"Who do you say the Son of Man is?"
You are the Messiah,
the Beloved Son of God,
the King with God's own heart.
He is the Word of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity:
The Father: YHWH, Adonai
The Son: Yeshua, Jesus
The Holy Spirit: Ruach ha-Kodesh
Three distinct persons, eternal, of one unified immaterial essence, bound in love for one another. Architect, Creator and Animator of Life, Commander of the Cosmos, Loving King of Humanity, Voice of Grace and Guidance. One God, known by the three ways in which He meets us when we seek Him, He is always calling for us to come to Him and be blessed.
1. Who is Jesus?
- the son of a virgin,
- a descendant of King David,
- a poor man from a small town,
- a teacher who reinterprets,
- the promised Messiah,
- the Son of Man,
- God's beloved Son.
2. What did he teach?
- The Kingdom of God is at hand,
- concern for the marginalized,
- love & compassion, not legalism,
- sharing, not hoarding,
- offering forgiveness for sin,
- love everyone, even your enemies,
- non-violence, not retaliation.
3. The wonderful signs:
- healing cripples,
- casting out demons,
- feeding the multitude,
- restoring sight,
- cleansing lepers,
- forgiving sinners,
- raising the dead.
4. The path of prophecy:
- castigating the rich & powerful,
- preaching repentance,
- calling gentiles to join,
- the leader must be a servant of all,
- warning his disciples of rejection,
- lamenting the coming punishment,
- foretelling his suffering and death.
5. His passion & cross:
- chased out, from town to town,
- libelled and insulted,
- the Messiah as Suffering Servant,
- making a new covenant,
- voluntary sacrifice for Passover,
- Lamb of God atones for our sins,
- he died a criminal's death.
6. Apotheosis:
- resurrection on the third day,
- appearing to the disciples, et al.
- wearing a transformed body,
- teaching the mysteries of Heaven,
- devaluing attachments to earth,
- commission to spread the news,
- ascension into Heaven.
7. The message of salvation:
- Jesus offers forgiveness,
- repentance is reconciliation,
- following Him is obedience,
- everyone is welcome to follow,
- Christ paid our penalty for sin,
- whoever believes has eternal life,
- gives the Holy Spirit to guide us.
8. We become children of God.
- born again by the Holy Spirit,
- understanding comes when ready,
- the Kingdom is within you,
- self-control makes us human,
- dualism is an illusion of conflict,
- gender roles are false limitations,
- we are the real body of Christ,
- leaders become servants.
This is who I say that Jesus is.
Christ is Lord!
Because He is risen, as he promised!
"May Adonai bless you and protect you! May Adonai deal kindly and graciously with you! May Adonai lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace!" (Torah, Numbers 6:24-26) And Jesus said, "Allow the little children to come unto me. Forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God. Truly, I say unto you, unless you receive the Kingdom of God as a little child does, you shall not enter therein." (New Testament, Mark 10:14-16)
Sojourning at an Oasis Paradise
My purpose for living this life, and for writing this blog, is to understand the faith that links us to God. I wish to explore and discuss the reality at the heart of all of the world's religions. This is an immense task, but I know that God also has faith in us, trusting that we do desire the truth, as well as freedom, love and wisdom. Thus, as always, He meets us halfway. Even as God has given us individual souls, so we must each of us trace out an individual pathway to God. Whether we reside in the cities of orthodox religion, or wend our solitary ways through the barren wastelands, God watches over us and offers us guidance and sustenance for the journey.
Most of what you will see here is the result of extensive personal study, combined with some careful speculation. Occasionally, I may simply offer some Scripture or an inspirational text. I am a wide reader, and the connection of some topics and ideas to matters of faith and religion may not seem immediately obvious, but perhaps I may spell it out in the end... or maybe, you will decide that it was just a tangent. Anyway, I hope that you will find my meanderings to be spiritually enlightening, intellectually stimulating, or at least somewhat entertaining.
Most of what you will see here is the result of extensive personal study, combined with some careful speculation. Occasionally, I may simply offer some Scripture or an inspirational text. I am a wide reader, and the connection of some topics and ideas to matters of faith and religion may not seem immediately obvious, but perhaps I may spell it out in the end... or maybe, you will decide that it was just a tangent. Anyway, I hope that you will find my meanderings to be spiritually enlightening, intellectually stimulating, or at least somewhat entertaining.
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