There are three questions that I would like us to address in this series on “The Mind of Christ”.

The first question is “Who is Jesus Christ?”In relation to this I want us to ask ourselves whether we have an adequate understanding of who Jesus is.

The second question is “Should I live in a certain way because of who He is?”Here I want us to reflect upon three ways in which we are called to apply our understanding of His proper identity.

Third, I want us to ask, “What does He promise us?”By virtue of the relationship that can exist between Christ and ourselves we are promised certain strengths that enable us to be a blessing to those around us.We begin by asking “Who is Jesus Christ?”

I.A Framework for Thought: Images of Jesus

A.What is your picture of Jesus?

Before we can begin to talk about our theme, “The Mind of Christ” we must ask a question about how we picture Jesus.As Christians we maintain that the reports that we have about Jesus, as recorded by the writers of the Gospels and by Paul are reliable, trustworthy, and true.In fact, we believe that they are so true that we are willing to base our lives upon them.

At the same time, Christians have always held, in the main, that these reports about the person and work of Jesus are reports written by men, albeit with minds inspired, or strengthened, by the Spirit, but, nevertheless, reports reflective of different personalities and human temperaments.They are, then, reports that are nuanced by the attitudes and minds of their authors, in some ways not unlike the articles that we read in a daily newspaper or historical record.This is not to say, for example, that the way in which Matthew presents Jesus is more right or wrong than the description by Mark, etc.We simply have different perspectives that are offered up by different persons who are emphasising different aspects of the person and work of Jesus.That these different views are not so radically different from one another implies a unitary person behind them.However, by paying attention to the different perspectives that are given we are able to appreciate different dimensions of the personality of our Lord.

Questions:

1.Take some time before you proceed any further and ask yourself what is your “picture” of Jesus?The following are some suggestive questions with which to begin.

a) How do you view Him with your mind’s eye?

b) Is He short or tall?

c) Is Jesus an introvert or extrovert?

d) With what kind of an accent does He speak?

2)How do the different Gospels present Jesus?It may be helpful to spend some time thinking about the picture of Jesus that is suggested by the following set of texts:

a) Matthew 1:1. (You may wish to continue on and read the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew, vs. 2-17.Further on you may want to compare the genealogy given by Matthew with that found in Luke 3:23-38.In what ways are these different?What do the differences suggest about the different ways in which Matthew and Luke understood Jesus?)Add to your thoughts the further image of Jesus suggested by Matthew 2:1-12.This is the only text that tells of the visiting magi at Jesus’ birth.

b) Mark 1:9-20; 16:1-8.Consider the different way by which Mark begins the story of Jesus.Why begin with John the Baptist in the desert and then follow this with the appearance of the mature Jesus?There is no genealogy here nor any reference to the infancy of Jesus.What do you make of the surprise and alarm at His resurrection at the end of the Gospel?

c) Luke 1:1-4.After considering this opening prologue you may want to read the two hymns that are embedded in this account, that of Mary (1:46-55) and that of Zechariah (1:68-79).How do these hymns, together with the genealogy of Jesus found in Luke (3:23-37), shape your understanding of Jesus.Note here that Luke traces Jesus’ lineage from Joseph back to Adam, whereas Matthew traced that lineage back to Abraham.Do you see any significance in this difference:

d) John 1:1-18.John begins his portrayal of Jesus in a way that is remarkably different from that of the other Gospel writers.Consider this difference and the image of Jesus presented here as compared with what you have already noted above.

e) Paul in I Corinthians 15:1-11.Consider the way by which Paul came to his knowledge of Jesus (cp. Acts 9:3-30).What does Paul say about our knowledge of the Lord?How does this affect your idea of an image of Jesus?

B.What were the ways in which Jesus was pictured in the earliest churches?

As far as we can say with any degree of certainty, there is no picture of Jesus that remains from the early days of the Church.However, some of the earliest Christian artwork which does remain comes from the catacombs beneath Rome and from some mosaics scattered elsewhere in the ancient Roman Empire.Some of the ways in which Jesus is depicted include the following:

1) As the Good Shepherd

2) As a Greek Philosopher

3) In the symbolism understood in the depiction of Jonah being delivered from the great fish

4) As a dove in the midst of The Fiery Furnace

Questions: Although we have no portraiture of Jesus, the way in which He is depicted, as described above, does tell us something of His nature.How do you understand this symbolism?What does it tell us about how Jesus was perceived?Can you identify the biblical texts or stories which gave rise to these depictions of Jesus?

C.Through the Centuries

Often an age or generation will be dominated for various cultural reasons by a particular portraiture of Jesus.One author, Jaroslav Pelikan, has written a book entitled “Jesus Through the Centuries” in which he tells the story of the history of the Church by way of the different perceptions of Jesus that have dominated various periods of history down to our own day.The following is the list he offers together with texts from the Bible that would support the particular manner by which Jesus was understood:

1.Rabbi - Mark 1:27; Matt. 16:13f.

2.Promise/Fulfilment - Gal. 3:24; Heb. 6:13-20

3.Light of the Gentiles - John 1:5,7,9

4.King of Kings - Rev. 1:5

5.Cosmic Christ (Logos) - John 1:1

6.Son of Man - Matt. 8:20

7.True Image - I Cor. 15:45; II Cor. 4:4

8.Crucified Christ - Phil. 2:8; I Cor. 1:18-25; (Isa. 53:3)

9.Ascetic Christ - Matt. 4:1-11; Matt. 19

10.Bridegroom of the Soul - Isa. 62:5; Song of Songs; Matt. 25:1,5

11.Divine/Human Model - Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16

12.Universal Man - Col. 1:18; Heb. 3:3

13.Mirror of the Eternal - John 14:9; I Cor. 13:12; Js. 1:23

14.Prince of Peace - Isa. 9:6; Heb. 7:2

15.Rational Teacher - John 1:6-9 (Prov. 8:22); Rom. 1:18-32

16.Poet of the Spirit - I Pet. 2:25; SS 2:1; Isa. 9:6; Rev. 22:16

17.Liberator - Gal. 5:1; (John 2:13-17)

18.Representative Man - John 8:12; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 1:5; 15:3

Questions:How does our age depict Jesus?How do you picture Him in your mind?How does your “picture” of Jesus shape the way in which you think about the mind of Jesus?

II.Paul and The Gospels

A. Paul and the Jesus of the Resurrection

The Apostle Paul and the Gospels give us different nuances into the person of Jesus.Paul talks about the Christ of the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:49; Romans 5:12-17).He describes this Christ in a way that is consonant with the Gospel writers.Jesus was born of a woman, under the Law (Galatians 4:4; Romans 9:5).He was a descendant of David (Romans 1:4).However, he usually talks about Christ rather than Jesus.Here Christ, from christos (meaning anointed), is more of a name than a messianic title.Using this term for Jesus draws us immediately to Paul’s understanding of Jesus’ divinity and pre-existent nature (I Corinthians 8:6)

Question: After having in your mind Paul’s conception of Jesus, turn to II Corinthians 3:17-18 where our own transformation into Christ’s image is described.How does this transformation which we can expect help you to understand Paul’s conception f Jesus?

B.Matthew, Mark and Luke

Matthew, Mark and Luke also have their distinct emphases.Again, nuanced differently, each of these Gospels draw us to Jesus’ relation to the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:14-15;Luke 4:18-19, 43) or to His identity as the Son of Man (Matt. 8:20; Mark 8:38; Luke 18:8), both terms that draw forth a certain political conception of His identity, albeit the latter in a more radical and temporally distinct way.

Questions: Consider the image of Jesus presented by the passages listed above.You may want to do some further study and find other places where Jesus identifies His person and work with the coming of the Kingdom of God (or of Heaven) as well as with the idea of the Son of Man.

As you consider the idea of the Kingdom of God, reflect back upon Israel’s desire for a king and the nature of God’s provision (I Samuel 12:12), the promise given to David that his kingdom would last forever (II Samuel 7), and the announcement in Isaiah 9:6-7 that a child would be born to David’s line who would reign forever and be called: “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” a prophecy applied to Jesus (Luke 1:31-33).

The term “Son of Man” is found in Psalm 8:4 and appears related to God’s providential care for man, made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) to be keeper and ruler over God’s creation.In Daniel 7:13 the prophet sees one referred to as “like a son of man” who appears in the heavens, coming to destroy the final beast (of four: lion, bear, leopard, and ten-horned beast) envisioned by Daniel.This son of man is given authority, glory, power, and eternal dominion over all peoples and nations.Consider Matthew’s use of this term in Jesus’ request that His disciples tell Him their opinion of His identity (16:13) and in His juxtaposition of the idea of the “son of man” (17:12) with Isaiah’s understanding of the “suffering servant” (53:3)

C.The Gospel of John - Question: What did Jesus mean by “I am”

All of the images that we have presented above might be called “correct” or orthodox images of Jesus.Each offers us a different perspective into His person and work.When we think of the mind of Christ, each of these images tells us something different about that mind and about what Christ’s will might be for us.This will be a theme that we will want to take up in further reflection.

However, before we do we need to consider the image of Jesus fostered by the Gospel of John.In particular, we will want to take up the intriguing question of what was meant by Jesus when He replied, often elliptically, to situations with which He was confronted or to questions directed to Him concerning His identity, with the phrase “I am” either with or without the use of a modifying predicate.