Understanding Jesus

[Frodo27]

I have a problem with the story of Jesus which I hope someone can help me resolve.

It appears to me that Jesus found spirituality and indeed his Crucifixion was for salvation and atonement, both being spiritual matters relating to the afterlife.

Jesus was of peace, love and forgiveness yet...............

It appears he turned to Judaism and rode on a donkey as per the Judaic scripts, he became angry at the temple. In fact he appears to have changed overnight.

If so, then why?

 

[DeShoregirl]

I don't think he was mad at the Temple as much as he was mad with the money changers, mad about the system they set up that turned His "House of Prayer" into a marketplace. Having access to God through prayer was changed into a financial transaction. This upset Him!

 

[JimmieD]

I have a problem with the story of Jesus which I hope someone can help me resolve.

It appears to me that Jesus found spirituality and indeed his Crucifixion was for salvation and atonement, both being spiritual matters relating to the afterlife.

Jesus was of peace, love and forgiveness yet...............

It appears he turned to Judaism and rode on a donkey as per the Judaic scripts, he became angry at the temple. In fact he appears to have changed overnight.

If so, then why?

I don't think he changed his message at all. His central message, the gospel, was that the Kingdom of God was coming and was indeed here. This isn't simply a moralist message about peace love and forgiveness. It has political overtones that called into question the current power structure. In the kingdom of God the first shall be last and the last shall be first? The meek will inherit the earth? Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God? This would have always been an affront to the current leadership - if the Kingdom of God was coming, and it was going to look like what Jesus said, then the current leadership had no place in it - which is also pretty much what Jesus said:

Luke 6:24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have receivedyour comfortalready.
6:25 “Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Matt 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matt 21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

Jesus' message was always challenging and he always had a particular message for Jerusalem.

Luke1 3:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longedto gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!13:35 Look, your house is forsaken!

 

[passing_through]

I have a problem with the story of Jesus which I hope someone can help me resolve.

It appears to me that Jesus found spirituality and indeed his Crucifixion was for salvation and atonement, both being spiritual matters relating to the afterlife.

Jesus was of peace, love and forgiveness yet...............

It appears he turned to Judaism and rode on a donkey as per the Judaic scripts, he became angry at the temple. In fact he appears to have changed overnight.

If so, then why?

Sorry, but it seems that you reduce Jesus unto a man and that he is, he is a man, but he is also God. He didn't turn to Judaism he started Judaism.

He didn't become angry at the temple the temple was his Father's House, he was angry at the commercializing of the temple.

 

[p_rehbein]

FROM OP's Profile Page

[h=5]About Frodo27[/h]Gender:maleMarital Status:marriedSpiritual Status:unsureWhen saved:Lol........I was born into it




(sigh.................back again)

 

[crossnote]

FROM OP's Profile Page

About Frodo27

Gender:maleMarital Status:marriedSpiritual Status:unsureWhen saved:Lol........I was born into it




(sigh.................back again)

'irrelephant' your honor and beside the point.

 

[crossnote]

Actually at heart, Jesus was grieving for His own.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

John 1:11-12
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 

[JimmieD]

I don't think he was mad at the Temple as much as he was mad with the money changers, mad about the system they set up that turned His "House of Prayer" into a marketplace. Having access to God through prayer was changed into a financial transaction. This upset Him!

It's unlikely he was only mad at the money changers. Jesus tirade against the money changers is a quote out of Jeremiah 7:

7:11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the LORD.

The interesting thing about Jeremiah is that he isn't mad about money changers. Jeremiah spends all of chapter 7 announcing judgment on the temple.

7:14 So I will destroy this temple which I have claimed as my own, this temple that you are trusting to protect you. I will destroy this place that I gave to you and your ancestors, just like I destroyed Shiloh. 7:15 And I will drive you out of my sight just like I drove out your relatives, the people of Israel.’

Jesus is probably doing nothing less in the gospels when he turns over the tables in the temple. Consider much of the passages that follow directly talk about the destruction of Jerusalem and judgment on Israel. Jesus' action in the temple was probably a prophetic-sign act, an object lesson. The prophets of the Old Testament would often "act out" their prophecy in order to get the message across (eg, Jer 19, Eze 4). Jesus is probably doing the same sort of thing in the temple - he's prophetically announcing their judgment through the use of a technique the prophets of old would used. I think Jesus' opponents understood very well what he was doing:

Mark11:18 The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him

He wasn't simply mad at some money changers - he was challenging the authorities by saying their judgment was coming.

 

[Willie-T]

I have a problem with the story of Jesus which I hope someone can help me resolve.

It appears to me that Jesus found spirituality and indeed his Crucifixion was for salvation and atonement, both being spiritual matters relating to the afterlife.

Jesus was of peace, love and forgiveness yet...............

It appears he turned to Judaism and rode on a donkey as per the Judaic scripts, he became angry at the temple. In fact he appears to have changed overnight.

If so, then why?

Not sure what you meant by: "It appears He turned to Judaism." He WAS a Jew, His entire life.

 

[lumberjack]

FROM OP's Profile Page

About Frodo27

Gender:maleMarital Status:marriedSpiritual Status:unsureWhen saved:Lol........I was born into it




(sigh.................back again)

Do unsure people make you that unsure?