Investigate The Christology Of Matthews Gospel Essays - Christology

Investigate The Christology Of Matthew's Gospel Matthew's Christology is one that emphasises to a Jewish audience the Jewishness of Jesus. It will be the purpose of this paper to argue that the raison d'etre of Matthew's Christology is to portray Jesus as entirely compatible if not with the Judaism of his day then with ancient Judaic tradition, namely the Old Testament. Whilst there are numerous titles given to Jesus that are exclusive/predominant within the Matthean account, such as that of Son of God, it is the writer's assertion that these merely complement Matthew's central theses; this being the portrayal of Jesus as Messiah and so, as such, will not be investigated except where they promote this conclusion. This fulfilment of Judaic tradition will be investigated in three separate yet interrelated areas: Jesus as the fulfilment of Hebraic messianic expectation, Jesus' role as a Jewish teacher and Jesus as inaugurator of God's Kingdom. Matthew is a Semitic gospel written as an encouragement to Jewish Christians and as an apologetic to unbelieving Jews. From the outset Matthew identifies Jesus as one of royal Davidic lineage and Abrahamic descent. Matthew immediately identifies with Judaic tradition portraying Jesus with the Immanuel figure of Isaiah 7:14 (1:23). This motif of the Jewishness of the gospel is especially prevalent in its depiction of Jesus' role as the fulfilment of the Old Testament's messianic hope (2:4, 26:63) as well as running throughout the text on varying levels. Perhaps one of the most interesting theories offered in detailing this continuation between testaments is Leske's proposal that Jesus' role and ministry is antecedent to the Isaianic literature, and, in particular, the Servant nation of Israel. Whilst a comprehensive critique of Leske's argument is outside the scope of this study, it would seem fair to concur that Matthew does indeed identify Jesus with the Servant (cf. 3:17; Isaiah 42 :1). Consequently, we see in Matthew's depiction of Jesus a fundamental tenet of Israel's theological history personified. Jesus is, as the Messianic Servant, shown to be the fulfilment of further Isaianic prophecy, that of the suffering Servant. Throughout Matthew's gospel there are six direct allusions to Isaiah 53 indicating a definite link and identification by Matthew with this Israelite and Messianic hope. Further, Farmer suggests that direct allusions notwithstanding in 20:20-28 and especially 26:26-30 Isaiah 53's redemptive hope is supposed to be fulfilled through Jesus' description of the outcome of his crucifixion. Isaianic prophecy aside it is also clear that Matthew above the other three evangelists presents Jesus as the fulfilment of the law, a new Moses. The structure of the book into five sections is intended to help the Jewish readers identify Jesus as an antecedent of Moses. Jesus is according to some scholars a type of Moses bringing about a new exodus and a new Israel. More explicitly however, Matthew portrays Jesus as the only man to have fulfilled the law in its entirety as well as the messianic fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy through the many formula quotations (3:15; 5:17-48;12:17-21; 13:35; 21:5, 16, 42; 22:44; 23:39; 26:31; 27:9, 35, 46). Judaism as a religion placed great stress on the role of the rabbi or teacher, the concept of a teacher having students/disciples is ancient, Elijah and Elisha being cited as examples(1 Kings 19:19-21). In the Judaism of Matthew's time such relationships were symptomatic of the religious climate with the array of schools of disciples that existed. It is not surprising then that Matthew in addressing recent adherents to this religion should portray Jesus as a teacher with his own band of disciples albeit a distinctive one. Whilst it must be noted with France that in comparison with Mark Matthew uses the term rabbi infrequently this should not be taken to mean Jesus as teacher is an inappropriate title to Matthew. Clearly, Jesus is revealed as Messiah far more explicitly than in the other synoptics but, Jesus nonetheless describes himself as a rabbi (3:15; 5:17-48; 11:27; 13:10-17; 23:8) and others recognized his similarity to other teachers and thus addressed him as such (8:19; 9:11; 12:38; 17:24; 19:16; 22:16, 24, 36). As teacher Jesus is portrayed as the revealer of God's will and Israel's true teacher and as such one of the central motifs of

Sample Character Analysis Essay

Sample Character Analysis EssayA middle school student needs to perform a sample character analysis essay in order to demonstrate their understanding of the characteristics of a typical teenager. Although there are many of these essays that can be performed by a wide range of students, some middle school students need help learning the skills and strategies required to write this type of essay. Here are a few tips for writing a middle school character analysis essay.First, when writing a sample character analysis essay, it is best to avoid using stereotypical statements about teenagers. Teenagers are very different from each other and using such statements in an essay does not accurately reflect the differences between teenagers. Therefore, avoid statements such as 'Why do teenagers have parties?'Another point to consider is that many middle school students who participate in this type of essay tend to use the word 'wannabe' when describing the characteristics of teenagers. When a st udent is writing about his or her dreams, they are not actually wishing to become a teenager. Therefore, when a student writes about 'wanting to be a teenager,' it should be noted that they do not actually aspire to be a teenager.A characteristic that middle school students share with other teenagers is the desire to be noticed. Since the target audience of a sample character analysis essay tends to be the general public, it is important to make sure that the essay remains in the appropriate voice of speaking. Therefore, the essay should be written with an emphasis on relevant and interesting topics, rather than keeping the essay strictly chronological.Generally, middle school students will write about the same types of issues as other teenagers do. For example, students will discuss certain problems, which they face in life, as well as theories about why they may encounter those problems. In addition, they will discuss the kinds of entertainment that they enjoy, as well as their op inions on the kind of music that they like to listen to.Students will also discuss different emotions, thoughts, and fears that they have. When they write about these topics, they will be able to successfully use these thoughts and emotions in the essay, so long as they are addressing them in a productive manner. Therefore, a sample character analysis essay should not just focus on the 'worst' things that a teenager may do, but should instead include some 'what ifs.'Lastly, students will also write about what kind of clothes they wear and what brands they like to wear. For example, they may discuss their favorite movies, TV shows, and music, as well as the items that they purchase. When students write about these items, they will be able to show their individuality and provide interesting insight about their personalities.Overall, the contents of an essay will depend on the intended audience of the essay. Therefore, the use of certain words will allow a student to effectively reach the target audience of the essay. It is possible to write a sample character analysis essay in the manner that a middle school student would write it, provided that the student is aware of the correct methods of writing an essay.