"We know for certain that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. That is one of the most secure facts in the history of the world. But on the other hand, we know that literally thousands of other Jews were crucified within fifty years either side of Jesus. What made Jesus special? Why do people all over the world tell the story of his death, rather than any of the others?"
(Original Jesus, 18)
In Jesus' day, Jerusalem was a hot spot for violence and religious fanaticism. But for the Jewish people, it was also a city of hope and expectation. Here is where King David set up his capitol. Here the prophets tell us that God would reveal himself to save not only Israel but the whole world. Here Jesus came followed by scores of disciples, all hoping that he would bring the rule of God right then and there and liberate them from their oppressors. Here Jesus was arrested and crucified. Just like other failed messiahs.
But what made him different? Why are people still talking about Jesus today? Why is Jesus not just regarded as yet another well-intentioned (but failed) "messiah" crucified under the brutality of Rome?
Something made Jesus much more than another young protester casually liquidated by the occupying forces. Jesus’ followers kept following him, having witnessed something incredible: God raised him from the dead! They came to understand that Jesus’ death meant something– that God through this single action in history had dealt definitively with the problem of human guilt and shame. "This was where the one true God acted to save and heal the whole world." (p. 21)
Embedded Questions:
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What made Jesus special?
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Why do people all over the world tell the story of his death rather than all the other martyrs?
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What caused the 12 disciples to give up everything and follow him?
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How can the death of a individual 2,000 years ago, in another culture and in another place, be relevant for me today?
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