Jesus in the Introductory Material,

Jesus

In the introductory material, key themes such as "sin," "sacrifice," and "relationship with God" emerge. How do these themes apply to the story of Jesus? Why are these themes important to a Christian worldview?

The key themes find resonance in the life of Jesus. This resonance is more than a superficial relationship rather a deep connection that suggests that Jesus is the Messiah of the world. Jesus is demonstrated to be the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world. The role that Jesus adopts is that of sacrifice or ultimate sacrifice. Throughout the bible and mirrored in the story and gospel of Luke is the need to address the problem of sin through sacrifice. All sacrifices pointed to Jesus as the final sacrifice.

The need for a sacrifice is as a consequence of sin. The most useful understanding of sin is a condition that cripples and ultimately destroys the relationship between God and the human. The fall of man through the sin of Adam and Eve produced the necessary conditions for all men to be called sinners. The statement that all men are sinners through Adam's sin is both heart-rending and filled with hope. The joining of the entire human family into one through one man's sin opened the possibility that the sacrifice of a single individual might atone for that sin and permanently heal the relationship between man and God.

2. What do the events of Jesus' birth reveal about who Jesus is?

The birth of Jesus had several important prophetic elements that when taken together identify Jesus as the messiah. His virgin birth, along with being born in Bethlehem, are important Old Testament prophecies that are only associated with the individual who is the messiah. The birth of Jesus satisfies these prophetic requirements, singling him out as the one and true messiah.

3. After his baptism and temptation, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and reads from the book of Isaiah. Several other times, references are made to other books of the Bible, especially as prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. The Jesus film itself is based on the Gospel of Luke. What is the significance of the Bible for understanding who Jesus is?

The bible represents a record of God dealings within the context of human history. As a quasi-historical document the bible allows readers to benefit by having knowledge that they could not otherwise have. Additionally, when taken as a complete unit the books of the bible work in harmony to speak eloquently of God's will. Jesus is the focal point of the bible and a consistent interpretation of who Jesus is begins with the bible.

4. What do Jesus' healings of others tell us about who Jesus is?