What can we know about Jesus in the 21st century?

What can we know about Jesus? The skeptic will answer “not much” or “probably nothing.”

The skeptic’s answer is not without reason. The records with which we have to work (The New Testament) are no more than fragments. The fragments are coated with the speculations of men who never knew him and never heard him speak. Paul is the only New Testament writer who can be considered a contemporary of Jesus. He never had personal contact with Jesus. His writings are not historical reporting, but rather are theological speculations.

The history of Christian scholarship is heavy with mythology and theological projections. Without much question, Christians embraced Bible readings as facts. For centuries, with few exceptions, Christian churches and leaders focused on proper beliefs and ignored the pursuit of facts. In the early 20th century, Albert Schweitzer made the first significant challenge of churches’ obsession with belief rather than facts. In 1906, he published “The Quest for the Historical Jesus.”

Scholars and Schweitzer himself later concluded he had failed in his quest. His tools were limited and his methodology flawed.

The question would not go away. The next search for the historical Jesus took place in the mid-20th century and was short-lived. Most scholars agree it was another failure, but the curiosity of scholars will not stop. More bona fide New Testament scholars are working today than ever before. A third search for the historical Jesus has begun and is alive and well.

The difference between this third effort and the earlier attempts is that scholars have more and better tools with which to work. They come to their task with the aid of sociologists, historians, literary critics, linguists, archaeologists and anthropologists. The result is that the life of Jesus can be put into the context of history, economics, religion, social norms and dominant politics. At the time of his teaching, the stories Jesus told and the content of his teachings were not kept as written records. His central teachings were preserved by oral tradition. They were later preserved as written material. Those traditions are now being tested for authenticity. They are being understood within the known context of his public activity.

As a result of the third search for the historical Jesus, a live human being is emerging. Scholars are now willing to make a list of the “indisputable facts” of the life of Jesus. Of course, as soon as one scholar calls his list “facts,” there are others who dispute the list with additions, corrections and subtractions. That is the nature of the current debates. However, there is general agreement that there are facts about Jesus that are available to the persistent researcher. The search for the historical Jesus is an ongoing effort and will never be complete. The New Testament gospels will remain a small group of snapshots, taken with an old camera with a poor quality lens. However, we are getting the best look at the historical Jesus that we have ever had.

What does the search for the historical Jesus have to do with us in the 21st century? We are living in rapid change. It is well documented that young people are fleeing traditional Christian churches. It is also well documented that young people are not becoming less religious. Their interest in Jesus is growing, not diminishing. Apocalyptic thinking with anticipation of the soon end of the world is waning. Young people are more interested in the way life should and can be lived. Young people are living with awareness of social, political and economic dynamics and pressures.

Among the facts that we now know about Jesus are things that speak to American youth. Jesus was an active advocate of justice for everyone. Justice was not understood as punishment; rather, as opportunity. He found the behavior of the rich despicable. He looked on the religious leadership with disdain. Love of God was his highest virtue. Love of neighbor was a close second. He was very public with his convictions.

Jesus grew up in Galilee in northern Palestine. He and his family were poor and faithful Jewish believers. Jesus taught in small towns, villages and the Galilean countryside. He never took his public activities to the large cities in Galilee. He traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. While there he created a disturbance in the Temple. It led to a show trial and death on a cross.

Churches teach that Jesus died for the sins of the world. That is a theological belief that can be believed or disbelieved. The fact is that Jesus was put to death because he called for honest religion and social justice.

I am privileged to be a part of the third search for the historical Jesus. It is the historical Jesus that most truly can save us all from our sins.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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