The Gospel Presentation of Jesus Christ
The New Testament presents its
understanding of Jesus in titles, descriptions of His Person, and accounts of
His Word and Work.
The Old Testament provided titles and
images that the New Testament writers used to convey the message of Jesus
Christ for His disciples and for God’s saints even in our time. He was portrayed,
for example, as a 'Prophet' like Moses, 'the Davidic King', 'the Promised
Messiah', 'the Second Adam', a 'Priest like Melchizedek', an apocalyptic figure
like 'The Son of Man', 'the Suffering Servant of God' and 'The Son of God.'
He
is the Pre-existent Divine Being Who came to earth, accomplished His work, and
returned to Glory; In His days on earth, He was The LORD above all Caesars; THE
ETERNAL MEDIATOR OF all creation and THE LORD OF Redemption; 'the cosmic Figure'
who gathers all creation to Himself in one harmonious Body.
The Gospels present the Ministry of
Jesus as the Presence of God in the world. His Words reveal GOD and GOD’S Way
for His people; His Actions demonstrated the healing power of GOD bringing
wholeness of the human body, mind, and spirit; His sufferings and death testify
to GOD’S relentless Love; and His resurrection was GOD’S "sign of
approval" of Jesus’ life, death, and ministry.
Paul and others developed views of Jesus’ death as sacrifice and
atonement for sin and of Jesus’ resurrection as guarantee of the resurrection
of His saints.
Jesus’ suffering is the perfect model for Christians in the hour
of martyrdom.
The principal sources of information concerning Jesus’ life are
the Gospel, written in the latter half of the 1st century, the Epistles of
Paul, and the Acts of the Apostles. He stressed the infinite Love of GOD for
the humble and weak, and he promised pardon and eternal Life in Heaven to the
most hardened sinner.
Now, let’s
take a look at the trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus:
At
the council meeting, Caiaphas asked Jesus to declare whether He was “The
Christ, The Son of God” (Matthew 26:63). Upon His affirmation (Mark 14:62), the
council, of human will and government condemned Jesus to death, charging Him of
blasphemy.
Only
the Roman procurator, however, was empowered to impose capital punishment, and
so, on Friday morning, Jesus was taken before the procurator, Pontius Pilate,
for sentencing. Before pronouncing judgment, Pilate asked Him if He was the
King of the Jews, and Jesus replied, “You have said so” (Mark 15:2).
Thereafter,
Pilate tried several expedients to save Jesus before ultimately leaving the
decision to the crowd that gathered. When the crowd insisted on His death,
Pilate ordered Him executed (Matthew 27:24).
Jesus
was taken to Golgotha and executed by crucifixion, the Roman punishment for
political offenders and criminals.
Two
robbers were crucified also, one on each side of Him. On the cross, above Jesus'
head, they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus the King of
the Jews” (Matthew 27:37).
Early
on the following Sunday, “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James” (Mark
16:1), going to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body for burial, found the tomb
empty. Matthew 28:2 reports that an angel appeared after an earthquake and rolled
back the stone. Inside the tomb, “a young man” (Mark 16:5) clothed in white announced
to them that Jesus had risen. This news is announced by the angel in Matthew
28:5-6 and by two men “in dazzling apparel” in Luke 24:4.
According
to John 21:11-18, Mary Magdalene saw two angels and then the risen Christ.
Later on the same day, according to Luke, John, and Mark, Jesus appeared to the
women and to other of the disciples at various locations in and around Jerusalem.
Most of the disciples did not doubt that they had again seen and heard The
Master they had known and followed during the time of His Ministry in Galilee
and Judea. A few disciples, however, doubted it at first (Matthew 28:17).
Thomas,
who had not been present at these first appearances, doubted that Jesus had
risen (John 20:24-29).
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead gave humanity hope of a life after death. Christ Jesus rose from the dead,
and is crowned with Honor and Glory! He is Alive—and He is Divine!
He has been glorified—and in His
glorified Spirit condition His eyes are like flames of fire, and His face
shines as bright as the very sun—full strength! (Rev.1:14-16).
All the Gospels add that, for a brief
time after His resurrection, Jesus further instructed His disciples in matters pertaining
to the Kingdom of God.
He also commissioned them to “Go ...
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in THE NAME OF THE FATHER,
AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Matthew 28:19).
Finally, according to Luke 24:50-51, at Bethany, Jesus was seen to
ascend into the heavens before the eyes of His disciples, and before others who
stood there. Acts 1:2-12 reports that the ascension occurred 40 days after
Jesus' resurrection.
The Doctrine that JESUS expounded
concerning GOD and His Eternal Kingdom; the Message of the Cross, and His
Ministry subsequently developed into the principal tenets of our preaching of
the Gospel today.