Jesus's Self Understanding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jesus's Self Understanding - Essay Example This paper also attempts to answer the question, "Who is Jesus" along with a short background of his childhood, His Obedience to his heavenly Father and his Death. The third part tells about Jesus' Ministry, his disciples and his Teachings. It also tells us of birth of Christianity. This is an exploratory essay, and so the highlight of this paper is in the last part, where his obedience to his Father's will be discussed. Nonetheless, all parts of this paper have equal significance, as it contributes to the whole scheme of thought. The Bible tells us the story of Creation which explains the existence of everything living on Earth. The story of Adam and Eve is not only a story of Creation but an account of the Disobedience of Man,3 also known as the " Fall of Man". Then came the story of Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve; is a narrative of the first crime of murder committed. There is a long list what was said to be the " Wickedness of Man"4. The Bible though, is not only about the evil that man can do, also tells of the gifts the Lord has given to man. Abraham has made a covenant with the Lord; Moses received the Ten Commandments that will ensure the man's salvation. As long list of kings has fought in the name of the Lord waiting for the promise of the Redeemer5 that was given to Adam and Eve after the Fall. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES The most common religious practices before Jesus' time were Paganism and Idolatry. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller, rustic") is the blanket term given to describe religions and spiritual practices of pre-Christian Europe, and by extension a term for polytheistictraditions or folk religionworldwide seen from a Western or Christian viewpoint. The term has various different meanings, though, from a Western perspective, it has modern connotations of a faith that has polytheistic, spiritualist, animistic or shamanic practices, such as a folk religion, historical polytheistic or neopagan religion6. Idolatry, defined as worship of any cult image, idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. It is considered a major sin in the Abrahamic religions whereas in religions where such activity is not considered as sin, the term "idolatry" itself is absent. Which images, ideas, and objects, constitute idolatry, and which constitute reasonable worship, is a matter of contention with some religious authorities and groups using the term to describe certain other religions apart from their own (sometimes resulting in iconoclasm)7. THE PREPARATION OF THE COMING OF CHRIST The promise found in the Old testament, " Out of the fullness of his grace, he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after the another. God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.8 " The Bible is tattered with many announcement of the coming of the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14-15, " therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will