Dancing with Easter and the search for historical Jesus

Easter is past. Again it was a time of reflection. More than any other day or season of the year, I am forced to review what I truly believe.

It is not a time to merely think. Easter forces me to ask what I believe.

Easter is the key holy day for most Christians and certainly for me. Without the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Christianity remains a morality play that challenges me to think about life but not necessarily to be a believer.

For regular readers of my weekly columns, my interest in the Jesus of history is well-known. I have been privileged to live in the era when the third search for the historical Jesus has produced significant understandings of what Jesus said, what he did, and what people did in response to him.

The first and second searches were not productive, and each ended in despair of ever knowing the historical realities of Jesus’ earthly life. Every Christian with an enquiring mind would like to know more.

I am pleased with what we are finding out and am certain that we will learn more. I am distressed with my fellow clergypersons, who have continued their ministries without bothering with the flood of information that has been flowing from a host of incredible scholars over the past 40 years.

I do not know if our clergy are ignoring modern Biblical scholarship or if they choose not to share with their congregations the facts of history that are now close at hand. The results are obvious. People are leaving the pews and not returning, or they remain stuck with a stale version of the Christian Faith.

The third search for the historical Jesus has insisted that the Jesus stories found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke be read in historical context. The parables that he told and the aphorisms (sayings) that he repeated are best understood in their time and place and before the audiences that found him and followed him. The occupations and economic circumstances of Jesus’ listeners need to be grasped if his words are to be understood.

When placed in context, Jesus becomes a radical reformer in the setting of widespread political and religious unrest. His ministry was a combination of demands for justice for poor people, identification of oppressors, compassion for victims and the defeated, and mercy for the guilty.

His constant call was for a new day of justice and peace. His message centered on the Kingdom of God that was at hand.

Much of what happened in Jerusalem at the end of Jesus’ life is widely accepted as history. While details of his last week are debated, some events are affirmed as history by a wide range of credible scholars.

The key event was the disturbance that he created in the yard of the Herodian Jewish Temple. There are a variety of interpretations about Jesus’ exact action, but whatever he did, it made Jesus a marked man.

He was arrested and put through a “show” trial. He was crucified by Roman soldiers, having been charged with insurrection.

By all appearances, Jesus’ reform movement died with him, and his disciples fled in terror. The Jesus movement was dead. From this point, the search for the Jesus of history falls flat on its face.

To call the resurrection stories of the four gospels coherent is dishonest. The reports of Jesus’ appearances after his acclaimed resurrection do not meet tests of historical examination. His ascension into the heavens raises even more questions from historians.

I have concluded that the physical, life and blood life of Jesus ended on a cross just outside of Jerusalem at the hand of Roman soldiers.

In a relatively short time after the crucifixion of Jesus, his disciples and his followers were convinced that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Gloom was replaced with rejoicing. “He is risen” became the acclamation of his followers.

The Jesus movement took on a new life and new directions. Faith in the risen Christ became the foundation of the Christian churches.

So what am I to believe in 2015 in a world that demands facts, evidences and truth telling? First, I will continue to embrace the values and standards that Jesus gave us in his teachings, in his prophetic utterances, in his social challenges, and in his lifestyle. His messages of justice love, and mercy are timeless.

Further, I believe that the resurrection dynamics that are held dear by Christian believers are companions to the teachings of Jesus and make them timeless. History and theology need not be enemies. In fact they make good partners and are reinforcements to one another.

The death of Jesus from Nazareth on a Roman cross in Jerusalem is unmistakably historic. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is clearly theology. History without a dance partner is barren