are an Easter people!”
John 14:1, 16-17a, 26-27a, 27c 🔥
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me…

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you
always, the Spirit of truth…

The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will
teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be
troubled or afraid.”
Titles of Jesus
1. Son of God (‫)اﺑﻦ ﷲ‬
• God’s eternal and uncreated message dwelled in Jesus
• God brought Jesus into unique, intimate relationship
• Intimate mutual knowledge: Jesus knows the Father
• Unity of will:
• Jesus has two wills: one human and one divine
• Jesus only does the will of the Father
• Even in the Garden of Gethsemane

• NOT Son in the sense of being physically conceived

2. Son of Man (‫)اﺑﻦ اﻹﻧﺴﺎن‬
• Most used title by Jesus himself
• From Book of Daniel
• Descends from the heavens
• Before crisis of the Last day
• God gives Son of Man judgment &
kingdom
• Mysterious figure would help establish
God’s reign in the world
3. Lord (‫ب‬
ّ ‫)ا ﻟ ﺮ‬
• Unique mediator between God and
humanity
• One who has power and authority
• Judge sitting at right hand of God on the
Last Day
• When he rose from the dead
• Presence of the risen Christ in the Christian
community!
• E.g. “Maranatha”
• “Come, Lord Jesus!”
• Common phrase, hymn among early Christians
4. Christ (Messiah, ‫)اﻟﻤﺴﯿﺢ‬
• Christ = Messiah in Greek = Anointed One
• Promised savior
• Spoken of by the prophets
• Coming from the line of David
• Matthew and Luke include genealogies (line
of descent) to demonstrate the lineage
• City of David, Bethlehem, also sign of his
Messiahship
• Term was ambiguous (perhaps military
leader), so Jesus didn’t use it willingly
5. Word of God (‫)ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﷲ‬
• Man in whom God’s Word resided

• Eternal Message that created all

things “pitched its tent” among
humankind and took flesh
6. Servant of the Lord
• Jesus understood himself this way
• Simple life, obedience to God’s will
• Bring true justice to Earth
• Bring good news to the poor (comforting)
• Denouncing evildoing with sharp tongue
(afflicting)
• All four Gospels see Passion this way
(Passion refers to the suffering days of the Triduum)
• Bearing people’s sins, by his faithfulness others
will be saved
Other titles
• Prophet: bringing God’s message to humankind
• Criticizing religious leaders: hypocrisy and legalism
• Criticizing those who oppress the poor
• Priest:
• for New Covenant between God & humankind
• He himself the one sacrifice, once and for all
• “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”: Gospel of John
• “Image of the unseen God”: Paul to the Colossians
• Savior: through whom is accomplished salvation

Salvation?! From who God is… to what God does!

7. Good Shepherd
• Guides sheep
• Protects sheep
• Lays down life for sheep
• Compassion of Jesus
• For the weak
• For the lost
• Power and strength of Jesus
• For those who turn to him
• For those who ask
John 10:14
“I am the good shepherd,
and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father,

and I will lay down my life for the sheep.”