Jesus Revolutionary or Rebel In one sentence Jesus

Jesus: Revolutionary or Rebel

In one sentence: Jesus was a radical nonviolent revolutionary who hung around with lepers, hookers and crooks; wasn’t American and never spoke English; was anti-wealth, anti -death penalty, anti-public prayer (Matt 6: 5); but was never anti-gay, never mentioned abortion or birth control, never called the poor lazy, never justified torture, never fought for tax cuts for the wealthiest Nazarenes; never asked a leper for copay; and was a long haired brown-skinned homeless communityorganising anti-slut-shaming Middle Eastern Jew. John Fugelsang – An American Entertainer.

What is a rebel? My Chambers dictionary tells me a rebel: • Resents and resists authority or oppressive conditions • Refuses to conform to the generally accepted modes of behaviour, dress etc. Jesus replaced Barabbas and was crucified between two rebels. Was he a rebel?

What is a revolutionary? Chambers again; a person who: • starts or takes part in a revolution, • causes upheaval, and • brings about a radical change in outlook, social habit or circumstances.

What might it mean to be revolutionary? • Break – make? (John 2: 13 -21; Matt 21: 12 f) • End – amend? (Matt 5: 17 -20) • Victory – mediatory? (John 3: 13 -17) • Short-sighted – long-sighted?

Issues to consider: • Tradition – The Law and its interpretation • Absolutism • Religion (Ritual, Emotion, Belief, Rationalisation) • Who Jesus was (The person of Christ) • Which ‘person’ is the revolutionary?

Me? Just as an example • I am an ordained priest – my function in the Church – In services I follow the liturgy and pattern of rituals of the Anglican Church of South Africa; in England… those of Anglican Church – I say the daily offices – I preach (sometimes) • I am a person who thinks, acts, feels, decides, responds – So I sin!

Jesus the revolutionary • The Father’s words at his Baptism – ‘This is my • beloved Son… ’ (Matthew 3: 17) What did God not say? According to John the Baptist: – He will baptize with Holy Spirit and fire (3: 11) – He has a winnowing fork in his hand to clear the threshing floor; – He will gather his wheat into the granary; – He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire;

Jesus the revolutionary • The Synagogue in Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. ” (Luke 4: 18 -19 cf. Isaiah 61: 4) • “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. ” (v 21) • WOW! Who is saying this? Who should be doing this?

Jesus the revolutionary • Eating corn and healing on the Sabbath (Luke 6: 1 -5; 6 -11) • Woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7: 26 -50) • The woman at the well (John 4: 7 -26) • The woman caught in adultery and brought before Jesus (John 8: 3 -11)

Jesus the revolutionary • Who do people say that I am? (Luke 9: 18 -21) His Father did not say … • Jesus foretells what is to happen to him in Jerusalem (Luke 9: 21 -22) • The cost of following Jesus (Luke 9: 23 -27) • Jesus then set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9: 51) The rest is the explosive revolution! Death Resurrection Ascension Pentecost