Chapter III

Jesus’ Public Life

 What is the importance of the
hidden life of Jesus?
• The Gospels* tell little about the birth of Jesus* and much about his public life, at the end
of his short existence. We hardly know anything about the period in between. These years
in the life of Jesus are called his ‘hidden life’. Evangelist Luke summarises this long period as
follows, ‘Jesus grew up, and he became wiser and wiser. God* loved Him, and so did many’
(Lk 2:52).
• It is usually assumed that Jesus spent that time in Nazareth, a small village in Galilee, a
province with little prestige. He probably lived there with his parents. According to tradition
He worked as a carpenter, just like Joseph*, his father.
• Was Jesus’ great project in storage all this time? Wasn’t he yet fully the Son of God during
those years? Can something be learned from those thirty years or did so little happen in
that period that there is actually nothing to tell about?
• Christians believe that during his ‘hidden life’ Jesus was already Son of God and therefore
completely God. In the period in which he grew as a human being from child to adolescent,
and from young adult to an adult man Jesus was completely God. Christians think this is
important. It means that an ordinary, unobtrusive life – about which there is little to tell – is
so important to God that he himself, for many years, wanted to experience it. The most
famous man in history was completely unknown for most of his life. In other words: even a
simple, unknown life in all humility is valuable. It can be a divine life.
 THE HIDDEN YEARS OF JESUS
The hidden years of Jesus’ life extend from his return
from Bethlehem to Nazareth, in his earliest childhood, to his
baptism by John the Baptizer, at the start of his preaching.
Reconstructed picture of Jesus’ hidden life
• Knowledge and skill
• Hard work
• Physical fitness
• Family Love
• Sense of wonder and beauty
• Desire for adventure
• Sense of trust in God
 What Jesus may have looked like ?

We do not know exactly Jesus was like in physical

appearance. The gospels contain no description of
his features or his stature. Well, of course there was
no photographer to take his picture. What we know
to Jesus was, He is a first-century Palestinian Jew and
a carpenter by trade. We may assume therefore,
that he was manly and strong, that his skin was
tanned, his hair and eyes were dark.
 The Languages He Spoke
It is common knowledge that Jesus’ mother tongue was
ARAMAIC-a semitic dialect resembling Hebrew, the language
of the Old Testament. Aramaic was one of the great
languages of the near East. Jesus preached, taught and
prayed in the Galilean dialect of his province.
We know that his language was Aramaic because several
words from his lips are preserved in Mark’s Gospel. For
example: Talitha Koum (5:41;); Ephphatha (7:34); Eloi,Eloi
Lama Sabachthani (15:34); YESHUA-Jesus
 A.THE BAPTISM OF JESUS BY JOHN
John was the son of a priest named Zechariah and his wife,
Elizabeth, who was a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. John and
Jesus were therefore relatives, probably cousins. As a prophet, he
began his preaching in the Judean desert, about 27 A.D. He lived an
ascetic life, practiced fasting and refused to join the social life of men.

JOHN’S MESSAGE
The heart of John’s message was the imminent
judgment of God. So, to prepare for this great event, he
summoned the people:
•To repent
•To express repentance in ethical renewal
•To submit themselves for baptism for the forgiveness of sins
The Meaning of Jesus’ baptism by John
•To please his mother and his family

•To serve as a true representative of

mankind

•To fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah (Is.

11:2)
 B. The great temptation of Jesus
This suggests to us the idea that God wanted
Jesus to grow up and develop freedom to choose
between good and evil. In every temptation, man is
presented with two basic alternatives:
• to remain loyal to God and do what he know is
right
• to subordinate their loyalty to some other value
which at the moment seems to be more
important.
 Three prevailing Jewish ideas of what a Messiah
should be during Jesus’ temptation:
• The Messiah is an economic expert
• The Messiah is a wonder worker
• The Messiah is a military or political
genius
C.THE MESSAGE JESUS PROCLAIMED
C.1. Jesus announcing the kingdom of God

The synoptic gospels make it clear that Jesus was not concerned
about telling men who he was: but to announce the coming of
the kingdom of God.

Mark introduces Jesus ministry by announcing that the

kingdom of God is “near”. It is “with in you” and “among you.”
Jesus announcement that the kingdom of God is “at hand” was a
reminder for the Jews to take God’s sovereign lordship seriously.
 It stands for the idea that God is making himself real to men and
laying hi claim upon them. The coming of God was more than just reminder
that God is sovereign. It was a declaration that God is a special act would
establish his kingship, which is his personal reign over the hearts and minds of
men.

And Jesus called this message “good news” because from his own
experience he knew that the fulfillment of man’s highest aspirations and
satisfaction of his needs depend on vital and personal relationship to God. It
was good news to hear that the kingdom of God is a present reality and not
merely a future hope. It was good news also that the purpose of God’s
judgment is to restore and not destroy and to know that he is willing to
accept us in spite of our sins. Of course we must repent in order to
experience that divine acceptance.
 C.1.a Conditions for entering the kingdom of God:

a.) Repentance
b.) Acceptance

C.1.b GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM

The kingdom of God cannot be achieved; it must

receive as a gift. The gift of the kingdom can only be
received by faith. Faith was and is the condition for the
coming of the kingdom of man’s total liberation.
Faith is a radical reorientation of one’s life to
God. A man of faith is willing and ready to place
the care of his needs and future in the hands of
God. (Mt. 619-34)

Faith too is a gift from God, which we receive

through total openness to the world of God.
(Mt. 13:4-19)
 C.2 Characteristics and forms of JESUS’ teachings

Jesus was a religious teacher. He is

called “teacher” more than fifty times
in the Gospel. In the Aramaic
language, the title is called “rabbi”
which means literally the great one.
He is called “master” in the sense of
superiority in moral and spiritual
wisdom and not in political power. A
little similar to “professor” or “doctor”,
when applied to teacher of religion in
our day. Jesus was a very
unorthodox rabbi. This is because
he was not only a “teacher” but also
a prophet-“one who speaks for
God”
 CHARACTERISTIC OF JESUS’ TEACHING

1.Arresting

2.Appealing

3. Memorable
 FORMS
1. EPIGRAM - a witty and
pointed statement
Example:
He who saves his own life will
loose it, but the man who loses
his life for me and for the gospel
2. PARADOX – apparent will save it. Happy are the poor,
contradiction the hungry, the sorrowful.
Whoever comes to me cannot be
my disciples unless he hates his
3. HYPERBOLE – father and mother.
exaggerated statement
 FORMS
4. HUMOR – made men Example:
laugh.
He who saves
2. PARADOX – apparent his own life will loose
contradiction
it, but the man who
loses his life for me
3. HYPERBOLE –
exaggerated statement
and for the gospel will
save it.
 FORMS
Ex.
5. LOGICAL ARGUMENT
Ex. What does a law allow us to do on Sabbath? To
help us or to harm.

6. PARABLE – has two levels of meaning.

– parabolic teaching.
MAJOR THEMES IN JESUS TEACHING

a.) Kingdom of God

b.) Righteousness
c.) Judgment
d.) Love
e.) Forgiveness
f.) Humility
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 REFLECTION QUESTION
• WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THOSE
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO’VE NEVER
HEARD ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?