Category: Jesus Christ

Introduction

The 21st century is the period after the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and is the period we currently living in. The believers inthe 21st century face many challenges and distractions that affect their relationship with Christ. These can be in the form of daily life challenges, distraction through social media, television, government policies and regimes, and the different types of religions around the world and emigration. Therefore, it is of importance that believers must resemble the Christ like attitude and mindset in such times. Some of the characteristics or traits of Christ include servant hood, humility, obedience, righteousness, long suffering, perseverance and love for others. Christ being the son of God made himself nothing in the world for the sake of us. Therefore in this 21st century it is important for believers to put interest of others first, that is the mindset and the attitude Christ. This paper seeks to explain how Christians of these times can serve Christ and portray a Christ like mindset amongst the communities they serve.

UNDERSTANDING 21ST CENTURY

The 21st century is the period we are currently living in. The book of Timothy “2 Timothy 3 best describes the 21st century. The above the 21st century is characterised with the rise of anti-Christ and his agents and the rise of self-styled prophets who present false gospel which lead believers astray and confused. We witness people being more interested in things like social media, television, which take their attention from Christ.

The earth now has many people who believe in humanism as their believe more in their wisdom than God, money over God or because they have been through uncomfortable things and hence believe there’s no God. Because of this there’s rise in atheism, amorality and beliefs in science (LaHaye: 1980:50).

Atheism is the belief that there’s no God and this has led to the worship of man’s wisdom LaHaye; 1980). This has led to man trying to find happiness now not beyond the grave. This has happened mostly because some Christians that were served but not taught well enough and when the storms came they were not strong enough and at the end felt like God wasn’t doing enough for them and hence opting to believe in their ways and not God. Also this category has people that have never known Christ (the unreached).

The humanistic point of view has also led to high levels of amorality as it has destroyed the Gods order of doing things. It has led to things like easy divorce, abortions, sex education at schools, homosexuality as an optional lifestyle, marijuana and drugs (LaHaye 1980). These are certainly not advocated by bible based churches but by humanistic educators, lawmakers and judges.

The above issues therefore shape the society we live in; hence it is important that as Christians to have the mind of Christ to base our thoughts and decisions based on the bible. The bible and the Holy Spirit is the one that will shape us in this current dispensation.

UNDERSTANDING THE MINDSET OF CHRIST

The mind of Christ is the submissive mind. According to Hunt (2007, p39),”The mind of Christ means the attitude of Christ exhibited.” Philippians 2:6 -8 best describes the mind of Christ.From the script above we derive the traits or the mindset of Christ includes humility, longsuffering, love, and godliness.

According to Spring (1960), ‘to truly appreciate the depths of humiliation to which the Son of God stopped in His Incarnation, we must contrast His earthy existence with what of His heavenly’. This therefore demonstrates who Christ is, as God but humbled Himself to save us. He did not value His own himself or honour, but freely gave it up in every situation so that God’s will could be carried out and God could be glorified through His life.

Christ being the King and the son of the most High God he lowered himself to serve the interests of his people and serve the world (Barclay 1975). He made himself nothing for the sake of others. Christ demonstrated being a servant at the last supper where He washed the foot of His disciples at the table. When He fed the five thousand people, His disciples had resolved to send the people away with empty stomachs but Jesus demonstrated care and servant hood by providing them with food

Jesus became obedient to the point of death. He became nothing for the sake of us. He obeyed for the will of His Father to take place even though it was painful. Christ glorified God in everything that He did. Matthew 26 v 39 demonstrates how Jesus obeyed His father because if it was up to Him He wouldn’t have gone to the cross. While on the cross he also remained obedient and called on the name of the father (Berends: 2001)

According to Horne (1960:2), ‘Christ came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom’. That’s the kind of love that needed amongst us as believers, to prefer to serve because we love. Christ had love for the people in that he shed His blood for everyone to be redeemed.

THE CHRISTIAN MIND

A first and fundamental characteristic of a truly Christian worldview which must inform the Christian mind is the doctrine of the fall. With the inroads of secularism in our culture it has become difficult for people to have a Christian mind (Madany 1994:1). The mind is very important in every Christian life as the bible emphasise us to love God and to consecrate our minds in His service and the effects of the fall at the Garden of Eden mentioned in Genesis 3. It is therefore important for Christians to develop and learn from the mind of Christ as mentioned in Philippians 2:5. Our failure to grasp the mind of Christ and understanding what the scripture will lead secularism to overtake us and have carnal minds (Summer 1994:20).

Based on the research by summer 1994, the basic fundamentals in Christian minds are the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of the fall, the doctrine of redemption by Christ and the appropriation and assimilation of the biblical teachings. These form the basis or shape the basis of the Christian mind. The form also the believers basis of their faith in Christ Jesus and brings us to the acknowledgement of Christ as the supreme power and the model to be followed in the 21st century.

For us to understand Christianity we need to understand what happened at the beginning (at creation) (Genesis 1:1). This brings us to understanding who God is and His purpose for humankind. Over the centuries evolution theories have been proposed like Darwinism that erode the value of who God is and made some to lose faith in God and such theories has some devastating effects on Christians especially morals. Understanding the purpose of God helps us to acknowledge who God is and our minds are shaped by that. (Madany 1994)

The second most important aspect is the doctrine of the fall (summer: 1994) First we need to come to agreement that we all have sinned and rebelled against God. We cannot claim to have a Christian mind without us accepting and reflecting on that condition. Men always try to justify their actions for wrongful behaviour (secularism and individualism). Therefore, by us accepting that, we create in us the mind that seeks the help which can be found in Christ.

A third basic and fundamental characteristic which must inform the Christian mind is the fact of redemption which has been accomplished by the incarnation of the Son of God, His ministry, sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension (Madany:1994). If we acknowledge who Christ is in our lives he abides in us and we get transformed in our minds Romans 12:2. When we have Christ our minds are under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit and Christ refused to make his message culturally correct. According to Summer (1994:24), [we face the same to the doctrine of redemption by cultural elites who control the arts, the media and the universities. While they are willing to consider what non-Christian worldviews may have to offer, they dismiss the Christian worldview as one which has been outmoded or discredited by the discoveries of Morden science.]

According to Summer (1994), the fourth characteristic is the appropriation and assimilation of the biblical truths and end times. Our cultures are mainly concerned about things of here and now (secularism). It’s all about preparing for our eternal life. Our plans shouldn’t be of now like the secular world but look at the bigger picture that God has for us. It’s about the message of hope for a better future as we await the second coming of our saviour and staying in the promises of the Holy Spirit.

Paul is the perfect example of a believer in Christ who lived after the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul when He was arrested Acts 16 vs. 25 – 30 it shows the leadership of Paul and his selflessness in putting the interests of others above self. They didn’t run away but he stayed put with other prisoners and ordered the Jailer not to harm himself as everyone was there. It shows sense of responsibility Paul had over others. In his evangelical journey it wasn’t easy but he continually prayed and worshipped demonstration that His source of strength was only from God. He always pointed people to Christ and encouraging them to Christ every time. The Apostle Paul says, “He delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His son” (Colossians 1v13) and everyone who has passed from death unto life is able to set to his seal that God is true.

Contemporary significance (Application)

According to Lahaye (1980:48), ‘any philosophy text will show that the major questions of man have universally been; Who am I? Where did I come from?, Why am I here?, Where am I going? How can I get there?’ This therefore forms the intellectual basis for the believers in this century and determines their way of living. The questions in the Christians context helps us to understand who we are in Christ, understand that we have all sinned and need the grace of God, creates in us the desire to know and serve God and also directs us in the way to think through studying of his teachings. This therefore becomes the basis of our thinking.

Our responsibility on this earth is to serve God as our creator, saviour and as he provided us with the wisdom to live by (LaHaye 1980). Also our chief purpose is to give God the glory by obedient and serving our fellowman (Rev 4:11). This therefore brings happiness, fulfilment and content as compared to those who practice secularism.

When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. To think and live a Christian way is aboutacknowledging the identity and submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Lockerbie 1986).

Also think like a Christ, one must have a starting point (Psalms110:10) Proverbs 1; 7) that is to get wisdom and knowledge about Christ. Therefore one needs to first understand the source of the wisdom and to respect and recognise it. This therefore calls for reverence and worshipful humility before God (Lockerbie: 1986)

Paul says, Christ is His divine saviour, the reason why he believed the bible is because it the voice of God to his Saul. We may have the weakness to ourselves that the bible is true, that the Christ is the Son of God. We know that we are not following cunningly devised stories.

Conclusion

The children of God are called to be representatives of Christ. As Jesus has revealed to us the true character of a son, so we are to reveal Christ to a world that does not know His tender, pitying love. Christians are set as light bearers on the way to heaven. They are to reflect to the world the light shining upon them from Christ.Their life and character should be such that through them others will get a right conception of Christ and of his service. I f we do present Christ, and have the mind of Christ, we shall make His service appear attractive, as it really is.

In summary believers of this time need Christ more to survive in this 21st century. We need to abide in Christ, pray without ceasing and learn the ways of the Holy Spirit. This will help us to overcome the devil and the challenges of the world and have Christ likemind-set

Works cited

1. Barclay W 1975. The letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians, (Revised edition). The Westminster Press: Philadelphia
2. Berends B.2001. The obedience of Jesus Christ: A defence of the doctrine of Christ Active Obedience
3. Hunt JM 2007. The book of Philippians: An archive of exegetical sermon notes. 3H Publishers, Wood stock, Georgia
4. LaHaye T,1980. The battle for the mind: A subtle warfare. Fleming H. Revel Co. USA.
5. Madany BM 1994. The Christian mind journal
6. Pringle J 1948. Commentaries on the epistles of Paul the apostle to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians. WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Michigan
7. Stott J 1989. The message of Ephesians.Inter-varsity Press. Great Britain
8. Summer 1994: Reformation and revival Journal, Volume RAR 03.3

INTRODUCTION

How would society be if, in the next 40 years, societal values and norms remain uninfluenced by the ambassadors of the Church of Jesus Christ? And where would society be in the next 40 years, if believers intentionally permeate the strategic ‘spheres of influence’ with the commitment to properly and effectively disciple people with biblical values and standards of the Kingdom of God?

One only needs to gaze at the wretched state of the Church and be able to contrast it with the state of our society. The overlapping difficulties and woes of society are very real and tragic: abortion, homosexuality, poverty, war, elitism, racism, drugs and substance abuse, just to mention a few are all on the rise. The family unit instituted by God to glue society together is frequently under attack and disintegrating at an escalating rate.

The failure of the family unit has terribly affected governance not only at the community level but also at the corporate national level. This is a common global challenge.

The Church of Jesus Christ is, however, the most powerful institution on earth. It is the only spiritual institution on earth granted diplomatic immunity wherever it is established. The sad reality is that, a very small percentage of the church is truly equipping their people to become effective representatives of the Kingdom in their respective communities. This is as much a leadership problem at the core of the matter as well as an ignorance concern which can terribly cost the next generation if unresolved.

With the current state of society and the influence it has had on the Church/reborn believers, there is a desperate necessity or need or to go back to the original intention of God for His Church.

Jesus Christ strategically positioned his Church in the world to be the light and pillar of any society according to the great commission. There is therefore a desperate necessity to re-establish this divine mandate. To re-establish in this context means to return to, to begin again or to return to the original mandate. [1: Mathew 28:16–20 the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to expand his kingdom to all the nations of the world]

Jesus Christ-the head of the Church appeared on the world scene with these words; “repent for the Kingdom of God is near.” To repent is the Greek word “metanoia” (strongs 3341) it literary means to return to one’s original state of mind. [2: “Metanoia” Mark 1:15 (Strongs 3341) literary means to return to one’s original state of mind but conversion’ and ‘reformation’ may best approximate its connotation. ]

It is therefore fair to state that the chief intention/Purpose of the existence of the Church of Jesus Christ in the world today never changed: to call people or nations back to their original intention and to transform them into disciples of Jesus Christ.

To strategically disciple nations effectively, we recognize that every Society has been classified by seven spheres or mountains. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, first gave reference of the seven mountains concept in 1975. These mountains are so powerful that whosoever occupies these spheres of influence can, in reality, transform a society and gradually a nation for the good or bad.

The Church of Jesus Christ has erroneously been classified as one of the ‘religions’ of the world, and Christians who have pushed in the 7 mountains movement have conceded to this misconception worldwide. I have always asked, why would believers be comfortable with such an identity?

In this paper I carefully examine religion, its origin and its true nature in contrast to what Christ truly established and mandated his disciples to carry on. I also outline what this misconception has done in obscuring and hindering the efforts of making disciples in the modern day society.

Because of a lack of true identity; countless Christian institutions have spent a lot of money and energy focusing on the “religion sphere” and waste time performing man-made religious rituals within the four walls instead of actively influencing society.

The majority of the Christian institutions have literally forsaken their responsibility to the rest of the nations that Jesus commanded to disciple and transform.

Churches have focused on preaching and filling up the pews and have done less of making disciples of ALL “nations” through teaching and active demonstration of the Kingdom of God. The former aspect is brilliant but the latter aspect is much critical.

The following triangular shapes is a representation of the ‘widely accepted’ spheres of influence of any society: Government, Arts and Entertainment, Business, Religion, Education, Family, and Media Mountain. Deep at the heart of ALL of these ascribed Spheres of Influence is a yearning for power, influence or control. In truth, trapped in every human being created in the image of God in any of these spheres are worshipers trapped by an erroneous philosophy of life.

Every human being is searching for some kind of purpose and success and the majority are searching for such fulfilment in all of the wrong things except their CREATOR of the heart.

In this paper, I endeavour to establish my thoughts through fairly thorough research on how believers can begin to see the Church of Jesus Christ as a key pillar of influence and how believers can enforce the church as a Pillar of Influence. This paper chiefly aims at refocusing our efforts back to kingdom philosophy and kingdom living and dealing away with a religious mind which has been a major interference to societal transformation.

THE ULTIMATE HUMAN SEARCH

For centuries men have magnificently established numerous human systems that are used as escape mechanism for ‘the search’ of fulfilment and purpose. In reality every human being is searching for fulfillment and a reason for living whether they confess it or not. I was once in this trap just like everyone else is. Though deep in the recess of my heart I knew that there was something or someone missing and whatever or whoever it was, deep inside, I knew that it was not of this world.

For many people; in search for this “fulfillment” they experiment with drugs, sex, cults, sports, political power, religion and the list is endless. In my search for fulfillment and answers to the meaning of life, I found religion fascinating and it was very close to what I thought I needed in light of the hopes that it offered.

In that season of my life, the only religious individuals I could relate with were the Jehovah witnesses. Due to their zeal for evangelism they frequently visited my house and conducted bible studies. Their ideology of the Kingdom of God was so fascinating, to the intent I decided to research more about their doctrine. It was only two weeks down that I understood that their doctrine is not in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:4). One year later I was saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit and I confidently say that my search for fulfillment was over.

All religions are thirsty for something greater than rituals and myths. Although we don’t take time to think about what people are truly searching for, the truth of the matter is that we all lost the same thing and until we ask the real question we won’t get the real answer. [3: 1 Timothy 6:4 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing..]

RELIGION IS A “SEARCH” NOT “THE DISCOVERY”

So what are the people in any society truly searching for? What drives all of us to wake up every morning to do what we do? After years of searching for identity and purpose, I came to an indisputable conclusion that; all men under the face of the earth are searching for the same thing. All humans are looking for the same answers to the same questions. The difference is the method and system we develop and implement in the search.

Religion is the ultimate search method for God, it is however not the discovery. Religion is defined as “a cultural system of designated behaviours and practices, morals, worldviews, ethics, and human organisations that relates to humanity to spiritual elements.” Mankind has practiced religion since the fall (of Adam) from Dominion over the earth. The prince and ruler of the world system, the Devil is the real architect behind the creation of all world religions. In fact it was the religious system under the Roman Empire that instigated the arrest and the brutal murder of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders of his day claimed to know God and Abraham, but Jesus the Son of God referred to them plainly as the offspring of the Devil full of lust for bloodshed (John 8:44). [4: 2 Corinthians 4:4] [5: John 8:44]

I want the reader to truly see the spirit of religion and how the church has been comfortable identifying herself with it. The deceptive spirit behind the religions of the world have diverse manifestations and forms but it is the same spirit.

For instance, there are countless societies worldwide that have been built around the Islamic ideology. Islam is one religion after Christianity that has successfully influenced politics on the global scale, economics and engulfed cultures of some of the wealthiest nations in the world. Similar Religions of the East have effectively permeated society through manipulation and control of people using their religious myths.

One great example of religions that have successfully used the name of Jesus Christ to gain control and world power is the Roman Catholic religious Organization. The Roman Catholic organisation or “church” as they are known, is the oldest institution in the western world. With over 1.3 Billion baptized Catholics as of 2017 worldwide, it is indeed the mother of the “Christian religion”. This religious organization is one of the ruling powers in the world which has used its seat of power for political control, religious influence, monetary acquisition and global dominance. It’s politically motivated crafted doctrines established in Nicaea instigated the bloodshed of millions of ambassadors of Christ who discovered the TRUTH.

Religion acts as a blindfold in the search for TRUTH. Religion is not the discovery of the TRUTH itself. Religion imprison people so much that people have not died for political causes as much as they have for their religion. Nevertheless, religion can never reform mankind because most religious rituals are the waste form of human slavery and the perversion of true spirituality.

The devil is evidently not anti-religion he is however anti-Christ. Christ is not the religious epithet of Jesus, it’s however a political description of Jesus which stand for “the anointed one” The one true King. Satan is obviously anti-Christ, because Christ came into His world system (kingdom) to destroy his works, and Satan’s best and greatest craft are false Christ’s invested in the religions of the world system.

God never called Abraham to start a religion called Judaism, neither was Moses instructed to start any religion. God promised to make both of them a great nation of people living harmoniously under Gods laws. Any individual that come to believe in Christ, becomes a seed of Abraham, and an heir of what Christ owns (Galatians 3:29). Believers in Christ are therefore not the seed of “religion”, there is no reference for believers joining any religion in scripture including the Christian religion as it is accepted worldwide.

Religions may offer rituals but not citizenship and national rights. Scripture is very clear that we are citizens of a Kingdom, living on earth as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:21). [6: Galatians 3:29 – If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.] [7: 2 Cor. 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. ]

THE FALL OF MAN FROM KINGDOM / DOMINION

To restore mankind from what he lost in the beginning, we need to examine carefully what Adam truly lost. Adam was put on earth with both a creation and a cultural mandate. I will dive deeply into the cultural mandate later when describing the seven mountains of culture. Traditionally scholars have agreed that Genesis 1:26 is mankind’s purpose and authorization for engaging both the creation and cultures established in the earth. [8: Genesis 1:26 ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion..”]

Doug Kelly writes in Creation and Change, Only because mankind was created in the image of God was it appropriate to grant him the awesome responsibility of dominion over the entire created order.

We learn from Genesis that that mankind fell from dominion and rulership over the created earth not ‘over heaven’. God created and placed man on the earth as a ruler over all creation and we fell from that responsibility. When Lucifer fell from heaven, he caused man to fall from his position of rulership. This is why religion has abandoned earth in its theology, and in its philosophy neglected the earthly mandate.

Isn’t it therefore obvious enough to understand why almost all religions focus on either going to heaven or reincarnation? Whatever the promise of the afterlife, it is obvious that the spirit behind All religious promises are not from the Creator of man.

The command of the creator for mankind was rulership and dominion over the earth. Because Heaven belongs to the King and the earth was created for his children, the sons of men (Psalms15:17). The word dominion in Genesis 1:26 translates the Hebrew word, radar (Strongs H7287) which means to rule and reign over as king. Radar also denotes “kingdom’ or ‘sovereign rule’ or “government”. [9: Psalms 15:17 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.] [10: Strongs H7287 radar – to rule and reign over as king]

THE ORIGINAL MANDATE / COMMANDMENT

The first command given to man by his creator was to establish a ‘government’ on the earth so as to terminate chaos and to maintain order. Gods Government was from its inception the solution to disorder. In fact the main function of the light that God spoke into the darkness was to bring order on earth and put things back into their original estate (Psalms 104:30). [11: Psalm’s 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground.]

Man needs a government, not a religion. To remedy the search for purpose, reason and significance, God sent a king, who personified a Kingdom which is the answer to the Quest of all of mankind’s efforts in religion. Jesus Christ did not represent a religion neither did his disciples. His message was clearly that of a Kingdom. He first of all taught the Kingdom and demonstrated its power over nature and all other earthly circumstances.

It is hence fair to conclude that Religion has brutally failed. And we need to understand what the human spirit truly desires, the True focus of our faith which is Gods Kingdom and its dominion over the earth.

ONLY TWO MASTERS IN ANY SOCIETY

‘No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Before I can lay a good foundation of a synopsis of the spheres that run and control the progression of any culture or society on earth, it is crucial to understand the statement of Jesus in the above scripture.

If we could carefully examine all systems in society; we can reduce them all to the same energetic forces that drives them. Jesus, Creator of the human heart concluded that all men in the world are either serving God or money. In this respect it is also crucial to understand that what one serves, it is what that particular person worships. All the ideological teachings and philosophies of man shouldn’t full us.

Jesus made it very clear; there are only two masters that control the actions mankind in any culture. Religion will say that it is the devil, it is not the devil, it is money.

What makes prostitutes to sell their bodies? It is obviously money not the devil. What makes educated people seat in the administrative office of government to do corruption? It is evidently money not the devil. And what cause medical doctors to practice lengthening sick lives instead of releasing cures that already exist? It is apparently the devil not money.

In fact Paul the Apostle wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The Love of money in our society is the root, of all compromise, moral degradation and lawlessness. The Love of money is not fruit of evil, it is at the very core and source of people’s behaviour in society.

Every action of all of mankind is either pursuit of money or service to God. Money is not in itself evil, but the love of money is a source of all evil. Wealth is ethically neutral just as the earth is neutral; however, when money begins to control people, that’s when society collapses and the earth in turn affected with pollution, deforestation and list is endless. [12: 1 Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is the root of all evil..”]

THE PURPOSE OF THE KINGDOM IN SOCIETY

There is a huge difference between the world and the earth. The physical earth (the planet) is good and it is the LORDS; but it is the world or understated by the Greeks as the order or government system that are in the earth that are either good or evil. The system active in society therefore determines the environment on earth. The world that Jesus was sent to die for in John 3:16 stands for the people that are in the systems that form up society and nations of the world.

Jesus Christ made it clear to his disciples that the position of power that Adam lost was redeemed and he gave it back to man. Firstly, the great commandment was handed down to the Apostles who turned the known world (systems) of their day upside down with the Gospel of the Kingdom.

W. S Mcbirnie writes in The Search for the twelve Apostle’s, Within the life time of the Apostles the Gospel of Christ had spread to such far places as Gaul and Britain to the northwest, Alexandria and carthage on the coast of Africa to the south, Scythia and Armenia (the former soviet Union) to the north, and Persia and India to the east.

There was no place or system of the Roman Empire that the early disciples did not reach and influence greatly which led to massive persecution. In Genesis 1:26 God delegated rulership for man to subdue and replenish the earth; in other words we are to develop our gifting’s on the earth by building godly cultures and communities, build education facilities, build cities, discover technologies and govern under Gods authority. Therefore whatever happens in any field of society, it is suitably man’s responsibility, because that power to rule over culture was given to mankind. Believers were commanded by Jesus Christ to enact heavenly laws on earth and make disciples as a priority. Jesus never instructed any of his disciples to build their faith around the doctrine of escapism into heaven.

Matthew 10: 7 “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.” The Word Kingdom is an Ancient Greek word – Basileia meaning: [13: G932 Strongs Greek Word Basileia – Kingdom]

1. The person that dominate the territory
2. Kingdom sovereignty
3. Royal power

The purpose of the gospel is therefore not about Salvation or Going to heaven. The Kingdom is about a heavenly Government influencing and guiding the nations of the earth to their destiny which is ultimately the Kingdom of God infiltrating earthly societies. In a democratic society, it is dangerous to live our futures up to those who you are given the right to decide what happen to our lives. Avoiding the engagement with the powers that design and plan our time and change is to surrender to another man’s values, morals, and standards. The number one deficiency or fault of modern day believers it is lack of involvement in the planning of the nation. The folly of the church has been a preoccupation of planning for heaven and not for earth. The church has planned itself completely out of the earth. Its theology has become one of the abandonment of the earth and the world.

Bibliography

Books Cited

1. Mcbirnie W. S. (1973), “The search for the twelve apostles.” Carol Stream, Illinois. Tyndale House Publishers.
2. Edwards G. (1992), “The early Church.” Goleta, Calif, USA. Christian Books Publishers
3. Billheimer P. E. (1978), “Destined for the Throne.” Santa Ana, USA Christian Literature Crusade

Online References

1. The History of the 7 Mountains (2019) [online]. Available at: https://www.the7mountains.com/history-of-the-7-mountains
2. Wallace, Anthony F.C. 1966. Religion: An Anthropological View. New York: Random House. (pp. 62–66) [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
3. Douglas Kelly [online]. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Creation-Change-Changing-Scientific-Paradigms/dp/1857922832
4. Vatican, Central Statistics Office (2007). Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. [online]. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church

Christian fraternity is the equal love of all, a kind of close friendship. Christianity believes that everyone is created in the style of God. There is an image of God in the soul of the human being, so it is necessary to love everyone without distinction. “Love is as if you have already”. This is the command of Jesus. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ is not unconditional, but first loves the most miserable, the least lovely person. Christianity advocates love from the close and close, and the Bible emphasizes the care and love of the poor and the despicable. Many regulations on the Sabbath are for the sake of the poor. God’s dignitaries help each other: “In the land that the Lord God has given you, no matter which city, if there is a poor man among your brethren, you can’t bear your heart, idle your hands, and don’t help your poor brother”. Humanitarian requirements: “You pick up the olive tree, the rest of the branches, cannot be beaten again, to be left to the strangers and orphans and widows. The grapes you pick from the vineyards, the rest, cannot be picked, left to the strangers and orphans and widows. A poor and needy employee, whether it is your brother or a stranger in your city, you must not bully him”.

When John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was old, all three letters he wrote focused on teaching God’s love. There was a young disciple who complained to the apostle John: “Why do you only talk about the love of God?”. The Apostle John replied: “Because if you don’t talk about God’s love, there is nothing to talk about”. The mission and lessons of Jesus are focused on the love of God. In the Gospel of John, the apostle John once wrote: “God loves the world and even gives his only begotten Son. He believes that his people will not perish but have eternal life”.

God’s love is powerful, never ceases, never change and allows us to face each day with confidence, knowing that all good things are the graces. He has given, and we can rely on his power to face all challenges. Throughout our lives, it is clear that God’s love for us is the most important. The road to life is really long. When you understand the love of God, this love will give you the motivation to move forward.

Servant Leadership According to the Biblical Teachings and Headship of Jesus

Servant leadership entails a philosophical approach whereby the main attribute of the leader is serving. This form of leadership differs significantly from traditional forms of leadership which are mostly centered on the growth and profitability of an entity. A servant leader bears a number of key qualities such as putting the employee’s needs first, sharing power, and helping people, in general, to perform and develop according to their potential. According to Karatepe, Ozturk, and Kim (2019), servant leaders are humble, selfless, do not show the need to yield power unnecessarily, and think of others more than themselves. While this style of leadership was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1998, the approach of servant leadership probably dates back to a couple of centuries, especially with the teachings and headship of Jesus. Through a review of current literature, this paper analyzes Jesus’s servant leadership approach with preliminary propositions regarding the intra-personal processes he imbued in his leadership style. The propositions will be helpful in guiding future empirical leadership studies to foster multilevel and integral theories on effective leadership. The exploration of Jesus’ servant leadership characteristics through extant literature is also conceptualized through empirical research and leadership theories. Jesus’ servant leadership approach entailed a multivariate process that intricately combined several hierarchical leadership processes.

The academic review of the literature regarding servant leadership involves a number of observations, key among them the apprehensions on reliable and valid theoretical approaches as well as leadership practice. Several chief approaches in research have been imbued in extrapolating leadership styles and approaches including the influence of power, behaviors, and traits as well as integrative and situational approaches (Correll, 2014). Further, in current literature, servant leadership is conceptualized at varying levels including group, individual, dyad, and organizational theoretical approaches albeit they lack of comprehensive theoretical frameworks that cover all approaches, as Burns, Shoup, and Simmons (2014) posit. Whittington (2017) calls for focal collaborations between neuro-cognitive scientists and social scientists as the main approach to establishing an integrated theory that entails servant leadership, albeit the key exclusion of biblical scholars and theologians from this contribution. Given the servant leadership qualities that Jesus showed in his missions according to the Bible, this study seeks to define a biblically-based archetype of Jesus’ servant leadership via integrated approaches that are encompassed in the study of leadership. As the main exemplary leader in the current world especially in participatory leadership, the ‘Jesus model’ has been highlighted as one that entails all conceptual levels that lack in individual leadership theories (Douglas, 2014). The propositions in this model are crucial in guiding future empirical research in servant leadership and especially in fostering integrated leadership styles in multivariate platforms of management.

Jesus’ Servant Leadership Characteristics: Framing Servant Leadership Qualities

Extant literature based on the life of Jesus is quite scanty. As such, several authors chose Jesus’ leadership style circuitously by studying the teachings, models, and examples that His followers, mostly Peter and Paul used (Kostenberger & O’Brien, 2017). Parallelism has also been justified by the sense that Jesus’ ministry happened in the same period that the church was formed (Valk, 2018). Despite the scantiness of leadership literature based on Jesus’ servant leadership, this study focuses on Jesus’ traits, power influences, and behavior in framing his leadership qualities and approach.

Traits and Behaviors

According to current literature (Dameron, 2016; Karatepe, Ozturk, & Kim, 2019), the trait approach in creating an understanding of servant leadership focuses on the individual attributes of a leader such as their motivations, skills, values, and overall personality. van Dierendonck and Patterson (2015) posit that this approach highlights the endowment of individual qualities which most other people lack. In Jesus’ context, he is viewed by many scholarly articles as unique especially owing to the fact that he is the “mediator of creation” (John 1:3) and the “Heir of all earth” (Mark 12). Accordingly, Jesus is highlighted as the combination of all Jewish heroes in one individual. van Dierendonck and Patterson (2015) further posit that such exceptionality can only stem from a charismatic personality, a trait termed as a unique gift that Jesus was bequeathed for the purpose of building and leading God’s overall intentions for humanity. However, according to Shirin (2014), Jesus did not lack in ego, but it was carefully channeled as a display of boldness and discernment, i.e. denoting God’s presence. Paul, who is highlighted by Douglas (2014) as Jesus’ biggest imitator, further underlines Jesus’ servant traits which include confidence, bravery, and boldness (1 Corinthians 2:6; Philippians 1:20). Further, in Matthew 10:19, 22, Jesus is seen teaching his disciples this focal trait of servant leadership; courage. Dameron (2016) also highlights incidences of Jesus’ courage while he was undergoing the tortuous period of rejection and suffering as scripted in Luke 9 -19. Another key trait associated with servant leadership, humility, is highlighted in Mark 14:36 where Jesus shows absolute humility via total obedience to God’s commands.

Jesus’ servant leadership approach has been viewed through the lens of charismatic behaviors. For instance, Mabey, Conroy, Blakeley, and de Marco (2017) assert that as a charismatic servant leader, Jesus portrayed the ability to communicate his vision clearly to his followers, thus acting as their motivation towards implementing His vision. Further, Jesus had the ability to utilize his persuasive skills, for instance in persuading his followers to believe in Him as he prepared them for greater service. Whittington (2017) describes a charismatic leader as one with the behavioral capacity to show sensitivity to the needs of the followers, foster trust towards achieving the highlighted vision, and articulate and formulate organizational goals. Jesus showed these behavioral traits by showing his sensitivity to His disciples, their needs, and abilities by posing the question, “who do you and others say I am?” By posing this question, He was in a better position to ascertain His disciples’ abilities in discerning the truth and the apparent need to train them further towards His cause. Whittington (2017) further proposes that Jesus showed empowering behavior through apprenticeship and his daily interaction with His apostles. He went further in assuring them of His support after commissioning them (Matthew 28:18-20) but also holding them accountable for the responsibility he gave them (Matthew 25:14-30).

The Power of Influence

According to Friedman and Fischer (2015), research on the influence of power scrutinizes the influences that exist between servant leaders and other types of leaders. Most of the extant literature does not show the direct influence of power-related processes, but most are insightful about the processes of influence and power in Jesus’ life and ministry. Mabey, Conroy, Blakeley, and de Marco (2017) highlight that the use of the designation ‘leader’ in the Book of Matthew connote a person who possesses a position of power and authority in Israel (Matthew 15:34 and Chapter 24). From a wider point of view, Friedman and Fischer (2015) define Jesus’ servant leadership as having ‘divine authority as opposed to the vast majority of the religious leaders of the time who didn’t have possession of that sort of power (Matthew 7:28-29). Jesus’ power, authority, and influence are further described as embedded in an unfathomable sense of calling, as stated in Luke 9:29. Conversely, van Dierendonck and Patterson (2015) highlight Jesus’ charismatic authority and influence power in comparison to Weber’s theorization of charismatic leadership.

Processes of Servant Leadership as Influenced by Jesus’ Leadership Style

Servant leadership can be conceptualized in several ways. These processes include servant leadership as a dyadic, intra-personal, or organizational process (Malakyan, 2014). From the intrapersonal perspective, while the number of theories in leadership that focus on a single person is rare, interpersonal processes such as self-leadership and cognitive decision-making theories have proved useful in extrapolating Jesus’ servant leadership approach. During Jesus’ era, most of the decisions were made at specific levels and according to certain laws. However, Jesus’ decisions were made on an Agapao basis, basically from his love towards others. This area however highlights a key research gap on how His intrapersonal approach to decisions framed his servant leadership qualities. The dyadic approach draws focuses on the relationship that exists between the leader and his followers. Notably, Jesus’ style of charismatic leadership created strong bonds between Him and his disciples and other followers. John 16:13 highlights this dyadic form of leadership whereby church leaders gained their eminence (Shirin, 2014). The organizational aspect of Jesus’ servant leadership is still scanty in current literature, although it can be discoursed via the lens of how vast the church became through His disciples and followers.

Conclusion

Servant leadership has become a crucial leadership approach in contemporary settings. As such, this study has analyzed the servant leadership style of Jesus that imbued a variety of leadership behaviors, traits, and influential power during His life and Ministry. As a model leader for the current world, Jesus serves as the apposite person in elaborating the different theoretical conceptualizations that frame servant leadership. The study also highlights some key gaps in research and literature such as the organizational context of servant leadership based on Biblical teachings. However, by basing the study on Jesus’ approach to servant leadership, this paper serves as a crucial contribution to literature in defining effective and influential leadership approaches for the modern day.

References

1. Burns, J., Shoup, J. R., & Simmons Jr, D. C. (Eds.). (2014). Organizational Leadership: Foundations and Practices for Christians. InterVarsity Press.
2. Correll, M. R. (2014). Shepherds of the Empire: Germany’s Conservative Protestant Leadership, 1888-1919. Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
3. Dameron, C. M. (2016). Embracing servant leadership. Journal of Christian Nursing, 33(2), 73.
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6. Karatepe, O. M., Ozturk, A., & Kim, T. T. (2019). Servant leadership, organisational trust, and bank employee outcomes. The Service Industries Journal, 39(2), 86-108.
7. Kostenberger, A. J., & O’Brien, P. T. (2017). Salvation to the Ends of the Earth. Salvation to the ends of the Earth.
8. Mabey, C., Conroy, M., Blakeley, K., & de Marco, S. (2017). Having burned the straw man of Christian spiritual leadership, what can we learn from Jesus about leading ethically? Journal of Business Ethics, 145(4), 757-769.
9. Malakyan, P. G. (2014). Followership in leadership studies: A case of leader–follower trade approach. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(4), 6-22.
10. Shirin, A. V. (2014). Is servant leadership inherently Christian? Journal of religion and business ethics, 3(1), 13.
11. Valk, Ü. (2018). The Devil and the Spirit World in Nineteenth-Century Estonia: From Christianization to Folklorization. In Fairies, Demons, and Nature Spirits (pp. 213-232). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
12. van Dierendonck, D., & Patterson, K. (2015). Compassionate love as a cornerstone of servant leadership: An integration of previous theorizing and research. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(1), 119-131.
13. Whittington, J. L. (2017). Creating a positive organization through servant leadership. In Servant Leadership and Followership (pp. 51-79). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Throughout the four Gospels, there is evidence of the different types of leadership styles that Jesus used. The style would change often between each interaction and encounter Jesus had with other people. By looking at each interaction Jesus had, we see his leadership style to be of the servant type. Servant leadership focuses on service to others. Each author of the four Gospels talks about a different type of leadership style that Jesus had. The four Gospels tell the story of Jesus. The story of his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus had the most exclusive style of leadership. The style of leadership that Jesus had paved the way for the Church.

There are four phases that Jesus used for His disciples to bring them into ministry. A study that was conducted by Bill Hull describes the four phrases that Jesus used towards his disciples. These phases correlate to repeating words that are seen throughout the four Gospels. These four groups of words are “Come and See Me.” The second one is “Follow Me.” The third phase id “Be With Me.” The last phase is “Remain in Me”. These are all words that Jesus spoke to his disciples throughout the Gospels. With these phrases, Jesus was trying to start a ministry. Jesus spoke the words “Come and See” throughout the Gospel of John. It is specifically used in John 1:38-39. By this verse, Jesus was showing his disciples what was taking place. He wanted his disciples to mirror his image, the watch was going on around them and to interact with others. This is how Jesus started his ministry.

Jesus used the phrase “Follow Me” in Matthew 4:19. This phrase is also used in the other Gospels as well. In this phase, Jesus was inviting his disciples to follow him. Through this phase, we discover that Jesus’ strategy was uplifting the disciples to embrace their skills. Through his phase, we are to be setting an example for others. Jesus uses the phrase “Be With Me” throughout the Gospel of Mark. We see it specifically in Mark 3:13-14. This is where we see Jesus go up to the mountain and called those to follow him. Jesus specifically selected twelve men to follow him. This phase is the next step to following Jesus in his footsteps. Jesus was creating a group that can lead others and also rely on one another. There are close connections in this phase.

The last phase is the “Remain in Me” phase. This phrase shows that Jesus was searching for a group of men that would be able to carry on his word and leadership to others after he enters the Kingdom of Heaven. Through this phase, we see why Jesus picked these men specifically. The disciples that he chose were not of high rank or were very sophisticated. They were not the group everyone thought Jesus would pick. These men were the faces of their society. Jesus had trust in them and they followed closely behind him in his style of leadership.

In this Gospel of Matthew, we see many different aspects of Jesus’ leadership. Jesus’ style of leadership was known to be servant-led. We see his servant leadership represented in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This is one of the many verses where this type of leadership is seen throughout the Gospel of Matthew. In his ministry, Jesus was looking for humility and the strive for servanthood. Jesus was a servant as well. He was serving his disciples by helping them. He was serving his followers the word of his Father. Throughout his ministry, Jesus focused on servanthood. Keeping the focus on this certain type of attitude can not only bring those on the outside closer to Christ but also bring growth to your team.

Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, we see many different principles of Jesus’ leadership. Servanthood was the top one as that was what his leadership style was based on. In the Gospel of Matthew, we see Faithfulness, Honesty, and many others. We see Faithfulness in Matthew 25:20. In our life, God places many blessings upon us. Sometimes it can be more than what we can handle. Whatever God brings us in life, we are responsible for its growth and care. For example, we care for the teams that we serve on, our work environment, our home space. We are to be leaders and care for these environments. We see Honesty in Matthew 5:37. As leaders, we are, to be honest with God’s teaching. The Gospel of Matthew teaches us to be honest at all times. We are to be straight on with our answers. We can not jump around trying to find a simple conclusion.

Throughout his life, Jesus had foundational goals. These goals were to start a ministry, have followers, make disciples and entrust them to carry on his word and resemble his leadership. One of his goals was to create a group that could rely on one another. This was so that a certain individual would not have to carry most of the weight of the group with no support. We see all of these goals being carried out throughout the Gospels. There were many different strategies for Jesus’ leadership. Jesus had to train his disciples. Jesus’ methodology was to not train the disciples to become leaders. His methodology starts in the “come and see me” phase in John through the “be with me” phase. This last phase was where the disciples were fully committed to carrying on Jesus’ teachings. Jesus’ goals, motivation, and methodology were to lead many assemblages of people and create a group of disciples. His motivation was the love he had for every single one of his followers. Jesus wanted to change the world with men as the answer. They were the strategy for success for the future of the Church and the world. This was one of his goals, one of his motivations and a part of his methodology. We see this described throughout all four Gospels.

Jesus was a role model for the future of Christian leaders. By following Jesus’ leadership, there are certain points we are to live up to. As Christian leaders, we are committed to helping others and putting others before ourselves. We are to be an example for others. We are to lead strongly and show a true expression of serving. As leaders, we are to show our love for Christ and focus on him while staying focused on the task we are given. Growing with others is also a strong focus on Christian leadership. We are to not only help and encourage others to grow in our faith but also focus on our relationship with God as well. During servant leadership, it can be hard to get caught up in the moment and mainly focus on power. Every so often, we need to have a heart check to see where we are at with our faith from serving as a leader to others.

Jesus set a path for us to follow since from the moment we were conceived. He was designated for every single person on Earth. While Jesus is God, Jesus has done several things for us that tell us that we should follow him. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He surrendered his own life in the Gospel of John. Even though he was the strongest in power during his time, he still had a mission to serve. We see a significant sign of leadership in John 13:1-17. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Jesus had much power that could not compare to any other leader on Earth. He had the power to drive out demons and send them away. He was able to heal the sick and raise people from the sick. For example, he raised Lazarus from the dead and cured the blind man. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He has set so many examples for us. He is a model for leadership. He taught the disciples and helped them grow in their skills. Every day, Jesus is teaching us new things. He is helping us with our skills. By helping us in our skills and teaching us new things, he is leading us down the path he has planned for us.

In conclusion, throughout the four Gospels, Jesus displays servant leadership. Jesus is the Son of God and had a high power standing in his time. He had a purpose to come to serve on Earth. He served his followers and entrusted them to follow in his footsteps. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He died for us to be free of our sins. That is the ultimate leadership. Jesus wants us to follow in his leadership and be an example to others. “Love one another as I have loved you.” That is the greatest commandment of all and we are to use that as a base for our leadership. We are to live our lives as Christ did.

Christianity is, without doubt, one of the most prominent religions on earth. Derived from the word Christ, Christians have tried to emulate the works and behaviors of the founder of the faith. However, with changing times, there have developed notable differences in the way doctrines and practices within the faith have been practiced.

For instance evangelism in early Christians was, to some extend, different from what we experience in contemporary Christianity. This paper intends to compare and contrast evangelism in the early church and the present day’s evangelism.

Evangelism in definition is the process of sharing giving out a message concerning a particular faith to other people who don’t adhere to that faith. This term is mostly used in Christian circles (Green 3).

In the early church, there was no running away from the community you were called to serve. The evangelist was compelled to carry out his commission to the assigned community without failure. Therefore we see that they evangelized through constant presence. It therefore implies that this church mingled with the community thereby bringing that purpose of enhancing the gospel.

Furthermore evangelism in the early church depended on the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit caused them to preach and evangelize without fear or intimidation. They spoke the word d of God boldly. The apostles spread up beyond borders and declared the word of God, going ahead to baptize new converts in water and the Holy Spirit. Many people therefore spoke in tongues and were convicted to the gospel.

Despite the situation, compromise was not a part of the early church’s evangelists. In the midst of persecution and trials it’s so evident that no apostle could deny the faith he had. This in it own way is evangelizing (Green 14). They never compromised the gospel with the situation they were in. The apostles went ahead to hostile environments with the constant message declaring the word of God.

The early church had a convicting boldness that highly depended on prayer and the Holy Spirit. They never relented on this two things and that is why there was massive evangelism. Regardless of not having worldly possession, the church still never backed out in testifying the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

In evangelizing, they knew that life can be taken away at any time. This however did not make them fearful. It instead gave them courage. In evangelizing, they never feared death nor ever deny their faith. Through this, it is so evident that the gospel went all round and many people became convicted with the message they carried (Earley & Wheeler 125).

In evangelizing, Jesus used some key points to win the hearts that were lost. As it is seen at the well in Samaria, Jesus met this Samaritan woman. He took the first initiative of going to her and not waiting for an invitation. He takes the initiative of a starting a conversation.

Jesus went on to break the barriers that were set at that time. Jews could not speak to Samaritans; religious men were not allowed to talk to women. Further more, godliness and sin were not to get mixed. Jesus also breaks culture by coming to earth from heaven; he comes to this earth like a small poor Jews boy. He thus crosses barriers and culture to prepare in delivering the gospel.

In the example of Jesus, we see that after doing this you need to change the topic immediately into spiritual matters by getting a point to act as a stepping stone. Here Jesus asks for water and goes ahead to ask her if she wants water of life. Jesus also listened to her and did not allow her to get off the hook. In his way of evangelism, he stays focused on the spiritual needs.

Pointing out the sins of the woman is what Jesus undertook to do. It is important to note that the woman was immoral. She asked Jesus to give her the living water, but then Jesus confronted her sins first. Jesus attacked the sinful part of the woman but in a more sensitive manner.

This made the woman want to know more and she disclosed her life fully. Jesus in evangelizing pushes one from the point of worship to whom to worship. He pulls her on track to understand that the place of worship is not important but what is important is the person you worship.

At this point, Jesus is aware not to be sidetracked by non eternal things but pushes the woman into receiving the living water by submitting her life and worship the father in spirit and in truth. Here, Jesus wins the woman’s soul as she greatly accepts after Jesus introduces himself (Hybels 10).

The disciples of Jesus evangelized too. We know that they walked with Jesus and as he left them for heaven, he promised to send them a helper. When time came, they received the Holy Spirit that would enable them evangelize without fear or intimidation.

They shared the gospel in words and deeds, never to forget being in direct contact with the community. The disciples had a constant message and that was proclaiming the word of God. They never feared neither death nor persecution but made sure that the great commission bestowed to them by Jesus was fulfilled.

In today’s local church, there are marked differences. People regard the temples as church not knowing that our bodies are the temple of the leaving God. Often, believers will want to practice like in the Old Testament and forget that we are leaving by the New Testament.

It is difficult to find church leaders sending out members so as to plant new congregation. In the early church, Christ commissioned the disciples to go into the world to preach the good news. In our present world, individuals are afraid to preach and spread the gospel (Stiles 54).

People are ashamed of the gospel. If given a choice of dying for Christ or leaving if you denounce Christ, people now will choose the later. This is because they are afraid to die. The early church never denounced Christ. They were ready to die for the sake of the gospel. Furthermore, unlike Jesus going to the lost to evangelize to them, present day evangelists wait for the lost to come to them for salvation.

Before giving salvation to the Samaritan woman, Jesus first pointed out her sins and called upon her to repent. Contrarily, current day evangelists forget about pointing out sins and calling for repentance and preach prosperity gospel. They concentrate on teaching their people how to become rich.

Evangelism therefore is important if we want the whole world to hear the gospel. There are many parts of the world that have not yet heard the gospel. It therefore requires that people come out to take the gospel to the nations and preach the good news of Christ.

Christians should stand firm and defend the gospel regardless of persecutions or death. If one is ashamed of Christ he will also be ashamed of him on the Day of Judgment.

Works Cited

Earley, Dave and David Wheeler. How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, TN: B & H, 2010. Print.

Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970. Print.

Hybels, Bill. Just Walk Across The Room: Simple Steps to Pointing People to Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006. Print.

Stiles, J. Mack. Speaking of Jesus – How to Tell Your Friends the Best News They Will Ever Hear. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1995. Print.

Introduction

The bible is the principal reference point of Christianity. Written in different genres, the gospel books form the central point in Christian teachings. The use of parables by Jesus in his teaching has sparked diverse views from Catholics and other protestant groups. The reversal parables are tricky in both understanding and abiding by the message purported by Jesus. Catholicism doctrines teach that Jesus is both human and God, while the Gospels offer the description of Jesus in relation to his achievements.

Jesus often used reversal parables to pass a message to his audience/gathering. However, the parables always challenged the audience. For instance, in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Jesus compared the lives of poor Lazarus and the rich man in the world and heaven. Interpretation of the parable shows that only the meek or humble people are eligible to inherit God’s kingdom. A second reversal parable with a similar interpretation occurs when Jesus drives away businessperson from the temple.

The New Testament clarifies Jesus as the son of God who came into the world in human form (incarnation). The Catholics believe Jesus is in both human and God’s form. Incarnation of Jesus Christ is still paradoxical in the contemporary world; however, the Catholics refer to the word as the divinity, humanity, and combination of the two factors in a holy form (Albl 40). On the other hand, the catholic catechism contradicts with the protestant churches and the scientific world on the issue of Jesus as of God or God-like.

According to the Catholics, only God has the power to save human from sins, which is the prime attribute of Jesus (Albl 60). The Catholics have firm doctrines on Jesus as a son of God, and His incarnation, while the other churches still debate on the issues (Lee and Sanders 662). Therefore, it is through the incarnation of Jesus that the world achieved salvation, an activity, not within the reach of human beings.

According to Imperato, Jesus is beyond human description, and Christians have to be hinged on his deeds to support their faith in God (80). Consequently, the mystery about Jesus identity has led divided ideologies among the Christian communities (Lienhard 90). Therefore, the Gospels only give the unique character of Jesus leaving his identity as a paradox.

Although Jesus appeared in the world about two thousand years ago, he is still famous especially among Christians. The message on the coming of Jesus dates back to the Old Testament when the early prophets like Isaiah about him as a messiah. Through preaching’s and recording of crucial events, the bible and other books give a vivid description of Jesus.

The scientists describe Jesus ability in maneuvering the geographical or environment as errant or hoax while the historian asserts that Jesus was a normal person during his contemporary times (Grudem 27). Christians relate Jesus’ actions/miracles and parables or words to his divinity. Thus, with his miracles, teachings, and death the Christians know Jesus as the son of God.

Only Catholicism has self-affirmation on teachings about Jesus. Protestants and scientists are still unable to give their stand on Jesus. The diverse views raise confusion among Christians. However, the bible especially the New Testament tries to erase the mystery of Jesus in the world through recording and description of the major landmarks in His life. Finally, the poor interpretation and later distortion of the bible (parables) are some of the reasons behind Christians misunderstanding of Jesus.

Works Cited

Albl, Martin. Reason, Faith, and Tradition: Explorations in Catholic Theology. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2009.

Grudem, Wayne . Systematic Theology. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.

Imperato, Robert. Footings: Creation, World Religions, Personalism, Revelation, and Jesus Revised. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2009.

Lee, McDonald, and Sanders, James. The Canon Debate. USA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002.

Lienhard, Joseph . The Bible, the Church, and Authority. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1995.

Introduction

Jesus was the famous human being who lived in this universe. Many Christians confront the question of whether he was actually a real person or not. In my opinion, I suppose that there is a possibility of Christians loosing Jesus because Jesus is blight on the tainted history that they have.

Jesus emphasized on sin that was original and the notion that someone else could pay for the sins of another person. Although Jesus had no external beauty that could make people desire Him, His personality drew people closer to him because he had a great character. Jesus was faultless and via studying the type of a person that he was, we are able to shape our lives to be like Him.

One of the features that we observe via the limited accounts of Jesus that we have is that Jesus was concerned about other people’s needs. Besides, He noticed the needs of others before the people in need could ask for His help and He was ever prepared to assist regardless of whether He was tired or not. Therefore, this essay will examine the type of a person that Jesus was.

The obedient nature of Jesus

The most imperative quality that Jesus demonstrated was obedience to the Father who was in heaven. This obedience was because of the love for God and for humankind. Jesus demonstrated obedience in all His daily missions including the day that John the Baptist baptized Him. When Jesus discussed with John the Baptist about His baptism, John hesitated. This was because John knew that baptism was for remission of sins yet Jesus life was sinless.

Nevertheless, Jesus explained to John the Baptist that baptism was Gods commandment and he ought to respect it. Although it was not necessary for John the Baptist to baptize Jesus, Jesus decided to be exceptional and obeyed all the commandments even the commandments that were for the people who were wrong.

For instance, In the book of Mathew chapter three verse thirteen to fifteen (Mathew 3: 13-15), Jesus went to river Jordan to be baptized by John but John tried to make Jesus change His mind by telling Him that he was the one to be baptized by Him and not the other way round. Nonetheless, Jesus told John to let it be that way because that was God’s expectation (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

According to Mark chapter one verse nine (Mark 1: 9), Jesus was baptized by John in river Jordan after he arrived from Nazareth which was in Galilee. Besides, in the book of Luke chapter three verse twenty one (Luke 3:21), Jesus was baptized after everyone was baptized (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). This further portrayed the obedience of Jesus because He did not segregate himself but followed the law, which required that people received the sacrament of baptism.

Satan, who tried to lead Jesus into sin, successfully ending His mission before it even began, tested the extent of Jesus’ obedience after His baptism. Without victory, Satan ridiculed Jesus to turn stones into bread because Jesus was hungry.

Besides, Satan attempted to convince Him to jump from the top of the temple and authorize the angels to save Him to prove that he was the son of God. Finally, Satan offered to give Jesus supremacy and magnificence if He worshiped Him instead of God. On the contrary, Jesus refused Satan’s request and commanded him to depart because no rewards or honors could wave Jesus form his principle.

For example, in the book of Mathew chapter four verse one to eleven (Mathew 4: 1-11), Jesus told Satan that human beings could not leave by bread alone but by every word that came from the mouth of God. This imply that Jesus obeyed the word of God and did not value earthly materials. Additionally, Jesus told Satan that He should not put the Lord into test because God deserved worship, respect and not challenge.

Finally, Jesus told Satan to worship God alone and serve Him (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). According to the book of Luke chapter four verse one to thirteen (Luke 4:1-13), Jesus did not fall into the temptation of Satan because He obeyed God so much that he could not accept the request of Satan. As a result, He told Satan that He ought to obey God and serve Him.

Jesus as compassionate

In the gospel, some parents brought their children to Jesus when it was late and Jesus was tired. As a result, the apostles of Jesus ordered the parents to go away but Jesus asked His disciples to allow the children to be with Him despite the fact that He was exhausted. This was because Jesus wanted the children to have some time with him so that He could teach them how to be good Christians because it was easier for children to learn and understand when they were still young.

Additionally, throughout the ministry of Jesus, He conversed about children and cautioned people to take care of them spiritually and physically. For instance, in the book of Mathew chapter nineteen verse thirteen to fifteen (Mathew 19: 13-15), Jesus told His disciples to let the children be with him because heavenly kingdom belonged to children like them and as a consequence, He blessed them and went away (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

Besides, in the book of Mark chapter ten verse thirteen to sixteen (Mark 10:13-16), Jesus told His disciples who were trying to chase the children away that whoever did not receive Gods kingdom like the little children will not enter in to it (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Finally, Jesus love for the children is also found in Luke chapter eighteen verse fifteen to sixteen ( Luke 18: 15-16) where Jesus stopped his disciples from chasing the children away.

Jesus grieved when King Herod’s servants beheaded John the Baptist. As a result, he went to a lonely place but his followers went after Him. Although Jesus was grieving, he became compassionate and healed the sick. Eventually, Jesus’ disciples wanted to chase the people away because food was unavailable but Jesus fed them through a miracle before they left. It was after everyone’s problem received attention that Jesus went in a lonely place to pray.

Additionally, In the book of Mathew chapter, fourteen verse thirteen to twenty four (Mathew 14:13-24), Jesus fed people with five loaves of bread and two fish yet the disciples wanted to chase them away. This show that Jesus had love and concern about other people (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Additionally, in the book of mark chapter six verse fourteen to forty four (Mark 6:14-44), Jesus taught both the people who were following Him and the disciples yet He was grieving.

This portray that Jesus always put other people before Him and therefore, He had selfless love for human beings (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Finally, Jesus set an example of Love because he did not turn away the people who required Him in His greatest time of sadness.

Additionally, Jesus had a nature that was compassionate because He healed the sick, fed the hungry and preached to everyone. For instance, in the book of Mathew chapter five verse one to eleven (Mathew 5:1-11), Jesus preached about happiness because love prevail through happiness.

Moreover, He preached that happy people were those who had a desire of doing what God wanted because God would satisfy their needs. This mean that people should love one another because love is the greatest commandment and that is the reason why Jesus loved humankind and urged people to love each other (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

Furthermore, in the book of John chapter nine verse one to twelve (John 9:1-12), Jesus healed a man who was born blind. Although the disciples of Jesus were trying to blame other people for the man’s blindness, Jesus did not side up with them because He believed that the man’s blindness had no connection with someone else and as a result, he healed the man.

The miracle show that Jesus love for humankind was genuine and he did not try to find any excuse for whatever he did if it was for the benefit of other people (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Finally, in the book of John chapter six verse one to fourteen (John 6:1-14), Jesus created sufficient food to feed the hungry people and this portray His love and concern because He did not want the people to go away on empty stomachs.

Furthermore, in the gospel of John chapter two verse one to eleven (John 2:1-11), Jesus changed water in to wine and all the people drank with happiness. This further show Jesus loves for humankind because He wanted every person at the wedding to be happy regardless of the situation that wanted to pave way for sadness (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

Intimate nature of Jesus

Jesus demonstrated intimacy with both His followers and God (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). To begin with, He spent a lot of time with people teaching them and helping them to focus on the kingdom of God. For example, in the book of Mathew chapter five verse forty three to forty eight (Mathew 5: 43-48), Jesus told the people to love their enemies and pray for them so that they could become the children of their Father in heaven.

Additionally, in the book of mark chapter four verse one to twenty (Mark 4: 1-20), Jesus preached to the people about the parable of the planter and urged them to focus on the kingdom of God by being like the seeds planted in the good soil because those people heard the word of God, accepted it and produced good fruits. Finally, in the book of Luke chapter twelve verse thirty two to thirty four (Luke 12: 32-34), Jesus urged the people to keep their treasures in heaven because their hearts would always be where their treasure was.

On the other hand, Jesus was also intimate to His Father in Heaven because He always prayed to him, listened to him, obeyed Him and was concerned about God’s reputation (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). For example, in the book of Mathew chapter twenty one verse twelve to seventeen (Mathew 21: 12-17), Jesus drove people away from the temple because they were buying and selling.

This show that Jesus knew His father was not happy with what was happening in the temple because the temple was a place of worship and not a business place (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Additionally, in the book of Mark chapter fourteen verse thirty two to forty one (Mark 14: 32-41), Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane where He prayed. This show that Jesus trusted that God could take the cup of suffering away from Him.

Finally, Jesus was intimate with God because he accepted Gods wish of dying for the sins of men and taking all their pains. For instance, He went to Gethsemane garden where He experienced the pain of sin because He took the sins of all the people who lived or were to live in this universe (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). This was so painful but because of His intimacy with God and humankind, He accepted to go through it and as a result, God sent His angels to sustain Him.

Jesus as God

John’s gospel attempts to demonstrate that Jesus was God. Certain verses of the book of John indicate that Jesus resided in heaven before coming to earth and He eventually went back to heaven where he was before. For example in John chapter one verse one to seventeen (John 1:1-17), it is written that in the beginning there was a word and the word was God and it was a source of light. Besides, God sent John to inform people about the light (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

This verse show that Jesus was God and he existed since the time of creation. Finally, the resurrection of Jesus clearly provides evidence that Jesus went back to heaven where He existed before (John 20: 1-7).

On the other hand, if Jesus was the Messiah, His earthly experience could be different from other people. Therefore, our capability to identify with His temptations and righteous life is under a compromise. As a result, the notion that Jesus was God is not consistent.

For example, in the book of John chapter eleven verse twenty eight to thirty seven (John 11: 28-37), Jesus wept when He heard that Lazarus was dead (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). This show that Jesus was human and that was the reason why He cried because grieving is a normal human response to death. Additionally, In John chapter four verse one to twenty (John 4: 1-20), Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a cup of water.

This portray the human nature of Jesus because just like any other person, he felt thirsty and for that reason, He asked for a cup of water to drink (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). On the contrary, Jesus was Lord because of a variety of incidences. To begin with, in the gospel of John chapter five verse one to fifteen (John 5:1-15), Jesus healed a man who had been sick for thirty eight years and this show that Jesus was God because He had power to heal.

Additionally, Jesus performed so many miracles that show He was God and not Human. For example, He walked on top of the water (John 6: 16-20), He healed a blind man (John 9: 1-12), He brought Lazarus to life (John 11: 38-44) and He appeared to Mary, His disciples and Thomas after His resurrection (John 20: 1-29).

The gospel of John vividly demonstrates that Jesus was the son of God. Besides, it is clearly stated in the book of John chapter twenty verse thirty one (John 20: 31) that the gospel was written so that people could believe that Jesus was the messiah and the son of God and people had life because of the faith in Him. Therefore, the suffering of Jesus was for the glory so that people could believe and have faith in Him because he was truly the son of God.

Finally, there are many signs in the book of John that portray Jesus as God. For example, in the miracle where Jesus healed the son of the royal official of Capernaum (John 4:43-54), Jesus rebuked the man because he was seeking miracle and He told the people that unless they saw miracles, they would never believe.

Jesus anticipated that people would comprehend that the miracles demonstrated His close relationship with the father (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Additionally, Jesus’ intimate relationship with God was also stunning when Jesus healed a man crippled for thirty eight years at the pool of Bethzatha (John 5:1-21).

Since Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath day, Jews started to prosecute Him but Jesus told them to relate that miracle with the relationship that he had with God. For instance, Jesus said that His father always worked and he too had to work (John5:17). Additionally, He told them that the Son could not do anything on His own and He only did what the father did (John 5:19). Furthermore, when Jesus raised Lazarus from death (John 11:1-44), He declared himself as resurrection and life (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

From that declaration, Mary affirmed that Jesus was truly the son of God and she replied to Jesus that she believed that He was the Messiah and the Son of God who was to come in the universe (John 11:27). Finally, after Jesus fed five thousand people (John 6: 1-14), He rebuked the people who had wrong motives towards Him (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). For instance, He told the people that they were looking for Him because they ate and had all that they wanted and not because they understood the miracle (John 6: 26).

Jesus as the Greatest and the highest

According to the gospel of John, Jesus was the most powerful person and had authority from His father in heaven. For instance, when Jesus raised Lazarus, His power and authority from God was evident through His prayer. Besides, in the book of John chapter eleven verse forty one to forty two (John 11:41-42), Jesus told his father in heaven that He knew He always listened to Him, but He was saying that for those people who were present so that they could believe that He was sent by the Father (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

This shows that Jesus had authority from God and He was close to His Father because His Father granted His request. Besides, Jesus had a habit of listening and honoring Gods voice because He heard his heavenly Father and His Heavenly Father heard him too (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

Additionally, John portrays Jesus as a living word in the way He preached and accomplished His mission in the world (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). For instance, in the book of John chapter three, Jesus lectured Nicodemus about being born again and in John chapter four He explained to the Samaritan woman the importance of worship and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Beside, in John chapter five, He disclosed about the significance of the Sabbath and in John chapter six, He elaborated about His being the heavenly bread. From the above chapters, it is evident that Jesus attached importance to the word that He preached as well as the word of God (O’Day & Peterson, 2008).

In the Gospel of John, Jesus knew the heart of every person and for that reason, He knew who to trust and who not to put His trust on. For example, in the book of John chapter two verse twenty three to twenty five (John 2:23-25), Jesus was in Jerusalem where the Passover festival was held and many people believed in Him because of the miracles that He had been performing.

On the contrary, Jesus did not trust them because He knew them and He did not require any person to tell Him about them because He knew what was in their hearts (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). This shows that Jesus had power from God to know that which mortal men could know.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jesus is perceived as God who is the Greatest and highest. Besides, He is obedient, compassionate and intimate. As a result, we should emulate the example of Jesus if we want to enter in to the kingdom of God.

To begin with, Jesus is God because He existed during the creation time, He came to earth and went back to heaven after the resurrection and He is with God waiting to come back again to judge people (O’Day & Peterson, 2008). Besides, Jesus is the highest because through Him God achieved His purpose for humankind and people were able to receive salvation. Additionally, Jesus is obedient because He obeyed Gods commandments while He was on this earth and He accepted to die for the sins of man.

Moreover, Jesus is compassionate because He loved both the children and other people because he preached the good news to them and he gave them His blessings. Finally, Jesus is intimate because He spent most of His time preaching and urging people to turn away from sins. Additionally, He is intimate with God because He always prayed to Him while asking for His guidance and protection.

Reference

O’Day, G., & Peterson, D. (2008). The Access Bible: A resource for Beginning Bible Students, New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press.

Abstract

Jesus’ triumphal entry to the city of Jerusalem was a carefully orchestrated messianic act. The Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah had foretold the coming of the King of Israel and the way He would accomplish this. In the fulfillment of the prophecy, Jesus made the triumphal entry on the first day of the week and many people accompanied Him.

Amidst the loud voices of praises to God, some Pharisees stood on the sidelines and criticized the multitude for their jubilant procession. However, Christ took sides with the crowd and reproved the accusers.

And, sorrow was suddenly seen on the countenance of Jesus as He wept over the city of Jerusalem because of its rejection of the word of God. As a result, Christ foretold the imminent destruction of the beautiful and unholy city since it failed to acknowledge the day of Messiah’s visitation.

Introduction

Half a millennium before the coming of Christ, the prophet Zechariah predicted the coming of the King of Israel: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Zech. 9:9.

The fulfillment of this prophecy was imminent as the One who had declined many times to be bestowed with royal honours made his way to the city of Jerusalem as the promised inheritor of King David’s throne. Jesus made the triumphal entry into the city on the first day of the week and many people who were with Him at Bethany accompanied him.

It was during the Passover; thus, several people attending the feast joined the jubilant procession to witness His reception. Amidst loud voices of praises to God and references to the new kingdom of David, all worked out as carefully orchestrated as Christ made the triumphal entry to the city.

The Disciples Get the Colt

The hope of the multitude concerning the coming kingdom was again coming out alive. All nature looked as if it was filled with astounding joy. The trees were covered with luxuriance. And, their blossoming seemed to fill the air with a sweet scent.

The people who thronged the triumphal entry were animated with joy and gladness of heart. With the intention of riding into the ancient city as its King, Christ had sent two of disciples to go and get Him an ass together with its colt.

At His birth, Christ had relied on the kindness of strangers; the manger at Bethlehem where he laid was a borrowed place of rest, and now, although He had authority over all the creation, he relied on the courtesy of a stranger to enable Him enter Jerusalem triumphantly. Nonetheless, the careful orchestration of this event was evident, even in the minute instructions given to fulfil the task.

As the Saviour predicted, the request, “The Lord needs them,” (Luke 19:34), was gladly approved. Bock notes, “The tradition of angarı́a can explain the ease with which this is achieved. It is possible that the person is a friend or that the expression would be sufficient to allow them to take the animal. In either case, the remark demonstrates Jesus’ control over events”.

Christ planned for all the unseen events. Further, Christ showed total knowledge in this instance. This is because He gave the disciples exact details concerning the whereabouts of the animal, its tied-up condition, the fact that no man had ever used it, and the method they were to use in obtaining it.

Christ selected for His use an animal that no one had ever employed for service. Upon getting the colt, the messengers, with eagerness of heart, spread their clothes on it, and made the Lord to sit on it. Before this, the Saviour had always preferred to make His journeys on foot. Thus, the multitude wondered at first at the decision of their Master to ride on the beast.

Nonetheless, hope was brightening in the hearts of the disciples and their expectations rose to the highest pitch. The cheerful idea that Christ was nearing the ancient city of Jerusalem, declaring Himself as the heir of David’s throne, and affirming His royal power, glowed the expectations of everyone in the procession.

It is important to note that the Saviour was upholding the Jewish tradition intended for a royal entry. The beast He used for the triumphal entry was that used by the kings of Israel for travelling in times of peace. For example, Jair, the Judge, had thirty sons who rode on donkeys (Judges 10:4), Ahithopel rode on a donkey (2 Samuel 17:23), and Mephibosheth, the royal prince, came to David riding on a donkey (2 Samuel 19:26).

This was contrary to the fact that kings travelled upon horses in times of war in the Middle East. Thus, the action of Christ of riding on a donkey symbolized that he was not the warrior figure that the multitude anticipated, but the Prince of Peace, and, worth mentioning, no one saw it that way then, even His disciples who were supposed to be conversant with this.

The thoughts of the people were clouded with a type of mass hysteria and they looked at Jesus as the Messiah of their own making, not the One whom God had sent.

More so, prophecy had predicted that the Messiah would “ride upon an ass, and upon a colt of an ass” (Zech. 9:9). Immediately he had sat on the animal, the air was filled with praises as the multitude praised God in loud voices for all the great things they had witnessed. The people acknowledged Him as the Messiah, their King, and the Saviour now allowed honour that he had never before consented to.

The multitude thought that this was evidence that their joyous expectations were about to be fulfilled by His being declared to be the new King of Israel. In addition, in the Old Testament, Jerusalem was viewed as the city of Israel’s kings. After King David had established his throne there, subsequent kings followed this tradition. Thus, the crowd viewed Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem as a symbol that he was going to establish his throne there.

The Multitude’s Messianic Praises

The people were persuaded that the time of their liberation from the oppressive rule by the Romans had come. In thoughts, they saw the foreign rule destroyed and their country once more attain self-rule that had been robbed from them. The multitude was joyous and full of excitement.

And, they competed with each other in hailing Him as Messiah, their King. Even though the multitude did not exhibit outward pageantry and magnificence, they revered the Saviour in their joyous hearts. Even though they could not present Him with expensive gifts, they spread their cloaks on the road for Him to step on.

The act of spreading the garments on the road is exemplified from the Old Testament account in which the people spread their outer garments on the road and proclaimed Jehu to be the king of Israel (2 Kings 9:13). Moreover, they also placed leafy tree branches and palm on the Saviour’s road to the ancient city of Jerusalem.

As much as the demonstration could not meet royal standards, they used palm branches as the nature’s symbol of victory and waved them in the air with deafening praises of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah” (Psalms 118:26).

There are minute wording differences in the depiction of the event in the four Gospel accounts. Mathew’s account of the triumphal entry depicts the royal entry of Christ into the city. Contrary to Mark’s account, the procession has a greater association to Christ’s link to the Davidic line as the people shout “Hossanna to the son of David” (Matthew 21:9).

However, Matthew fails to depict that Jesus’ entry into the city was triumphant and stresses the humble arrival of the Davidic king into the city. Mark’s account of the event follows Mathew’s, enhancing the royal entry of the son of David into the city. Mark’s narration of the event fails to fulfil any Jewish nationalistic hopes; however, he depicts Jesus as bringing judgment upon the unfruitful house of Israel.

As with the previous accounts, Luke’s narrative of the event brings greater prominence to Christ’s royal dignity and the nature of the entry into the city. According to the Third Gospel, Christ’s entry into the city is to lay claim on his Temple, cleansing it for His purposes. Jesus coming, thus, is not as an earthly king, but it is similar to a divine visitation of the Lord (Luke19: 43-44).

A study of the Fourth Gospel reveals significant differences that give an indication of an independent tradition of the same event.

The procession in the Johannine account does not shout praises along the way (Mark 11:8–10; Matthew 21:8–9; Luke 19:36–38), but Jesus is received by a reception party from the city that has come for a cordial reception of the Messiah into the city (John 12:12–14). In addition, instead of strewing the branches on the pathway of Christ, the well-wishers hold them in their hands (John 12:13).

William Barclay comments on this Psalm that it was the last psalm of the group (113-118) referred to as Hallel, meaning Praise God, so the chant was a praising psalm. He says, “They were part of the first memory work every Jewish boy had to do; they were sung often at great acts of praise and thanksgiving in the Temple; they were an integral part of the Passover ritual”.

In addition, this was evidently the victor’s psalm. For example, over a century before the triumphal entry, the Israelites had sung this psalm in jubilation when they acknowledged the victory of Simon Maccabeus in war against their enemies. Maccabeus had defeated Acra and taken it from the Syrians; hence, this was the cause of jubilation.

Therefore, it is evident that when the multitude sang this psalm, they had the hope that Christ was the Conqueror and the one who could redeem them from their enemies.

Additionally, it is evident that they perceived Him to be God’s Anointed One, the Messiah, who was meant to sweep their long-delayed triumph over Rome and the whole world. To the multitude, they were just waiting for the alarm to be sounded so that they could claim their victory.

As the disciples continued with their demonstration, other people who had heard of Christ’s coming to the capital hurried to be part of jubilant throng. Onlookers were continually intermingling with the procession and inquiring about what was happening as well as the meaning of the orchestrated commotion.

Most of them had heard of Christ and they hoped that He would go to the capital; however, they were astonished at the changes that had taken place because He had thwarted all previous efforts to crown Him the King of Israel. Moreover, the onlookers were amazed at the loud acclamations since heretofore He had made it clear that His kingdom does not belong to this world.

However, the inquiries of the spectators are silenced by loud voices of victory. As the people afar off echoed shouts of triumph, crowds from Jerusalem joined the demonstration who greeted Him with the waving of palm branches and rent praises to God in the air.

From the large number of people assembled to attend the Passover, many went forth to pay homage to Christ. And, as the priests called the people for the service just before dusk, not many came forth, making the leaders to start becoming suspicious of the activities of Jesus.

During His ministry, Christ had not allowed such a procession to take place and he plainly foresaw that the result of this would lead him to the cross. Nonetheless, He had intended to present Himself in public as the Messiah and thus call to the attention of everyone the sacrifice that was to end his earthly ministry.

When the Jews were gathering at Jerusalem to mark the Passover, Jesus, the antitypical Lamb, willingly set Himself apart to be sacrificed so that the events, which came before His death at the cross should be a subject of great thought and duty so as to call attention to the great sacrifice itself.

Following such a jubilant procession in His entry to the ancient city, the attention of everyone would be called to His quick advancements that would mark the end of his mission on earth.

The happenings of this great demonstration would be the subject of discussion, as many would seek to find their relation to His trial and death. As many would remember Christ, they would be led to study the scriptures. Thus, they would be persuaded that indeed Jesus was the Messiah. As a result, many would be converted to the faith all over the world.

Never before had such a victorious demonstration taken place in any part of the globe. The shouts echoed and re-echoed from hill to hill and from valley to valley as the multitude sang, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest” (Luke 19:38).

The triumphal procession had never been like that of the world’s prominent victors as no trophies of kingly bravery were present at the scene. However, about the Coming One were the magnificent trophies of His relentless toils of love for the wickedness of the world.

Captives he had rescued from the evil one’s power, the blind who could now see, the dumb who were now shouting hosannas, the cripples who were now walking, the lepers whom He had cleansed from their deadly ailments, and even those He had rescued from the hold of death, were present in the procession.

The Pharisees’ Criticism

In the background of the procession, Pharisees were present. As they were filled with jealousy and hatred, they searched for ways of making the popular feeling to be without meaning. Thus, they employed their authority to stop the multitude from shouting jubilant praises. However, their pleas and intimidations turned on deaf ears and served only to increase the excitement of the crowd.

The Jewish authorities feared that the many people who were present in the procession would make Jesus the king of Israel. As the final option, they made their way through the multitude and to where Christ was to beseech Him. They said, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (Luke 19:39).

They maintained that such noisy processions were not allowed the Roman government and would only serve to bring them more penalties. However, the reply of the Saviour silenced them, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

The scene of the jubilant demonstration was divinely orchestrated. The prophet of God had predicted it. Thus, man did not have any power to prevent God’s own appointing from taking place. If the people had fallen short of fulfilling this purpose, God could have passed the privilege to the inanimate objects. To accomplish His purpose, they would have hailed His Son with praises of joy.

Further, the Jewish authorities’ criticism of the praises depicts that nothing has changed. They have still declined to acknowledge that God sent Christ and that He is the Messiah. The Pharisees’ objection is but the initial of their several actions to thwart the mission of Jesus and ultimately kill Him.

Jesus Weeping Over the City

As soon as the demonstration arrived at the peak of the hill, a sudden change was seen on the face of the Messiah. Before they were to descend to Jerusalem, His sudden change of countenance summoned the demonstration to stop. The westering sun clearly revealed the glory of the ancient city of Jerusalem.

The multitude was attracted at the grandeur of the temple, which had been their pride and glory as a nation. As the Saviour looked at the magnificence of the temple, the people stared at Him with the expectation of seeing on His face the same appreciation they themselves were feeling concerning the sudden sight of beauty before them.

However, they were shocked and dissatisfied when they observed the Saviour’s eyes filled with an agony of tears. The multitude was astonished at this sight of the Messiah, whom they were welcoming to the magnificent city to be crowned king. They expected He was about to start His reign, but the sudden sorrow in the midst of the scene of rejoicing made them to be spellbound.

The tears of Christ were not in expectation of His own death at the cross, but the sight of Israel’s utter rejection of their Redeemer pierced the heart of the Son of God. The Saviour’s agony was not selfish. The Jews had scorned His love. They declined to accept His teachings even the mighty miracles He performed did nothing to make them change their ways.

Jesus saw that the people were in guilty of forsaking their day of visitation. Heretofore, the Jews were a favoured people. The temple of the Lord, where He dwelt, was present amongst them. For more than a thousand years, the temple had been used for uttering the messages of God, offering animal sacrifices for sin, and holding ceremonies. However, the culmination of all these was imminent.

Amidst, the sorrow He felt for the doomed city of Jerusalem, Jesus exclaimed, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes…(Luke 19: 42).

Christ’s weeping of the impending doom of Jerusalem was similar to the one that Prophet Jeremiah gave concerning the approaching exile of the Israelites to Babylon (Jeremiah 6:6-20) or Prophet Isaiah’s proclamation of the looming destruction of the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 29: 1-3).

Christ’s weeping depicts that the result of denouncing God’s word is a national judgment; when God strives for peace and His conditions are denounced, judgment is unavoidable. If Israel had acknowledged the gift God’s beloved Son, Jesus could not have pronounced the impending doom that was awaiting the glorious city.

If the Israelites had accepted the Messenger from above and listened to His reproves, they might have been healed of their grievous malady, set free from bondage, and become the world’s diadem of glory. However, the doomed people rejected God’s last message for them; thus, their misery was forthcoming.

Jesus was sent to liberate the people of Israel. However, Pharisaical arrogance, insincerity, covetousness, and hatred had thwarted His efforts of fulfilling His mission. Christ was aware of the dreadful retribution that would be visited upon the doomed city:

“The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side… They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you (Luke 19: 43-44).

Thus, in anticipation of the desolation that was awaiting Jerusalem because of refusing His salvation, Christ wept over the beloved city. The beautiful and unholy city had ignored God’s warnings, ridiculed His mercies, and was about to put His son to death. As a father weeps over a disobedient child, Christ was moved by the increasing wickedness of the city that would forever shut the grace of God from it.

As the procession advanced, the authorities in Jerusalem received the message that Christ was nearing the city. However, they felt no urge to welcome the Messiah, and in fear, they moved out with the expectation of using their authority to disperse the multitude.

Conclusion

In Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem, he drew near the ancient city in a carefully orchestrated manner. He asked two of His get a beast for Him so that he could ride on it as he approached the city. Jesus got into Jerusalem to the eschatological shouts of the people. The multitude sang praises signifying God’s power seen through His son. Moreover, they acknowledged that Christ came as a king in the name of the Lord.

The behaviour of the people depicted the accomplishment of the national craving for salvation, often seen during the Passover. As the jubilant procession was advancing, some Jewish authorities stood on the sidelines and criticized the followers of Christ for their noisy demonstration.

However, Christ approved the messianic praise he was receiving and commented that if they were to stop, then stones would take up the refrain of praise to fulfil the purpose of God.

Despite Christ’s attempts to deliver God’s messages, He was rejected; thus, He wept over the doom that was awaiting the glorious city of Jerusalem.

Christ, talking on behalf of God, noted that he wished to assemble the Israelites under His wing, a depiction of concern and protection; however, His people chose to go it alone and rejected God’s messages. As a result, Jesus prophesied that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed in total as they missed the Messiah’s visitation.

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Stein, Robert H. Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996).

Williams, Isaac. The Gospel narrative of the Holy Week harmonized (London: Ravington, 1843).

The doctrine of ‘The Two Natures of Jesus’ suggest that Jesus possessed two forms- divine and human. The ‘Hypostatic Union’ suggests that Jesus was born as a human. In the bible, there are several evidences that supporting the idea that Jesus was a human and a God. For instance, the humanity of Jesus was displayed when he was born from a human womb.

In addition, the bible states that Jesus assumed and portrayed various characteristics of humans such as anger, hunger and thirst. For instance, Jesus became tired and weary, hungry and thirsty (KJV 1234). In addition, Jesus portrayed human emotions such as sorrow and grief. Moreover, it is worth noting that upon his death, Jesus shed blood and other body fluids that are common biological aspects of humans.

On the other hand, the bible provides evidence that Jesus was a deity. Unlike humans, Jesus portrayed several aspects of a supernatural being. For instance, Jesus is considered as the ‘Most High’. Although he was born from a human womb, he surpassed the biological process of sexual reproduction because no male genes were involved during his conception.

In addition, Jesus displayed extraordinary knowledge as a small child, which was not common in other people. Most writers in the Bible claim that Jesus was God. For instance, Titus says that the followers of Jesus were looking for the appearance of the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the bible, Jesus existed as God and Human at the same time. According to the doctrine of Hypostatic Union, Jesus’ existence in two forms is necessary for ensuring a close relationship between man and God. God wanted to provide humans with an example of how he wants humans to live and behave.

He used his son Jesus as a lamb by turning him into a human form in order to allow humans interact with him through his son. This was the rationale behind Jesus’ existence as a man and deity. Therefore, by being both human and deity, Jesus’ life means that every person has the right and opportunity for salvation through the blood that he shed on the cross.

The necessity of Jesus’ reincarnation after his death is evident in religion. First, Jesus had to experience the kind of suffering and death that humans undergo in order to show God’s dedication to save his people. Secondly, Jesus resurrected after three days because God wanted to show his power over humanity and death.

God wanted to show that he reigns over humanity and nature. He has the power over death. In addition, God wanted to show that Jesus was his son whom he had sent to the world to suffer in order to save humanity from sins perpetrated by Satan. The reincarnation of Jesus proves to humans that there is another life after death. It was supposed to show God’s people that their actions determine the kind of life an individual will lead after death.

For those who keep the word of God and believe in Jesus and his teachings, they will be forgiven for their sins through the blood of Christ, which means that they will get eternal life after death. Since Jesus died and resurrected, it is a lesson to humans that their sins are only forgiven through the blood of Jesus, who died but resurrected because he was the son of God.

Although the doctrine of the two forms of Jesus is questionable, there are some dangers associated with overemphasizing or denying that Jesus was a man and a deity. For instance, by denying that Jesus was a man, a person seems to be denying the fact that Jesus came to the world to save humans from sin.

On the other hand, doubting that Jesus was God shows that one is denying the fact that Jesus was sent by God and is God himself. It is considered a sin because it is equal to doubting the existence of Jesus, which means that a person will be denying the existence of God. Nevertheless, the traditional understanding of Christology is under constant objections. For instance, it is thought that Jesus was part of the trinity rather than God himself. In other words, Jesus cannot be God but is a part of the Holy trinity (KJV 3456).

In his human form, Jesus provides a good example of how humanity should exist. For instance, he cares for the welfare of other people and emphasizes on the law of love and forgiveness.

In this way, he provides an example of how peace and justice can be achieved in the modern world. In the modern times, most of the social problems in social systems result from lack of concern for the other person. Individualism and greed for power and/or wealth have created a society in which people compete for earthly things while ignoring the fact that God wanted us to care for each other.

Works Cited

The King James Version (KJV). Ed. Susan Jones. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.