Question.469 - Who Do You Say Jesus Is? In Mark 8:29, Jesus discussed with his disciples what people were saying about him. Jesus asked his disciples directly, "But who do you say that I am?" In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of who Christians claim Jesus is and to share your own belief about who Jesus is. Based on Mark 8:29, you will summarize and analyze the claims made about Jesus's identity and purpose. Follow the directions in the "Who Do You Say Jesus Is" document. In addition to the Bible, use a commentary from the topic Resources. APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance. Reminder: This is a templated document so the LopesWrite score will be higher due to the directions and questions.
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Who Do You Say Jesus Is? Name: Course: Christian Worldview Date: Instructor: Based on Mark 8:29, please address each question below with complete sentences and clear, specific explanations. Select one teaching of Jesus from the following choices: Matthew 5:21-24; Matthew 5:43-48; Matthew 6:19-24; Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 15:1-32; John 13:1-17 and 34-35; or John 15:1-11. Answer the following questions with in-text citations from a commentary in the topic Resources. The commentary used should be included on a reference page at the end of this document. What was Jesus's point in the teaching? Your answer in 75-100 words: In Matthew: 5 :21 -22, Jesus is teaching his hearers by amplifying the laws of God. The meaning of this teaching goes like this – Murder is definitely a crime, but also insulting someone with bad words and showing anger towards others is also sinful action which is almost equal to committing murder and all these are liable to judgment (Keener, 2011). Besides, having wrongful intentions towards others, whether it is small or big, is still a sinful act. How might someone from an atheist or pantheistic worldview see the concepts of this passage differently? Your answer in 75-100 words: Atheists do not have a belief in God, so there is no hell and heaven, but they believe in Karma. For atheists, words are simply words, but they believe a person’s actions have consequences. It means they do not think there is a higher power or God to give punishment for the sinful actions as Christians believe, but they strongly believe that a person’s own actions punish him/her in the future with consequences. Jesus’s teaching in Matthew: 5 :21 -22 states that hurtful words are also equal to murdering a person. Well, atheist considers it is wrong to speak wrong or harsh words to others, but they do not think it is as sinful as murdering a person. What does this teaching reveal about Jesus? Your answer in 75-100 words: The teaching in Matthew: 5 :21 -22 reveals that there is no such small and big sin. For instance, the wrongful action could be a murder or words that hurt others, it is still an immoral action or a sin. So, it shows that Jesus does not differentiate between sins; all actions with wrongful intentions are sins. Also, this indicates that Jesus does not treat or judge his children based on the size of the sin they commit, as he treats everyone equally. He punishes everyone no matter how old or what kind of Mistake they commit. In Jesus’s view, Mistake is a mistake! Until and unless they ask for forgiveness. Select one of the following passages in which Jesus makes statements about his nature and purpose: Matthew 9:1-8; Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 7:18-23; John 5:16-18; John 10:25-38; John 14:5-11. Answer the following with in-text citations from a commentary in the topic Resources. The commentary used should be included on a reference page at the end of this document. What is Jesus saying about his nature and the purpose of his ministry? What is the significance of this claim? Your answer in 250-300 words: Jesus' Authority to Forgive Sins (9:1-8) (Keener, 2011) Jesus Is Moved by Our Faith, Even on Behalf of Others (9:1-2) We Need Forgiveness Even More Than Physical Healing (9:2) Speaking for God Usually Invites Opposition (9:3-4) Jesus' Authority to Heal Demonstrates His Authority to Forgive (9:5-7) Jesus' Signs of Authority Bring God Glory (9:8) Overall, in Matthew 9:1-8, Jesus explains how he has the authority to forgive the sins of a person if he/she asks for forgiveness. He has the power to give his children another chance to change their behavior and correct their mistakes. It is explained in the statement – ““Rise, pick up your bed and go home (Keener, 2011).” Also, even though Jesus has all the ability to heal a person, he does not rather forgive his child with all his heart (9:2). Why is that so? It means God wants his children to learn with difficulties and grow. He may not heal directly, but he gives all the strength to recover, which means indirect healing. In the Gospel, Jesus is depicted as strong and powerful who is able to do miracles and authority on this earth to forgive the sins of his children. The purpose and authority of Jesus make him unique from all other lives of the universe. Jesus (as God) does not belong to only one, but he is for everyone. It means nothing but Jesus has power over sins and disease. Jesus faces many skeptics by people around him who were not ready to believe Jesus was God in the form of humanity but they have strong faith in God. Here, they are speaking against Jesus means speaking against God, which is they are not aware of. In return, Jesus scolds them for “thinking evil in their hearts” (9:3) (Keener, 2011). Again, Jesus is considered as a son of God, which means he is part of God who has all the attributes and elements that exist in God. In the story given in the scripture, when Jesus sees the person’s faith in God, he decides to heal the paralyzed person. This shows a person’s faith in Jesus itself saves him from any difficulties. A faith can impress Jesus to heal his child. It means Jesus just cannot heal everyone just because he has power, he forgives and heals when one asks for it with strong faith. How would you personally answer Jesus's question, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mark 8:29). Describe your own beliefs about Jesus. Your answer in 250-300 words: In my opinion, Jesus is God even though he says that he is the son of God born with flesh, blood, and sins. This is because Jesus was born with all the attributes and elements that God exists with. I believe God aimed to teach his children how to live a life even though surrounded by all sins and he chose Jesus and sent him to earth. Although, I consider Jesus himself as a God. I think God knew it would be difficult for human beings to believe the existence of God just in written form or some stories. So, he decided to take birth as a wholly human and live his entire life with his children to make us understand his nature and existence. As Peter answers this question in the Bible, I also believe that he was living God. He may not help his children directly to solve all the problems of life, but when someone prays for guidance, he comes to help with his whole heart because he wants his children to make the best out of life. Also, he does not cure entirely but gives the strength to face problems. This is because God has given us life with a purpose and he wants us to try to find things on our own; he will help with that he cannot directly give the fruit of solution. Otherwise, how will we learn and grow? God lets us face problems in all ways of life because he knows that we have that potential. References: Keener, C. S. (2011). Angry Enough to Kill (5:21-26). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Angry-Enough-KillMore Articles From Philosophy
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