1. Jesus' Salvation-Historical Identity
   1.1. Selective Bibliography
   1.2. Jesus as the Christ (Davidic Messiah) and Son of David
      1.2.1. Jesus as the Christ (Davidic Messiah)
          A. Old Testament and Second-Temple Texts
           B. The Gospels
               1. Synoptic Gospels
                  a. Jesus' Reluctance to Be Known as the Christ (Davidic Messiah)
                  b. Jesus Recognized as the Christ (Davidic Messiah)
               2. The Gospel of John
               3. Royal Entry
      1.2.2. Son of David
         A. Jesus Addressed as "Son of David"
         B. Jesus' Interpretation of  "Son of David"
   1.3. Son of God
      1.3.1. Old Testament and Second-Temple Texts
      1.3.2. The Gospels
         A. Synoptic Gospels
            1. References to Jesus as Son of God
            2. Jesus' References to Himself as Son of God
         B. The Gospel of John
            1. Jesus as Son (of God)
            2. John 8:58
   1.4. Son of Man
      1.4.1. Relgious Historical Background
         A. Son of Man as Eschatological Figure in Second-Temple Judaism
         B. Son of Man as Idiom of Self-Reference
      1.4.2. Synoptic Gospels
         A. Idiomatic Use of "Son of Man"
         B. Jesus' Use of Son as Man as Having Messianic Self-Reference
         C. Unclear Uses of the Term "Son of Man"
      1.4.3. Gospel of John
      1.4.4. Summary
   1.5. Conclusion
2. Jesus' Teaching about Discipleship
   2.1. Mark 10:28-31 = Matt 19:27-30 = Luke 18:29-30
   2.2. Luke 9:59-60 = Matt 8:21-22
   2.3. Luke 14:26-27 = Matt 10:37-39
   2.4. Luke 17:33 = Matt 10:39
   2.5. Luke 9:61-62
   2.6. Luke 14:28-33
   2.7. Matt 11:28-30
   2.8. Summary
3. Jesus' Teaching about Prayer and Faith
   3.1. Luke 11:2-4 = Matt 6:9-13
   3.2. Mark 11:23-25 = Matt 21:21-22
   3.3. Luke 11:9-13 = Matt 7:7-11
   3.4. Luke 17:5-6; Matt 17:20
   3.5. Luke 11:5-8
   3.6. Luke 18:1-8
   3.7. Matt 6:5-8
4. Miscellaneous Teachings of Jesus

1. Jesus' Salvation-Historical Identity

Most of the matieral in the synoptic gospels focuses on Jesus' teaching about the Kingdom of God and other topics; in John when he speaks about himself, it is to describe his role a mediator of eschatological salvation. But occasionally in the gospels Jesus does refer to himself and is referred to by certain salvation-historical designations. People naturally wonder about his identity, just as they did with John the Baptist.

1.1. Selective Bibliography

J. Becker, Jesus of Nazareth, 1998 (197-217); M. Casey, Son of Man: The Interpretation and Influence of Daniel 7, 1979; H. Conzelmann, "Gegenwart und Zukunft in der synoptischen Tradition," ZThK 54 (1957) 277-96; O. Cullman, The Christology of the New Testament, 1959; R. Fuller, The Foundations of New Testament Christology, 1965; A.J.B. Higgins, Jesus and the Son of Man, 1964; S. Kim, "The Son of Man" as the Son of God, 1983; B. Lindars, Jesus Son of Man, 1983; W. Manson, Jesus, the Messiah, 1943; W. Marxen, Anfangsprobleme der Christologie, 1960; J. C. O'Neill, "The Silence of Jesus," NTS 15 (1969) 153-67; E. Schweizer, "Der Menschensohn (Zur eschatologischen Erwartung Jesu)" ZNW 50 (1959) 185-209; E. Sjöberg, Der verborgene Menschensohn in den Evangelien, 1955; H. E. Tödt, The Son of Man in the Synoptic Tradition, 1965; G. Vermes, Jesus the Jew, 1973; P. Vielhauer, "Gottesreich und Menschensohn in der Verkündigung Jesu" in FS. für Günther Dehn, 1957.

1.2. Jesus as the Christ (Davidic Messiah) and Son of David

1.2.1. Christ (Davidic Messiah)

A. Old Testament and Second-Temple Texts

As already indicated, the Hebrew prophets foretell the appearance of an eschatological Davidic king. This expectation is carried over into the second-Temple period (see Jesus' Birth). (There are also references to a priestly Messiah.)

 From Josephus' writings, it is clear that there were many Jews who desired political independence from Roman hegemony (and all who represented Roman interests in Palestine). This desire lay behind several aborted attempts to gain political independence through military action; the striving for independence culminated in the war from 66-73. Some of the leaders of these attempts at gaining political independence probably had messianic self-understandings and aspirations. (Josephus refrains from identifying any of these men explicitly as messianic aspirants, probably because of his political goal of presenting the Jews as a peaceful and easily governable people; to admit that the Jewish religion contained the idea of a Messiah, a king who would overthrow gentile rule, would undermine the achievement of this purpose.)  At the time of Herod's siege of Jerusalem in 37 BCE, many Jews expected divine deliverance from Herod and his Roman patrons; it is probable that there was a messianic element to this hope of divine deliverance (Ant. 14. 470-71; War 1. 347-48). In other words, it is possible that those who resisted Herod expected the appearance of a Davidic Messiah as the concrete manifestation of God's deliverance. (The author of Ps. Sol. 17 certainly hoped for the coming of the ideal Davidic king after the fall of the Hasmonean dynasty to Pompey.) Josephus also describes how in 6 CE a certain Judas the Galilean from Gamala rose to prominence, in league with Zaddok the Pharisee (War 2. 118, 433; 7. 253; Ant. 18. 4-10, 23-25, 20. 102). Judas led a revolt against Rome, which was crushed; this revolt had messianic overtones, as did the later Zealot movement of which Judas was said to have been the founder (Some of his descendants are named as Zealots who played important roles in the war against Rome). Judas and later the Zealots believed that God would come to the aid of the revolutionaries. Perhaps, Judas considered himself as the means of God's deliverance and, therefore, as de facto, the Messiah.

    After Judas, a man named Theudas appeared, whom Josephus calls an impostor (goês); he seems to mean that Theudas was a messianic impostor, which is suggested by the fact that he promised the people that he was a prophet and would part the Jordan and lead the people through it (Ant. 20. 97-98). (It is likely that he was attempting to imitate Joshua's conquest of Caanan, but the “conquest” that he had in mind to carry out was probably eschatological deliverance.) The procurator, Cuspius Fadus (44-46), sent out the cavalry and killed Theudas, bringing his head back to Jerusalem; Fadus saw Theudas as a military threat to the public peace, which suggests that he had messianic pretensions. During the reign of Nero, Josephus says that there appeared "impostors and deceivers" who claimed that if the people would follow them into the desert they would perform "miracles and signs." It is clear that such men were messianic pretenders, even though Josephus does not identify them as such. One such impostor and deceiver as a man identified simply as "the Egyptian"; he led a group of 30,000 to the Mount of Olives, where he said that he would command the walls of Jerusalem to fall down, whereupon they would enter the city and conquered the Roman garrison stationed there (War 2. 261-63; Ant. 20. 167-72) (The resemblance between this prediction and the fall of the walls of Jericho under the leadership of Joshua was surely not lost on the people.) Josephus explains that "the Egyptian" intended to become an absolute ruler (tyrannos). Clearly, "the Egyptian" had messianic aspirations. The whole affair ended tragically when the Felix, the Roman procurator, met this man and his followers with a military force. (Paul was mistaken for "the Egyptian" in Acts 21:38.) Josephus explains that a cause of the Jewish war against Rome was the belief in the imminent appearance of the Messiah: "But now, what did the most to incite them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in their sacred writings, how, at that time, one from their country should become ruler of the world. The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise men were thereby deceived in their interpretation of it" (War 6.312-13). This messianic expectation explains the fanaticism of the participants and even why they would even consider taking on the Romans in the first place. It is probable that some of the leaders of this rebellion had messianic aspirations.

B. The Gospels

1. Synoptic Gospels

a. Jesus' Reluctance to Be Known as the Christ (Davidic Messiah)

Although it is the assumption of the gospel writers that Jesus is the Christ (i.e. Davidic Messiah), Jesus does not claim the title for himself, and is reticent to accept the title from others. It seems that Jesus did not want to be understood as Messiah of the popular imagination, a military leader, like Judas, Theudas and the Egyptian.That is, he does not see himself as the Davidic Messiah described in Psalms of Solomon 17, 18. He tends to keep his own messianic self-consciousness in the background, preferring rather to focus his public proclamation focused on the Kingdom of God.

i. Luke 4:41 (see Mark 1:34)

Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.

Jesus would not let the demons speak when he cast them out because, according to Luke 4:41, they knew that he was the Christ; presumably Jesus did not want this information disclosed to the general public.

ii. Mark 1:23-25 (= Luke 4:33-35)

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" 25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"

Jesus does not allow the demon in the man to speak any further after the demon has identified him as "the Holy One of God," no doubt a messianic title.

iii. Mark 14:61-63 (= Matt 26:63-64) (see Luke 22:67-70)

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." 63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.

During his interrogation by the Sanhedrin, Jesus only reluctantly agrees that he believes that he is the Christ.  Actually in this exchange between Jesus and the High Priest, three titles are mentioned: Christ, son of God and son of man. It is clear that it is the common consensus that the titles "Christ" (or Messiah) and "son of God" (or Blessed One) are synonyms, since they are set in apposition to each other. In addition, after Jesus accepts the title of Christ, he says that the High Priest would see the son of man sitting at the right hand of God (in exaltation) and coming on the clouds of heaven, an allusion to Dan 7:20 (see below).

iv. Mark 8:29-30 (= Matt 16:19-20 = Luke 9:20-21)

And he [Jesus] continued by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to him, "You are the Christ." And he warned them to tell no one about him.

When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus instructs Peter to tell no one of his realization. Why he wants this to remain confidential is not provided, but presumably Jesus did not want to be identified as the Davidic Messiah of popular expectation.

b. Jesus Recognized as the Christ (Davidic Messiah)

Some Jews wonder whether Jesus is the Davidic Messiah based on what he does (see Jesus as Miracle Worker), while others suspect that he believes himself to be the Messiah. Matthew says that in prison John the Baptist heard about "the works of the Messiah," and sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus whether he was the one who should come (Matt 11:2) (Luke's introduction to this pericope is different [Luke 7:18].) The meaning seems to be that John heard that Jesus was doing the things that the Messiah was supposed to do (see Eschatological Context of Jesus' Healings). Similarly, because of what Jesus does (exorcising), people wonder whether Jesus is the son of David, a synonym for Messiah (Matt 12:23) (see below for consideration of title "son of David"). At Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, the High Priest asks Jesus whether he believes that he is the Messiah (Mark 14:62 = Matt 23:63 = Luke 22:67), which implies that he and the others suspect that Jesus believes that he is, but they do not have any definitive proof.  After Jesus' trial it became public knowledge that Jesus considered himself to be the Davidic Messiah—the King of the Jews—so that this was given as the official reason for his execution, as indicated on the titulus written in Hebrew (or Aramaic), Greek and Latin (Mark 15:26 = Matt 27:37; John 19:19-20): "The King of the Jews." In fact, this was the official charge on which Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate: "We found this man...saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king" (Luke 23:2).

    Jesus does not disclose directly even to his disciples that he believes that he is the Messiah; rather he elicits this response from Peter, who speaks as the spokesman for the group, and only acquiesces to it (Mark 8:27-30 = Matt 16:13-20 = Luke 9:18-21).  In Matthew's version, Jesus says that the knowledge that he is the Messiah was disclosed to Peter by God (Matt 16:17). There are three versions of Peter's confession: "You are the Christ" (Mark 8:29); "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16); "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:20). The differences between the three versions is inconsequential, for Peter confesses that Jesus is Israel's Davidic Messiah. Presumably, before this time, Jesus' disciples were not completely clear about Jesus' identity, as were not people in general (see John 7:40-44; Mark 6:14-16 = Matt 14:1-2 = Luke 9:7-9). As already indicated, Jesus commands his disciples not to disclose his identity to others.

2. The Gospel of John

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is also reluctant to be known publicly as the Messiah, so that the people are confused about his exact identity (7:26-42; 12:34). Jesus' signs and his teaching convince people that he is extraordinary and could be an eschatological figure, like the Prophet (6:14; 7:40). (Jesus resists an attempt to conscript him as a popular, revolutionary leader by the people [6:15]). At one point, the "Jews" ask Jesus directly whether he is the Messiah; Jesus says that he has already told them, but what he likely means is that he has given them enough clues that they should be able to conclude correctly about his identity (10:24-25). Only to the Samaritan woman in Sychar, does Jesus disclose his identity as the Messiah, but she is not a Jew (4:25-26). At his trial before Pilate also Jesus reluctantly admits that he is a king (18:28-40). People do, nonetheless, come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah by drawing the correct conclusion from the evidence (9:22; 10:24; see 6:69). The disciples are perplexed when Jesus speaks about his departure (death) because they have heard it taught from the Law that the Messiah remains forever (12:34).

3. Royal Entry (Mark 11:1-10 = Matt 21:1-9; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?' tell him, `The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

The prophet Zechariah prophesies that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem not as a great conqueror of the nations, but as a peaceful, non-violent ruler; symbolic of this is the fact that he rides on a colt, not on a war horse or in a chariot: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech 9:9). Jesus enters Jerusalem from Bethany about a week before the beginning of Passover; he intentionally sets out to fulfill Zech 9:9. Thus, at the end of his ministry, Jesus symbolically declares himself to be the Davidic Messiah, the king of Israel, but the Messiah as defined by Zech 9:9, one who brings a reign of peace to Israel and to the nations. Jesus accepts the appellation of the crowd to be the Messiah or son of David, but only as he has defined the term "king" by his symbolic act. (See R. Stein, Jesus the Messiah, chap. 13; Gundry, Mark, 622-34.)

1.2.2. Son of David

A. Jesus Addressed as "Son of David"

Occasionally, Jesus is addressed by the obviously messianic title of "son of David." This suggests that his contemporaries suspect that he is the Davidic Messiah. Jesus is depicted as neither accepting the title nor rejecting the designation.

1. Mark 10:46-49 (= Matt 20:29-31 = Luke 18:35-39)

46 Then they came to Jericho And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, " son of David, have mercy on me!"49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you."

A blind man (Matt = two blind men), in asking Jesus (loudly) for healing, addresses him as "son of David." The man recognizes Jesus as the Davidic Messiah, who has the ability to heal.

2. Matt 9:27-28

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, son of David!" 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord."

Matthew has another account of Jesus' healing two blind men, who likewise address him as "son of David."

3. Matt 15:22

And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed."

The Syro-Phoenician woman who asks Jesus to exorcise her daughter addresses Jesus as "Lord, son of David." How she came to know of Jesus' identity is not clear.

4. Matt 21:8-17

9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,"Hosanna to the son of David ....15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," they became indignant

When he rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, according to Matt 21:9, the crowds shouted "Hosanna to the son of David." As a result, the chief priests and scribes took offense (20:15). The other accounts do not include this, but it is implied. Even though he is identified as "the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee," Jesus is also ident hese two designations are not seen as incompatible, since prophet is probably being used in a general sense of one sent from God.

5. Matt 12:23

All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the son of David, can he?"

In addition, because of Jesus' healing of a demon-possessed man, the crowds began to wonder whether Jesus was the son of David (Matt 12:23), which is to say whether he is the Davidic king endowed with the power of God.

B. Jesus' Interpretation of  "Son of David" (Mark 12:35-37) (= Matt 22:41-46 = Luke 20:41-44)

12:35 And Jesus began to say, as he taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord [Yahweh] said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." (Ps 110:1)' 37 David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is he his son?" And the large crowd enjoyed listening to him.

Ps 110 is royal psalm and promises to the new king that he will rule absolutely, as if he were sitting at God’s right hand. He is assured of divine assistance in being victorious over his enemies, the rulers of other nations (Ps 110:2b, 5-6). Jesus gives a messianic interpretation Ps 110:1. There is no evidence (yet), that Ps 110:1 was interpreted messianically in second-Temple Judaism, but this could be accidental. (Jesus seems to assume that his hearers would agree with him that the psalm is messianic.) He uses Ps 110:1 to give an important interpretation of the messianic idea of "son of David" (see also Mark 14:62) (The early church also interprets this passage messianically [Acts 2:34-35; see 1 Cor 15:25]). In the psalm, David (by the Holy Spirit) says that Yahweh (the Lord) said to his lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Jesus interprets "lord" as the Davidic messiah, which means that David is speaking about how Yahweh has given the Davidic Messiah the right of authority over all the world. Moreover, in Jesus' view, the fact that David calls his son, the Messiah, lord assumes not only the pre-existence of the Messiah but also his superiority to David. So Jesus uses this textual anomaly to pose the question whether the Davidic Messiah should be understood simply as a descendent of David and not more than that.

Menorah Depicted on one the reliefs of the Arch of Titus in Rome is Titus' soldiers carrying Temple plunder, which included the menorah.  The depiction is credible since the menorah was probably still in Rome at the time when the arch was constructed. Josephus describes the menorah as "made of gold but constructed on a different pattern from those we use in ordinary life.  Affixed to a pedestal was a central shaft, from which there extended slender branches, arranged trident-fashion, a wrought lamp being attached to the extremity of each branch; of  these there were seven, indicating the honor paid to the number among the Jews" (War 7.148-50).

Questions

What was Jesus' understanding of his role as Israel's Messiah? Why was Jesus reluctant to be known as the Davidic Messiah publicly?

 

1.3. Jesus as Son of God

1.3.1. Old Testament and Second-Temple Texts

In order to understand the meaning of the title son of God as used by Jesus and by others, one must examine its Old Testament background and its use in the second-Temple period. The term "son of God" is used in some second-Temple sources as a synonym for Messiah, a practice that originated in the messianic interpretation of Old Testament texts by Jews of the second-Temple period (2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7) (see Jesus' Birth).  In 2 Sam 7, God promises to relate to David's son, Solomon, as a father relates to his son.  It was assumed that God would all the more relate to David's greater son, the eschatological Davidic king, as a father to a son. In Ps 2, upon his installation as king, the "Anointed One" (Messiah) is said to be God's son; on the day that he becomes king God becomes his father (2:7). It was assumed that Ps 2 was a description of the installation of Israel's eschatological king. Thus, because of the messianic interpretation of these two passages, post-biblical Jews sometimes use the term "son of God" as a synonym for the Messiah.

A. 4Q174 4QFlorilegium or Midrash on Last Days)

This text is what remains of a collection of Old Testament texts considered messianically and eschatologically significant along with some commentary. The author interprets an abbreviated version of 2 Sam 7:11c-14a as messianic, on the assumption that God is referring not to Solomon but to David's greatest "son" or descendent, the eschatological Davidic king.

10 [And] Yahweh has [de]clared to you that he will build you a house (2 Sam 7:11c). I will raise up your seed after you (2 Sam 7:12). I will establish the throne of his kingdom 11 f[orever] (2 Sam 7:13). I wi[ll be] a father to me and he shall be a son to me (2 Sam 7:14). He is the branch of David who will arise with the interpreter of the Law who 12 [      ] in Zi[on in the la]st days according as it is written: "I will raise up the tent of 13 David that has falle[n] (Amos 9:11), who will arise to save Israel.

In his commentary on this passage, the author explicitly identifies the "son" in 2 Sam 7:11c-14a as the "the branch of David." This means that the author has identified David's "son" in 2 Sam 7:14 with the eschatological Davidic king described metaphorically as the "branch of David" in Jer 23:5; 33:15. In 4Q174 1.12b, Amos 9:11 is quoted as referring to the appearance of this Davidic king: "I will raise up the tent of David that has falle[n] (Amos 9:11), who will arise to save Israel." (1.13). He is destined to "save Israel" (lhwšy` 'th yšr'l), by which no doubt is meant a political and military deliverance. Similarly, in 4Q174 1.18-19, Ps 2:1 is quoted and interpreted: "[Why] do the nations [rag]e and the people im[agine] a vain thing? [Kings of the earth] ris[e up] and [and p]rinces conspire together against Yahweh and against [his anointed] (Ps 2:1-2). [In]terpretation of the saying [concerns na]tions and th[ey    ] the chosen of Israel in the last days." Although the text is not complete, it is clear that Ps 2:1-2 is being interpreted messianically. The anointed one, against whom the nations rage, is called the "elect of Israel in the last days," meaning the eschatological Davidic king.

B. The same messianic interpretation of Ps 2 seems to underlie 4Q246 (Aramaic Apocalypse). This fragmentary Aramaic text probably makes reference to the eschatological Davidic king and his kingdom, referring to him as "son of God" (see J. Collins, The Scepter and the Star, chap. 7). In col. 1 line 9 there is a probable reference to this eschatological ruler : "...great will he be called and he will be designated by his name." This figure shall be called by a name, and it is probably the case that the verb "will be called" is a divine passive, so that it is God who is the one calling him by this name. If the antecedent of "he" is this Davidic king, then arguably the clause must have been an appropriate title of this Davidic king. In col. 2, the following is said of the eschatological Davidic king: "He shall be hailed as the son of God, and they shall call him the son of the most high" (brh dy 'l yt'mr wbr `lywn yqrwnh kzyqy'). The two phrase "son of God" and "son of the most high" are synonymous (see Luke 1:32 "And [the] son of the most high he shall be called" [kai huios hupsistou klêthêsetai] and Luke 1:35 "the holy child shall be called the son of God [huios tou theou]). It is probable that calling the eschatological Davidic king "son" reflects a messianic interpretation of 2 Sam 7:14 "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me" and Ps 2:7 "He said to me, 'You are my son; today I have begotten you." This "son of God" or "son of the Most High" will lead and represent a people, which explains the reference in 2.4 "Until the people of God arises." No doubt this people is restored Israel. In contrast to the temporary but oppressive kingdom that precedes his own, the kingdom of the eschatological Davidic king will be eternal and peaceful: "His kingdom will be an eternal kingdom" (col. 2.5-6; see 2.8) (see parallels in Dan 3:33; 7:27).

C. In 4Q369 (The Prayer of Enosh) occurs the statement: "You have purified him for...in everlasting light and you have established him as a firstborn son...like his as a prince and ruler for all the territory of your land." Most likely, the individual to whom this fragment refers is the Davidic Messiah, since he is established as "prince and ruler for all the territory of your land." If so, then to call him "firstborn son" probably reflects a messianic interpretation of Ps 2:7

D. 1QSa 2:11-12 could be interpreted to mean that God will "beget" his Messiah, reflecting a messianic interpretation of Ps 2:7.  If so, then the title "son" (of God) may be applied to the messiah. This conclusion requires that the verb be reconstructed as ywlyd (He [God] begets" rather than ywlyk ("He [God] leads forth")

E. In 1 Enoch 105:2, God says, "Until I and my son are united with them forever."  God's son in this context appears to be the Messiah.

F. In Ps. Sol. 17:23, there is a hint of the influence of Ps 2:9 on the description of the Davidic Messiah: "To smash (ektripsai) the arrogance of sinners like a potter's jar (hôs skeuê kerameôs)." In LXX Ps 2:9, it is said to the anointed king, the one declared to be "son": "You will smash (suntripseis) them [the nations] like a potter's jar (hôs skeuê kerameôs)." (Although it only survives only in Greek translation, Psalms of Solomon was not originally composed in Greek and so would not have been influenced directly by the LXX translation of Ps 2.) This echo of Ps 2:9 in Ps. Sol. 17:23 probably indicates that the author and his readers understood Ps 2 as messianic, and so the Messiah can be called the son of God.

G.  In the post-New Testament 4 Ezra, the Messiah is called the son, most likely in dependence on a messianic interpretation of Ps 2 (7:28-29; 13:37, 52; 14:9).

1.3.2. The Gospels

Jesus sometimes refers to himself as the son of God and is called the son of God by others, including demons. Often the title "son of God" is equivalent to the title of Davidic Messiah, and thus is in continuity with the Old Testament and the second-Temple messianic thinking. It is not surprising that in contexts where son of God is clearly a synonym for Messiah, Jesus is reluctant to have his identity as son of God being disclosed indiscriminately to the general public. (More than once, however, Jesus is declared to be "son [of God]" by the voice from heaven.) But it must be pointed out that, although he does not proclaim himself as the son of God publicly, as he proclaims the Kingdom of God, Jesus, nevertheless, does not eschew disclosing himself as son of God, unlike his reticence to be known as Davidic Messiah. In fact in some contexts, he will readily discourses about his identity as son of God. This is because there is an important development that takes place in Jesus' use of the term son of God, which is reflected in the later use of the term by the early church. For Jesus, the term son of God expresses his unique relationship to the God the Father, one not shared with any other being; this unique relationship pre-exists his appearance in human history as the Messiah, and entitles him to certain privileges. Some interpret Jesus' claim to sonship as a claim to equality with God. When he does publicly identify himself as son of God, Jesus stresses the relational dimensions of its meaning, not its messianic; no doubt his hearers would strongly suspect that, by calling himself son of God, Jesus also means to identify himself as the Messiah.

A. Synoptic Gospels

In some places Jesus is referred to as the son of God, while in others he refers to himself as such. In those contexts, where son of God means primarily Messiah, as indicated, Jesus is reluctant to accept the title or wary about its further disclosure.

1. References to Jesus as Son of God

There are several references to Jesus as son of God; probably, in each instance son of God is synonymous with Davidic Messiah.

a. Mark 1:11 = Matt 3:17 = Luke 3:22: The heavenly voice (God) at Jesus' baptism refers to Jesus as "my son" (see Accounts of Jesus' Baptism).

b. Matt 4:3 = Luke 4:3: Satan tempts Jesus on the assumption that he is the son of God.

c. Mark 3:11; Luke 4:41 (see Mark 1:34): The demons call Jesus the son of God; Jesus would not let them disclose his identity as the son of God to the general public.

d. Mark 9:7 = Matt 17:5 = Luke 9:35: At the transfiguration the heavenly voice again calls Jesus the son (of God).

e. Matt 16:16: Peter confesses Jesus is the Christ, the son of living God.

f. Matt 14:32: The disciples confess Jesus as the son of God after Jesus walks on the water.

2. Jesus' References to Himself as Son of God

a. Matt 11:25-27 = Luke 10:21-22 

Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

Jesus refers to himself as the son (of God); what he says implies that, by virtue of being the son, he has a unique relationship to God. This unique relationship means that to him alone have all things been delivered, meaning that to the son has been given knowledge and authority withheld from others. Only the son knows the Father and the Father knows the son's true identity, implying that the Jesus as the son is more than he appears to be. The son may reveal the Father to others of his choosing. In this case, Jesus' use of the phrase "son" is more than a synonym for the Davidic Messiah.

b. Mark 13:32 (= Matt 24:36)

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Jesus says that no one knows the last days or hours, not the angels, not even the son; this reference to himself as the son implies that he has a special relationship with the Father, but even this relationship does not allow him access to knowledge of the time of the end.

B. The Gospel of John

1. Jesus as Son (of God)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to himself as the son (of God) and is referred to as the son. In addition, he frequently refers to the Father in such a way as to imply a unique relationship with him (as son). The stress is not on Jesus' identity as the Davidic Messiah, for which the term "son of God" can function as a synonym, but on the relational meaning of the term. But some uses of "son of God" in John are intended merely as synonyms for the Davidic Messiah. By calling himself "son," Jesus is claiming a unique relationship to God (the Father). In such contexts, Jesus speaks to a restricted audience, not to the general public indiscriminately.

a. John 1:49

Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Nathanael confesses that Jesus is the son of God, and Jesus accepts it. Nathanael probably intends "son of God" to be a designation for the Davidic Messiah, since it is in apposition to "King of Israel."

b. John 5:16-30, 36-45

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the son also does. 20 For the Father loves the son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son, 23 that all may honor the son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the son of man. 28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. 36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

Jesus discourses about himself as the son and his relation to the Father: 1. The son works as the Father works (5:17); 2. But the son only does what his sees his Father do (5:19); 3. The Father loves the son and shows him all that he does (5:20); 4. The son gives life to whom he will (5:21); 5. The Father has entrusted all judgment to the son (5:22); 6. The dead will hear the voice of the son and live; 7. As the Father has life in himself so He has granted the son to have life in Himself; 8. The son does the work that the Father has given him to do, and this testifies that the Father has sent him (5:36). (The "Jews" tried to kill Jesus because he was calling God his Father, which they interpreted as his making himself equal with God [5:18].)

c. John 6:46

No one has seen the Father, except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Jesus says that no one has seen the Father, by which he means God, except the one who is from the Father, referring to himself. Jesus is claiming that he alone has seen or knows God, because he is from God. Implicitly, by calling God the Father, he is calling himself the son of God.

d. John 6:57

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

Jesus says that just as the living Father has sent him and he lives because of the Father, so the one who feeds on him will live because of him. By calling God the Father, Jesus implies his identity as the son.

e. John 8:18-19

18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." 19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

Jesus says that if he did judge his decisions would be correct because he stands with his Father who has sent him. He adds, "If you knew me you would know my Father also." By calling God his Father, Jesus implies that he is the son of God.

f. John 8:36

So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed

Jesus says that if the son—referring to himself—sets you free, then you will be free indeed. By son he means "son of God," implying a unique relationship to God the Father. The freedom of which he speaks is freedom from sin and its consequences.

g. John 10:14-15

I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.

Jesus claims that the Father knows him and he knows the Father in a unique way. Calling God "the Father" implies Jesus self-identity as the son.

h. John 10:30

I and the Father are one.

Jesus says he and the Father are one. The oneness consists both in unity of purpose and a more profound unity of being. Jesus use of the term "my Father" implies his view of himself as "son of God."

i. John 10:31-38

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." 34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods' [Ps 82:6]? 35 If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's son'? 37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

Jesus is interpreted by his enemies as making himself out to be God by calling himself the son (of God); he defends his assertion with an argument from minor to major: If God calls "gods" to whom the word of God came (Ps 82:6), how much more should Jesus be called God's son, and not be accused of blasphemy.  Jesus is not asserting that everyone has the right to call himself "son" (of God) in the same sense that he does; rather he is claiming a unique relationship to God, which he expresses by means of "son." No one should be able to deny this. He explains obliquely that the relationship he as the son has with God the Father is that of a mutual indwelling: the Father is in me, and I in the Father. This mode of being related to God is unique to Jesus. Proof of his unique relationship to God the Father is his ability to do only what God could do, his miracles ("works").

j. John 11:27

Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, who was to come into the world."

Jesus accepts the designations Christ and son of God from Martha. In this case, these seem to be synonymous, so that son of God implies nothing about Jesus' unique relationship to God.

k. John 14:7, 9b

7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well....9b Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Jesus identifies "seeing" him in the sense of having experiential knowledge of him is the same as "seeing" his Father, by which he means knowing God. This is not true of anyone else, and so implies Jesus' sense of being uniquely related to God the Father. Calling God "my Father" implies Jesus' sense of unique sonship or otherwise he would have said "our Father."

l. John 14:10-11

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.

Jesus says that he is in the Father and the Father is in him and that it is the Father who is in him who is doing his work (see 10:38). To describe his relationship to God the Father as this mutual indwelling implies a unique relationship. Proof that this is true is the fact that Jesus alone can do the works of God, by which he means miracles beyond the ability of human beings. Jesus' reference to God as "the Father" impies his sense of sonship.

m. John 15:23

He who hates me hates my Father also.

Jesus says that the one who hates him hates his Father also. The implication is an identity between him and God the Father, not shared by anyone else. Jesus' use of the phrase "my Father" implies a unique sonship: Jesus as son of God..

2. Jesus' Pre-Existence (John 8:56-58)

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. 57 So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."

Jesus says, "Before Abraham was I am," which is not only a claim to pre-existence but a claim to equality and even identity with God, since "I am" is the name by which God revealed himself to Moses (Exod 3:14).

Question

In what sense does Jesus use the term son of God of himself?

1.4. Jesus as Son of Man

Unlike "Christ" and "son of God," the title "the son of man" is absent from the theology of the early church. Even though Jesus refers to himself most frequently in the gospels as "the son of man," sometimes in indisputable dependence on Dan 7:13, Paul, for example, never uses the term in his description of Jesus. In fact, outside of the gospels, the term occurs only in Acts 7:56 and Rev 1:13; 14:14, both of which are clear allusions to Dan 7:13 ("son of man" also occurs in Heb 2:6 as part of a quotation from Ps 8:5). There has been much debate over the meaning of this term, since the term (the) son of man (bar 'enash or bar 'enosh and bar nash or bar nasha') in Aramaic can be an idiomatic means of self-reference and also seems to be a pre-Christian messianic title. It seems that Jesus uses the term "the son of man" both idiomatically as a self-reference and titularly as a messianic title. He does this deliberately to conceal partially his self-conscious as the future Danielic son of man.

1.4.1. Relgious Historical Background

A. Son of Man as Eschatological Figure in Second-Temple Judaism

The Aramaic term "son of man" (bar 'enash) appears in Dan 7:13-14, where the eschatological kingdom is symbolized as the coming of "one like a son a man," in contradistinction to the four beasts representing four worldly kingdoms. This "one like a son of man" comes with the clouds of heaven; he approaches the ancient of days and is given an everlasting kingdom. To come on the clouds of heaven symbolizes the heavenly or divine origin of the kingdom. In the second-Temple text known as Similitudes of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71) there are references to the / that "son of man," in which the term is a title denoting a pre-existent being from heaven who descends to earth to sit upon the throne of judgment, to destroy the wicked of the earth, to deliver the righteous, and to reign in a kingdom of glory (1 Enoch 46:2-4; 48:2; 62:5-7, 13-14; 69:27-29). The same figure is also called "the Elect One" (49.2-4; 51.5a, 2-3; 61.8-9; 62.1), "the Righteous and Elect One" (53.6), "the Lord's Anointed" (48.10; 52.4) and even "the Light of the Gentiles" (48.4). Clearly, son of man is a title for the Messiah, but as a Messiah he exceeds his biblical parameters as a descendent of David. What apparently happened is that the "one like a son of man," as a symbol of the nation Israel destined to receive an eschatological kingdom, was individualized and identified with the Davidic Messiah, who would rule in that eschatological kingdom.  In addition, although the actual phrase "son of man" does not occur there, 4 Ezra 13 also understands the one like a son of man in Dan 7 as an eschatological deliverer and judge; he is, in other words, a messianic figure. Thus, it is probable that at the time of Jesus, (the) son of man functioned as a messianic title, denoting a pre-existent eschatological deliverer and judge; such a conception has its origins in a messianic and individualizing interpretation of "one like a son of man" in Dan 7:13-14.

B. "Son of Man" as Idiom of Self-Reference

The phrase "son of man" (bar 'enash or bar 'enosh) occurs as an idiom in Syrian and Aramaic texts from the pre-Christian period with either a generic sense (a human being) (1QapGen 21.13; 11QtgJob 9.9; 26.3) or with an indefinite sense (someone) (Sefire III.16) (Fitzmyer, Luke, 1.208-209; Collins, Daniel, 304-10). Furthermore, G. Vermes seeks to provide evidence from post-Christian talmudic writings that the phrase "son of man" (bar nash or bar nasha) can be used as a circumlocution for "I" or "me" ("The Use of bar nash / bar nasha' in Jewish Aramaic"; "Jesus the son of man" in Jesus the Jew). The purpose of using the term "son of man" in this manner is to avoid the directness of using the first person pronoun for the sake of modesty or delicacy.  M. Casey later modifies Vermes' position conceding that in examples cited by Vermes the term "son of man" in each of its uses denotes a class of human beings, but a class that includes the speaker, so that the term is still a form of self-designation (Son of Man).  (Lindars likewise agrees with Vermes that "son of man" is used as a means of self-reference, but criticizes him for not recognizing that the phrase is generic; critical of Casey also, he argues that the "idiomatic use of the generic article" (24)—"the son of man" [bar (e)nasha'] [rather than the anarthrous "son of man" (bar (e)nash)]—by which the speaker specifies a group of people with whom he identifies, stands behind Jesus' use of the term "son of man" [Jesus Son of Man, 17-28].)  Vermes' examples are admittedly late and for that reason are sometimes dismissed as irrelevant for a determination of the meaning of "son of man" for the time of Jesus (see Fitzmyer, "The NT Title 'Son of Man' Philologically Considered" in A Wandering Aramean, 143-60). Nevertheless, Vermes reasons that some of the later use of the term (the) son of man may reach back to an earlier period ("The Present State of the 'Son of Man' Debate," JJS 29 (1978) 123-34). Since, in the gospels, Jesus does indeed use the phrase "the son of man" as a simple self-designation, Vermes' position  is probably correct. Whether Jesus only intended the term "son of man" as a circumlocution is, however, debatable (see Caragounis, The Son of Man, 27-28).

1.4.2. Synoptic Gospels

A. Idiomatic Use of "Son of Man"

1. That the term "the son of man" is an idiomatic for self-reference is evidenced by the fact that in one version of a synoptic tradition, one finds "I" or "me," whereas in its parallel, the idiom "son of man" occurs.  In other words, in some of the gospel traditions translated into Greek, "I" or "me" and "son of man" are interchangeable; this probably reflects the Aramaic substratum of the gospel tradition, in which "(the) son of man" can be an idiomatic self-reference.

a. Mark 8:27 = Matt 16:13:  It is clear that in this case "son of man" (even in Greek) is nothing more than an idiom of self-reference. On the assumption that Matthew's version derives from Mark, then Matthew change the "I" to "son of man," perhaps knowing that this was Jesus' actual Aramaic usage.

b. Luke 6:22 = Matt 5:11: Jesus pronounces people "blessed" because of their allegiance to him (He means that they will be blessed in the eschatological future).  In Luke's version Jesus says "because of the son of man"; Matthew's version reads "because of me." Probably there were two variations of the same tradition in circulation, one which translated the Aramaic Vorlage literally as "son of man," whereas the other version rendered it less literally—but more comprehensibly to a Greek readership—as "me."

c. Luke 12:8 = Matt 10:32: Jesus ties a person's status before God at final judgment to that person's response to him and his proclamation.  It seems that there are two different versions of this saying with some slight variations in expression, reflecting probably two independent translations from the Aramaic. It is likely that in the original Aramaic version Jesus uses "son of man" (bar 'enash or bar nasha) as an idiom of self-reference, which in one translation into Greek was rendered literally as "the son of man" (ho huios tou anthropou) and in the other as "I."  Thus in Luke's version, Jesus says that "the son of man" will confess before the Father, whereas the Matthean text reads "I will confess."

2. Since the phrase "(the) son of man" can be an idiomatic self-reference (in Aramaic and then later in Greek translation), it is not surprising to discover some uses of the phrase in the gospel tradition in which it means nothing more than "I," with no obvious or necessary messianic implications.

a. Luke 9:58 = Matt 8:20:  In response to the pledge of a man to follow him wherever he goes, Jesus warns the man that this may entail homelessness and a certain amount of discomfort. He expresses this poetically by saying, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head."  By the term "son of man," it seems that Jesus means nothing more than "I" or someone in my situation.

b. Luke 7:31-35 = Matt 11:16-19:  Jesus contrasts his generation's response to John and himself.  John was said to be demonized because of his ascetic lifestyle, whereas the non-ascetic Jesus is accused of being "a glutton and a drunkard."  In this tradition, Jesus refers to himself as "son of man," which seems to mean nothing more than "I."

c. Luke 12:10 = Matt 12:32; see Mark 3:28-29:  Although the meaning of this saying is disputed, it seems that Jesus makes a distinction between speaking against him personally and repudiating his mission, i.e., denying that he is empowered by Holy Spirit.  An insult against Jesus is not necessarily a rejection of his mission, but to judge that Jesus is empowered otherwise than by the Holy Spirit (by Satan or an evil spirit) is to commit a sin that cannot be pardoned, since one has rejected the means by which eschatological forgiveness comes to Israel.  In this context, Jesus uses the phrase "the son of man" with the meaning of "I" or possibly with the more inclusive meaning of "I and any other human being."

B. Jesus' Use of Son as Man as Having Messianic Self-Reference

There are some instances where Jesus refers to himself as (the) son of man (bar 'enash or bar 'enash), but means more than "I" or someone in my situation. In such cases, he appears to be identifying himself with the exalted, messianic figure known as (the) son of man, especially in regard to his future role as judge, when he will appear at the end of the age  (Some of these passages have already been examined.)  Jesus' sayings in which he is identified as the future son of man are found in a rejection context and are usually directed to his disciples or to his opponents. In some of these saying the allusion to Dan 7:13 is undeniable. In addition, Jesus' depiction of himself as the son of man resembles that found in the Similitudes of Enoch, insofar as Jesus' self-designation as such implies his role eschatological judge; this seems to indicate that there was a son of man christology antedating Jesus which he adopted to explain his future role as eschatological judge.

1. Mark 8:38

For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Jesus explains to would-be disciples that following him will be difficult because his generation has rejected him and his proclamation. But the one who is ashamed of Jesus now will be condemned when Jesus as the son of man will return to judge (Mark "with his holy angels; see Dan 7:10 and 1 En 61:10 for references to angels). This saying assumes a period of time to elapse between Jesus' departure as rejected and his return in his capacity as son of man. This saying has been taken to imply that Jesus distinguishes between himself and the son man, the latter being an apocalyptic figure who will vindicate him and those who heeded his words (Higgins, Jesus and the Son of Man, 57-60; Tödt, The Son of Man in the Synoptic Tradition, 40-47)  The apparent distinction between Jesus and the son of man, however, reflects Jesus' distinct salvation-historical roles corresponding to his two appearances.

2. Mark 13:26-27 (= Matt 24:30-31 = Luke 21:27)

26 Then they will see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

The reference to the coming of the son of man "coming in clouds" (Mark 13:26), "coming on the clouds of the sky" (Matt 24:30) or "coming in a cloud" (Luke 21:27) are unmistakable allusions to the Danielic son of man (Dan 7:13).  Jesus is identifying himself with the eschatological figure of the son of man that developed from the representative use of the phrase found in Dan 7:13. Jesus' appearance as the son of man will occur at the end this age, the time of final deliverance and judgment. He is doing so probably under the influence of a son of man christology as reflected in the Similitudes of Enoch.

3. Mark 14:61-62 (= Matt 26:63-64 = Luke 22:68-69)

61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning him, and saying to him, "Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed One?" 62 And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see "the son of man sitting at the right hand of power" and "coming with the clouds of heaven."

At his trial, Jesus reluctantly agrees that he considers himself to be the Davidic Messiah, but immediately he qualifies his confession by saying that his Messiahship consists in his future exaltation as the son of man and his return. In a sense he is not yet the Messiah. Jesus is clearly alluding to the figure in Dan 7:13, which he and others in his day have interpreted as a messianic figure who will appear at the end. Jesus' statement about "sitting at the right hand of power" is an allusion to the messianic interpretation of Ps 110:1, which he is interpreting intertextually with Dan 7:13, in a pesher manner.

4. Matt 19.28

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus says that at the paliggenesia (culmination of the Kingdom of God) the son of man will sit upon his throne in glory (see Twelve Disciples). The paliggenesia denotes the culmination of the Kingdom of God, which includes the restoration of the twelve tribes to the land. The use of "son of man" is self-referential, so that Jesus is speaking about his future role at the time of the culmination of the Kingdom of God. But the use of the term is also intertextually allusive of Dan. 7.9-27; Jesus is implicitly identifying his future self as Daniel’s ‘one like the son of man’: ‘He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power’ (Dan. 7.13-14).

5. Luke 17:22-24, 26-35; 12:39-40 = Matt 24:27, 37-39, 42-44

Luke 17:22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the son of man, but you will not see it. 23 Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. 24 For the son of man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.	Matt 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the son of man.
Luke 17:26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the son of man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "It will be just like this on the day the son of man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot's wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."	Matt 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the son of man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the son of man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."	Matt 24:42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Jesus refers to the "days of the son of man" or "the coming of the son of man" by which he means the time of the end when he will return. His own return will bring disobedient human history to a close. He compares the suddenness of his coming as son of man to the appearance of lightning. In fact, the days of Noah offer a parallel to the days of the son of man:  just as in Noah's time, so in the days of the son of man judgment will come upon the world suddenly and unexpectedly. This is why the disciples are exhorted to be watchful.

6. For other references to Jesus as eschatological son of man, see Luke 18:8, 21:36; Matt 13:41; 16:28; 19:28; 25:31)

C. Unclear Uses of the Term "Son of Man"

There is a class of son of man saying in which it is not clear whether Jesus means simply "I" or the messianic figure of the son of man. No doubt, his hearers would have been similarly confused.

1. Mark 2:10 = Matt 9:6 = Luke 5:24:  It is not clear whether Jesus is saying "I have authority to forgive sins" or "I as the Messiah have authority to forgive sins."  His hearers would probably be equally undecided as to Jesus' meaning.

2. Mark 2:28 = Matt 12:8 = Luke 6:5:  Is Jesus saying that he as a human being has authority over the Sabbath, in which case all human beings would have an equal share of that authority, or is he saying that he as the Messiah has such authority?  It is intentionally ambiguous.

3. Luke 19:10 (see Matt 18:11):  When he responds to the criticism that he associates with sinners by saying, "The son of man came to seek and save what was lost," Jesus could be interpreted as making a claim to messiahship, to being the son of man, or as simply stating his understanding of his mission, so that "the son of man" is equivalent to "I."

4. Luke 22:48: Jesus asks Judas whether he intends to betray "the son of man" with a kiss, a gesture of friendship.  Was Jesus asking whether he was betraying the Messiah or did he intend "son of man" as merely a self-reference?

1.4.3. Gospel of John

In the Gospel of John, Jesus sometimes refers to himself as son of man. He affirms that the son of man pre-exists, and is sent by the Father into the world. In John 3:13, he says, "No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven, the son of man." In this passage, Jesus says about himself that his origin is from heaven, by which he means from God; this presupposes his pre-existence. Likewise in John 6:62, Jesus says, "What then if you see the son of man ascending to where he was before." To ascend is to return to God from whom he was sent. Jesus also says that he as the son of man has been given the authority to give eternal life: "Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give to you, for on him the Father, God, has set his seal (6:27). Thus, Jesus' understanding of the son of man in the Gospel of John is similar to that found in Similitudes of Enoch. (Jesus also speaks about the necessity of the death of the son of man, which has already been considered [John 3:14; 8:28; 12:23, 34; 13:31].) In dialogue with the man healed at the Pool of Siloam, Jesus asks him whether he believes in the son of man (9:35). From the context, he means more than "me" by the phrase "son of man," since the man responds by saying, "Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?" Rather, Jesus understands it as a title, which he claims for himself (9:37).

1.4.4. Summary

It is probable that Jesus stategically chose to refer to himself as "son of man." Because of the ambiguity of meaning of the term "son of man," Jesus, in using this term, could be interpreted as meaning "I or someone in my situation," "the eschatological figure of the son of man," or "I, as the eschatological figure of the son of man." His frequent and public use of this ambiguous term is consistent with his reticence to disclose his identity too readily. Yet the term is equally useful to disclose his self-understanding as the one who will come in the future to bring judgment, since there was a ready-to-hand son of man christology prevalent in his day. In some cases, however, his hearers could be not certain whether or not in his use of the phrase "son of man" Jesus intended to identify himself with the son of man as future eschatological judge; rather they may have imagined that Jesus was speaking of an eschatological figure other than himself. It seems that Jesus distances himself from the title son of man because he has yet to assume this role as eschatological judge in the future; in a sense he is not yet that son of man. It should be stressed also that Jesus' identification as son of man implies his pre-existence before his appearance in human history.

Question

What does Jesus mean when he refers to himself as the son of man?

 

Herod's Palace at Jericho Herod the Great built for himself a winter palace at Jericho, Being 1,000 feet below sea level, Jericho remains warm in the winter, when in other parts of Judea there may even be snow. Josephus writes, "The climate is so mild that the inhabitants wear linen when snow is falling throughout the rest of Judea" (War 4.473). Herod's engineers diverted water from springs in the nearby Wadi Qelt to supply water for gardens, baths and a large swimming pool. Large palm trees were planted for shade

1.5. Conclusion

Jesus did consider himself to be the Davidic Messiah or the son of God, but he was reluctant to let this be known too widely. When he spoke of himself as the son of God, he meant more than Davidic Messiah: he was usually referring to the unique relationship that he had with the Father. Jesus only identified himself publicly by the ambiguous term "son of man." The reason for Jesus' partial concealment of his identity is probably twofold.  First, there was the danger of people assuming wrongly that his main purpose was to lead a popular rebellion against the Romans and their Jewish collaborators. Second, Jesus aimed to present only enough data to cause people to inquire further; he wanted to prevent the apathetic, the unsympathetic and the hostile from knowing fully about his identity and purposes. Further inquiry was a manifestation of faith, which had its origin in the revelatory work of God (see Matt 16:17). As Ben Meyer expressed it, "Jesus' whole public performance was meant to be deciphered. His public life was accordingly a lived parable. It was designed to supply Israel with data apt to generate the conclusion: This is indeed "the coming one!" ("Master Builder and Copestone of the Portal: Images of the Mission of Jesus," Toronto Journal of Theology 9 (1993): 187-209, esp. 196.)
 
2.  Jesus' Teaching about Discipleship

Closely related to Jesus' teaching about the Kingdom of God are his sayings about discipleship. The choice to follow Jesus is a condition of entrance into the Kingdom of God; one cannot enter the Kingdom of God either preliminarily without being willing to become Jesus' follower or, finally, at time of the full eschatological reversal, without having been one. Jesus sees a person's relation to himself as determinate of that person's standing with God.

2.1. Mark 10:28-31 = Matt 19:27-30 = Luke 18:29-30

Jesus says that reward will be given to those who have followed him and sacrificed for him. This will take place "in this age" when his followers will receive all the good things that they have denied in the present. Jesus seems to mean that his followers will be rewarded when the Kingdom of God comes to its full realization, which is still part of "this age." Jesus also says that those who have followed him will receive "eternal life" "in the age to come" at which time there will be a reversal of statuses: "The last will be first and the first will be last." In the context, he is probably referring to the period after the full realization of the Kingdom of God. Exactly how this "eternal life" will differ from receiving reward in the future Kingdom is not explained.

2.2. Luke 9:59-60 = Matt 8:21-22

Jesus demands that those who follow him do so immediately and unconditionally: "Let the dead bury their own dead" (Luke: "You depart and preach the Kingdom of God"). To follow Jesus is to accept his message of the Kingdom of God and to repent.  As in most cultures, a son had a strong obligation to provide his deceased father with a proper burial (see Tobit 4:3; 6:15); the early rabbis even exempted a man from reciting the Shema, from the Tefillah (Eighteen Benedictions) and from Tefillin (wearing phylacteries) in order to fulfill his duty to bury his dead (m. Ber. 3.1) (see Hengel, The Charismatic Leader and His Followers, 3-15). Of course, Jesus' directive for the literal dead to bury the literal dead is absurd, which has led many commentators to interpret the first reference to the dead metaphorically as the "spiritually" dead (Fitzmyer, Luke, 833-37; Bultmann, TDNT, 4. 893; Hengel, The Charismatic Leader and His Followers, 8. This is possible, but probably not as likely as interpreting Jesus as using extreme hyperbole, to the point of absurdity, to make the point that no obligation can take priority over following him (and preaching the Kingdom of God) (Perrin, Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus, 144; Manson, The Sayings of Jesus, 72-73). To say "Let the dead bury the dead" is to say "Let the dead remain unburied," if this is an obstacle to following Jesus. In other words, no duty, however important, can take priority over following Jesus.

2.3. Luke 14:26-27 = Matt 10:37-39

Matthew and Luke each has a version of a saying in which Jesus teaches that becoming his disciple entails an unconditional commitment to him, which he expresses as loving him more than members of one's family (see Gospel of Thomas, 55 for another version). In the Lukan version, Jesus says that a would-be disciple must "hate" (misei) "father and mother, wife and children, sisters and brothers, and even his own self (tên psuchên heautou)"; "to hate" is a Semitism, meaning "to love less" (Gen 29:31-33; Deut 21:15-17; 2 Sam 19:7; Prov 13:24; Isa 60:15; Mal 1:2-3 (Jeremias, New Testament Theology, 224; Marshall, Luke, 592). Matthew's version correctly renders the meaning of this idiom: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt 10:37).

    Matthew and Luke have another saying following Luke 14:26 = Matt 10:37 in which Jesus says, in order to be a follower Jesus, one must bear one's cross. He means that to be his follower a person must be willing to suffer persecution and martyrdom for his sake and the sake of the Kingdom of God. The Jews were familiar with the Roman practice of compelling a condemned man to carry his own cross.

2.4. Luke 17:33 = Matt 10:39

Jesus teaches that the one who loses his or her life for his sake will gain it. Jesus means that the one who is martyred for his sake will find eternal life at the time of the resurrection. This is part of the eschatological reversal, which extends to those who have died unjustly.

2.5. Luke 9:61-62

Jesus teaches that the cost of becoming a disciple is high, so that a person cannot even return to say farewell to his family; such a person is not worthy of the Kingdom of God. Thus, to enter the Kingdom of God and to be a disciple of Jesus are inseparable. Jesus is probably using hyperbole to make the point that becoming a disciple takes priority over all natural relationships. It would seem that Jesus uses a common proverb to make his point: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."  To look back when plowing results in crooked furrows (see Marshall, Luke, 412). Jesus' point is that no one who "looks back" to his old life after having become a disciple and begun working for the Kingdom of God will succeed at that work. He will be double-minded and too distracted. What is required is absolute commitment.

2.6. Luke 14:28-33

Because he demands that a person give up everything to become his disciple, Jesus urges would-be disciples to consider carefully what is required of them. He uses two examples to make the point that what is required of would-be disciples is a total commitment: the man who frivolously begins a construction project or the king who casually decides to make war will fail in their endeavors, because total commitment of resources is required for success. Jesus concludes, "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."

2.7. Matt 11:28-30

Jesus invites people to come to him and he will give them rest; they are to take his yoke upon themselves and learn from him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light; the result will be that those who do so will find rest. The metaphor of taking on a yoke is found in Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira 51:26: the author instructs his readers to put their necks under the yoke of (a personified) wisdom and receive instruction. Elsewhere in Sirach, wisdom is equated with the Law (Sir 1:8-27; 3:17-24; 15:1; 21:11; 34:8; 39:6-11; see also Bar 3:9-4:4; 1 Enoch 69:9-12).  Similarly, in Ps. Sol. 7:8, the author describes Israel as under God's yoke, meaning under obligation to obey the Law. In several early rabbinic texts, likewise, one finds the metaphor of the yoke of the Law, the yoke of the commandments or the yoke of Heaven, which means the yoke of God (m. Abot 3.5; Sipra Leviticus 11:45 121 [Parashat Shemini Pereq 12]; Sipre Deut 117; Sipra Leviticus 255 [Parashat Behar Parashah 5]) (see also Sipre Deut 93 for a description of the wicked as being "without the yoke"). In Sipre Deut 323, one even finds a reference to accepting upon oneself "the yoke of the kingdom of heaven." (In m. Ber. 2.2, R. Judah b. Korcha says that one takes on the yoke of kingdom of heaven and then the yoke of commandments, meaning that one submits to God' s rule first and then as a manifestation of this submission one takes upon oneself the obligation to keep the commandments.)  It is not difficult to imagine the Pharisees and other Jewish religious groups in Jesus' day as describing a life of obedience to the Law as taking on the yoke of the Law or the commandments or of Heaven (God); in fact all the evidence points in that direction. What Jesus means is that, as the representative and mediator of the Kingdom of God, people can find the rest that comes from submitting themselves to his authority and learning from him; although he does not say why this is true, according to Jesus, to do so is much easier as compared to the other religious options available. Jesus may have in mind the burden that learning all the Pharisaic oral tradition imposes upon those without adequate resources or opportunity to do so (see Matt 23:4). Jesus adds that he is gentle and humble of heart, which could explain why becoming a disciple is such a positive experience:  A disciple is not exploited and oppressed by one's teacher.  It should also be pointed out that, in calling others to come to him, to take his yoke and to learn from him,  Jesus is casting himself in the role of personified wisdom (see Prov 1:20-33; 8:1-36; Sir 24:19-22; 51:23-27; Wis 6-11).

2.8. Summary

To enter the Kingdom of God is to synonymous with becoming a follower of Jesus; the one who repents and believes Jesus' message is required to submit unconditionally to Jesus' demand to become a disciple (Luke 9:59-60 = Matt 8:21-22; Luke 14:26-27 = Matt 10:37-39; Luke 9:61-62; Luke 14:28-33). Jesus' describes becoming his followers as taking his yoke upon themselves and learning of him, which, surprisingly, is not at all difficult and burdensome (Matt 11:28-30).  Jesus promises that in "the age to come," disciples will be rewarded: "The last will be first and the first will be last" (Mark 10:28-31 = Matt 19:27-30 = Luke 18:29-30); those who have been martyred for Jesus' sake will find eternal life (Luke 17:33 = Matt 10:39).

 
  Question

What does Jesus teach about discipleship?

 

Source

Interior of Cave Four at Qumran Cave four at Qumran contained the most manuscripts of all the caves. Unfortunately, unlike cave one, no complete scrolls were discovered in cave four, but only a heap of fragments, which researchers have been working to piece together. So far, 520 partial texts have been identified.

3. Jesus' Teaching on Prayer and Faith

3.1. Luke 11:2-4 = Matt 6:9-13

In Luke, Jesus gives a prayer to his disciples in response their request for a prayer like the one John (the Baptist) gave to his disciples; in Matthew there is no such introduction.

There are two versions of the "Lord's Prayer," a longer and a shorter one. (There is an even longer version in Didache 8:2.) Probably the longer version in Matt 6:9-13 is the result of Matthean redaction for the purpose of expressing more clearly what is found in the shorter, but more original version represented by Luke 11:2-4 (see Schulz, Die Spruchquelle, 84-86; Fitzmyer, Luke, 2.896-901). (It must be remembered that Jesus gave the prayer in Aramaic, so that both Matt 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 are translations.) First, Matthew's "Our father, who is in the heavens" (Patêr humôn ho en tois ouranois) is probably an expansion of the terse "Father" (Patêr) in Luke 11:2. The expression "Our/my Father in (the) heavens" occurs with frequency in Matthew (5:16, 45; 6:1; 7:11, 21; 10:32-33; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10, 14, 19). In one case, Matthew adds the expression to his Markan source (Matt 12:50 = Mark 3:35). Similarly, in the Lukan parallel to Matt 7:11 (= Luke 11:13) there occurs the expression "the Father who is from heaven" (ho patêr ho ex ouranou) and in the parallel to Matt 10:32-33 in Luke 12:8-9 there is found the expression "the angels of God" (tôn aggelôn tou theou) rather than Matthew's "my Father who is in (the) heavens." In addition, Matthew has the personal pronoun modifying Father in 6:4, 6, 18; 10:20. Second, Matthew probably added the phrase "May your will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (genêthêtô to thelêma sou hôs en ourano kai epi gês), in order to explain what it means for the Kingdom of God to come. Thus, the two clauses stand in synthetic parallelism. But it is also possible that this line was already present in Matthew's version. Third, Matthew may have added the phrase "But deliver us from the evil one" (alla rusai hêmas apo tou ponêrou). This is not to say that Luke did not redact his source. The introduction in Luke 11:1 certainly bears the signs of Lukan redaction (Jeremias, Die Sprache des Lukasevangeliums, 195). Luke is probably responsible for changing the adverb sêmeran ("today") (Matt 6:11) to the distributive phrase to kath' hêmeran ("each day") (Luke 11:3), since the phrase kath' hêmeran only occurs in Luke's writings (Luke 19:47; Acts 17:11). Similarly, Luke probably replaced the original opheilêmata ("debts") (Matt 6:12) with hamartias ("sins") (Luke 11:4), since opheilêmata is an Aramaism that would not be fully intelligible to a Greek reader. Luke's kai gar, different from hôs kai (Matt 6:12), may also be, since this phrase is common in Luke's writings. Apart from these, the other differences between the two versions include: Matthew has the aorist dos ("give") different from Luke's present imperative didou ("give"); Matthew has hêmeis aphêkamen (" we have forgiven") different from Luke's autoi aphiomen ("we ourselves forgive"); and Matthew has tois apheiletais hêmôn ("our debtors") rather than Luke's panti apheilonti hêmin ("all who are indebted to us"). It is impossible to determine with any certainty in each case which of the two variants is the more original, if any, because these may represent two independent translations of the Aramaic original.

After the direct address "Father" (patêr), a translation of the Aramaic 'abba, occurs two eschatological petitions: "May your name be made holy" and "May your kingdom come." God's name is synonymous with God or at least with God as known to human beings. To make God's name holy is an idiom, meaning to give the reverence and obedience that is due to God (see Isa 29:23; Ezek. 36:22-23; Sipre Deut 306; Sipra Leviticus 195 [Parashat Qedoshim Parashah 1]). The opposite of making God's name holy is to profane the name of God (See Moore, Judaism, 2.100-111). The disciples are also to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, the time when God's name will be made holy. This will be the time when God's will will done by human beings as it is done by God's angels, as Matthew explains. As Jeremias points out, the first two petitions in the Lord's Prayer are similar to the Kaddish, an ancient Jewish prayer, composed in Aramaic, and recited in the time of Jesus (New Testament Theology, 197-99):

Exalted and hallowed (holy) be His great Name
Throughout the world which He has created according to His will,
May his kingdom reign in your life and in your days and in the lifetime of the entire house of Israel, speedily and soon.
May His great Name be blessed in this world and in all worlds.
And to this, say:  Amen

3.2. Mark 11:23-25 = Matt 21:21-22

After they notice that the fig tree that Jesus cursed earlier has now dried up, the disciples marvel. Jesus exhorts them to have faith in God, and then teaches them about the power of believing prayer (Mark 11:22-23 = Matt 21:21).The implication is that Jesus used faith to cause the fig tree to become withered and that the same power is available to the disciples. He teaches that with faith everything is possible, even the causing of the removal of "this" mountain into the sea, a proverbially impossible task. Jesus could be referring to the Mount of Olives, which is to be thrown into the Dead Sea, visible from the former; the Mount of Olives lies between the Temple and Bethany, where Jesus resided (Mark 11:12) (Lane, Mark, 410). Following this is another saying in which Jesus teaches that when one asks for something from God in prayer a condition of receiving the request is faith (Mark 11:24 = Matt 21:22). The final Markan saying cautions against asking while harboring unforgiveness against another when praying; a condition of being forgiven by God is forgiveness of others (Mark 11:25). The implication is that one's prayers will not be heard if the one praying has unforgiven sin. (Matthew omits this saying, perhaps because he includes similar non-Markan sayings elsewhere in his gospel [Matt 5:23; 6:9; 6:14-15].)

3.3. Luke 11:9-13 = Matt 7:7-11

In Luke 11:9-12 = Matt 7:7-11 are found two sayings on prayer and faith. In the first saying (Luke 11:9-10 = Matt 7:7-8), verbally identical in each gospel, Jesus teaches in poetic form that the one who in faith asks God for something will receive it (see Burney, The Poetry of Our Lord, 67, 83, 114). He makes three parallel statements Luke 11:9 = Matt 7:7): "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you," which are are reinforced in the three shorter lines that follow in Luke 11:10 = Matt 7:8:  "He who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

    In the second saying (Luke 11:11-12 = Matt 7:9-11), using the analogy of a human father and his benevolent attitude towards his own children, Jesus instructs his disciples to expect God to answer their prayers. In other words, he argues from minor to major that, if human fathers are good to their children, then surely God will be good to His spiritual children. There are differences between the two versions of this saying. In Matthew, Jesus asks, "Which man from among you, whose  son asks for bread will give him a stone, or whose son asks for a fish will give him a snake?" Syntactically, Jesus' question is really a conditional sentence, the questions functioning as the apodosis and the protasis being supplied by the relative clauses relating to the son's requests: if a man's son asks for either bread or a fish, a man will surely not give him a stone or a snake. In the Lukan version, Jesus likewise makes a conditional proposition in the form of a question; different from Matthew, however, the son asks his father for a fish and an egg:  "Which father from among you, when his son asks him for a fish will give him a snake or when he asks him for an egg will give him a scorpion?" (In some manuscripts of Luke, after "son" (huios), is found the phrase "bread, not a son will he give to him, or [also]," but this is clearly an assimilation to the Matthean text).  Those who assume that Matthew and Luke each derives the saying from the so-called Q source attempt to determine which of the two versions best represents the hypothetical original (For a list of suggestions, see Marshall, Luke, 469). It is probable, however, that there were two different versions of this saying in circulation, and this because Jesus used this saying more than once and varied its wording. Nevertheless, in spite of the differences, Jesus' point is clear: human beings should expect good things from God, and not bad, since God is at least as good as human fathers.

    Jesus continues his argument from minor to major in Luke 11:13 = Matt 7:11. He reasons that, if evil human fathers give "good gifts" (domata agatha) to their children, then surely the heavenly Father will be at least equally as generous. In Matthew's version, Jesus asks, "How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him," whereas in Luke's version, rather than good things, Jesus says that God will give a or the "Holy Spirit" to those who ask Him. Scholars who accept the existence of the hypothetical document Q usually judge that Luke has change the original reading, represented by Matthew, on account of his particular interest in the Spirit (see Luke 1:15, 35, 41, 67, 80; 2:25, 26, 27; 3:16, 22; 4:1 [bis], 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13; 12:10, 12; 24:49) (Fitzmyer, Luke, 913-17; Ellis; Luke, 166). But, it is possible that there were two different versions of this saying in circulation, both originating with Jesus; the gift of a holy spirit or spirit of holiness was a part of Jewish eschatological expectation (see John the Baptist).

Josephus reports that that Herod the Great was buried at Herodion, and recent excavations may have uncovered what may be the remains of Herod's sarcophagus. It seems that Herod's sarcophagus was broken into many pieces, perhaps by the revolutionaries who took refuge in the Herodion during the Jewish war with Rome. From the partial reconstruction, it can be determined that the sarcophagus was ornate with floral decoration. No bodily remains have turned up, however.

3.4. Luke 17:5-6; Matt 17:20

Matthew and Luke have two different sayings that make the same point about the power of faith. What they share in common is the use of the metaphor of the mustard seed: faith can be as small as the proverbial mustard seed in order to achieve great results (Perrin, Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus, 138). (Matthew appends the saying to the Markan narrative about the inability of the disciples to exorcize "a dumb spirit" from a boy, whereas Luke includes it among a collection of sayings in 17:1-10.) The results that are achievable by faith are described with two different metaphors of contrast.  Faith as small as a mustard can move a mountain in Matt 17:20 (see Matt 21:21 = Mark 11:23), whereas in Luke 17:6 it can uproot a sycamore tree, known for its deep roots (see m. B. Bat. 2.11).

3.5. Luke 11:5-8

In Luke 11:5-8, situated by Luke after the Lord's Prayer, is found a saying about the need for persistence in prayer (see Bonsirven, Le règne de Dieu, 169-73). Jesus makes the point by telling the parable of the man who importunes his neighbor at night until the neighbor finally gets out of bed and gives the man what he wants. Jesus argues from minor to major: if an unwilling man will finally give a another man what he wants because of his persistence, how much more will a willing God give to those who persist in asking for something. The parable begins with the formula, "Who among you...?" (tis ex humôn), which is characteristic of other Lukan parables (see 11:11; 12:25; 14:28; 15:4; 17:7; 14:31; 15:8). Jesus begins this way in order to engage his hearers and cause them to judge for themselves and thereby judge themselves. The expected answer is either "No one" or "Everyone," depending on the situation described. (Jeremias claims that by appending Luke 11:9-13 to the parable, Luke has provided it with an interpretation that distorts Jesus' original meaning. Jeremias holds that the point of the parable was to depict God as the helping friend, whereas Luke's interpretation focuses on the need for persistent prayer [The Parables of Jesus, 105; 157-59]. But Jeremias' position seems improbable, especially given the Parable of  the Persistent Widow, which is parallel in meaning [Luke 18:1-8].)

3.6. Luke 18:1-8

Jesus teaches that God is well-disposed towards those who petition him in prayer, although such petitioning must be done with perseverance.  Luke explains that "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1), thereby guiding the reader in its interpretation. Jesus compares the one who asks of God to a widow who harasses a judge for so long that he finally gives her what she wants, justice. God is like the judge, not in being unwilling to give justice, but because, for whatever reason, sometimes God must be "harassed" until He gives what is requested by the petitioner.

3.7. Matt 6:5-8

Jesus teaches how not to pray: One should not pray to make a favorable impression on onlookers like "the hypocrites," and one should not pray as the pagans, with repetitious babbling.

 
  Question

What does Jesus teach about prayer and faith?

4. Miscellaneous Teachings of Jesus

4.1. Matt 5:14, 16; Mark 4:21 = Luke 8:16-17; Luke 11:33 = Matt 5:15

Jesus calls the disciples "the light of the world," by which he means that they communicate God's truth and salvation to all who have contact with them; they cannot hide their "light-nature" any more than a city on a hill can be concealed from view. Jesus encourages those who follow him to let their lights shine so that people will see their good works and glorify God (Matt 5:14, 16). Jesus also compares the one who enters the Kingdom of God to a light that is not to be placed under a basket but set upon a lamp stand. The point is that such a one should make it known that he or she has entered the Kingdom of God (Mark 4:21 = Luke 8:16-17; Luke 11:33 = Matt 5:15).

4.2. Mark 3:33-35 = Matt 12:48-50 = Luke 8:21

Jesus says to the crowd that his true mothers and brothers are those who do the will of God. In Jesus' view, whether one does the will of God has priority over everything else. It is God's will that Jesus' hearers believe the message of the Kingdom of God and repent.

4.3. Luke 6:41-42 = Matt 7:3-5

Using the metaphor of the beam and speck of wood in eyes, Jesus speaks against hypocritical judging: only he who is without fault can justifiably judge others. The picture is intentionally bizarre to stress how inappropriate it is to judge when one is as guilty as the one whom one judges.

4.4. Mark 4:25 = Matt 13:12 = Luke 8:18 (see doublet in Luke 19:26 = Matt 25:29)

Included as one of a collection of three sayings in Mark 4:21-25 is a saying in which Jesus sets forth a principle according to which God relates to human beings. Jesus teaches that the one who has it shall be given to him, but the one who does not have, whatever he does have, will be taken away. (As already indicated, Matthew interpolates into his Markan source  either this Markan saying [Mark 4:25 = Luke 8:18b] or a non-Markan version of the same saying, placing this in relation to Jesus' explanation of why he teaches in parables. The version of the saying in the doublet in Luke 19:26 = Matt 25:29 does not differ substantially from Mark 4:25.) The point seems to be that God gives both abundantly and selectively; what is implied in Jesus' saying is that God gives on the condition of faith, so that faith receives abundantly from God, where the lack of faith loses what little it has.

4.5. Luke 6:39 = Matt 15:14

Jesus says if the blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch, by which he means that one must be careful in one's choice of teachers.

4.6. Mark 4:24; Matt 7:2; Luke 6:38

In what appears to be three independent traditions, Jesus teaches that God will deal with a person in the same way that the person has dealt with others: "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This idea is also found in early rabbinic literature, some of which dates from before Jesus; thus, Jesus' teaching is likely not unique to him. In early rabbinic material, it is affirmed that  punishment for transgression is not arbitrarily meted out.  Rather, there is an appropriateness to each act of  retributive  justice. As the early rabbis put it, "By the measure that one metes out  to others one is also measured."  The appropriateness consists in the fact that a person is dealt with in the way that he or she has dealt  with others. For example, Moses' exclusion of Miriam from the camp for  seven  days on account  of  her  leprous  condition  is  seen  as  appropriate  punishment for  someone who  abandoned  her  baby  brother  Moses ("stood at a distance") after placing him in the water (Exod  2:4) (Sipre Num CVI:II 2.A; see also Mek.  Beshallah  1.108-10,  194-95; 6.137-40; Mek. Shirata 4.80-101;  5.25-26;  6.104-105; Mek.  Amalek 2.1-11;  Sipre  Deut 296,  308). In Luke 6:38, it is added that God will give to a person in proportion to his giving to others:  "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." This is a restatement of this principle of the measure.

4.7. Luke 10:25-37

In response to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan to make the point that one's neighbor is anyone in need. In the parable, it is the Samaritan who is a "neighbor" to the injured man, not the priest or Levite, both Jews involved in  Temple service. The parable would have a jarring effect on the sensibilities of his hearers, because of the general antipathy of Jews towards Samaritans. The narrative concludes: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Scroll Jar from Qumran

4QTestimonium (4Q175)

4.8. Luke 12:16-21

Jesus warns that, unlike the rich fool who accumulates only material wealth, a person must choose to become rich before God. To become rich towards God is to do accumulate deeds that really matter to God (see Matt 6:19-20).

4.9. Luke 16:13 = Matt 6:24

Jesus says that a person cannot serve mammon and God at the same time. (Mammon is an Aramaic word for wealth.)  Jesus is saying that it is impossible to have as one's life goal the accumulation of wealth and the goal of obeying and thereby pleasing God. The two are incompatible because the realization of the aim to accumulate wealth will at times prevent a person from obeying God, because to do the latter is not always financially profitable. In addition to pursue wealth as a life goal will require a general moral laxity, since moral scruples may interfere with profit.

4.10. Luke 17:7-10

Using a parable, Jesus explains that servants who merely do their duty are not to be praised. The same is true of those who do their duty towards God.  When he obeys God, a man has only done he should have done, and therefore is not worthy of praise.

4.11. Mark 3:28-30 = Matt 12:31a, 32b; Matt 12:31b-32a = Luke 12:10

Jesus says that the one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. To speak against the Holy Spirit is to reject the message of the Kingdom of God and its messenger.

4.12. Mark 9:33-37 = Matt 18:1-5 = Luke 9:46-48; Mark 10:42-44 = Matt 20:25-27; Luke 22:25-27

Jesus says that the one who wants to be first must become the servant of all. There is to be a reversal of values in the Kingdom of Heaven, so that the one who serves others will be considered great.

4.13. Mark 11:25; Matt 6:14-15

In two independent sayings, Jesus teaches that divine forgiveness is conditional on forgiving others.

4.14. Mark 12:41-44 = Luke 21:1-4

Jesus commends a widow for giving all she had to the temple; he was commending her not merely for her generosity, but also for her faith:  in giving all that she had, she was thereby trusting God to provide for her needs.

4.15. Luke 6:37 = Matt 7:1

Jesus teaches that a person ought not to judge, because judging others will bring God's judgment on the one who judges.

4.16. Luke 6:40 = Matt 10:24-25a

In two versions of the same tradition, Jesus teaches that a student or disciple is not above his teacher or master; all that a student or disciple can hope for is to be equal with his teacher or master. so that the disciple will share the fate of his master. The intended application of this saying, however, is not clear.

4.17. Luke 12:33-34 = Matt 6:19-21

The two versions of this tradition are different at points, but may originate from a common source. In Luke's version, Jesus teaches his disciples that, by giving to the poor, they store up treasure in heaven; in Matthew's version, Jesus likewise speaks about storing up treasure in heaven and not on earth, but says nothing about the means by which this is done:  giving to the poor. To store up treasure in heaven is to gain God's approval and reward through obedience, which, in this case, as Luke indicates, is through giving to the poor. The Torah requires protection of and generosity to the poor (see Exod 23:6; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut 15:7-11; 24:14-15); in Deut 15:10b, it is promised: "Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."  In other words, reward is promised to the one who is generous to the poor.

    In the second-Temple period, the giving of alms was required of the righteous, and, in accordance with the Torah, the righteous were promised reward for their obedience to the Torah in being generous to the poor.  In Tobit, the angel Raphael recommends to Tobit almsgiving with righteousness, "For almsgiving saves from death and cleanses from every sin" (12:9). In another passage almsgiving is compared in its efficacy to "a good offering...before the Most High" (4:9-11) (see also 14:10).  The righteous person who is generous to the poor assures for himself or herself protection from premature death and the possibility of being cleansed from any and every sin.  In other words, because of his or her past record, God in his mercy will exempt such a one from the consequences of his or her uncharacteristic sins. (This may explain why after Tobit was scourged, God had mercy on him [11:15]).  Similarly, Ben Sirach says that giving alms to the poor not only protects a person from misfortune (29:9-13; 40:17, 24), but actually atones for sins (3:30).  In Sipre Deut 117, which is a midrash on Deut 15:9-10, how God rewards the one who is generous to the poor is described in detail:

If a person had said that he would give and then gave, he would receive one reward for the saying and another reward for the act of giving.  If he had said that he would give but was then unable to do so, he would receive a reward a reward for the saying equivalent to the act of giving.  If he did not say that he would give but told others to give, he would receive a reward for that, as it is said, "Because that for this thing."  If he neither said that he would give nor told others to give, but comforted the donee with kind words, whence do we learn that he would receive a reward even for that?  From the statement, "Because that for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work.

    The reward that Jesus promises to his disciples for their generosity to the poor is to be stored up in heaven, by which he means with God; it seems that Jesus is speaking of eschatological reward, to be given after the eschatological reversal at the time of final judgment.  Jesus adds, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  This probably means that, when they store up eschatological reward for themselves by their generosity to the poor, the disciples will be characterized as those who eschew this age and its meager benefits and wait for the age to come, the Kingdom of God.

4.18. Luke 17:3b = Matt 18:15

In what appears to be two versions of the same saying, Jesus teaches that one must rebuke a brother if he sins. In Luke's version, one must forgive a brother who repents, whereas in Matthew, Jesus says that the one who rebukes a brother has won him over if he heeds the rebuke (The assumption is that he repents.)

4.19. Luke 17:4 = Matt 18:21-22

In two independent sayings, Jesus teaches that there is no limit on the number of times one must forgive.

4.20. Luke 6:36 (see Matt 5:48)

Jesus requires that his followers be merciful as God is merciful.

4.21. Luke 11:27-28

Jesus teaches that true blessedness comes from hearing the word of God and doing it.

4.22. Matt 5:48 (see Luke 6:36)

Jesus requires that his followers be perfect as God is perfect.

4.23. Luke 14:12-14

Jesus advises those giving dinners or feasts to invite those who cannot repay them, for God will repay them at the resurrection of the righteous. God's rewards for obedience at the resurrection of the righteous is an aspect of the Kingdom of God in its future realization.

4.24. Matt 19:11-12

Jesus allows for the possibility that there would be voluntary eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven, by which he means those who refrain from marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.

4.25. Acts 20:35

This saying of Jesus is not found in the gospels, but is cited by Paul.  Paul quotes Jesus as saying that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  The meaning is that a person who gives to others in the end will receive more in return (blessedness) than if he had received; the principle at work in creation is that, ironically, giving leads to receiving even more than one gave.  It is the same idea expressed in Mark 4:24; Matt 7:2; Luke 6:38.

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