Jesus’ Self-Identity
Jesus’ Self-Identity
As we have already been noting (e.g., chs. 14, 17), some of the gospel tradition’s sayings assign to Jesus a central role in God’s plan; some of these exceed the expectations for normal prophets. Some have suggested that Jesus experienced early marginalization, helping to explain his predilection for the marginalized.5 Such factors are certainly possible. One should not, however, in any case infer from such marginalization that Jesus lacked confidence in his role; in our surviving evidence, he exhibits a confidence that he speaks for God, based on his confidence in his relationship with God.
Some of Jesus’ sayings, as we have noted, call Israel to moral reformation. This is what we would expect from a prophet in the Israelite tradition. Other sayings, however, give Jesus a more unusual prophetic role, for example, when he insists that a disciple following him immediately takes precedence over burying a dead father. Even here we might possibly attribute the unusual demand simply to eschatological urgency.
But many other prophetic sayings in the same kinds of sources (notably “Q”) assign Jesus an important and distinctive role in the kingdom. Thus for example, when Jesus calls “twelve” disciples in organizing a renewal movement for Israel, he calls them to follow him. If they will sit on twelve thrones judging Israel (Matt 19:28//Lk 22:30), what should we assume for the role of the one who called them to follow him? John’s sayings in “Q” about one who might be viewed as his successor suggest an even more exalted status (see discussion in the following chapter).