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Jesus Christ and the Church

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Jesus Christ and the Church Jesus Christ and the Church www.opusdei.org 1. What do we really know about Jesus ● We have more and better information about Jesus of 4. He called up those who would become Nazareth than any other personalities of his time. We his disciples. have testimony from witnesses to his life and death: 5. He raised controversy over the role of both written and oral tradition about him. Among the temple. these feature the four gospels, which have been 6. He was crucified outside Jerusalem by transmitted by the community of living faith which the Roman authorities he established and which continues today. 7. After the death of Jesus, his followers continued forming an identifiable group. We have more 8. Some Jews at least persecuted certain and better groups of the new movement (cf Gal 1:13,22; Phil information about Jesus of 3:6) and, it seems, this persecution lasted at least Nazareth than until the time close to Paul’s final ministry (cf 2 any other Cor 11:24; Gal 5:11; 6:12; Matt 23:34; 10:17). personalities of his time. ● On this minimal base which historians are in agreement, one can rely about on other facts ► This community is the Church, made up of contained in the gospels as being reliable from the millions of followers of Jesus throughout history. historical point of view. They have learnt the facts which have been handed down uninterruptedly from the first disciples. one can rely on other facts ► The data which appear in the apocryphal contained in the gospels and other extra-biblical references don’t offer gospels as being reliable from the anything additional in substance to the information historical point already available in the canonical gospels, such as of view. they have been transmitted by the Church. ► Applying the criteria of historicity to ● Until the Enlightenment, both believers and non- these facts allows one to establish a degree of believers accepted that the gospels contained what coherence and probability in the gospel was known about Jesus. However, some historians of statements, and that what is contained in these the 19th Century began to question the objectivity of narratives is substantially certain. their contents since they were written from the viewpoint of faith. For them, the gospel accounts ● Finally, it is worthwhile noting that we know were hardly credible as they did not contain what Jesus to be trustworthy and credible, because the Jesus said and did, but rather what Jesus’ followers witnesses are worthy of credibility and because believed some years after his death. Consequently, in tradition is critical of its very self. the decades that followed until the middle of the 20th Century, the veracity of the gospels was questioned ► In addition, what tradition hands and it was said that “we cannot know almost down to us stands the test of historical criticism. anything” about Jesus (R. Bultmann, Jesus, Deutsche Bibliothek, Berlin 1926). ► Certainly, of the many things which have come down to us, only some can be proved by the ● Today, with the development of the science of methods used by historians. Nonetheless, this does history, archaeological advances, and a wider and not imply that those events which cannot be better knowledge of ancient sources, one can quote a demonstrated by these methods did not take place, well-known specialist of the Jewish world, who but that we can only offer information on their being cannot be labelled as a conservative: “we can know a probable to a greater or lesser extent. lot about Jesus” (E .P. Sanders, Jesus and Judaism, Fortress Press, London-Philadelphia 1985). ► And we cannot forget, on the other hand, that probability is not the determining factor. For, ► For example, Sanders points out “eight events which have a low probability have historically undisputable facts” from the historical point of view taken place, What is also undoubtedly true is that concerning the life of Jesus and Christian origins: information in the gospel is reasonable and coherent 1. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. with demonstrable facts. In any case, it is the tradition 2. He was a Galilean who preached and of the Church, in which these writings were born, worked miracles. which gives us the guarantee of reliability and which 3. He limited his activity to Israel. tells us how to interpret them. 2. What does Mary’s virginity imply? ● In the first two chapters of the Gospels according Christians. From a historical and philological to St Mathew and St Luke, it is clearly stated than point of view, the name “Pantheras” is a Mary conceives her son with no male intervention: corruption of the Greek word “parthénos”, which means “virgin”. People who used Greek as their Jesus entrusted language in the Roman Empire heard that Jesus his Mother to was “the son of the virgin” (huiós parthénos); John at the foot when they wished to make fun of him, they of the cross: the implication is referred to him as “the son of Pantheras”. that Our Lady did not have any ► These stories only confirm that the other children. early Church sustained her firm belief in Mary’s virginity, although it seemed to be something impossible. ● Jesus’ virginal conception is above all a sign that ► “what is conceived in her is of the Holy Jesus is truly the Son of God by nature – so he Spirit”, the angel says to St Joseph (Matt 1:20). does not have a natural human father – and he is When Mary asked the angel, “"How shall this be, also a man born of a woman (Gal 4:4). In various since I have no husband?", the angel answered, "The passages of the gospels, we can see God’s Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of initiative, towards salvation, in human history, as the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:34- the genealogies of Jesus demonstrate. 35). The virginal ► Later on, as Jesus entrusted his Mother to conception of Jesus is a divine John at the foot of the cross, the implication is that work in Mary’s Our Lady did not have any other children. womb, similar to that of creation. ► The reference to “Jesus’ siblings”, occasionally made in the gospels, could well be attributed to the term “sibling” in Hebrew, which means “close relative”. It could be also be used in the sense often seen in the New Testament to refer to members of the group of believers (Acts 1:15). ► The Church has always believed in Mary’s virginity, and has called her “the ever Virgin” (Lumen Gentium, 52); that is, before, during, and after birth, as stated in a traditional and ● Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and without devotional formula. a man’s intervention, can be better understood as the new Adam, who begins a new creation for ● We understand Jesus’ virginal conception as the man newly redeemed by Him (1 Cor 15:47; John result of God’s power – “For with God nothing will 3:34). be impossible” (Luke 1:37). ● Mary’s virginity is also a sign of her firm faith ► As such, it is beyond human and her absolute self-dedication to God’s will. For understanding. This mystery has nothing to do with this reason, it has been said that Mary conceives pagan mythological representations in which a god, Jesus in her mind even before she does so in her acting as a man, fertilises a woman. The virginal womb, and that she is “more blessed receiving conception of Jesus is a divine work in Mary’s Christ by her faith than conceiving her son in her womb, similar to that of creation. It is something womb” (St Augustine). By being Virgin and that is not normally accepted by a non-believer: it Mother, Mary is also a figure of the Church and was rejected by some contemporaneous Jews and her most perfect realisation. pagans, who made up stories to explain Jesus’ conception. ► One such story attributed it to a Roman soldier called Pantheras. He is, in fact, a fictional character, made to support an early legend mocking 3. Did St. Joseph marry a second time? ● According to St Matthew, when Mary virginally Our Lady to Joseph. According to this legend, conceived Jesus, she was betrothed to St Joseph, Joseph didn’t take Mary as his spouse: when the and they were not yet living together (Matt 1:18). angel appeared in Joseph’s dreams, he does not This happened during the time within the say, as he did in Matthew’s gospel, “Do not fear to betrothal period which, among the Jews, involved take Mary your wife”. Instead, the angel only such a strong and true commitment that the says, “Be not afraid for this maiden” (XIV, 2). engaged couple were referred to as spouses. So strong a commitment indeed, that it could only be ►Other later apocrypha, known as the annulled by rejection. “pseudo-Matthew”, perhaps from the 6th century, elaborates this story accepting that the priests said It seems to Joseph: “to no other can she be joined in more logical to believe marriage” (VIII, 4), although it only refers to St that Joseph Joseph as Mary’s custodian. was a young man when he betrothed ► The fact that Mary was indeed to the Most betrothed to Joseph is, on the other hand, Holy Virgin accepted in various other texts: in the “Book of Mary. Mary’s Nativity” – a summary of the “pseudo- Matthew” apocrypha and also in the “Story of Joseph, the carpenter” (IV, 4-5).
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