Jesus Human and Divine The Trinity Death and

Jesus Human and Divine The Trinity Death and Resurrection © Karen Devine 2008

Jesus: Human and Divine Christians believe that: n Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. n Jesus was the son of God and human. n All humans are created in the image of God. n The incarnation of Jesus as a human was an act of love from God for humanity. n Jesus was born to a human woman and died as a human being. n Jesus is part of the trinity. n The 3 “persons” in the trinity are eternal.

Jesus: Human and Divine Jesus is God and therefore has the power to defeat evil. n He is the archetype for human behaviour. n Jesus’ humanity shows the interrelatedness between God and humans. n Jesus is true revelation. He is revealed as God. n

The Trinity n n Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Monotheism reflects Christianity’s Jewish roots. The trinity is a belief that Jesus was both human and God. He was God incarnate. The trinity is not a biblical concept, but was probably first used by Tertullian in the 2 nd Century.

The Trinity n n n There is a “threeness” to God- father, son and spirit. All aspects are unique, equal and eternal. The 3 aspects are distinct, but they are NOT 3 gods. There are 3 persons but only one divine being. They dwell in each other (circumincession). The Christian teaching is that the trinity is a mystery never to be understood by humans in their lifetime. Over the centuries there have been many attempts to understand the trinity. (Especially by Augustine of Hippo)

Jesus’ Ministry n n Jesus had a ministry involving him wandering around the countryside. His ministry lasted for 3 years. He eventually ends up in Jerusalem. He is arrested. He is brought before Pontius Pilate, the Emperor’s Procurator in Jerusalem and he imposes a death sentence.

Jesus’ death Historians such as Josephus, have chronicled that Jesus was executed via crucifixion. n This death penalty was typically used by the Romans for the crimes of insurrection and n

Jesus’ death After interrogation by Pontius Pilate (the Roman Procurator) Jesus was sent to Golgotha (the Hill of the Skulls) and executed alongside two other criminals. n Both Jews and Romans had reasons for wanting him dead. n

The Resurrection For Christians the suffering experienced in Jesus’ life is overcome by a resurrection and a reunion with God. n Christians see that each believer will one day also be reunited with God in the same way. n

The Resurrection The implication is: the human person will be transformed beyond death. n The resurrection is not a historical event but a faith based event. n There remains much theological discussion about it. n

The Resurrection n The essence of the resurrection is that Jesus conquered death and rose bodily from the grave and returned to God. Yet, his body is spiritual and not necessarily the same as it was on earth. The various Christian denominations see the resurrection as either bodily or spiritual.

Question Time n Which aspects of the nature of Jesus are matters of fact and which are matters of faith?