Did Jesus repeat himself?
Did Jesus repeat himself?
Of course he did! Like all good teachers, Jesus said the same thing on various occasions, to different audiences.
This may seem like an inconsequential topic, but it is actually important for 3 reasons:
Firstly, it helps us harmonize the gospels if we realize that Jesus said the same thing on different occasions, rather than trying to force 2 obviously different passages together simply because Jesus said the same words.
Secondly, it prevents critics from saying “The gospels are all confused. Luke has this statement being said on this occasion, but Mark the same statement being said on a different occasion. The gospels are not accurate!” No, the gospels are very accurate; Jesus just repeated himself.
Thirdly, just like it takes multiple hits of a hammer to drive a nail home, so too, it takes multiple times saying the same thing to drive a point home (parents with our children); Jesus repeated himself, because we just don’t get it! If Jesus said it several times, it must be important.
Here are two (2) examples of Jesus repeating himself:
First example, where Jesus speaks of plucking out an eye, and cutting off a hand:
“And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell, And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell.” Mat 5:29-30
“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.” Matt 18:1-9
The first was said to the multitude in the “Sermon on the Mount” regarding adultery. The second was spoken to the disciples at Capernaum, in a house, regarding causing a little child to sin.
The second example regards praying. On 2 different occasions Jesus teaches 2 totally different groups to pray the same way, using the form/words of “The Lord’s Prayer.”
In Mat 6, Jesus teaches the multitude to pray, using the form/words of the Lord’s Prayer.
In Luk 11, when the disciples where alone with Jesus, they see him praying, and they ask him to teach them to pray; he teaches them to pray using the form/words of the Lord’s Prayer.
Three (3) points to note:
This really only applies to the Gospels, because only with the gospels do we have 4 different people, writing about the same person and events, each including and excluding different things, in accordance with the Holy Spirit’s intention for that particular gospel; remember that humanly, each gospel was initially intended for a particular audience.
Harmonies of the gospel are very useful, but they often ignore the fact that Jesus said the same thing on different occasions, or that 2 different events can have very similar circumstances. Commentaries too make this mistake, because they make the assumption that Jesus never repeated himself, or that separate events can be similar, and so ignore the context, not doing full justice to the passage. The fact that Jesus said the same thing to different audiences is important. Take the Lord’s Prayer for example, the fact that Jesus taught it to the multitude, tells us that the unsaved should pray. We also learn that there are not different forms of pray, one for the unsaved, and one for Christians. There is one God, and since all men are the same, from the same father Adam, he wants all men to pray alike. The unsaved are even told to call God “Father.”
So in your reading of the gospels, look carefully at the context to see where the event occurred, what is going on, who was there, to whom Jesus was talking, and with whom he was inter-acting.
In the next Blog, I will deal with this further, regarding a specific topic, of the utmost importance: Jesus clearly and specifically foretold his death on the cross and resurrection on the 3rd day, on four (4) different occasions.
That certainly is a very important topic.
26 February 2024