Jesus of Nazareth

 

Allow me to look back through the fog of history and re-introduce you to some notable men even though you may be acquainted with them. The first is Homer who wrote the Iliad circa 700 BCE. Next is Plato writing c 427-347 BCE, followed by Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars c 50-40 BCE. The latest was Tacitus’ a Roman historian c 100 CE. There are no original texts available for any of these authors only copies made years later. The earliest surviving copies of Plato’s work is from c 900 CE, Julius Caesar’s copies were compiled in the 9th century CE and Plato c 900 CE, followed by Tacitus c 100 CE. The time gap between original writing and copies for Homer is from 400-1,000 years, Plato c 1,200 years,  Julius Caesar c 900 years, and finally Tacitus c 750 years. The number of manuscripts available for Homer is 1800, Plato 200, Julius Caesar 10, and Tacitus 2.

Now let me introduce you to Jesus of Nazareth from Jewish writings in the first century CE. The original writings date from c 40-70 CE. The earliest surviving copy is dated c 125 CE, the time gap c 55-85 years. The number of manuscripts, c 25,000+.

Greek (5,800): The originals’ language, closest witnesses.

Latin (10,000): Western tradition, early translations (Old Latin + Vulgate).

Other (9,300): Ancient translations (Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, etc.), giving cross-regional confirmation.

You will not learn about Jesus of Nazareth in school because writings concerning him are designated religious. Compared to other ancient works, the New Testament is exceptionally well authenticated in both time proximity and manuscript quantity. The man Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most influential figures in history. His life and teachings reshaped ethics, law, politics, art, education, and social institutions on a global scale.

John Locke (1632–1704)

Called the “father of liberalism.”

Argued for natural rights (life, liberty, property) grounded in human dignity.

In his Reasonableness of Christianity (1695), Locke claimed Jesus’ moral teaching was simple and universal, freeing it from scholastic theology.

His idea of religious tolerance (“no one should be forced to believe”) echoes Jesus’ teaching on conscience (e.g., “Render to Caesar…”).

Locke’s ideas shaped the American Declaration of Independence and modern democracy.

Voltaire (1694–1778)

Fierce critic of the Catholic Church (“Écrasez l’infâme” — “Crush the infamous thing”).

Yet admired Jesus as a moral teacher:

• “His religion was holy and gentle, simple as his soul; he made men love God and their neighbor.” (Philosophical Dictionary).

Separated Jesus from the institutional church, using him as a model of virtue against clerical corruption.

Helped shape the secular Enlightenment view of Jesus as an ethical reformer, not a divine figure.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

In Émile (1762), he wrote:

• “The life and death of Socrates are of a philosopher; the life and death of Jesus are of a God.”

Saw Jesus as the highest example of moral purity and natural religion, even as he distrusted organized Christianity.

His vision of the “social contract” was indirectly shaped by Jesus’ ethic of human equality.

His thinking inspired modern democracy and secular humanism.

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)

Admired Jesus’ moral teachings but rejected miracles and divinity.

Created the Jefferson Bible (cutting out supernatural elements, leaving only Jesus’ ethical sayings).

Praised Jesus’ “pure and sublime system of morality.”

His vision of religious freedom (First Amendment) drew partly on Jesus’ teaching of personal conscience.

Jefferson fused Jesus’ ethics with Enlightenment rationalism, giving the U.S. founding documents their moral tone.

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)

Developed the categorical imperative: act as if your behavior should be a universal law.

While Kant grounded this in reason, it closely parallels Jesus’ Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”).

He considered Jesus the “personification of the moral ideal.”

Kant secularized Jesus’ ethics into modern moral philosophy.

The man Jesus of Nazareth is irrefutably the most influential person to have ever lived. From a secular point of view no other individual has had such a wide-ranging impact on world civilization. The importance of knowing Jesus the man has been overlooked. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He grew up in Nazareth his  brothers were James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, he also had sisters. Jesus followed his father being a carpenter. Around the age of thirty he began teaching not as a rabbi since he had no schooling. He was an itinerant teacher who taught using parables and proverbs about ethics and social justice. Unlike most Jews he openly associated with tax-collectors, the irreligious, diseased people, women and foreigners. He liked children. His teaching included love of neighbours and enemies, forgiveness, humility and compassion. He wept for those grieving the death of a friend. He was angered by the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He experienced hunger, thirst, and tiredness. He was recognized as a wise man by Josephus. His teaching threatened the establishment who orchestrated a near riot to convince the governor to execute him. The historical documentation of Jesus of Nazareth is authoritative and sound. No other person has such credible validation.

Some will try to erase the history of Jesus of Nazareth, but they can’t. Many will ignore it. Some will see it as unimportant. Whatever your reaction to the man Jesus, weigh it next to the evidence supporting other historic figures that you accept as valid. That Jesus of Nazareth lived in what is now the Middle East is factual, proven by a wealth of evidence greater than that for any other notable person in history.

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In the scriptures it is recorded that Philip told his brother that they found the man Moses and the prophets wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth. Sarcastically Nathaniel responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathaniel quickly believed in Jesus. Many more would accept Jesus and believe in him. John in his gospel wrote, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

God’s plan to save humanity is not complicated it is straight forward and clear – believe in Jesus of Nazareth.

In the Louvre Museum in Paris there is a large rock dating from before 1700 BCE, on it is the Code of Hammurabi; civil, criminal, and commercial laws. The stele also displays an image of Hammurabi receiving the law from the sun god Shamash. In the Hebrew scriptures it tells of the Ten Commandments being given by God to Moses, c 1500 BCE. Both the laws of Hammurabi and Moses were based on the principle of “an eye for an eye.” A millennium and half after Moses Jesus of Nazareth rebuked religious leaders for substituting human rules in place of God given laws.

Jesus emphasized the spirit of obedience to the law instead of grudging compliance. John wrote that the law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth was not a law giver; he was the living message of God. The Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the law; Jesus asked them if they had read that “the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?” The temple was the centerpiece of Jewish life and religion but it was not as important as Jesus. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, saying they should have known that God desired mercy not sacrifice then they would not have condemned the innocent.

The Pharisees institutionalized religion. Pharisees held that the written Law and its interpretations, traditions, and applications were equally authoritative. They saw themselves as the keepers and enforcers of Israel’s covenant obligations. They expanded the Law into detailed rules for daily life and created “fences” — extra rules to prevent people from coming close to violating the core commandments. They imposed priestly purity regulations on all Jews and developed rules on what constituted work. The Pharisees adapted the law to new situations substituting traditions in place of God’s commands. Jesus denounced the scribes and Pharisees baring their hypocrisy.

Jesus provided a prescription for discipleship; According to Matthew Jesus said “he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me,” and Luke wrote Jesus’ saying “whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Vincent’s comments on Matt 10:38 include the English proverb, “’Every cross hath its inscription’ - the name of him for whom it is shaped.” The proverb was based on the Roman practice of listing the crimes of the person being crucified above them on the cross. Each persons discipleship is unique, the Greek word Matthew used translated “take” can mean to physically grasp, hold or figuratively to accept. The gospel authors record Jesus saying “his cross” or “their cross” in the context demonstrating the personal nature of discipleship. While there are common traits there is no standard model of discipleship to which all must comply, it is individual. Our basic responsibility is to love God and love our neighbour. We are not to compare our discipleship to that of another person. Paul wrote “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” People were arguing about eating meat or vegetables, Paul said, “Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.” Regarding special days Paul wrote, “Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.” Discipleship has nothing to do with rules or rituals it is the pursuit and practice of love in daily life.  

A key feature in discipleship is denial of self interest; in the beginning disciples faced persecution and death because of their commitment to Jesus. Jesus rebuked those who wanted to attend to personal matters before committing to discipleship. One thing we must give up is the destructive notion we can save ourselves; discipleship is submitting to God’s grace. In the same way that in the beginning Jewish believers reverted to the Law and its regulations, believers since have turned to rules and rituals to appease guilt. Discipleship requires us to put our trust in the one we follow – Jesus of Nazareth. Discipleship is not doing things and going places, it is living the way that Jesus lived, treating people the way he treated them, showing love and compassion as he did.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to the place he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. The scriptures say that God’s people walk by faith not by sight. It is written of Abraham that he was looking forward to the city whose designer and builder is God. We too walk by faith along a path we do not see, all we know is that it stretches beyond the horizon. It is the narrow road of which Jesus spoke. We walk alone except for the gentle breath’s encouraging touch. There are no sign posts or distance markers only the faint footprints of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is our example, he is our teacher and supporter.

God established Jesus of Nazareth as the one all must listen to while he was on earth, not the law or the prophets, but only his Son Jesus. In the period of the new covenant, Jesus must be listened to, not church practices or doctrines. Church membership or religious affiliation must not be confused with discipleship. Belonging to a church or having a religious affiliation can be encouraging and supportive for disciples, but it is not discipleship. Going to church doesn’t make someone a disciple any more than going to a synagogue or to the temple made Jesus the Son of God. To be a disciple one must pick up their cross and follow Jesus.

God denounced the people of Israel for their waywardness.

•  I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 
• I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings. 
• With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? 
• You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment, and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
• Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. 
• Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord", will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?" Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers." 
• Rituals and sacrifices were part of the first covenant relationship between God and Israel, but God wanted more than a performance, he wanted people to be devoted to him and his ways. There are no ritual encumbrances in the new covenant, there are no temple ceremonies because, we are God’s people, our bodies are his temple. The cross of discipleship is uniquely individual. The four gospels record the teaching and life of Jesus.

Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not  seen and yet have come to believe.' Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.