Jesus

Most information about Jesus is found in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Michael Grant looks at these Gospels with an historian’s eye, treating them in exactly the same way as he would any other works of ancient literature capable of yielding historical information. The picture of Jesus which emerges is in some respects a new and unfamiliar one. There was no ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’ says Dr Grant – nor was Jesus a political revolutionary, as is often claimed. Jesus, although readily moved to compassion and anger by the sufferings he witnessed, ruthlessly subordinated his every act and thought to the success of his great mission. His admonishments to turn the other cheek, love thy neighbour, welcome sinners and render unto Caesar did not so much indicate a love of peace, a sentimental affection for humanity or a respect for the imperial government as a desire to deal quickly with what he considered to be matters that were subordinate and secondary to the main issue, thus enabling his disciples to concentrate wholly on the dawning and imminent realisation of the Kingdom of God.