Week 5

Chapter five and six of Marcus Borg's Jesus I have found the most compelling to read, but that could be because of the recounting of Jesus and God in Hollywood's dramatic view. Chapter five drew my attention because of Borg's account of Jesus' experiences with God. The Hollywood/fictional version of Jesus views him some sort of supernatural being with the ability to see God in an ominous view. The view of unseen God as been left mysterious to all, but "for Jesus, God was not simply an article of belief, but an experienced reality" (Borg 110). Jesus used these experiences to help teach others about the "wondrous, radiant, and glorious" (Borg 114) God and His kingdom. Being raised Jewish, it is assumed that Jesus was taught about the experiences of Abraham and Moses had with God. Jesus' experiences with God began with the vision of the spirit and Borg says that "Jesus saw the heavens opened as if they were torn apart. Through this rent, this tear, he saw 'the Spirit descending like a dove on him' "(Borg 120). Jesus also experienced visions God in the wilderness, and experience visions with Satan. The Bible accounts have Jesus being visited (or tested) by Satan three times. Satan has been referenced in both Jewish texts and in Matthew and Luke. Borg also claims that "Satan is God's spy and tester" (123). Could Jesus' role have been established by God as a protector against Satan or to be the human being Satan tested? Chapter six goes into detail about Jesus being able to perform exorcisms. He was able to rid the devil from people and help cure the sick. Jesus is a very dimensional individual and fascinating to study.