Discussion Question 1: Jesus' Life

Why do you think the gospels spend so much time recounting the life of Jesus – his teaching, his miracles, etc? Why does the typical evangelical gospel presentation often skip over this part?

(Make sure you incorporate the reading from Bird in your response.)

I think typical evangelical gospel presentations skip over the life of Jesus because the importance of the "sinless birth" and "sin-bearing death" seem to weigh more heavily. However, Emil Brunner notes that "... the Cross of Jesus can only be understood in light of His life, as its culmination,". The life of Jesus matters prophetically, as his life is the fulfillment of the promises in the Old Testament. The typology of Jesus' life is reflected in the patterns of the Old Testament. Jesus is not just the object of theological study, but the chief source. He is the glue that connects Israel's hopes with the church's faith. "Jesus, as the new Adam, the new David, and the true Israel...".

I think both of these questions are tied to the Old Testament. It seems to me that one of the reasons the gospels spend so much time on Jesus' life and ministry is because it is continuing a story that was started in Genisis. This story is finding its climax in Jesus, I think the writers want the audience to see and know that through the gospels.

I think an Evangelical gospel presentation skips over Jesus' life because it is trying to give the trailer to the long story. It's giving the climax of the climax, which is Jesus' death and resurrection. However, there is so much that we are missing when we don't look into how Jesus fulfills the scriptures.

I had a friend ask me jokingly, in Kanye's album Jesus is King, why does Jesus have to be king, why can't He just be satisfied being God. Without knowing the life of David and Jesus' role in God's prophecy about his decedents it would be hard to answer this question.