Chapter IV WORD OF GOD: JESUS CHRIST

Group 1 Alcazar, Kristina Jessica S. Camacho, Helene Rose C. De Jesus, Maria Anna Espino, Mary Margaret L. Han, Sang Hyeup B.

The Many Faces of Jesus Today

The Pantocrator translated as the Almighty or the all powerful Septuagint translation of El Shaddai an image of Christ wearing imperial garments, usually seated on a throne a reflection of the Roman political ideology

 The Philosopher and The Shepherd The figure of Christ is interpreted on ancient sarcophagi by the Philosopher and Shepherd The Philosopher teaches the essential art: the art of being authentically human--- the art of living and dying. The Shepherd is an expression of the dream of a tranquil and simple life.

Jesus in Films

Jesus of Nazareth (1977) Robert Powell played Jesus.

 Godspell (1977) Victor Garber portrayed Jesus as a clown in a superman costume.

 Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) A controversial portrayal of Jesus from the eyes of Judas Iscariot

 The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) Willem Dafoe played Jesus. Based on the 1951 Nikos Kazantzakis novel

 The Passion of the Christ (2004) Jim Caviezel stars as Jesus in the graphically violent depiction of his passion produced by Mel Gibson.

 King of Kings (1961) Jeffrey Hunter portrays Jesus One of the best cinematic renditions of the life of Christ but it was a box office failure

 The Jesus Film (1979) Claims to be an accurate portrayal of Jesus based on Lukes Gospel

Two Images of Jesus

Santo Nio de Cebu Black Nazarene of Quiapo

The Santo Nio (Christ Child)

Strengths affirms the reality of incarnation shows Gods identification with the little ones reveals to us the condition for being part of Gods Kingdom, that is, to be childlike Weaknesses tends to confine the appreciation of Jesus to his childhood gives the impression of a domesticated God, a Catholic Doll

The Nazareno (Suffering Christ)

Strengths tells us of Gods compassion for humanity We learn that sometimes the innocent would have to suffer for the sake of the guilty inspires us to bear our sufferings patiently and meritoriously Weaknesses may leave out the resurrection event may inspire passive suffering rather than active struggle against unjust affliction

Salvation in Jesus
Our spirit is set in one direction, the only direction for our intellect, will and heart is towards Christ, our Redeemer, towards Christ the redeemer of man. We wish to look towards him because there is salvation in no one else but him. The son of God.
Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis

Salvation as the Mission of Jesus

What is Salvation?
that great Gift from God which is liberation from all that oppresses man, but which is above all liberation from sin and from evil, within the joy of knowing God and being known by him, of seeing Him and entrusting oneself to him Pope Paul IV

Gift given by God through our Jesus, who definitely saved us from sin and evil through his passion, death & resurrection By his saving action we have been empowered to conquer sin and all other obstacles that hinder us from enjoying our dignity as children of God and sharers in Christs Life and grace,

Did HE really have to become man and die?

3 Theories an attempt to answer this question.
Vicarious Satisfaction (St. Anselm)
Since God is eternal ever sin committed against him is an eternal offence. Only someone eternal can make reparation for such an offense. Human being are incapable of satisfying the offence since humans are finite. Hence there is a need for an eternal human being:, Jesus Christ

Penal Substitution (The Reformers)

God, In his Justice, ought to punish humanity for all their sinfulness. The Son, however, voluntarily tool upon himself the wrath of God and bore the punishment which ought to be for humankind.

Ransom Theory (Origen)

Because of their sinfulness, their free rejection of God, human beings rightfully belong to Satan, God, however, in his love for humanity, ransoms them from Satan using his only Son as payment

Salvation as the Mission of Jesus

The Gift of Salvation..
Requires our positive response and commitment in order to enjoy its benefits Recognizing God as the one True God Working for a more Godly world so that all might experience the abundant life Christ won for us.

Accordingly Salvation is Two Fold Freedom For Grace and love, for relationship with God and others

Freedom from Sin and Evil

One Mission of SALVATION; 3 Roles of CHRIST

Christ, The Priest As priest, Jesus is the mediator between God and man. His life was characterized by holiness and prayer. He offered the sacrifice of himself for the forgiveness of our sins. Christ, The Prophet As prophet, Jesus spoke on behalf of the Father and proclaimed the coming of Gods kingdom. He preached the word of God through his words and actions. He performed miracles as a sign of his divine authority Christ, The King As King, Jesus spent his life in selfless service to others. He showed that true leadership is about the betterment of the lives of the people, especially those who are suffering, not about using ones power to dominate.

Characteristics of Salvation

Salvation is life-changing
Those who encounter Christ have never been the same again. They turn away their old life of sin and live a new life of grace.

Salvation is for the whole person

It is not just for the soul, but for the totality of human nature: mind, soul and body. Hence, Christ concerned himself with the spiritual as well as the material needs of humanity Ex. Their hunger, grief, pain, death, etc.

Salvation begins in the here and now

Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. We do not have to wait for the afterlife to experience salvation. The lifeblessing we receive daily are already signs of the gift of salvation

Salvation is a process
Salvation is about relationship; it is more of a process than a one-for-all event. It requires humanitys free response to Gods gift of salvation, and continuous growth in the context of this response.

Salvation extends to all peoples

God is not the property of any people, and He gives His gifts to those whom He pleases, not because of their worthiness but because of their need.
The gift of salvation is for everyone.

Salvation is completed in eternity with God

Full and final salvation is what comes after death, when in heaven, we will enjoy the company of God. By then, there would be no more sin or suffering.

Salvation History
The history of salvation is the salvation in history. Christians are those members of humanity conscious of the salvation taking place in it. (Gonzales-CarvajalSantabarbara 2005:138) Since salvation is a process that begins in the here and now, then human history is salvation history. Faith compels us to always see secular history as never isolated from salvation history; for there is no moment when humanitys historical existence was not affected by Gods saving presence. It is the will of God that his gift of salvation be conveyed to us through various events, persons, and places within our history. Hence, Christianity is a religion rooted in history, in the actual experiences of humanity.

a.) The unfolding of gods plan

-Salvation history is the series of events through which the plan of God took shape. It is about our communication with God, revealed in Scripture and mediated by Christ, which takes place in clear, progressive, historical stages, culminating in the establishment of the Kingdom of God. (J.C. von Hofmann) The primarily concern of salvation history is not factual details and exact chronology. Rather, salvation history is concerned with the discovery of Gods plan as it unfolds through his interventions in the history of humanity. These dealings of God with humanity are recorded in the Bible, beginning with the creation of the world. Hence, salvation history is a story-in-progress, and all of us are part of it. -Generally, salvation history is divided in three stages: (1) The time before Christ, (2) the time of Christ, and (3) the time of the Church

b.) Characteristics of Salvation history 1. Christocentric The whole history of salvation has for its central figure the person of Jesus Christ. Hence, salvation history, in its very nature, is Christocentric, It is in Jesus that the entire history of humanity finds meaning. It is also to him that history tends. Because of this, all events and persons in the history of salvation are seen in the light of the person of Jesus, apart from whom they have no Value.

2. Biblical The Bible is the record of salvation history. It is the will of God that his interventions in human history be recorded in the sacred pages of the Bible that all people may know his plan of salvation.

3. Inculturated The word who became flesh, spoke human words, wore human clothes related with people. When God became human in the person of Jesus, he immersed himself in a particular culture, and made use of the language of that culture to convey Gods message. Salvation history, therefore, is a critical look on how the different elements within the context of humanity are actually avenues of Gods revelation, and at the same time, potent means of expressing revelation.

4. Systematic Salvation history is not made up of random events put together. Rather, it is a developmental story of reflecting the pedagogy of God. In Revelation, God always gave consideration to mans readiness and capacity. Thus, Gods communication with humanity, as manifested in salvation history, follows a system that accommodates humankinds capacity to respond in faith.