What Did Jesus Believe/Teach About His Death? (Essay Sample)

Religion and Theology: What Did Jesus Believe/Teach about His Death?
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Introduction
Background Information on Jesus and His Teachings
Due to his profound impact on society, Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, is significant in human history. Jesus was born in Bethlehem around 4 BC and raised in Nazareth. He began public ministry at 30. The individual spreads love, absolution, and redemption doctrine while performing miraculous healing and exorcism. In morality, ethics, and culture, the Gospels of the New Testament have shaped Western civilization. Jesus stressed loving God and neighbour. The instructor stressed the importance of loving the divine with one's heart, soul, mind, and body and showing kindness to others as one would to oneself. The speaker stressed repentance and forgiveness, urging his listeners to give up sin and live virtuously. Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truths using everyday objects and situations. Despite their popularity, Jesus' teachings were controversial and challenged his era's religious and political establishments. The Romans arrested, tried, and crucified him (McKnigh 52). His adherents maintained that he was resurrected from the dead after three days, an occurrence that serves as the fundamental basis of Christian belief.
Importance of Understanding Jesus' Beliefs about His Death
The death of Jesus holds a pivotal position in Christian theology, and comprehending Jesus' convictions regarding his passing is imperative for grasping the Christian religion. As per the tenets of Christian theology, Jesus Christ's death and resurrection were deemed indispensable for the redemption of humankind. Jesus' death and resurrection are believed to have atoned for humanity's sins and offered eternal life. Jesus' death beliefs are the subject of much scholarly debate. Jesus' death beliefs are crucial to understanding his life and teachings. Jesus' teachings reflected first-century Palestinian religion and culture. Understanding Jesus' death beliefs illuminates his historical and cultural context and his followers' importance.
Scholars debate Jesus' death beliefs and teachings. For centuries, academics have debated historiography, theology, and atonement theory. The New Testament Gospels provide particular perspectives on Jesus' teachings regarding his death, albeit with inconsistencies and interpretational challenges. Thus, researchers have used ancient Christian intellectuals' writings and the socio-cultural and religious milieu of Jesus' time to reconstruct his ideological beliefs.
Thesis
In this paper, we will explore the teachings and beliefs of Jesus regarding his death. The sources will include the New Testament Gospels, writings from the early Christian era, and the perspectives of modern scholars. The paper aims to delve into the historical and cultural background surrounding Jesus' teachings and the various atonement theories developed in Christian ideology. The argument brought about is that Jesus believed that his death was crucial for the salvation of humanity. The paper examines different viewpoints regarding Jesus' beliefs about his death and analyzes them based on the information provided in scholarly literature.
Historical Context of Jesus' Teachings
The political climate during the time of Jesus' teachings
In Palestine, there was political unrest and upheaval during Jesus' time. Rome appointed a governor to lead Palestine, a province of the Roman Empire. Pontius Pilate, the ruler at the time of Jesus' ministry, was renowned for using harsh measures to put down uprisings. The Jewish people harbored intense resentment toward Roman dominance and yearned for a leader to free them from tyranny. Several Jewish uprisings against Roman rule occurred during Jesus' lifetime, and the Romans brutally put an end to them. Some people interpreted Jesus' message of the coming kingdom of God as a call to revolution, and his miracles and teachings attracted a large following of people who hoped he would be the one to free them from Roman rule. Nevertheless, Jesus' message was primarily spiritual, emphasizing the value of internal change over political disobedience. However, the Romans and the Jewish leaders perceived his teachings about the kingdom of God and his criticism of the ruling religious authorities of his day as a threat, ultimately resulting in his arrest and execution. McKnight indicates a strong likelihood that Jesus underwent crucifixion in close proximity to the Pesah festival because of his perceived status as a subversive figure within both the political and religious spheres (53). His execution resulted from allegations that he was a fraudulent