‘Jesus set a good example; that is all’ Discuss
In today’s society, Jesus would be seen as a person to look up to for moral and spiritual guidance,
and many of his teachings are used in general words of wisdom, such as the Golden Rule of ‘treat
others as you would like to be treated’ and the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’. Arguably, Jesus,
seen as a teacher of faith and morality, can only be seen as a good example in today’s society. But
this essay will explore not only the reasons why Jesus was seen as a criminal worthy of crucifixion in
his time, but also the other characteristics that Jesus portrayed including the Son of God and a
challenger of both political and religious authorities that show Jesus today is more than just a good
example
Jesus is seen as setting a good example today as many Biblical academics argue that his actions are
more of a correction and purification of the way people worshipped rather than creating a whole
new religion. For example, when questioned about breaking the Sabbath law, Jesus replied that
‘man was not made for Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man’. Instead of arguing that the
Sabbath Law should not be followed, he stated the rules followed in the Jewish faith are aids to
respecting and worshipping God. Rather than completely going against the laws of his Jewish faith, a
lot of Jesus’ teachings can be interpreted as corrections to the mistake people made of prioritising
rules before their faith in God. In this way, one can see Jesus set perfect example on practising faith
However, many argue that these examples do not show someone setting the perfect example of
worshipping God, but someone breaking rules and traditions. It is easy for current day Christians to
see Jesus’ actions as good, but for the Pharisees, who were experts in Jewish Law, Jesus’ actions
would be seen as an act of complete disrespect to God. Furthermore, the influence and authority
Jesus has leads many to question what rules we should follow or if all can be broken if the situation
suits us. As a result, it can prove that Jesus did not set a good example as a teacher of faith and has
left more questions than answers.
Despite the variation of views of Jesus as a good example for following rules, it is undeniable that his
personality, especially his forgiveness, compassion and love for others, are a perfect example on
how we should be as people. Through helping the marginalised and showing love to his enemies,
one can see Jesus as a teacher of kindness, showing all that it is better to give out love than to be
overcome by anger. Then again, Jesus is pictured in the temple, pushing over tables and often shouts
at Peter when he makes mistakes. These examples suggest that Jesus was not completely in control
of his emotions, and like all humans loses his temper sometimes. However, by showing that Jesus
still has the potential to let his anger take over shows his strength. A man who fights against his
negative emotions is more relatable and accessible than a man who simply does not get upset. Thus,
by being a good example of kindness and love Jesus shows us that it is okay to feel anger or hatred
but teaches us how to overcome these feelings. Ultimately, this is the best example someone can
set.
Apart from his kindness and wisdom, Jesus is most known for his divine abilities seen through his
miracles, for example walking on water and healing the blind man. This means that Jesus is more
than a good example but also the Son of God. It is clear throughout the Bible that Jesus has a unique
relationship with God and is both divine and chosen by him. He is quoted in John’s Gospel using the
phrase ‘I am’ and calling God ‘Abba’ or Father, suggesting he has a relationship with God that we
cannot. In this way, Jesus’ divinity makes his not only the perfect example of humanity, but his
divinity makes his perfection unobtainable for any other human. However, modern interpretations
of the Bible ask us to ‘demythologise’ the texts removing any element of supernature, thus this
would remove any miracles Jesus performed or any other divine abilities. Underneath these powers,
In today’s society, Jesus would be seen as a person to look up to for moral and spiritual guidance,
and many of his teachings are used in general words of wisdom, such as the Golden Rule of ‘treat
others as you would like to be treated’ and the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’. Arguably, Jesus,
seen as a teacher of faith and morality, can only be seen as a good example in today’s society. But
this essay will explore not only the reasons why Jesus was seen as a criminal worthy of crucifixion in
his time, but also the other characteristics that Jesus portrayed including the Son of God and a
challenger of both political and religious authorities that show Jesus today is more than just a good
example
Jesus is seen as setting a good example today as many Biblical academics argue that his actions are
more of a correction and purification of the way people worshipped rather than creating a whole
new religion. For example, when questioned about breaking the Sabbath law, Jesus replied that
‘man was not made for Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man’. Instead of arguing that the
Sabbath Law should not be followed, he stated the rules followed in the Jewish faith are aids to
respecting and worshipping God. Rather than completely going against the laws of his Jewish faith, a
lot of Jesus’ teachings can be interpreted as corrections to the mistake people made of prioritising
rules before their faith in God. In this way, one can see Jesus set perfect example on practising faith
However, many argue that these examples do not show someone setting the perfect example of
worshipping God, but someone breaking rules and traditions. It is easy for current day Christians to
see Jesus’ actions as good, but for the Pharisees, who were experts in Jewish Law, Jesus’ actions
would be seen as an act of complete disrespect to God. Furthermore, the influence and authority
Jesus has leads many to question what rules we should follow or if all can be broken if the situation
suits us. As a result, it can prove that Jesus did not set a good example as a teacher of faith and has
left more questions than answers.
Despite the variation of views of Jesus as a good example for following rules, it is undeniable that his
personality, especially his forgiveness, compassion and love for others, are a perfect example on
how we should be as people. Through helping the marginalised and showing love to his enemies,
one can see Jesus as a teacher of kindness, showing all that it is better to give out love than to be
overcome by anger. Then again, Jesus is pictured in the temple, pushing over tables and often shouts
at Peter when he makes mistakes. These examples suggest that Jesus was not completely in control
of his emotions, and like all humans loses his temper sometimes. However, by showing that Jesus
still has the potential to let his anger take over shows his strength. A man who fights against his
negative emotions is more relatable and accessible than a man who simply does not get upset. Thus,
by being a good example of kindness and love Jesus shows us that it is okay to feel anger or hatred
but teaches us how to overcome these feelings. Ultimately, this is the best example someone can
set.
Apart from his kindness and wisdom, Jesus is most known for his divine abilities seen through his
miracles, for example walking on water and healing the blind man. This means that Jesus is more
than a good example but also the Son of God. It is clear throughout the Bible that Jesus has a unique
relationship with God and is both divine and chosen by him. He is quoted in John’s Gospel using the
phrase ‘I am’ and calling God ‘Abba’ or Father, suggesting he has a relationship with God that we
cannot. In this way, Jesus’ divinity makes his not only the perfect example of humanity, but his
divinity makes his perfection unobtainable for any other human. However, modern interpretations
of the Bible ask us to ‘demythologise’ the texts removing any element of supernature, thus this
would remove any miracles Jesus performed or any other divine abilities. Underneath these powers,
