Page 90 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 90
Contributions
THE APOSTLES' DILEMMA - WHO WAS HE?
The truth that Jesus was God incarnate (incarnatus -in flesh) was not for the
apostles a simple truth 'one and one is two,' something which could be grasped
quickly. It was more like the truth 'it is in giving that we receive', which can take a
long time, even a life -time to assimilate.
Amongst the Jews there had arisen a belief that a special Christ (Christos -
anointed one) of God would come to save his people-the titles Messiah and
Christ designated this anointed redeemer. The royal psalms referred to the future
anointed, describing in advance his glory, his struggles and his victories e.g. 'Do
not banish your anointed' (Ps 132: 10). Some expected a politically powerful
Messiah to free the Jews from their political masters, others, for example Isaiah,
had a different notion. Isaiah described 'a suffering servant' in relation to the
Messiah. This suffering servant, according to Isaiah would be one whose patience
and humility would make him capable of offering his life , and of accomplishing, by
his suffering, God's plan to save sinners.
However, the apostles did not easily recognize that Jesus's role as the Messiah of
God must include suffering and also that he was more than just another messenger
from God. Indeed, it took the early church nearly five hundred years of grappling
with the evidence presented by the Gospels to express fully who Jesus was. Only in
John's Gospel was the major theme to identify Jesus as being at one with God; in
contrast, the other three evangelists had great difficulty in expressing their
understanding of Jesus's identity because the Jewish Old Testament vocabulary
had not the means of expressing the concept of God incarnate.
'The Messiah' contained the idea of the anointed one of God, but that notion had
its limitations; Isaiah's 'suffering servant' brought out aspects of his identity but
still left something out; even 'the Son of Man', a term used by Jesus himself lacked
the essential notion of plurality in God. This 'Son ofMan' would be one who would
come towards the end of time 'on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;
and send his angels with loud trumpets to gather his chosen from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other' (Mt 24:30).
However, despite the uncertainty, Luke conveyed Jesus's identity by his deeds.
In relating the circumstances of his miracles, Luke portrayed Jesus's equality with
God by his forgiving of sins and healing. As the Pharisees themselves wondered
'Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
The lack of understandi~g on the part of the apostles is quite clear to us on
reading the gospel. From Peter's profession of faith ('You are the Christ of God'),
we know that he realised that Jesus was God's chosen one. However, despite this,
he could not accept Jesus's own meaning of Christ. Peter saw the Christ as one
who would be a great king, a respected prophet and a holy man honoured and
recognized by all. He could not accept Jesus's suffering servant interpretation, that
he, the Christ, would suffer terribly, be rejected by the leaders, be put to death and
rise again after three days; thus in Mark and Matthew Peter started to remonstrate
82
THE APOSTLES' DILEMMA - WHO WAS HE?
The truth that Jesus was God incarnate (incarnatus -in flesh) was not for the
apostles a simple truth 'one and one is two,' something which could be grasped
quickly. It was more like the truth 'it is in giving that we receive', which can take a
long time, even a life -time to assimilate.
Amongst the Jews there had arisen a belief that a special Christ (Christos -
anointed one) of God would come to save his people-the titles Messiah and
Christ designated this anointed redeemer. The royal psalms referred to the future
anointed, describing in advance his glory, his struggles and his victories e.g. 'Do
not banish your anointed' (Ps 132: 10). Some expected a politically powerful
Messiah to free the Jews from their political masters, others, for example Isaiah,
had a different notion. Isaiah described 'a suffering servant' in relation to the
Messiah. This suffering servant, according to Isaiah would be one whose patience
and humility would make him capable of offering his life , and of accomplishing, by
his suffering, God's plan to save sinners.
However, the apostles did not easily recognize that Jesus's role as the Messiah of
God must include suffering and also that he was more than just another messenger
from God. Indeed, it took the early church nearly five hundred years of grappling
with the evidence presented by the Gospels to express fully who Jesus was. Only in
John's Gospel was the major theme to identify Jesus as being at one with God; in
contrast, the other three evangelists had great difficulty in expressing their
understanding of Jesus's identity because the Jewish Old Testament vocabulary
had not the means of expressing the concept of God incarnate.
'The Messiah' contained the idea of the anointed one of God, but that notion had
its limitations; Isaiah's 'suffering servant' brought out aspects of his identity but
still left something out; even 'the Son of Man', a term used by Jesus himself lacked
the essential notion of plurality in God. This 'Son ofMan' would be one who would
come towards the end of time 'on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;
and send his angels with loud trumpets to gather his chosen from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other' (Mt 24:30).
However, despite the uncertainty, Luke conveyed Jesus's identity by his deeds.
In relating the circumstances of his miracles, Luke portrayed Jesus's equality with
God by his forgiving of sins and healing. As the Pharisees themselves wondered
'Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
The lack of understandi~g on the part of the apostles is quite clear to us on
reading the gospel. From Peter's profession of faith ('You are the Christ of God'),
we know that he realised that Jesus was God's chosen one. However, despite this,
he could not accept Jesus's own meaning of Christ. Peter saw the Christ as one
who would be a great king, a respected prophet and a holy man honoured and
recognized by all. He could not accept Jesus's suffering servant interpretation, that
he, the Christ, would suffer terribly, be rejected by the leaders, be put to death and
rise again after three days; thus in Mark and Matthew Peter started to remonstrate
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