Jesus 101:
Basics and Invitation
Photograph: A painting, The Baptism of the Christ, by Daniel Bonnell, called The Baptism of the Christ. Used with permission. It represents the beginning and the end of Christ’s ministry: The Baptism relates to the Crucifixion because it represents a dying and rising. The original is in Saint George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem. This version hangs in a humble and small African-American Church in South Carolina. Another version hangs in the Mayo Clinic entrance in Minnesota. Daniel Bonnell teaches art to at-risk inner city high school students.
If you’re getting to know Jesus, exploring why he is real and important, here are some resources below that can help.
How Does the Christian Faith Compare with Other Belief Systems? 6 Simple Questions
There are six important questions to ask of every belief system. (1) Is there a victory over evil in this story? A happy ending? (2) Where is the evil located? How can it be solved? (3) Is this just ‘hero worship’ where we have to live up to an ideal on our own strength? (4) Is the scope of the story universal or parochial/nationalistic? (5) Is this faith internally consistent? (6) Is the claim externally validated? Can you evaluate this faith before stepping into it?
Link to a page on our website giving a brief introduction to Jesus, and what “atonement” means. This answers the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?”
The Healing of Human Nature in Jesus
A 30 minute video of a message given to students at Boston College, Nov 15, 2013. This message is rooted in the story of Jesus going through his baptism and wilderness temptation, in Matthew 3:13 - 4:11, reflecting his commitment to fix and fulfill his human nature by going all the way through his faithful life, death, and resurrection, in order to share himself with us by his Spirit. See also The Bible Project, The New Humanity (The Bible Project, Jun 13, 2019), which is a 5 minute video that glances at Jesus and us in the context of the larger story.
Jesus Makes Us Kingdom Builders
Text of a message from Luke 5:1 - 11. This is the story of Jesus calling Simon Peter to follow him. Explore how our desire for personal significance points us to Jesus and his movement. A 10 - 15 minute read.
Text of a message from Luke 5:12 - 16. This is the story of Jesus healing a man with leprosy with a touch. Explore how our desire for healing and growth point us to Jesus. A 10- 15 minute read.
Text of a message from John 4:1 - 29. This is the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman by a well. Explore how our search for real love and personal moral empowerment point us to Jesus. A 10 - 15 minute read.
Blog post on the HonorShame blog, Nov 11, 2015. A 5 minute read.