Wednesday 4 April 2012

What does it mean for the Father to forsake the Son (A Post from Thabiti)

What does it mean for the Father to forsake the Son (A Post from Thabiti)

What does it mean for the Father to forsake the Son (A Post from Thabiti)

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:55 AM PDT

A three part post from Thabiti. Read his original posts on his excellent blog.

Thabiti Anyabwile|1:24 am CT

What Does It Mean for the Father to Forsake the Son? (Part 1)

Someone has described the four Gospels as "passion narratives with extended introductions."  Indeed.  All the action and teaching prior to the passion of Christ serves as harbinger to the suffering to come.  The scenes grow more affecting from Gethsemane.  The intensity swells until the heart nearly bursts.  Consider Matthew 27:
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Hours earlier we saw our Savior face down in agony in Gethsemane.  We saw Jesus pleading in prayer, "Is there any no other way than drinking this cup?"  We heard the silent "no" from heaven.  "No, there is no other way."  Jesus had to drink the cup.
But that was Gethsemane.  Now the scene shifts to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem.  The crowds of Jewish faithful make the pilgrimage to the holy city with songs and rejoicing.  The entire city is festive—except one nearby place.
We leave the singing crowds of Jerusalem for Golgotha (v. 33), the place of the skull.  We find Jesus on a hill called Calvary outside of Jerusalem.  At Golgotha, we find Jesus drinking the cup.
It seems all the people were there when they crucified our Lord.  The soldiers were there.  Thieves were there (v. 38).  The crowds were there (v. 39).  The religious leaders were there (v. 41).  God was there.  God was there when they crucified our Lord.
God judged the entire land in that supernatural darkness (Exod. 10:21-23; Amos 8:9-10).  But, God judged Jesus, too.  We know this through the cry from the cross.  Notice: it was a loud cry.  This was no peaceful sleep in a quiet darkness.  Jesus doesn't ease into death with a smiling face ensconced in soft glowing light.  He's screaming.  Can you hear Him?  "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Try saying it loudly.  Try saying again–this time with anguish.
It's not the "why" that attracts our attention today.  The Father answered the "why" in Gethsemane.  What interests us on this dark noonday is that word "forsaken."  Forsaken by the Father.  What ever can that mean?  One theologian calls this "one of the most impenetrable mysteries of the entire Gospel narratives."  It's what angels desire to look into.  And it's for us to consider today.
What does it mean for Jesus to be forsaken on the cross?  At least three things.
1. The Father allowed Jesus to suffer social abandonment.
The soldiers scoffed and mocked that day (vv. 27-31):
 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.  They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him.  "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.
The crowds mocked and reviled him (vv. 39-40).  "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!  Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'"
The religious leaders scorned him.  These were the teachers of Israel.  These were the stewards of God's word.  These were the ones who should have known best of all.  But instead, "the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him."  Spurgeon analyzed it well: They mocked Him as Savior: 'He saved others,' they said, 'but he can't save himself!  They mocked Him as King: He's the King of Israel!  Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  They mocked His faith: He trusts in God.  They mocked Him as Son: Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, "I am the Son of God".' 
There were the mocking thieves, too (v. 44).  "In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him."
All rejected and mocked Jesus.  But we don't see how complete His social alienation was until we ask: "Where were his disciples and friends?"  They all scattered and abandoned him, too.  Only a few women stood and watched at some distance away (vv. 55-56).  The Lord was socially outcast and cut off from every strata of society. Forsaken by the ones he came to save.
What we have to ask ourselves is this: If you or I were there at Golgotha, would we have responded to the stripped and beaten Galilean the same way?  Our answer reveals why the Son was forsaken.

What Does It Mean for the Father to Forsake the Son? (Part 2)

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Can you feel the sense of emotional torture in the Savior's cry?  "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  It's difficult to read those words, imagine that scene, and not shudder in horror.  In we look long into that anguished cry, we glimpse something of what it means for the Father to forsake His Son.  First, the Father allowed the Son to suffer social abandonment.  But there's more.
2.  The Father Allowed Jesus to Suffer Emotional Desertion
Of course, the cry itself is a quote of Psalm 22:1.  Psalm 22 is a psalm of David.  It's one of the Messianic psalms that clearly point beyond anything David ever experienced to the experience of Jesus the Messiah.  The psalm is best read on Jesus' lips.
Four contrasts in Ps. 22 give us a glimpse of the emotional intensity of Jesus' cry.  These contrasts are really gaps—gaps between Jesus' expectation and God's actions on that day.  For forsakenness is not simply a matter of loneliness.  Forsakenness involves loneliness, but extends to something deeper.  Nor is forsakenness simply a matter of being let down.  Forsakenness is that loneliness and let down that includes a sense of betrayal—at least the betrayal of unfulfilled expectations.  The U.S. Marines pride themselves on "never leaving a man behind on the battle field."  To leave your troops and fellow soldiers stranded represents the greatest betrayal.  That's forsakenness.  Or, imagine the groom dressed in his tuxedo awaiting his bride.  While expecting to see her dressed in white, slowly sauntering down the aisle, he learns that she left him at the altar.  That's forsakenness.  An expectation, a longing, a hope… knifed in the back.  Forsakenness is to be cast off, abandoned, deserted, left, spurned, ditched, marooned, walked out on, jilted, spurned.  Forsakenness carries all the emotional thrust of that image of a knife in the back or a punch in the gut.
Consider the four contrasts in Psalm 22 as an illustration of the emotional forsakenness Jesus felt on the cross.  We may experience these things in our human trials; but Christ Jesus, the perfect man and perfect God, experienced these things in a degree we cannot imagine.
First, feelings of emotional desertion come if prayers go unanswered when we clearly know God rules.  Psalm 22:2-3—"O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.  Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel."  God is the ruler of all things.  He sits enthroned.  He is high and lifted up.  We could translate verse 2 as "enthroned on the praises of Israel."  Yet, this ruling God does not answer the incessant cries and prayers of the one who trusts in Him.  We have the sense that the righteous prayers of righteous men ought to be answered by a righteous God.  If God does not grant such a man his prayers, then we feel a gap, a sense of forsakenness.  The more righteous the man and the prayer the more forsaken the feeling.  Have you ever had that feeling?  Yet, beloved, there was never a man more righteous than Jesus. Never was there a deeper forsakenness caused by unanswered prayers offered to a ruling God than that forsaken feeling Jesus felt on Calvary's cross.  "My God, my God, how could you not answer my cry when you rule all things?"
Second, feelings of emotional desertion come when the righteous are forsaken while sinners are delivered.  When we see God deliver others yet leave us mocked and persecuted, it heightens our sense of emotional abandonment.  In Psalm 22:4-5, Jesus calls to mind God's deliverance of Israel:
In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
Remember: This is sinful, backsliding, stiff-neck Israel who repeatedly turned from God to idols.  Yet, YHWH repeatedly delivered them and rewarded their trust.  Verses 6-8 contrasts backsliding Israel with righteous Jesus' treatment.
 6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."
Psalm 22 was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, but it's like reading Matthew 27 verbatim.  How could God deliver a sinful people like Israel and leave the perfect Son of God to suffer the mockery of men He made?  For that matter, how could God deliver a sinful people like us and leave the perfect Son of God to suffer abandoned?  The gap heightens Jesus' emotional desertion.  "My God, my God, how could you abandon me to insults when you've delivered sinners and backsliders?"
Third, when faithfulness is repaid with abandonment feelings of emotional desertion increase.  We see this in Psalm 22:9-11.
 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; 
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
When we consider the years of our trust in God and obedience to Him only to be left alone with no one to help in our time of need, then the sense of emotional betrayal grows more intense.  Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Virgin Mary.  He lived to do the Father's will.  The only trouble the Lord ever gave His parents came at age 12 when he stayed in the temple too long teaching the religious leaders.  From birth Jesus served the Father.  But now, in trouble on the cross, the Lord cries with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  And there was no one there to help.  The feeling of abandonment after a life of perfect obedience and trust left the Son of God overwhelmed with emotion.  "My God, my God, how could you leave me alone after doing all you asked?"
Fourth, the feelings of desertion rise when our enemies are close but our God seems far off.  We see this in Psalm 22:12-21.  Listen for the hints and prophecies pointing to our Lord.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
 19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
Bulls, lions, dogs, and wild oxen surrounded the Lord on that day.  Men turned to beasts by their sin and blindness.  The Savior feels his heart melting, His bones dislodged, his strength dried up, his hands and feet pierced, stripped naked and gawked at while his clothes were divided.  Isn't it amazing how Calvary shows up so clearly in psalms written centuries before Jesus came and the gospels were penned?  It's how partly how we know these things are true.
There is the Creator of the world hanging powerless, looking to the Father to be His strength.  But the Father stands far off—farther away than the women who were there (Matt. 27:55-56).  Yahweh, who was His strength, withdrew just when Jesus' heart melted and failed.  Can you imagine a greater sense of abandonment, of being left by God?  "My God, my God, where are you when I'm scared and weak?"
Psalm 22 helps us understand what is happening emotionally to our Lord in those final moments on the cross, when He lets go with that wailing question, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Not only was the Savior socially abandoned by the men He came to save, He was also emotionally deserted by the Father in whom He trusted.

What Does It Mean for the Father to Forsake the Son? (Part 3)

Once again we hear the scream: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Once again we ask ourselves, What can this mean?  
It means the Father allowed the Son to suffer social abandonment.  It means the Father allowed the Son to suffer emotional desertion.  And, yet, it means more.
3.  The Father Allowed the Son to Suffer Spiritual Wrath
This is the deepest, darkest part of Jesus' suffering.  Social abandonment was horrible but came from outside.  Emotional desertion was painful but only inside Jesus.  This spiritual forsakenness, spiritual wrath from the Father, occurs deep down in the very godhead itself.  We dare not speculate lest we blaspheme.  But something was torn in the very fabric of the relationship between Father and Son.
To get a sense of this, we must remember what the relationship between Father and Son had been from eternity past.  The opening words of the apostle John's Gospel tell us.  John 1:1-2—"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.  He was with God in the beginning."  For all eternity, Jesus lived with the Father.  And not just with the Father.  The Greek word pros, translated "with", can have the sense of "to" or "toward."  In other words, the Word, Jesus, was with God, turned toward Him in face-to-face fellowship.  That's all the Lord Jesus had ever known—the loving, approving, shining face of His Father.
And to be turned face-to-face with God the Father is the Bible's idea of the highest possible or imaginable blessing and happiness.  This is why God teaches Moses to bless the Israelites in Numbers 6:24-26—
24 "The LORD bless you 
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."
To see the face of God became the highest aspiration and hope among the holy and righteous.  I Chronicles 16:10-11 exhorts the faithful with these words—"Glory in His name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice; Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."  The psalms repeatedly include that last exhortation—"Seek His face always!"  That became the highest and happiest ambition of man.
And conversely, having the Lord turn His face away became the deepest fear and dread.  So David brings together that high and holy aspiration with that deep and fearful dread when he writes in Psalm 27:8-9—"My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!'  Your face, Lord, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.  Do not reject me or forsake me, O my Savior."
The words of Psalm 27 could have easily been spoken by our Incarnate Lord at Golgotha.  For in His earthly life and ministry, the Lord Jesus continually sought the Father's face.  He sought to live in a way that earned the Father's approval and favor.  And He did–perfectly.
But on that dark mid-day on Golgotha, when the sun refused to shine, the unimaginable and indescribable happened.  That beautiful, shining, loving face of the Father withdrew into the dark, frowning, punishing face of wrath.  He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).  The Son of God himself "bore our sins in His body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24).  He became accursed for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree" (Gal. 3:13).  And when our sins were laid upon Him, then Jesus felt the full horrible truth of Habbakuk 1:13—that God the Father's "eyes are too pure to look on evil; He cannot tolerate wrong."
At 3 o'clock that dark Friday afternoon, the Father turned His face away and the ancient, eternal fellowship between Father and Son was broken as divine wrath rained down like a million Soddoms and Gomorrah's.  In the terror and agony of it all, Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
"[T]his was his chief conflict, and harder than all the other tortures….  For not only did he offer his body as the price of our reconciliation with God, but in his soul also he endured the punishments due to us. … Nothing is more dreadful than to feel that God, whose wrath is worse than all deaths, is the Judge. … [H]e maintained a struggle with the sorrows of death, as if an offended God had thrown him into a whirlpool of afflictions."[1]
In Jerusalem that day hung a picture of Hell as the Son of God was cut off socially from everyone, deserted emotionally on the cross, and separated spiritually from the eternal Father with whom He had always lived face-to-face.  That's hell.
Sinner, that's our place!  That's the horror that awaits everyone who dies in their sin not repenting from sin and trusting in Jesus alone to save them from the wrath of God and for the worship of God.  It's not pretty.  It's dark and horrifying and unimaginable.  Even the God-man cried out and died!
Here's what we must remember and treasure: Jesus willingly suffers this so sinners may escape it.  Jesus' abandonment means the sinners adoption.  He takes our place on the cross so we can take His place in the kingdom.  Because He was abandoned socially, we may be children in the household of God.  Because He was deserted emotionally, we become whole again—renewed in the image of God.  Because He suffered spiritual separation, we may be spiritually united to Him through faith so that we will never be separated from God's love.  Because He was forsaken, we are forgiven.  Now He says to us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
It is finished!  Sinner, our salvation has been completed.  We need only to turn from sin and trust in Jesus.
And if you need evidence to sustain your trust, remember this: The Father went back for the body.  He raised Jesus from the grave alive and ruling in glory. Three days later the Father  reclaimed a resurrected and living Son!  Jesus was not finally forsaken and neither is anyone who trusts in Him.

A Crash Course on Biblical Theology w/ Greg Beale (Audio)

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 09:50 AM PDT

9Marks Audio: A Crash Course on Biblical Theology w/ Greg Beale

You can listen here.  From the 9Marks website:
Greg Beale gives a crash course on the discipline of biblical theology, assesses recent works on it, and explains what he's written and why.

NT Wright - Jesus & Victory of God for $10 plus more Fantastic discounts on Logos Software

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 03:31 AM PDT

NT Wright's first two major books are available for $10 a piece on logos bible software (arguably the best PC bible software) plus quite a lot more. Have a look at the links below to find out which authors are discounted. You'll have to be quick though sale ends 13th April.


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Use coupon code 7MM12 to start saving.

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Save 60% on works by D. A. Carson.
Use the coupon code 6MM12 to save 60%.

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Save 50% on two great authors who made it all the way to the Final Four.

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Free Hymn Album from CXVI

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 10:28 PM PDT

I've heard some of their other albums and they're really good. This recommendation comes from Justin Taylor

Free Album for Easter by Page CXVI

CXVI: "We're giving away an entire album again in celebration of Easter! . . . We've even including a song off our upcoming album, Re:Hymns. Derek Webb remixed and reimagined 7 of our hymns, and it's coming out June 12th, 2012. Enjoy!"
See below, or go here:

2 Free eBooks (ESV Bible for Olivetree & John Bunyan's Autobiography for Logos)

Posted: 03 Apr 2012 01:07 PM PDT

Head over to the olivetree website which is arguably the best mobile app bible reader for a free full note version of the ESV.

At Logos their book of the month is Bunyan's Autobiography - Grace abounding to the chief of sinners.

Gift of Tongues & Interpretation FAQ (PJ Smyth)

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:54 AM PDT

Gift of Tongues & Interpretation FAQ

Written by  PJ Smyth
Gift of Tongues & Interpretation FAQ
This is #10 in a series of posts by PJ on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It deals with the gifts of tongues and interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:10).

How Will I Know if I Have the Gift of Tongues?

If you have the ability to speak in tongues privately, then you have the potential to bring a tongue in public because the actual speaking of tongues is the same dynamic for the speaker whether done alone in his room or in front of 1,000 people. But, not everyone has this gift of 'public' tongues.
In my experience, those that are gifted to bring a 'public' tongue that leads the people in Spirit-worship of God, are those who have real worshipping hearts and who can speak confidently and expressively in public. Remember, tongues is man-speaking-to-God (invariably a declaration of deep worship and praise about some aspect of who God is and his dealings with man), so if you are leading the meeting for those few moments then you need a strong worshipping heart, a strong and expressive voice, and an attitude of faith. Without these things then the tongue is going sound rather feeble and boring and may not provoke much of an interpretation.
For me, it works like this: during a time of worship I sometimes feel a special urge to bring a tongue of pure praise to God. At that moment I usually feel particularly thrilled and moved by God and I sense a nudge in my spirit to pour it out publicly in a tongue. I just feel the need to do a deluge of praise unhindered by my mind. It is hard to explain but you know when you have it. In fact, at first you are not sure so you should just give it a go, especially if you know that someone who is gifted with interpretation is present. Also, early on it is usually best to find the leader of the meeting and say that you have a tongue ready to roll if and when he feels the moment is right. This will be an added source of encouragement and protection for you.

How will I know if I have the interpretation?

Theologically speaking, Paul assumes that some people are known to have the gift of interpretation (1 Cor 14:28), and ready to interpret any tongue that comes. Practically speaking, the best person to bring an interpretation is the one(s) who feel a rise of faith or excitement as the tongue is being brought, and who get a sense of the theme of the tongue – not the detail, just the theme. If that is you, then step out in faith and immediately (even as the tongue is being spoken) come to the front and get ready to unleash a river of interpretation.
When I start to interpret I only ever have the idea of the first couple of sentences, and I find that as I start to speak God gives me the idea for the next sentence, and so on. Remember, it is important that the interpretation is man-speaking-to-God.
Those with the gift of interpretation will, like the tongue bringers, be those with worshipping hearts and who can speak confidently and expressively in public. Remember, your interpretation is a form of leading the people in worship to God!
Note that it is an interpretation, not a translation. This means that the interpretation will capture the theme of the utterance rather than the detail of each word.

Can a tongue have more than one interpretation?

Theologically I feel that this is possible because tongues is dynamic language rather than one with a dictionary, but practically it is pretty confusing to have completely different interpretations to one tongue. Tongues and interpretation is hard enough for newcomers to cope with, without adding the extra challenge of widely diverse interpretations! Therefore, it is usually best to only allow interpretations along a similar theme and ask those with other interpretations to graciously hold back.

Should tongues and interpretation be used in seeker-sensitive meetings?

Look at these two extracts from 1 Corinthians 14:
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" (1 Cor 14:23-25)
He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified (1 Cor 14:5)
From these scriptures we learn (a) that any tongue that is brought must be interpreted, and (b) if it is, it has a similar 'power' to prophecy that is potent for the unbeliever to be exposed to, but (c) that there are challenges with administering the gifts of tongues and interpretation in a way that is helpful to the unbeliever. For example, immature demonstrations of tongues and interpretation might technically pass Paul's criteria, but practically may give unbelievers an unnecessary hurdle to jump. Conclusion – if you are going to have these gifts in meetings where unbelievers are present, then do them decently and in order and with power and effectiveness.

Timeline of Jesus' last week (Visual Image & Day by day Chronology with the full bible passages)

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:50 AM PDT

Timeline of Jesus' last week (Visual Image & Day by day Chronology with the full bible passages)

Here's a great visual timeline of Jesus last week. It's really helpful in understanding it. I've also posted a harmony/chronology of the bible passages day by day below from Justin Taylor's blog which is really excellent. Just click on the image for full screen.


Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday

Holy Week in google earth

Jesus' Last Week - A Harmony/Chronology (Justin Taylor)

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 09:43 AM PDT

Justin Taylor does a series on his blog every year giving a rough harmony/chronology of the last week of Jesus' life.

What Happened on Monday of Holy Week?

Andreas Köstenberger and I are working on a book together tentatively titled, Jesus's Final Week: What Really Happened?
Throughout this week I'll provide the rough harmony/chronology of the words and actions of Jesus in the final week of his pre-resurrection life.
On Monday morning Jesus and the Twelve leave Bethany to return to Jerusalem, and along the way Jesus curses the fig tree
Matthew 21:18-19
In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it,
"May no fruit ever come from you again!"
And the fig tree withered at once.
Mark 11:12-14
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it,
"May no one ever eat fruit from you again."
And his disciples heard it.

Jesus enters Jerusalem and clears the temple
Matthew 21:12-13
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them,
"It is written,
'My house shall be called a house of prayer,'
but you make it a den of robbers."
Mark 11:15-17
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them,
"Is it not written,
'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'?
But you have made it a den of robbers."
Luke 19:45-46
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them,
"It is written,
'My house shall be a house of prayer,'
but you have made it a den of robbers."
In the evening Jesus and the Twelve leave Jerusalem (returning to Bethany)
Mark 11:19
And when evening came they went out of the city.

IVP New Testament Commentaries Online to view for free

Posted: 31 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PDT

You can view the IVP New Testament Commentaries online at Biblegateway for free. There's some really good commentaries in the list (See the list of Authors below). They're introductory level. Of note would be Craig Keener on Matthew, G.K. Beale on 1-2 Thesalonians, Gordon Fee on Philippians, and Towner on the Pastorals, Bock on Luke and I. Howard Marshall on 1 Peter.

To access them, just go to the BibleGateway page and click the show resources button and the IVP commentaries should be down the list.


IVP NT Commentary Series: Matthew

Matthew

  • Author: Craig S. Keener
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1997
  • Pages: 444
Matthew was the most popular Gospel in the early church, widely read for its clear emphasis on Jesus' teaching. Drawing on its use as a teaching or discipleship manual, Craig Keener expounds Matthew as a discipleship manual for believers today. In his skilled hands, this first-century text becomes as relevant and contemporary as information downloaded from the Internet, while it challenges us with its divine perspective on how life ought to be lived.
In this clear, incisive commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what significance the Gospel of Matthew had for its original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Luke

Luke

  • Author: Darrell L. Bock
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1994
  • Pages: 412
Luke's portrait of Jesus shows Him coming into Galilee proclaiming "good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind." More than any other Gospel the Gospel of Luke shows Jesus' concern for the downtrodden and oppressed, those marginalized by society, including women and children. It also displays his concern for those outside the house of Israel.
Luke's Gospel seems "tailor-made" for the multicultural world we live in, filled with misunderstandings and sometimes bitter ethnic divisions. His story explains how men and women of different ethnic origins can be transformed into a unified community and share together in the blessings of salvation.
In this stimulating, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what Luke had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: John

John

  • Author: Rodney A. Whitacre
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1999
  • Pages: 424
The Gospel of John declares its purpose clearly--"these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and thay by believing you may have life in his name." Thus it fulfills a dual function, encouraging believers and providing them with evidences for proclaiming that Jesus is God's Messiah, the divine, incarnate Son of God.
Christians today, as in the first century, can draw strength and courage from John's telling of the story of Jesus, a telling that consistently reflects not only the words and deeds of Jesus but their inner significance. We are called to worship as we find the Father, Son and Spirit revealed in the Gospel. And as in Jesus we discover God's light, life and love, we learn to respond in faith, humility and obedience.
In this engaging, pastorally-oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what John had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Acts

Acts

  • Author: William J. Larkin
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1995
  • Pages: 422
If ever there was a hostile environment for the gospel, it was the strife-torn ethnically diverse backwater of the Roman Empire known as Palestine following the ascension of Jesus. In the sequel to his Gospel, Luke tells how the Holy Spirit transformed a ragtag band of believers into a unified, world-engaging church. Beginning from Jerusalem, they made converts throughout Judea, Samaria and the rest of the known world. Followers of Christ in our own increasingly postmodern, post-Christian culture can find here inspiration and insight that will aid them in their own witness to the unchanging Lord of life.
In this engaging, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what Luke had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Romans

Romans

  • Author: Grant R. Osborne
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 2004
  • Pages: 447
Few individual books of the Bible have changed the course of church history the way Paul's letter to the Romans has.
Whether one thinks of Augustine's coversion in the fourth century, Luther's recovery of justification by faith in the sixteenth or Barth's challenge to recover theological exegesis of the Bible in the twentieth, Romans has been the catalyst to personal spiritual renewal and the recapturing of gospel basics.
Paul, in seeking to bring unity and understanding between Jews and Gentiles in Rome, sets forth in Romans his most profound explication of his gospel and its meaning for the church. The letter's relevance is as great today as it was in the first century.
In Grant R. Osborne's careful study of Romans, readers will find an introduction that sets the letter in context and surveys its general content, highlighting issues surrounding its authorship, date, occasion and purpose. Passage-by-passage commentary follows that explains what the letter means to us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians

  • Author: Alan F. Johnson
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 2004
  • Pages: 343
Upwardly mobile Christians facing radically diverse ethnic, religious, economic and social conditions. The church divided over issues of leadership and authority, sexual morality, gender and worship, marriage and divorce. Sound familiar?
First-century Corinth and its challenges were not so different from our own. Yet in the midst of this detailed, practical letter to a church in crisis is found one of the greatest paeans to love ever written. And, of course, love is just what is needed to address complex human issues--whether in the first century or the twenty-first.
Alan F. Johnson's deft analysis of 1 Corinthians features an introduction that explores the social, cultural and historical background of the city and its people. Rounding out the introduction, Johnson discusses the letter's occasion and date, authorship and purpose, and major theologicall themes. His passage-by-passage commentary follows, seeking to explain what the letter of 1 Corinthians means for the church today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

  • Author: Linda L. Belleville
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1996
  • Pages: 357
Church conflict is never pleasant—whether the issue is theological or practical, whether it is over the character of the gospel or over how to spend church funds. Though few church squabbles today come close to matching the intensity and seriousness of what Paul faced in the commercial and hedonistic hotbed of Corinth, his strategies and pastoral wisdom in confronting the problems there can still serve as a helpful model for us in responding to a culture marked by individualism and materialism.
In this careful study of 2 Corinthians, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letter's occasion and purpose, authorship, and other background information, as well as its important theological themes. Passage-by-passage commentary follows that seeks to explain what the letter means for us today as well as what it meant for it original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Galatians

Galatians

  • Author: G. Walter Hansen
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1994
  • Pages: 212
To the young church in Galatia, marred by ethnic and social rivalries, Paul made his great healing declaration of unity through faith in Christ. Abolished were the divisions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. Christians today will also find a healing word addressed to present-day divisions of race, social class and gender. The new community in Christ draws its life not from rules and regulations but from the Spirit who frees and unites us.
In this warm, invigorating volume, readers will find helpful background material on the letter's date, destination, purpose, form and theological themes. Unlike many other commentaries on Galatians, the passage-by-passage exposition found here highlights not only the individual dimensions of justification by faith but also its social dimensions.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Ephesians

Ephesians

  • Author: Walter L. Liefeld
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1997
  • Pages: 279
For those who long to delve into the mind and purposes of God, few books are more helpful than Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Here the apostle paints in broad strokes the great plan of God for his church, centered on its head, Jesus Christ, and living out its calling in praise of God's glory. Beginning with doxology, Paul calls on the church to support its words of praise with deeds to match.
Christians today will find here inspiration and insight that will confirm their allegiances and shape their lives. Written with warm pastoral insight, this commentary supplies readers with a helpful introduction, covering authorship, date, background material and a summary of theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on understanding what Paul had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Philippians

Philippians

  • Author: Gordon Fee
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1999
  • Pages: 204
Nothing cripples a church's effectiveness like internal strife. In Philippi, Paul addressed a congregation whose private struggles were compounded by opposition and suffering from without. Paul's strategy was to write them a letter of friendship and moral exhortation, reminding them of their "partnership in the gospel," their mutual suffering for the cause of Christ, and their need to "stand firm in one spirit." His approach and counsel can serve us well today.
In this warm, well-written study of Philippians, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letter's occasion and purpose, authorship, and other background information, as well as its important theological themes. Passage-by-passage commentary follows that seeks to explain what the letter means to us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Colossians & Philemon

Colossians & Philemon

  • Author: Robert W. Wall
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1993
  • Pages: 225
To the Colossians, preoccupied with legal codes and intellectual disputes, Paul wrote a letter stressing not only the centrality of Christ but also the need for Christians to live out their faith in genuine community. Paul's antidote to a privatized and intellectualized faith will provide relief to many Christians today. To Philemon, a powerful church leader, Paul wrote a strong personal letter asking him to embark on a new relationship with his slave Onesimus. Drawing on insights from Scott Bartchy, Robert Wall argues that the issue had more to do with power relationships than with slavery. As a model for conflict resolution and mutual relations within the Christian community, Paul's letter has much to offer the church today.
In this careful study of Colossians and Philemon, readers will find introductions that discuss the letters' occasion and purpose, authorship, and other background information, as well as important theological themes. Passage-by-passage commentaries follow that seek to explain what each letter means for us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 1-2 Thessalonians

1-2 Thessalonians

  • Author: G. K. Beale
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 2003
  • Pages: 279
Fascination with the end times is not just a recent phenomenon.
The young church at Thessalonica, having taken root during Paul's brief stay there, pondered when the end might come as well. Paul, in order to instruct them more fully, wrote them two letters, which taken together expound the "already-and-not-yet" character of his views of the end times. His instruction and counsel can serve us well today.
In this careful study of 1-2 Thessalonians, G. K. Beale offers an introduction that sets the letters in context and surveys their general content, highlighting issues surrounding their occasion and purpose. His passage-by-passage commentary seeks to explain what these letters mean to us today as well as what they meant for their original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 1-2 Timothy and Titus

1-2 Timothy & Titus

  • Author: Philip H. Towner
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1994
  • Pages: 271
Questions about the nature of Christian leadership and authority, attitudes toward wealth and materialism, proper responses to cults, the role of women in the church, and even the validity of the institution of marriage are not new. Paul addressed these issues in personal letters to Timothy and Titus as leaders of first-century congregations in Ephesus and Crete. What he had to say to them is as relevant to us as today's newspaper headlines.
In this clear, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find helpful background material on authorship, date and purpose, as well as an overview of theological themes in the Pastoral Epistles. The introductory material is followed by passage-by-passage explanation of the meaning these letters had for their first-century hearers in order to pave the way for understanding their significance for readers today. Students, pastors, Bible teachers and everyone who wants to understand the message of the Pastoral Epistles for the church will benefit from this excellent resource.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Hebrews

Hebrews

  • Author: Ray C. Stedman
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1992
  • Pages: 168
For people beginning to doubt the uniqueness and supremacy of Christ, the author of the book of Hebrews provided one of the longest, most profound arguments in the New Testament. Christians today will find their understanding stretched and their loyalty confirmed by this rich presentation of our great High Priest, the Son of God, whose sacrifice of Himself took away our sins and gave us continual access to God.
Written in a fresh, succinct style, this commentary from a leading evangelical pastor supplies helpful background information that paves the way for our seeing what the text means for us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: James

James

  • Author: George M. Stulac
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1993
  • Pages: 206
What is the proper relationship between faith and deeds? How do Christians mature in the faith? What hope can we offer those who face trials of various sorts? How do we learn to control our tongues and not get bogged down with riches? The apostle James faced these questions in profound ways and offered sound pastoral advice to his readers, scattered by persecution. His word to them can become a vital word to us if we are prepared to listen.
In this keen, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find helpful background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as helpful, passage-by-passage commentary. The exposition focuses on understanding what James had to say to his original readers in order to see its relevance for the church today.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 1 Peter

1 Peter

  • Author: I. Howard Marshall
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1991
  • Pages: 184
As a young church in a hostile environment, Peter's first readers found in his letter encouragement, not just for facing suffering, but for living responsibly in the world as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Christians today will also find in Peter's letter a wealth of practical counsel on how to conduct themselves in family and social life, as well as in relation to a society that makes it tough to follow Jesus Christ.
In this invigorating volume from one of today's leading evangelical scholars, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letter's form, authorship, destination and primary theological themes, followed by passage-by-passage commentary that always seeks to answer the question of what the text means for us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers.
IVP NT Commentary Series: 1-3 John

1-3 John

  • Author: Marianne Meye Thompson
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1992
  • Pages: 168
When to fight and when to compromise are not always easy choices to make. Stubbornly defending the truth can easily end up in arrogance that discredits the gospel, while too readily seeking middle ground can leave truth by the wayside. Torn by conflict and marred by schism, the congregation to whom John addressed his letters stood in need of his strong exhortations to love and unity within the bounds of truth. His word to them is well suited to the church today, confronted by controversies within and without that challenge its ability and will to stand for the truth in a pluralistic society.
In this careful study of John's letters, readers will find an introduction that discusses the letters' occasion and purpose, authorship and date, order and theological themes. A passage-by-passage commentary follows that seeks to explain what each letter means for us today as well as what it meant for its original hearers. Students, pastors, Bible teachers and everyone who wants to understand John's message for the church will benefit from this excellent resource.
IVP NT Commentary Series: Revelation

Revelation

  • Author: J. Ramsey Michaels
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press
  • Publication Date: 1997
  • Pages: 265
Interpretations of the book of Revelation abound. One main view suggests that the book indirectly describes events in John's own time. Another interpretation sees Revelation as a prophetic survey of the history of the church. Still others view the book as a precise prediction of unfolding events at the yet-to-come end of the world. The trouble with all three, argues Ramsey Michaels, is that they make the Revelation of John irrelevant to Christians throughout much of history. Failing to take seriously what John saw, such interpreters fail to comprehend the value of Revelation to Christians in any age. Michaels strives to capture Revelation as a prophetic letter of testimony, a testimony as relevant to the church today as it was in John's day as the church faces evil and looks for the victory of the Lamb.
In this stimulating, pastorally oriented commentary, readers will find an introduction with background material concerning authorship, date and purpose, as well as a summary of important theological themes. A passage-by-passage exposition follows that focuses on what John had to say to his original readers in order to see the relevance of his book for the church today.

Craig Keener's IVP Commentary on Matthew (The small one) Free online!

Posted: 31 Mar 2012 05:17 AM PDT

You can access it at the biblegateway page


Commentaries for the book of Matthew

Jesus & Archaeology: Historical Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 01:31 PM PDT

A couple of articles on the subject from Justin Taylor's excellent blog.


Archaeological Discoveries and the World of Jesus

Craig Evans, an outstanding scholar on Jesus, culture, archaeology, and history, has a new book out entitledJesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012). WJK has provided discussion questions for those who want to read it in a reading group.
In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Professor Evans summarizes the book's contents:
I begin by explaining what archaeology is: the excavation and study of the remains of material culture. In the case of Jesus it means the excavating and interpretation of remains from the first century B.C.E. and C.E. in Israel (Galilee to the north and Judea and Jerusalem to the south). It means correlating what we discover with relevant written records (such as the writings of the New Testament and the writings of Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian). It often means applying space-age technologies. It is hard work and it is very rewarding.
The archaeological evidence shows that Jesus grew up in a small village, Nazareth, about four miles from Sepphoris, a prominent city in the early first century C.E. This city had a Greco-Roman look, complete with paved, columned street, but its inhabitants were observant Jews. The evidence further shows that Nazareth was linked to a network of roads that accommodated travel and commerce. The quaint notion that Jesus grew up in rustic isolation has been laid to rest. The youthful Jesus may well have visited Sepphoris, whose theatre may have been the inspiration for his later mockery of religious hypocrites as play-actors.
The evidence for the existence of synagogue buildings in the time of Jesus is now quite strong. Archaeologists have identified at least seven such buildings that date before the year 70. It is in the context of the synagogue that Jesus would have matured in the religious tradition of Israel and heard Scripture read and interpreted. Although some historians think rates of literacy in the first-century Roman Empire were quite low, archaeological finds, such as the tablets found in Vindolanda, England, near Hadrian's Wall, or the thousands of graffiti etched on the scorched walls of Pompeii and Herculaneum, suggest that at least a crude literacy was widespread and reached all levels of society. This evidence, along with the Gospels' portrait of a Jesus who debates scribes and ruling priests, asking them if they had ever read this or that passage of Scripture, suggests that Jesus, founder of a movement that produced and collected literature, was himself literate.
Archaeological discoveries have given us a pretty good idea of the wealth of the ruling priests Jesus encountered in the precincts of Jerusalem's famous temple. We may have the name of Caiaphas, the name of the high priest who condemned Jesus, inscribed on an ossuary (bone box). Only one year ago it was reported that an ossuary has been found with the name of the priest's granddaughter. A number of other priestly ossuaries and possibly even the burial chamber of the family of Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas.
Of great interest are several discoveries that have a bearing on the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. These include the skeletal remains of a man who had been crucified. (An iron spike is embedded in his right heel!) Despite his execution, his body was taken down from the cross and was properly buried, in accordance with Jewish custom. There is no reason to think that Jesus was treated any differently. His body was placed in a tomb, with the expectation that his bones later would be gathered and placed in his family's tomb. The Easter discovery dramatically altered this expectation.

The Historical Evidence of the Existence of Jesus of Nazareth

Below is an interesting introduction to Bart Ehrman's new Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth. As a New Testament scholar who has specialized in the gospels and early Christianity and also as a skeptic, he was confused by the regular stream of questions about the existence of Jesus and was largely unaware of the internet skeptics who spill an enormous amount of pixels writing on this issue.
Here's how he opens the book:
* * *
Every week I receive two or three e-mails asking me whether Jesus existed as a human being. When I started getting these e-mails, some years ago now, I thought the question was rather peculiar and I did not take it seriously. Of course Jesus existed. Everyone knows he existed. Don't they?
But the questions kept coming, and soon I began to wonder: Why are so many people asking? My wonder only increased when I learned that I myself was being quoted in some circles—misquoted rather—as saying that Jesus never existed. I decided to look into the matter. I discovered, to my surprise, an entire body of literature devoted to the question of whether or not there ever was a real man, Jesus.
I was surprised because I am trained as a scholar of the New Testament and early Christianity, and for thirty years I have written extensively on the historical Jesus, the Gospels, the early Christian movement, and the history of the church's first three hundred years. Like all New Testament scholars, I have read thousands of books and articles in English and other European languages on Jesus, the New Testament, and early Christianity. But I was almost completely unaware—as are most of my colleagues in the field—of this body of skeptical literature.
I should say at the outset that none of this literature is written by scholars trained in New Testament or early Christian studies teaching at the major, or even the minor, accredited theological seminaries, divinity schools, universities, or colleges of North America or Europe (or anywhere else in the world). Of the thousands of scholars of early Christianity who do teach at such schools, none of them, to my knowledge, has any doubts that Jesus existed. But a whole body of literature out there, some of it highly intelligent and well informed, makes this case.
These sundry books and articles (not to mention websites) are of varying quality. Some of them rival The Da Vinci Code in their passion for conspiracy and the shallowness of their historical knowledge, not just of the New Testament and early Christianity, but of ancient religions generally and, even more broadly, the ancient world. But a couple of bona fide scholars—not professors teaching religious studies in universities but scholars nonetheless, and at least one of them with a Ph.D. in the field of New Testament—have taken this position and written about it. Their books may not be known to most of the general public interested in questions related to Jesus, the Gospels, or the early Christian church, but they do occupy a noteworthy niche as a (very) small but (often) loud minority voice. Once you tune in to this voice, you quickly learn just how persistent and vociferous it can be.
Those who do not think Jesus existed are frequently militant in their views and remarkably adept at countering evidence that to the rest of the civilized world seems compelling and even unanswerable. But these writers have answers, and the smart ones among them need to be taken seriously, if for no other reason than to show why they cannot be right about their major contention. The reality is that whatever else you may think about Jesus, he certainly did exist.
Serious historians of the early Christian movement—all of them—have spent many years preparing to be experts in their field. Just to read the ancient sources requires expertise in a range of ancient languages: Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and often Aramaic, Syriac, and Coptic, not to mention the modern languages of scholarship (for example, German and French). And that is just for starters. Expertise requires years of patiently examining ancient texts and a thorough grounding in the history and culture of Greek and Roman antiquity, the religions of the ancient Mediterranean world, both pagan and Jewish, knowledge of the history of the Christian church and the development of its social life and theology, and, well, lots of other things. It is striking that virtually everyone who has spent all the years needed to attain these qualifications is convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure. This is not a piece of evidence, but if nothing else, it should give one pause. In the field of biology, evolution may be "just" a theory (as some politicians painfully point out), but it is the theory subscribed to, for good reason, by every real scientist in every established university in the Western world.
Still, as is clear from the avalanche of sometimes outraged postings on all the relevant Internet sites, there is simply no way to convince conspiracy theorists that the evidence for their position is too thin to be convincing and that the evidence for a traditional view is thoroughly persuasive. Anyone who chooses to believe something contrary to evidence that an overwhelming majority of people find overwhelmingly convincing—whether it involves the fact of the Holocaust, the landing on the moon, the assassination of presidents, or even a presidential place of birth—will not be convinced. Simply will not be convinced.
And so, with Did Jesus Exist?, I do not expect to convince anyone in that boat. What I do hope is to convince genuine seekers who really want to know how we know that Jesus did exist, as virtually every scholar of antiquity, of biblical studies, of classics, and of Christian origins in this country and, in fact, in the Western world agrees. Many of these scholars have no vested interest in the matter. As it turns out, I myself do not either. I am not a Christian, and I have no interest in promoting a Christian cause or a Christian agenda. I am an agnostic with atheist leanings, and my life and views of the world would be approximately the same whether or not Jesus existed. My beliefs would vary little. The answer to the question of Jesus's historical existence will not make me more or less happy, content, hopeful, likable, rich, famous, or immortal.
But as a historian I think evidence matters. And the past matters. And for anyone to whom both evidence and the past matter, a dispassionate consideration of the case makes it quite plain: Jesus did exist. He may not have been the Jesus that your mother believes in or the Jesus of the stained-glass window or the Jesus of your least favorite televangelist or the Jesus proclaimed by the Vatican, the Southern Baptist Convention, the local megachurch, or the California Gnostic. But he did exist, and we can say a few things, with relative certainty, about him. 
Posted by Bryn at 11:13

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