12. The Divine Mission of Jesus
25. Jesus Affirmed that He Had Been Sent by God
After establishing the historicity of the Gospels, we know that they narrate real events. But what did Jesus say of himself?
That Jesus affirmed that he had been sent by God is particularly clear in the Gospel of John. The expression “he who sent me” appears more than 20 times. Jesus calls himself “he whom God has sent” five times. He affirms, “I came from the Father” (Jn 16:28), and, “I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me” (Jn 8:28).
This affirmation clearly appears in the synoptic Gospels also. Jesus’ actions are the fulfillment of a divine mission. Either the expression “for this I have come” or a rephrasing of that expression appear at least eight times. He acts as someone with authority; accepting him or his words amounts to accepting the One who sent him.
Jesus acts with great freedom, and, at the same time, his obedience to the Father is unshakable.
Jesus is aware that the different moments of his life are mapped out. Thus, he tells his followers that his time has not yet come, that it is drawing near, or that it has arrived.
This mission of Christ entails the obligation to announce the “Good News”—the Gospel. He knows this and regularly acknowledges it in his speech.
26. Jesus Affirmed that He Was the Messiah
Jesus did not reveal his Messianic character to everyone, or reveal it from the beginning. He revealed it progressively, only to those who could understand it or had some sort of right to demand a clear admission from him. Given the then-prevailing misconceptions about the Messiah, a more open avowal would have obscured and jeopardized his mission.
Thus, his answers to the emissaries of John the Baptist, his apostles near Caesarea Philippi, and Caiaphas during his interrogation at the beginning of the Passion reveal that the Messianic signs were already present in him.1
27. Messianic Titles Claimed by Jesus
Jesus accepted the title of Messiah (“anointed” in Hebrew) and used it himself (the Greek text of the Gospel uses Christ, which is the Greek term for “anointed”). Likewise, he accepted the title of Son of David during his triumphal entry in Jerusalem. At the same time, Jesus refuted the ideas about the Messiah commonly held at the time. He explicitly rejected its strong political and nationalistic connotations: He said that what belongs to Caesar has to be given to Caesar, he refused to judge the partition of an inheritance, and he fled from the crowd when they wanted to proclaim him king. In spite of this rejection of popular conceptions of the Messiah, Jesus did embrace his true Messianic role and, in doing so, set himself above the law.
Nevertheless, Jesus preferred the title Son of Man—the one he frequently gives to himself. This expression appears about 70 times in the synoptics and ten times in St. John’s Gospel. It is seldom used in the other books of the New Testament. This offers further proof that it was used by Jesus, not merely attributed to him by the Evangelists (who wrote when the term was no longer in use). This ancient Messianic title was not completely forgotten in Jesus’ time. It allowed him to connect with Messianic connotations without evoking that time’s misconceptions about the Messiah. The Son of Man is endowed with great authority (he is Lord of the Sabbath, whoever confesses him before men will be saved, etc.). He is the Servant of Yahweh who will offer himself up in reparation for our sins, and he will come at the appointed time to judge the living and the dead.
28. Jesus’ Relationship with the Heavenly Father
Likewise, Jesus’ relationship with his Father calls for special consideration. Jesus often referred to him as “my Father who is in heaven” and “your Father who is in heaven,” never as “our Father.” Thus, he prevented any confusion between his own filiation and that of his disciples, which belonged to different levels.2
He went even further than affirming that he was the Son of God; he said that whoever sees him sees the Father, that he and the Father are one. He performed deeds reserved to God in his own name—he forgave sins, and promulgated laws: “You have heard that it was said … but I say to you …” (Mt 5:27–44). He had power over nature, sickness, and death. He even demanded full love and self-surrender from his followers and allowed himself to be adored.
Finally, Jesus made strong statements about himself: “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:35), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11), and, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12) In other more profound affirmations, he used a term that is usually reserved to God alone: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he” (Jn 8:28); “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (Jn 8:58). “I am” is precisely the divine name that was revealed to Moses (cf. Ex 3:14).
29. Weight of Jesus’ Testimony About Himself
Jesus confirmed the truth of his testimony about himself with his life (“he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil,” St. Paul summarizes in Acts 10:38), his wisdom, and his doctrine, which astonished all those who saw and heard him. Moreover, he confirmed his testimony with the miracles and prophecies he performed and through the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in him.
29a) Miracles
The Gospels report many miracles, which were performed by Jesus or his disciples. They are so intertwined with his preaching—not merely juxtaposed—that they cannot be cut out without destroying the whole meaning.
Some miracles were used to support a lesson, others to show a superhuman power. They engendered his disciples’ and other people’s admiration, as well as his enemies’ disapproval. The miracles are soberly described, without the frills and exaggerations common in legends. Jesus himself often presented his miracles as a sign of his divine mission: “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works” (Jn 10:38); “The works that I do … they bear witness to me” (Jn 10:25).
29b) Prophecies
The Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ. He unveiled their fulfillment to the doctors of the Law (cf. Jn 5:39), and he explained it to the disciples of Emmaus after his Resurrection, referring especially to his Passion (cf. Lk 24:13–35).
Great prudence is required to decide which Old Testament prophecies have real Messianic character. We should interpret them in the light of what happened in the New Testament. Any prophecy is better understood in hindsight, after its fulfillment. The fulfillment is like its completion and perfection. Moreover, the New Testament itself explicitly affirms that what was foretold in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Christ (cf. Mt 1:22–23).
The fulfillment of Jesus’ own prophecies (such as the future destruction of Jerusalem, his own Resurrection, and St. Peter’s martyrdom) further prove his divinity and the value of his doctrine.
30. The Resurrection of Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus deserves separate study, not only because of its central significance to the faith, but also because it is the strongest evidence of Jesus’ divine mission. The Resurrection is so important that the first Christians already relied heavily on it: “If Christ has not been raised … your faith is in vain” (1 Cor 15:14). It is one of the first truths mentioned in preaching by St. Peter after Pentecost and by St. Paul in Athens, among many other places.3
Enemies of Christianity try to disfigure and deny Christ’s Resurrection, as the Jewish authorities of the time did, realizing that it is the greatest obstacle preventing the acceptance of the naturalistic explanations they propose.
Their theories range from that of conscious fraud on the part of the apostles to the gradual rise of the conviction that Christ’s Resurrection explains the empty sepulcher. Some even say that we should not study whether the Resurrection took place, since it is impossible to know for certain, but rather how the primitive belief in the Resurrection arose, since this is a real historical fact.
Yet, the only historical records we have (the Gospels) carefully show that the disciples refused to believe what they saw. To say that they were the ones who, consciously or not, “invented” the Resurrection is a completely gratuitous and arbitrary hypothesis that contradicts all the available data.
The Resurrection is recorded in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Essentially, all these reports coincide about finding the empty sepulcher when the women went to anoint the body of the Lord and in the real and repeated apparitions of the Lord to his disciples. When it comes to accidental details, they also have their brief and schematic accounts of the events in common. Thus, it is not possible to draw a clear chronology of the events narrated by the different authors from them.
Still, this very lack of precision vividly portrays the state of confusion and disbelief among the disciples during these first moments. This is yet another proof of the veracity and spontaneity of the Evangelists and St. Paul, for they did not even bother to make a unified global narration.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. CCC, 440.
2. Cf. Ibid., 443.
3. Cf. Ibid., 638–658.
After establishing the historicity of the Gospels, we know that they narrate real events. But what did Jesus say of himself?
That Jesus affirmed that he had been sent by God is particularly clear in the Gospel of John. The expression “he who sent me” appears more than 20 times. Jesus calls himself “he whom God has sent” five times. He affirms, “I came from the Father” (Jn 16:28), and, “I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me” (Jn 8:28).
This affirmation clearly appears in the synoptic Gospels also. Jesus’ actions are the fulfillment of a divine mission. Either the expression “for this I have come” or a rephrasing of that expression appear at least eight times. He acts as someone with authority; accepting him or his words amounts to accepting the One who sent him.
Jesus acts with great freedom, and, at the same time, his obedience to the Father is unshakable.
Jesus is aware that the different moments of his life are mapped out. Thus, he tells his followers that his time has not yet come, that it is drawing near, or that it has arrived.
This mission of Christ entails the obligation to announce the “Good News”—the Gospel. He knows this and regularly acknowledges it in his speech.
26. Jesus Affirmed that He Was the Messiah
Jesus did not reveal his Messianic character to everyone, or reveal it from the beginning. He revealed it progressively, only to those who could understand it or had some sort of right to demand a clear admission from him. Given the then-prevailing misconceptions about the Messiah, a more open avowal would have obscured and jeopardized his mission.
Thus, his answers to the emissaries of John the Baptist, his apostles near Caesarea Philippi, and Caiaphas during his interrogation at the beginning of the Passion reveal that the Messianic signs were already present in him.1
27. Messianic Titles Claimed by Jesus
Jesus accepted the title of Messiah (“anointed” in Hebrew) and used it himself (the Greek text of the Gospel uses Christ, which is the Greek term for “anointed”). Likewise, he accepted the title of Son of David during his triumphal entry in Jerusalem. At the same time, Jesus refuted the ideas about the Messiah commonly held at the time. He explicitly rejected its strong political and nationalistic connotations: He said that what belongs to Caesar has to be given to Caesar, he refused to judge the partition of an inheritance, and he fled from the crowd when they wanted to proclaim him king. In spite of this rejection of popular conceptions of the Messiah, Jesus did embrace his true Messianic role and, in doing so, set himself above the law.
Nevertheless, Jesus preferred the title Son of Man—the one he frequently gives to himself. This expression appears about 70 times in the synoptics and ten times in St. John’s Gospel. It is seldom used in the other books of the New Testament. This offers further proof that it was used by Jesus, not merely attributed to him by the Evangelists (who wrote when the term was no longer in use). This ancient Messianic title was not completely forgotten in Jesus’ time. It allowed him to connect with Messianic connotations without evoking that time’s misconceptions about the Messiah. The Son of Man is endowed with great authority (he is Lord of the Sabbath, whoever confesses him before men will be saved, etc.). He is the Servant of Yahweh who will offer himself up in reparation for our sins, and he will come at the appointed time to judge the living and the dead.
28. Jesus’ Relationship with the Heavenly Father
Likewise, Jesus’ relationship with his Father calls for special consideration. Jesus often referred to him as “my Father who is in heaven” and “your Father who is in heaven,” never as “our Father.” Thus, he prevented any confusion between his own filiation and that of his disciples, which belonged to different levels.2
He went even further than affirming that he was the Son of God; he said that whoever sees him sees the Father, that he and the Father are one. He performed deeds reserved to God in his own name—he forgave sins, and promulgated laws: “You have heard that it was said … but I say to you …” (Mt 5:27–44). He had power over nature, sickness, and death. He even demanded full love and self-surrender from his followers and allowed himself to be adored.
Finally, Jesus made strong statements about himself: “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:35), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6), “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11), and, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12) In other more profound affirmations, he used a term that is usually reserved to God alone: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he” (Jn 8:28); “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (Jn 8:58). “I am” is precisely the divine name that was revealed to Moses (cf. Ex 3:14).
29. Weight of Jesus’ Testimony About Himself
Jesus confirmed the truth of his testimony about himself with his life (“he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil,” St. Paul summarizes in Acts 10:38), his wisdom, and his doctrine, which astonished all those who saw and heard him. Moreover, he confirmed his testimony with the miracles and prophecies he performed and through the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in him.
29a) Miracles
The Gospels report many miracles, which were performed by Jesus or his disciples. They are so intertwined with his preaching—not merely juxtaposed—that they cannot be cut out without destroying the whole meaning.
Some miracles were used to support a lesson, others to show a superhuman power. They engendered his disciples’ and other people’s admiration, as well as his enemies’ disapproval. The miracles are soberly described, without the frills and exaggerations common in legends. Jesus himself often presented his miracles as a sign of his divine mission: “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works” (Jn 10:38); “The works that I do … they bear witness to me” (Jn 10:25).
29b) Prophecies
The Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ. He unveiled their fulfillment to the doctors of the Law (cf. Jn 5:39), and he explained it to the disciples of Emmaus after his Resurrection, referring especially to his Passion (cf. Lk 24:13–35).
Great prudence is required to decide which Old Testament prophecies have real Messianic character. We should interpret them in the light of what happened in the New Testament. Any prophecy is better understood in hindsight, after its fulfillment. The fulfillment is like its completion and perfection. Moreover, the New Testament itself explicitly affirms that what was foretold in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Christ (cf. Mt 1:22–23).
The fulfillment of Jesus’ own prophecies (such as the future destruction of Jerusalem, his own Resurrection, and St. Peter’s martyrdom) further prove his divinity and the value of his doctrine.
30. The Resurrection of Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus deserves separate study, not only because of its central significance to the faith, but also because it is the strongest evidence of Jesus’ divine mission. The Resurrection is so important that the first Christians already relied heavily on it: “If Christ has not been raised … your faith is in vain” (1 Cor 15:14). It is one of the first truths mentioned in preaching by St. Peter after Pentecost and by St. Paul in Athens, among many other places.3
Enemies of Christianity try to disfigure and deny Christ’s Resurrection, as the Jewish authorities of the time did, realizing that it is the greatest obstacle preventing the acceptance of the naturalistic explanations they propose.
Their theories range from that of conscious fraud on the part of the apostles to the gradual rise of the conviction that Christ’s Resurrection explains the empty sepulcher. Some even say that we should not study whether the Resurrection took place, since it is impossible to know for certain, but rather how the primitive belief in the Resurrection arose, since this is a real historical fact.
Yet, the only historical records we have (the Gospels) carefully show that the disciples refused to believe what they saw. To say that they were the ones who, consciously or not, “invented” the Resurrection is a completely gratuitous and arbitrary hypothesis that contradicts all the available data.
The Resurrection is recorded in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Essentially, all these reports coincide about finding the empty sepulcher when the women went to anoint the body of the Lord and in the real and repeated apparitions of the Lord to his disciples. When it comes to accidental details, they also have their brief and schematic accounts of the events in common. Thus, it is not possible to draw a clear chronology of the events narrated by the different authors from them.
Still, this very lack of precision vividly portrays the state of confusion and disbelief among the disciples during these first moments. This is yet another proof of the veracity and spontaneity of the Evangelists and St. Paul, for they did not even bother to make a unified global narration.
Footnotes:
1. Cf. CCC, 440.
2. Cf. Ibid., 443.
3. Cf. Ibid., 638–658.