Who is Jesus?

The most important thing to know [about] Jesus. Is that he's gone Jesus is the God man There's been a tendency in recent years to reduce Jesus to the level of a great teacher or a great prophet or guru? Read much of the Christology of the last 30 or 40 [years] and you'll find that there's a hyper stress on the humanity of Jesus Now jesus is human that's quite right, but the most important thing to know [about] him. Is that he's also Divine The Gospel of John we here in the beginning was the word [that] [same] word by the way that has made the whole universe the word I spoke of earlier That grounds the intelligibility of the world that's behind all the science of the world that same word who is God? became Flesh in Jesus Christ also [in] John's Gospel, Jesus says before Abraham was I Am and his I am there echoes the I am who I am of exodus 3:14, when moses said to God What's your name, and he says I am who I am jesus echoes, then I am the bread of life I am the good shepherd. I am the vine before Abraham was I am Philip says Lord show us the father and Jesus says have you been with me this long that you still don't know the one who sees me sees [the] father in John's Gospel, it's explicitly laid out that Jesus is Divine But the same is true in the [other] gospels [too], but they use a somewhat different symbol system So we find for example, jesus heals the paralyzed man And he said my son your sins are forgiven and the bystanders say well, who is this man? Only God can forgive sin? Which is precisely the point mark is telling us there this Jesus is God He also says in the synoptic gospels Unless You Love me More than your mother and father more than your very life You're not worthy of me Well, that's breathtaking that's an extraordinary thing to say isn't it You might imagine a religious teacher saying unless you love my teaching more than your mother and father unless you love God I Can imagine any prophet or guru or teacher saying that but? Jesus says unless you love me More than the greatest goods in the world you're not worthy of me who could say that coherently Except the one who is himself the highest good One that I find fascinating is in the beginning of the sermon on the mount in Matthew's [gospel]. Jesus says blithely You've heard it said but I say Well where have you heard it said in the Torah? Well the torah [for] first century Jew that's the highest Authority there is because the Torah was seen as the [word] of God quite rightly Who is this galilean prophet to say well? You've heard it said there, but I say Claiming authority even over the Torah who could do that except the one who is himself The author of the Torah that's why we hear that language. We take it for granted. [that's] breathtaking [business] up and down The gospels you hear this affirmation also in Paul Of course the paul line letters precede the gospels They're written somewhere in the decade of [the] 50s probably in the first century. What do you find over it again in Paul? Jaysus Kurios in his Greek. Jesus is the Lord Jesus is the lord well, that's cold Paul was [Shallow] right Saul who studied at the feet [of] gamaliel the greatest Rabbi of the time he knew the old testament through and through? What's basic in the old testament is? Adonai Lord is A term used exclusively of God and so when Paul Who knew that tradition back and forth it was in his bones in his blood when Paul said? Jesus is Lord. He [knew] just what he was saying and he knew how strange and radical it was that this Jesus is God that's the most important thing that we know about the Lord and [I] had push a little bit further That's why Jesus compels a choice in the way that no [other] founder does Muhammad to his infinite credit Never claimed to be [gone] Muhammad said I'm a messenger. [I] received a message from God Moses to [his] infinite credit never claimed to be divine Moses had received the law from God have gave it to the people the buddha to his infinite credit never claimed to be divine What he said was I found a way Then there's Jesus Who doesn't say I found a way? He says I am the way How strange that is he doesn't say I found a truth let me tell you about it. [I]? Am the truth he didn't say hey, there's this new mode [of] life that I've discovered let me share with I am the life Those claims are the unique Treasure of Christianity and therefore as I said they compel a choice Either as Jesus himself said either you're with me or you're against me If Jesus is who he says he is I? Must give my whole life to him. He's gone. He's the highest good if he's not who he says he is He's a bad man You can find that by the way in the apologetic tradition of catholicism Out Davis out [Mallos] homo that means either. He's gone or he's a bad man, and you got to decide Either you Gather with me or you scatter either? You're with me or you're against me, and there is the gospel the gospel is the good news about this Jesus and it compels on the part of those who hear it a Decision a choice. I think that's the most important thing we know about Jesus

Channel: Bishop Robert Barron

Views: 252,946

Rating: 4.8892951 out of 5

Keywords: Father, Robert, Barron, Christ, christianity, catholic, catholicism, jesus, god, faith, clips, spirit, spirituality, teaching, knowing

Id: 4Y4xacvLUXo

Length: 6min 35sec (395 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 10 2009