Jesus vs. Christ: The Gospel of John and the Pain Principle
In Christian terminology, when the Word became flesh, it became fully human. The Word (Jesus/God) was capable of human emotions, human temptations, and of course, human pain and human death. When the man was hanging on the cross he was enduring the pain anyone can imagine. Far worse, he knew he was innocent and he was enduring the pain of all humanity, or so the theology teaches. This was the Jesus of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). It was also the Jesus of Peter, Paul and James. The concept; though, is shattered with the Gospel according to John as John introduces an additional attribute to Christ. Without John's Gospel it is hard to conceive of Christianity developing as it did. With John's Gospel Christianity becomes a farce that Christians have no choice but to ignore because it ruins their story. As John introduces Christ in his first verse he gives him an attribute that prevents him from being truly human. Christ was with God in the beginning. He knew the past. He knew the present. He knew the future. This last feature eliminates the possibility for Christ to be fully human. One of the key components of humanness is a lack of knowledge about the future. No human knows his own future. Even if one accepts the notion from Augustine through to the Protestant teacher John Calvin that humans are predestined to salvation or damnation, humans themselves do not know which path they are on. They may be able to discern clues based on the events of their lives but at no time are they completely sure. This is actually part of the doctrine of predestination. Humans cannot read the mind of God. Humans cannot know their own future. John Calvin, the Protestant Reformer of the sixteen century was a stanch proponent of predestination. He argued that Christians can actually know they are saved. At the moment you accept that Jesus is your savior you can have 100% certainty that you are going to heaven. If at some later point you reject this notion, you were never saved in the first place. Your earlier view was simply a mistake. The problems with this argument are many but the most obvious is that this 100% certainty is only based on one's belief they are saved. At no point is there actual confirmation of this until you are dead. The implications for Christ's knowledge of his future are catastrophic for theology because it mitigates the entire suffering messiah concept. Quite simply, if one knows for sure that one will obtain immortality and eternal glory by spending one horrible day of torture and death, one would have to be an incredible coward or fool not to accept this proposition. It is an easy choice to make. One day of torture followed by an eternity of glory verses no day of torture and an unknown future or worse. In modern parlance, this is a "no brainer." The Gospel of John has unwittingly stripped Jesus of the one characteristic he needed in order to fulfill his mission as detailed by Paul. Jesus does not suffer. Certainly he endured a day of unspeakable pain; but Jesus knew what awaited him on the other side. It is the difference between a medieval torture chamber and a trip to the dentist for root canal work. A medieval inquisitor showed the victim the tools of torture and explained their function. Whether it was the red hot poker, the rack, or the plum that expanded when forced into a bodily orifice, the victim was shown these instruments to increase the fear. The victim knew what was in store for him. He probably knew he would die in the process. He also did not know if any benefit would come from this experience. A dentist also shows his tools to the patient; not to induce fear, but to calm the patient. The tools are designed to perform a function so that afterwards the patient is better off. Jesus knew what to expect. Jesus was fully aware that he was about to experience pain and death. Jesus also knew this was temporary. Jesus knew he would come out of the procedure in a realm of eternal glory. The entire passion narrative is for Jesus a trip to the dentist. What John has done in his Gospel is give Christ the clarity of light. In John, Jesus final words were "It is finished." Jesus day of suffering was done and he was thankful it was over so he could shortly ascend to Heaven. In Mark's Gospel Jesus quotes from Psalms 22. "My God, my God, why hath thou forsaken me." In both Mark and Psalms the subject is in the fog of darkness, not knowing why he is being tormented. In the Psalm the subject asks God to rescue him from the mouth of lions. For the Gospel of John this would be an unnecessary request. Jesus already knew he would be rescued and exalted. "How about if we whip you and drive nails through your hands and feet?" The Gospel of John has eliminated the possibility of a suffering messiah. He has taken the Apostle Paul's entire argument and thrown it in the trash. |
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