When people tell me that they don't believe in Jesus, I ask: which one? SImilarly, when people insist that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, I find myself wondering: which version?
A closer examination of scriptural depictions of the carpenter from Nazareth reveals a strikingly multi-vocal composite. When 'reading against the grain,' the diversity of such descriptions reflect the heterogeneous landscape of proto-Christianity, as communities struggled with questions of gentile-inclusion, apocalypticism, Middle Platonism, the kerygma of the cross, Sophia-Wisdom, etc.
A brief 'history' of Jesus might look something like this:
1) Prototype of the Undivided 'single one' (GTh)
2) High Priest in the line of Melchizedek (Heb)
3) Secret Messiah of the Jews (Mk)
4) Waker of the fallen-asleep (GPet)
5) New apocalyptic Moses (Mt)
6) Universal martyr (Lk)
7) Logos incarnate (Jn)
8) Lamb with an iron rod (Rev)
9) Living book of the Father's mind nailed to a cross (GTr)
10) True Man trampling death (Norea)
Which Jesus kindles your heart with the invitation: "come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Mt 11:28)?
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