“A God of Incredible Surprises: Jesus of Galilee” by Virgilio Elizondo

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Table of Contents

Personal Understanding of God
Mexican American Perspective
The Impact of Elizondo’s Presentation
Conclusion
Work Cited

The book was a record of Elizondo’s journey. The purpose of the book was made clear through the following statement: “to probe deeper into the mystery and gift of the Word made flesh that walks among us today” (Elizondo 1).

Christians all over the world are familiar with this statement. It was taken from the Gospel of John. In the original text, the author said that Jesus was God and he became a human being. He was originally from heaven being part of the Trinity of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

But two millenniums ago the Son of God was sent to Earth as a ransom for the sin of humanity. God became flesh and lived with human beings. The context of the statement meant that it was a one time event. But Elizondo implied that even in the 21^st Century the link has never been broken, because the Son of God continues to dwell with his people. Elizondo made the assertion because as he read the Gospels he saw a different Jesus, the Son of God who did his best to identify with the needs, fears, and joys of Mexican Americans.

Personal Understanding of God

God is Almighty, omniscient and omnipresent but one of the greatest miracles, revelation and mystery is the transformation of the Son of God from divine to human. It may sound odd at first but for someone who understands the consequences of sin and the need for a savior, this is wonderful news. It is only through this transformation that God can satisfy the penalty of sin because no human being is worthy to pay the full price for the punishment of sin.

God became man and for a time lived with his created beings. The impact went beyond the forgiveness of sin and deepened the meaning of salvation. God did not only subject himself to humiliation and pain in order to cancel the debts of man in accordance to the law, his visitation was also a way for him to connect with human beings in an emotional and physical way.

By coming down to Earth, God placed himself in a position to understand the meaning of hunger and thirst. He was then able to sympathize with those who dealt with ridicule and rejection. When he came down to Earth, God made it possible for mankind to have easier access to him.

Mexican American Perspective

The author’s journey began with a simple question and he wrote: “I do not doubt for an instant the truth of this narrative as summarized in the Apostle’s Creed: ‘He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.’ But I do ask myself what the redemptive value is for humanity of this affirmation” (Elizondo 22).

The author was surprised and fascinated by the fact that the Son of God did not chose to live in a palace, he was not born into a wealthy family, and he was not born into a powerful and influential clan. The Son of God was not only the child of a peasant woman but she was pregnant when she was not yet a married woman. Elizondo was excited when he realized that the Son of God did not only come to Earth to be acquainted with their sins and frailties but also to be identified as one of them.

Using the insights gleaned from the challenges that Jesus and his family faced, the author linked Jesus life and ministry to the plight of Mexican Americans. He went further by exclaiming that “because Jesus was born and raised in circumstances very similar to our own Mexican American experience we truly encounter him and know him in a very personal way” (Elizondo 6).

He said that Jesus was not only born into a poor family, he grew up in a multiethnic Roman colony of Galilee, and he connected this to the melting pot that is America and the plight of Mexican Americans.

According to the author, the Son of God suffered in the same way that many Mexican Americans suffered as a people. They were crushed between the forces of culture, language, religion, and political beliefs. The author said that since Jesus had to deal with similar circumstances he became the ideal God of Mexican Americans.

He bolstered his claim when he said that at the very beginning of Jesus’ life he was exposed to the kind of pain and suffering experienced by many Mexican Americans. The author said: “No one of us has chosen the way we were conceived, yet society classifies people according to the way they were conceived.

I know that gender, race, class, and ethnicity are important in the sinful classification of persons” but even more basic is conception” (Elizondo 25). It is a truly powerful statement for those who were conceived as a result of a racially mixed marriage.

The Son of God was not only exposed to the problems relating to cultural identity, he also dealt with poverty and its negative effects. Consider the risk of being born in a manger without the assistance of qualified physicians. Consider the persecution that the family received from the hands of Herod.

Consider the struggle to find a new home after being forced to flee their hometown. The life of Jesus paralleled the life of a struggling Mexican American forced to abandon his spiritual homeland of Mexico only to discover that they are not welcome in the Promised Land.

The Impact of Elizondo’s Presentation

It is common knowledge among serious students of the Bible that the Son of God became flesh in order to fellowship with human beings. One of the most intriguing features of Christianity is an approachable God.

The same thing cannot be said of other religions where their deity is aloof and looking down with condescension on their people. But the God of the Bible is different. He went out of his way to interact with human beings and connected with them on a personal level.

Elizondo was aware of these things but he went further by saying that God orchestrated his visit to Earth and his transformation from Son of God to Son of Man in order to help marginalized people like Mexican Americans. This insight enabled the readers of his book to take a closer look at Jesus of Nazareth.

The strength of his conviction forced readers to reconsider what they believe about Jesus. The Bible suddenly comes alive because of a new perspective regarding the events surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

In addition, Elizondo’s insights created a new way of approaching Jesus as savior. From the perspective of Elizondo, Mexican Americans suddenly discovered an ally. In the past they simply pray to Jesus for help in an abstract manner. But after reading Elizondo’s book they can now approach Jesus as a man would approach a friend. Elizondo’s major contribution is to give hope to Mexican Americans. The most positive affirmation came from his assertion that Jesus is not only Lord but he is a savior in every aspect of life.

Conclusion

The insights of Elizondo strengthened the personal beliefs of the proponent of this study with regards to Jesus Christ. It was mentioned earlier that the transformation of the Son of God into the Son of Man is a tremendous statement when it comes to forgiveness of sins.

The Son of God did not only become flesh to save the world from sins but also to save man from man. The life and ministry of Jesus beginning from his conception to his resurrection is a blueprint for successful living because he was able to demonstrate how to overcome a world full of prejudice and hate.

Jesus is no longer just a savior in the religious context but a savior when it comers to the damaging effects of racism, segregation, and rejection. It is important to determine how many ethnic groups are being affected by the model presented by Jesus. If it is true that the circumstances surrounding his birth and early life were a deliberate attempt to connect with human beings, then it is time to re-examine the Gospel narratives.

Work Cited

Elizondo, Virgilio. A God of Incredible Surprises: Jesus of Galilee. MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003. Print.

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