Preview of 2016-2017 HORIZONS BIBLE STUDY
There was once a zoo in which there were all kinds of animals. One day a group of blind teenagers visited this zoo on a special tour. Since they could not see the animals, a zookeeper allowed the teens to touch some of them: a giant tortoise, an iguana, a starfish in a shallow tank, a python and an elephant.
The elephant presented a problem because it was so large. The zookeeper led each child to a part of the elephant so they could feel a leg, trunk and an ear. She then asked each of them in turn to tell the others what the elephant was like.
One boy, Ned, feeling one leg, said, “The elephant is like a tree with soft bark.”
“No,” said Fiona, feeling the moving trunk, “The elephant is more like a large snake.”
“Really?” said Michael, a tall teenager, feeling part of the ear, “The elephant feels loose and floppy with a texture like an eraser.”
Both Ned and Fiona chimed in, “Yes, the skin feels like an eraser.”
“You are all correct,” said the zookeeper, “The elephant is like all of these things. Ned is feeling one of the legs. Fiona is feeling the trunk, which is a bit like a huge snake. The trunk can both smell and pick up objects. And Michael is feeling part of the ear. The elephant is a huge animal, and each of you is getting to know one part of the elephant.”
Jesus is so much bigger than any one of us can imagine. If we ask who Jesus is, there will be very different views depending on where one is standing and what one is sensing and seeing.
No one has the complete picture of Jesus, but our insights into Jesus are enhanced as we listen to what other people sense and know.
Judy Yates Siker takes us through a gallery of portraits of Jesus in the New Testament, in other religions and in contemporary culture in next year’s study, “Who is Jesus?” Siker holds up the various pictures of Jesus and invites us to explore who Jesus is today for us. Siker helps us see the rich colors and textures in what is shared in common among those who write about Jesus and through the unique perspectives of various artists.
Like the blind students all feeling the elephant’s skin, some writings in the New Testament share common events. Take, for instance, the synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. (“Synoptic” comes from the Greek work that means “to be seen together.”) Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell, among other things, about John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, Jesus calling the disciples, quieting the storm on the sea and the last supper before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. In the synoptics, Jesus is very human, getting tired, needing sleep, prayer and food, wanting to avoid suffering.
Yet each of the synoptic Gospels has unique features born out of the particular context and community of Christians. For instance, in the Gospel of Mark, events happen quickly, with the word “immediately” used repeatedly. This Gospel is shorter and contains far less of Jesus’ teachings.
The disciples are more often the “duh”- ciples, not understanding who Jesus is. The congregation, of which the author was a part, faced persecution, so there is more attention devoted to Jesus as the suffering Son of God. One-third of the Gospel of Mark is devoted to the story of Jesus’ final days as deadly opposition mounts.
The Gospel of John is incredibly different from the synoptic Gospels. Here is the divine Word, the one who is one with God, through whom all things were created. Here we encounter Jesus turning water into wine, talking about being born from above, engaging in conversation with a woman at a well and raising Lazarus from death. Jesus talks in metaphors, is wordy and obtuse, saying, “I am the bread of life. I am the good Shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life.”
Siker goes well beyond the Gospels into Paul’s letters and Hebrews. She ventures into the non-canonical Gospels, the Jewish and Muslim traditions and contemporary cultural interpretations of Jesus. It can be quite enlightening to understand how non-Christians think about Jesus.
I am particularly appreciative of the study helps for leaders written by Patricia Lynn Miller. Also useful are the worksheets provided for each lesson. Charts, art and multiple-choice questions are used in the variety of worksheets, and there are answer keys.
Who is Jesus to you? We probably won’t all agree, but it is important to answer this question for ourselves. Let’’s explore who Jesus is together.
ROSALIND BANBURY is associate pastor for adult ministries at First Church in Richmond, Virginia.
