JESUS CHRIST

The account of the Magi, or Wise Men, is a well-known and loved part of the Christmas story. Nevertheless, Matthew’s account simply states that when Jesus was born, “there came wise men from the east,” without specifying how many there were, exactly who they were, where they came from, or that they were kings. The traditional number of three wise men arose because of the association of one king for each gift given to the infant Jesus (gold, frankincense, and myrrh). The identification of these “kings” as Balthasar, Melchior, and Caspar does not date before the sixth century.The historian Herodotus first uses the Greek term magoi to refer to a priestly caste among the Medes and Persians who were noted as dream interpreters. Later associated with the priests of the Zoroastrian religion, magoi was also used to describe various types of eastern diviners and wise men, including the Babylonian astronomers known as Chaldeans. By the roman period, the Latin term magi was used for a whole range of practitioners, from diviners and more respectable astrologers to magicians and charlatans. Although some scholars have suggested that the Magi may have been Jews from Babylon or elsewhere in the eastern Diaspora, the earliest artistic representations of the Magi portray them in Persian or other eastern garb. Some early Christian writers viewed the Magi as magicians who readily accepted the superiority of Christ and gave up their magical arts to come and worship him. Others saw them as the best of the pagan wise men who were inspired by their knowledge of astronomy to recognize signs of Christ’s birth.

Many scholars see the emphasis of the Jewish milieu of Matthew as a sign that this Gospel was written primarily for Jews and Jewish Christians. Therefore, if the Magi were indeed Gentiles rather than Jews from the eastern Diaspora, they join the women of the Matthean genealogy, the Syrophoenecian woman, and the centurion at the foot of the cross as figures demonstrating the inclusion of Gentiles as well in the Christian message in Matthew’s Gospel.

Who was John the Baptist?

The Baptism - Greg Olsen

John the Baptist was born to righteous and devout parents of priestly descent in a small village in Judea, traditionally identified as Ein Karem, a modern suburb of Jerusalem. He played a singular role at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Each gospel provides insights into John’s ministry as a prophet, preacher, baptizer, and witness in the Judean wilderness east of Jerusalem, culminating with the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan. Moreover, each gospel author emphasized certain aspects of John’s life, providing a context for each author’s particular witness of Jesus.

John preached repentance and baptism, was sharply critical of the Pharisees and Sadducees, prophesied of one “mightier than [he], whose shoes [he was] not worthy to bear’ (Matthew 3:11), and identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Luke alone, however, provides details of John’s birth and childhood (see Luke 1 and 2).

Eventually, Herod Antipas arrested, imprisoned, and executed John.

John is sometimes identified with Elias (the Greek form of Elijah) as one who prepares the way (see Malachi 4:5-6). Some of John’s followers later became disciples of Jesus, and others seemed to continue following John (John 1:35-42; Matthew 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23). After John’s death, those who had not accepted Jesus continued their activities. Paul may have encountered some of them in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7).

John the Baptist symbolizes to us the final transition from the Old Testament (or old covenant) and the beginning of the New Testament (new covenant). The time of the Law and the prophets had passed, and the time of the Messiah had arrived. John the Baptist, the last legal administrator of the Mosaic covenant, had one foot in each dispensation. Nevertheless, Jesus declared, “He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light” (John 5: 35).

Christ Led to Pilate - Mark Mabry

The Gospel of Matthew reports that Pilate’s wife said to him, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him” (Matthew 27:19). This report may have found its way into the Gospels from a variety of different channels such as rumor, legend, or secondhand testimony. Some early Christians proposed that this report represents firsthand knowledge on the part of the evangelist; and therefore Pilate’s wife, or even Pilate himself must have converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The tradition of Pilate converting to Christianity has a complicated history that begins in the latter half of the second century when Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200) and Tertullian (A.D. 160-220) reported that added knowledge could be found in extracanonical documents about Jesus’ trial before Pilate and that Pilate had written personally to the emperor Tiberius about Jesus. These passing references most likely find their origin in the pseudepigraphal Acts of Pilate. The Christian Acts of Pilate were most likely written in the second century as a counterbalance to the pagan Acts of Pilate that had been forged at the time of Maximin and that were being taught in schools as a refutation of Christian doctrines and claims. The Christian Acts of Pilate undermines the pagan forgery by reporting special knowledge about the details of Jesus’ interrogation before Pilate, Pilate’s secret inquiry of the chief priests after Jesus’ crucifixion, and his private conversion to Christianity. The success of the Christian Acts of Pilate can be appreciated by the fact that they survived while the pagan Acts have been lost. Knowing the history of these documents inspires little confidence that they report any kernel of historical truth about Pilate’s conversion to Christianity.

Joseph Caiaphas (AD 18-36) was a Jewish leader in the first century. All four Gospel accounts place Caiaphas at the center of Jesus’ interrogation by Jewish authorities and his delivery to Pilate. What is surprising about the way in which Caiaphas’ story is told is that the synoptic Gospels authors largely pass over the subject of his motivation for acting against Jesus.

Interestingly, the Gospel of John provides a glimpse into Caiaphas’ motivation to impede and thwart Jesus’ growing popularity: Caiaphas’ was concerned that more people would follow Jesus once they heard about the raising of Lazarus (John 11:47-54). But during the trial scenes, it is Annas, his father-in-law, who directs the proceedings while Caiaphas waits patiently offstage. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not include the miracle of Lazarus or the motives of Caiaphas; all three find it sufficient to relate the story of a Galilean Messiah who travels to Jerusalem for Passover only to find hostile Jewish leaders who ultimately take his life. Perhaps such facts did not appear necessary to their accounts of the Atonement.

Cleansing Of The Temple

Christian sources have been unanimous in their denunciation of Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annas for their roles in the hearing and execution of Jesus of Nazareth. Surprising to some may be the fact that Jewish sources have also denounced the family of Caiaphas and Annas. Many scholars have attributed to Caiaphas the practice of allowing inside the gates of the temple the vendors who sold the animals of sacrifice, a practice that was directly condemned by Jesus. Jesus’ actions in driving the moneychangers and vendors from the temple may have been an act directed at Caiaphas’ business practices in the temple.

Another interesting facet of Caiaphas’ tenure is the complete absence of conflict between the high priest and Rome. Josephus reports that Pilate committed numerous atrocities against Jewish institutions, yet these sources do not relate any action or reaction by Caiaphas. Caiaphas was removed from office in the same year as Pilate, suggesting that Caiaphas’ tenure was closely linked with that of Pilate. The story of Caiaphas’ reign is told in the framework of complicity, corruption, and self-aggrandizement, both in Christian and Jewish sources.

Christ Led to Pilate - Mark Mabry

Pontius Pilate, the Roman official under whose authority Jesus was tried and sentenced, was the fifth governor of Judea, holding his position during the period of A.D. 26-36. As an equestrian, Pilate came from the Roman class that was second only to the senatorial order and from which the Roman emperors increasingly drew their administrative and military officials. Little is known about his career before his appointment as governor of Judea, although he may have benefited from the political patronage of L. Aelius Seianus (Sejanus), an important minister of the emperor Tiberius (ruled A.D. 14-37). Although Tacitus calls him a “procurator” (Tacitus, Annales 15:44), which is the title common for the equestrian governors of small imperial provinces from the time of Claudius (ruled A.D. 41-54, and important inscription from Caesarea, the capital of Roman Judea, confirms that he held the earlier title of “prefect.”

Two first-century Jewish sources, Josephus and especially Philo, record several disastrous missteps early in Pilate’s administration of Judea, including carrying into Jerusalem Roman standards that were offensive to Jewish sensibilities, responding to Jewish demonstrations against his policies with excessive force, and dedicating golden shields to the emperor Tiberius in the former Herodian palace. Pilate’s earlier problems in the province, and perhaps the A.D. 31 purge in Rome of the supporters of his possible patron Seianus, put Pilate in a difficult political position when he was faced with the case of Jesus, particularly when the hostile claque gathered at the trial accused Pilate of not being a friend of the emperor when he initially sought to release Jesus (John 19:12). The good working relationship that Pilate seems to have had with Joseph Caiaphas, a Jewish high priest from A.D. 18-37, may suggest that either he was more influenced by the animosity of the Jewish leadership against Jesus or that he was collaborating more closely with it than the Gospel accounts reveal.

Of all the Gospel accounts of Pilate’s trial of Jesus, John’s may be the most important because of its account of two private interviews between them (John 18:33-38; 19:8-11). The first interview preserves a memorable interchange between Pilate, the representative of fleeting, worldly power, and Jesus, the Son of God: “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

In A.D. 36, Pilate brutally suppressed a Samaritan religious movement on Mount Gerizim. Perhaps as a result, in late A.D. 36 or the spring of A.D. 37, Pilate was suspended from his office; and Caiaphas, who may have encouraged the action, was dismissed as high priest.

Joseph Mary Jesus (3) - Mark Mabry

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Joseph, his adopted father, had probably already passed away. Because the average life expectancy was low and occupational accidents high, this conclusion seems rather natural. Perhaps Joseph’s death may also have been recent; those who knew Jesus also knew Joseph or knew of him (John 1:45; 6:42).

This tradition is strengthened by the fact that Luke records an event from the life of Joseph when Jesus was twelve years old but then never mentions him again as living (Luke 2:43-48). Mark, who records events from Jesus’ life only after his baptism, never mentions Joseph. Those who knew Jesus’ family were familiar with his mother, brothers, and sisters but do not seem to be acquainted with his father other than recognizing his occupation (John 7:3, 5; Acts 1:14; Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Based on the best textual evidence, Jesus’ younger half-brothers were named Jacob, Joseph (Joses), Simon, and Judah, indicating that Joseph and Mary named one of their sons after Joseph.

The New Testament preserves two references to Joseph’s occupation, both calling him a tektōn (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Tektōn has been interpreted in various ways since New Testament times, including the generally accepted terms “carpenter” or “builder.” He may have built household furniture or homes working specifically with lintels and joists (the main wood components in a first-century house). Later traditions describe his employment as “making plows and yokes” for oxen (Didache 88:8). Another tradition prefers interpreting the word for carpenter as a homebuilder (Gospel of James 9:3). Some modern scholars point out the tektōn can also mean a stonemason. In a small village like Nazareth, we could expect Joseph to use his talents in various ways to support his family, including working with wood and stone.

Christian art has usually depicted Joseph as older, sometimes significantly older, than Mary. This fanciful tradition likely stems from a late-second-century apocryphal work knows as the Protoevangelium of James 9.2, which reports that Joseph was already an old man when he married Mary. According to the legend, Joseph had already raised a family in his youth, and after losing his first wife, he decided to marry a young woman under a Nazarite vow. This legend was widely known among church leaders of the second and third centuries, with references to it being made by Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and Justin. The details of this story cannot, however, be verified historically; yet its influence can still be felt today in Christian art.

Jews typically had only a single name, which has caused difficulties in distinguishing between individuals with the same name in the New Testament. For example, the New Testament records the names of at least seven different Marys. To distinguish among them, the New Testament authors included nicknames or other identifying facts about them, such as where they were from (Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala).

Who was Mary, the mother of Jesus?

Mother - Liz Lemon Swindle

Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived in Nazareth, probably with her parents, when the annunciation of Jesus’ birth came, although Matthew and Luke report strong connection among her, her husband, and Bethlehem (Matthew 1:16-23; Luke 2:4-7). She was a witness to the miracle in Cana (John 2:3), portions of the ministry (Matthew 12:46), the crucifixion (John 19:25), and possibly the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28: 1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10). She is also mentioned as being present during a meeting of disciples after Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 1:14). Nowhere in the Bible is Mary’s genealogy reported, although later traditions attempted to identify the genealogical record found in Luke as that of Mary (Luke 3:23-38).

He Is Risen - Greg Olsen

Who was Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene was from the town of Magdala. She probably offered financial support for Jesus’ ministry as suggested by her ability to travel freely (Mark 15:41; Luke 8:1-2) She was healed miraculously of demonic possession (Luke 8: 2). She witnessed the crucifixion, burial, empty tomb, and Jesus’ resurrected body (see Matthew 27:55-56, 61: John 20:14-18). According to the Gospel of John, she was the first person to see Jesus after the resurrection.

Who was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus?

Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, was commended for her discipleship when her sister reported to Jesus that she was overwhelmed with the domestic shores of the house (Luke 10:41-42). Mary also anointed Jesus’ feet with spikenard and dried them with her hair prior to his burial, thus making Mary the first person besides Jesus to openly call attention to his impending death (John 12:3-7).

Who is Mary, the mother of James and Joses?

Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was a disciple who followed Jesus from Galilee (Matthew 27:55-56). The Gospel of Mark presents her as a benefactor of the public ministry; she was also a witness to the empty tomb (Mark 15:40-41; Matthew 27:56). She is probably the “other Mary” referred to in the accounts of the empty tomb (Matthew 27:61). Interestingly, Jesus had four brothers, the two eldest of whom were named “James and Joses” (Mark 6:3), making it possible that this Mary is the same as Jesus’ mother, a conclusion supported by Mark’s assertion that this Mary was the mother of “James the less”, a popular nickname for Jesus’ younger brother by the same name (Mark 15:40).

Who is Mary, the wife of Cleophas?

Mary, the wife of Cleophas, is mentioned by name only in John 19:25 as a witness to the crucifixion and is called “Mary the wife of Cleophas” or, more literally, “Mary of Cleophas.” Some have thought she was Mary, the mother of Jesus’ sister. However, it seems unlikely that two sisters would have had the same name. Therefore, some scholars believe the reference in John listed Jesus’ mother and “his mother’s sister,” and “Mary the wife of Cleophas,” as three separate people.

Who is Mary, the mother of John Mark?

Mary, the mother of John Mark, was an important disciple who opened her home to the Saints in Jerusalem shortly after the death of Jesus (Acts 12:12). Luke describes her as a woman of means (Acts 12:12-14).

Who is Mary mentioned in Romans?

Mary, mentioned in Romans, appears to have no connection to any of those mentioned in the canonical Gospel, but she was a great blessing to the congregations in Rome. Paul extolled her service saying, “Greet Mary who bestowed much labor on us” (Romans 16:6).

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who, as “a ruler of Jews,” seems to have been a member of the Sanhedrin. He appears three times in the Gospel of John. In the first and most famous incident, soon after the cleansing of the temple, Nicodemus visited Jesus at night, presumably to avoid detection by others of the Jewish leadership but perhaps on an official visit as a Pharisaic delegate of the Sanhedrin to assess Jesus’ intentions and character. Their meeting provided the setting for Jesus’ discourse on the “new birth” (John 3:1-21), in which Jesus affirms the need for each person to be “born from above” (John 3:3 anothen, KJV “again”), being born of both water and spirit. Although Nicodemus initially seemed confused, perhaps revealing that his pervious opinions of Jesus were being reshaped, Jesus stressed the source of this new life by describing himself as the example of one who “came down from heaven,” whom God sent because he “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but everlasting life” (John 3:13, 16).

Nicodemus is mentioned again when the Pharisees and chief priests seek to arrest Jesus while he is attending the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem (John 7:45-53). Recalling that he was the same man who “Came to Jesus by night” (John 7:50), John notes that Nicodemus was rebuked when he reminded the gathering that the law condemned no man without a fair hearing.

Nicodemus is sometimes indentified as a secret disciple of Jesus or as one who represents those who lacked sufficient faith to support him openly. However, in his third appearance in the Gospel of John at the burial of Jesus (John 19:38-42), Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus when it was dark, come out into the light, bringing a kingly amount of spices to assist Joseph of Arimathaea in preparing Jesus’ body to be place in the tomb and making his discipleship open. Significantly, this event occurred after Jesus had been lifted up on the cross, allowing Nicodemus to see the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Jesus that he would be lifted up “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” (John 3:14).