Saturday, October 17, 2015

St. Mary's, Marathon City, WI


St. Mary's, Marathon City, WI


'Jesus had not done what Messiahs were supposed to do.  He had neither won a decisive victory over Israel’s political enemies, nor restored the Temple (except in the most ambiguous symbolic fashion).  Nor had he brought God’s justice and peace to the world; the wolf was not yet lying down with the lamb.  But the early gospel traditions are already shaped by the belief that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah; Paul regularly calls him Christos, and if that term had become for him merely a proper name (which I dispute) that only goes to show how firmly Jesus’ messianic identity was already established by Paul’s day.  For Revelation, Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.   



'The historian is bound to face the question: once Jesus had been crucified, why would anyone say that he was Israel’s Messiah? Nobody said that about Judas the Galilean after his revolt ended in failure in AD 6.  Nobody said it of Simon bar-Giora after his death at the end of Titus’s triumph in AD 70.  Nobody said it about bar-Kochbar after his defeat and death in 135.  On the contrary. Where messianic movements tried to carry on after the death of their would-be Messiah, their most important task was to find another Messiah.  The fact that the early Christians did not do that, but continued, against all precedent, to regard Jesus himself as Messiah, despite outstanding alternative candidates such as the righteous, devout and well-respected James, Jesus’ own brother, is evidence that demands an explanation.  



' As with their beliefs about resurrection, they redefined Messiahship itself, and with it their whole view of the problem that Israel and the world faced and the solution that they believed God had provided.  They remained at one level a classic Jewish messianic movement, owing fierce allegiance to their Messiah and claiming Israel and the whole world in his name.  But the mode of that claim, and the underlying allegiance itself, were drastically redefined.



' The rise of early Christianity, and the shape that it took in two central and vital respects, thus presses upon the historian the question for an explanation.  The early Christians retained the Jewish belief in resurrection, but both modified it and made it more sharp and precise.  They retained the Jewish belief in a coming Messiah, but redrew it quite drastically around Jesus himself.  Why?

  'The answer the early Christians themselves give for these changes, of course, is that Jesus of Nazareth was bodily raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.  It is Jesus’ own resurrection that has given force and new shape to the Christian hope.  It was, they insist, Jesus’ own resurrection which constituted him as Messiah, and, if Messiah, then Lord of the world.'

- from Jesus' Resurrection and Christian Origins. N.T. Wright


Have a blessed Lord's Day.

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20 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

looking grand against that blue sky.

Jim said...

What a beautiful church and wonderful light.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

An inpressive church. Jesus is the only people who was raised from the dead (as the old testement prediced) and is alive and living with His father in heaven, preparing a place for all who believe in Him.

MadSnapper said...

a beautiful church and as I read the words, i thought Wow, you should write a book, then when i got to the end it is a book. duh on me. the words are as beautiful as the church

Jaśmin said...

Welcome Crannbery Morning !
This temple is very interesting.
Regards:)*

Jaśmin said...

Welcome Crannbery Morning !
This temple is very interesting.
Regards:)*

Tom said...

Very impressive!

This N That said...

Beautiful church.... love the architecture.. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, what a beautiful church! Lovely photos! Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!

Anonymous said...

A lovely brick church. Enjoyed reading the commentary, too. So grateful for the resurrection of our Messiah...

Jackie McGuinness said...

Lovely photos!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That is one beautiful church. I just love church's in the Midwest. Nothing like a brick church!

Michelle said...

What a majestic church!

RedPat said...

A wonderful brick church!

Unknown said...

Lovely it is similar to our church here in Newcastle .

Terri D said...

That is a beautiful church, and you gave us a wonderful lesson. Blessed Sunday to you!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

very cool, so fancy - luv the arches. ( ;

Alex said...

Very, very interesting post. There is always a little uprising of joy to hear some one of faith speak assuredly about the real resurrection, my family are non believers (lovely though they are!) - I am used to defending it against the odds, if I speak about it!
And that is a fine church building!

Denise said...

very lovely

Billy Blue Eyes said...

Impressive looking church

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