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It's typical of Christians. Many of them boast with pride about the Biblical Jesus' character thinking that anyone who reads about him would be so amazed by the beautiful character of this man that they will just simply submit to the Gospels at once. Well this only works for people who use their emotions and not their intellect. I have read the Gospels and as a so-called 'God Incarnate', I don't find the Biblical Jesus to be impressive at all. As for a human Prophet, I think I can rank the Biblical Jesus 'Average' and as for an ordinary man, I would have to admit that he is a great man, but nothing more.
Let me give some reasons as to why I am not as impressed by the Biblical Jesus as Christians would want me to.
- The Biblical Jesus Wasn't a Great Example of How To Talk To One's Mother - The Biblical Jesus Didn't Know How To Preach Properly - The Biblical Jesus Told his Disciples to Take a Donkey and Colt Without the Owner's Permission - The Biblical Jesus Didn't Make it a Sin To Call Non Christians 'Fools' - The Biblical Jesus Was a Curse - The Biblical Jesus Accused God of Abandoning Him - The Biblical Jesus Showed Unwillingness To Do His Mission - The Biblical Jesus Referred To The Gentiles As 'Dogs' - The Biblical Jesus Refused to Heal a Sick Child Until His Mother Pressured Him - The Biblical Jesus Taught Us to Love Satan - The Biblical Jesus' Unfair Law of Divorce - The Biblical Jesus Purposely Goes Out To Be Tempted By The Devil - The Biblical Jesus Didn't Let One Disciple To Attend His Father's Funeral Or The Other To Bid His Family Farewell - The Biblical Jesus Prioritized Himself Over the Poor - The Biblical Jesus Didn't Offer Practical Solutions to The World's Problems
The Biblical Jesus Wasn't a Great Example of How To Talk To One's Mother
The Biblical Jesus is not a very good role model to follow when it comes to knowing how to speak to your mother. Let us observe how the Biblical Jesus spoke to his mother...
John 2:3-4 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
This is definitely not an appropriate way to speak to your mother. "Why do you involve me?" How can a respectable role model say such a thing to his mother?
Donald Arthur (D. A.) Carson says. The form of address, gynai ('Dear Woman'), though thoroughly courteous, is not normally an endearing term, nor the form of address preffered by a son addressing a much loved mother. (D.A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John, Commentary on John 2:1-11, p. 170)
One might argue back that Jesus' statement to his mother was not rude. However, as D.A. Carson indirectly admits, Jesus could (and should if he is the perfect example to follow) have chosen his words better when speaking to his mother. In another passage, the Biblical Jesus says....
Matthew 12:47-49 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."[a] 48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
New Testament scholar Craig L. Blomberg says in his commentary.
Jesus does not directly address his family but does implicitly rebuke them. They deserve no preferential treatment. Human kinship does not take priority over spiritual kinship, and Jesus is busy ministering to crowds that include his spiritual family. On calling disciples his brothers, cf. Heb 2:11; also cf. Matthew 28:10. The 'will of God', as through out Matthew, means obedience to God's commands by following Jesus. Matthew does say what Mary thought of her unusual son at this point in his career, but the most natural reading of Mark 3:21 would include her among those who thought he was 'out of his mind'. His brothers are singularly umimpressed and in no way yet his supporters (cf. John 7:1-5). Given the strong family ties in ancient Palestine, Jesus' attitude here would have proved as shocking as in 8:22 and 10:37. (Craig L. Blomberg, The New American Commentary, Commentary on Matthew 12:48-50, pp. 208-209, added emphasis is mine)
It appears that even Jesus' mother and disciples had a problem with his attitude (to the extent that they thought he was out of his mind!).
The Biblical Jesus Didn't Know How To Preach Properly
Jesus wasn't a good preacher...
Matthew 23:33 33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Luke 11:40 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? Matthew 16:23 23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
What type of perfect role model is this to follow? He went around insulting people while he preached, while at the same time he told his followers to show love to their enemies? He even went so far as calling one of his disciples "Satan"!! Why couldn't Jesus be more patient and hold his tongue? Jesus even got a bit physical at times...
John 2:15 13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
What authority did Jesus have to do such a thing? This story seems to teach us that vigilantism is okay at times. Jesus also had a problem trying to communicate his teachings clearly. See this article.
The Biblical Jesus Told his Disciples to Take a Donkey and Colt Without the Owner's Permission
Matthew 21:1-3 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
I don't think that Jesus' orders were ethical at this point. You must ask the owner for permission to borrow something from him or at least buy it or rent it from him. Some will argue that Jesus needed the donkey to fulfill a prophecy. But why would God want Jesus to commit a sin in order to fulfill a prophecy?
The Biblical Jesus Didn't Make it a Sin To Call Non Christians 'Fools' Jesus made it clear that one cannot call his brother (spiritual brother) a fool...
Matthew 5:22
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Brother in the above verse does not mean 'brother in humanity'. Because if it did then Jesus would be a hypocrite for he would have broken his own command.
Matthew 23:17
17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
So it seems that Jesus made it a big deal for one to call his Christian brother a fool, while we don't see the same warning or condemnation if one were to do it with a non-Christian.
The Biblical Jesus Was a Curse
The Bible says that Jesus became a curse...Galatians 3:13 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Now that's not a nice thing to be, now is it?
The Biblical Jesus Accused God of Abandoning Him
Jesus allegedly said on the cross...
Matthew 27:46
46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"?which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
How can a righteous Prophet speak to his Lord in such a way? How can he accuse God of forsaking him, especially when God has promised to not forsake those who truly seek him (Psalm 9:10) and are faithful (Psalm 37:28)?
The Biblical Jesus Showed Unwillingness To Do His Mission
The following verses show that Jesus was not willing to fulfill his mission...
Matthew 26:39
'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken away from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will'
Matthew 26:42
He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done'
Mark 14:36
"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will"
Luke 22:41-42
'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done'
This shows that Jesus kept complaining to the Father; asking him to end the mission. Why would Jesus continue doing such a thing if he supposedly knew that his crucifixion should and was bound to happen? If he was a perfect role model, shouldn't he have been motivated to do God's will instead of being all depressed and hesitant about it?
The Biblical Jesus Referred To The Gentiles As 'Dogs'
The Biblical Jesus said...
Matthew 15:26
26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
The Jews used to use the word 'dogs' as a derogatory term in order to refer to the Gentiles. Christians argue back that Jesus only used this term because it was common language back at that time and so the woman would have known what Jesus was speaking about. This is a pathetic excuse. Jesus should have come and abolished this silly practice of referring to Gentiles as 'dogs'. If he wanted to communicate to the lady regarding Gentiles, he could have simply said 'Gentiles' and she would have understood. He didn't have that to use that term and continue allowing this silly and offensive practice to continue.
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