The Unobtainable Deity

Very interesting quote from an article on the latest "Jesus Seminar" meeting in Santa Cruz, CA. For more information on the Jesus Seminar just google or go to their website. The long and short of it is this is an academic community searching to find the "real" Jesus, the "historical" Jesus, opposed to the Jesus of orthodox Christianity.

These quotes, one from a presenter in the seminar, and the other from a student observer were striking to me:

"We are not here to advocate religion," said Sheehan, who has participated in the Jesus Seminar since 1999. "We study religion critically. We're scientists of religion. We come here to say what we have learned about the historical Jesus Christ. It's more to inform people who may not have an opportunity to hear what university professors are saying about Jesus."

Miller, 21, who sat with fellow UCSC students to hear Scott's lecture, said "I do identify as a Christian, but I am very interested in learning about who Jesus was as an actual person."

Miller, who plans to graduate early with a degree in American studies, said, "I want to know more about the humanity of Jesus rather than the Divinity.

"It makes it more believable for me when I think of Jesus as a person rather than an unobtainable Deity."

My thoughts:

Has the church made Jesus an "unobtainable deity?" There are numerous issues with the Jesus Seminar. Their academic integrity is highly questionable and they throw out any sniffs of deification in regards to Jesus, because well hey that just isn't "historical." What Christians know is that the Jesus of the New Testament, the Jesus the early church attests to, the Jesus the church throughout the ages into today attests to is the very "historical" Jesus.

I do wonder however, if Christians have propped up Jesus as some "unobtainable deity." When we defend Jesus' deity and neglect his humanity we don't have Jesus. The church needs to affirm his humanity, as attested to in scripture, and affirm his deity together as a whole. There is no such thing as a historical Jesus a part from the God-Man. Jesus is fully God and fully man. When either is backed off of problems ensue.

The student observers quote from above shows how askew folks' view of Jesus and Christianity are. Jesus is the most attainable deity there is, given He came down out of heaven incarnate and born of the Virgin Mary. Why is it that society views Jesus as an unobtainable deity? Perhaps we would do well to teach the whole Jesus to our people?