In the immediate years following his death, Jesus was an enormously controversial figure for both Jews and Christians alike. While a plethora of both Christian and non-Christian written sources provided information about Jesus, many of the stories about him were transmitted orally. Not surprisingly, the stories told about Jesus almost always portrayed him in a positive light, as “oral tradition tends to preserve material that is useful to those who repeat it” (Lynch, 3). As a first century reader, I believe it would be a natural response to view Jesus with a combination of curious intrigue and concern. Jesus clearly used his unique abilities to benefit the world, as exemplified through his deeds as a healer. The Gospel of Mark tells a story of his curing a man with a deformed hand, despite the deed coming at great risk to his personal safety (Mark 3.1-6). In addition, the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection clearly demonstrates Jesus’ total and full commitment to following the will of God, as he accepts God’s plan that he be crucified. Jesus publicly declares his intentions by saying, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23.46). This heroic qualities of following the will of God and self-sacrifice were highly valued by first century readers, and this particular episode may have gained Jesus a large amount of respect. The resurrection of Jesus would likewise have been interesting to a first century reader, as Jesus in the flesh appeared to his followers after his execution (Luke, 24.15-16). Both the works and deeds along with the death and resurrection of Jesus may have elicited concern for a first century reader, as it would be impossible for them to verify if the orally transmitted stories were accurate.

These gospel passages are clearly trying to make the theological claim that in addition to having special abilities, Jesus is indeed the son of God. For example, the Gospel of Matthew opens with the narrative of Jesus’ conception and birth, and describes Mary as being “with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Similarly, the Gospel of Mark asserts that “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2.10). Though this particular example is not a physical act of courage or strength, the idea that Jesus can absolve his followers of his or her respective sins would have been comforting for the first century Christians. As mentioned by Lynch, first century Christians were under extreme pressure of persecution from their civilizations, and the oral transmission of the heroic works of Jesus provided much needed comfort and reassertion in their beliefs (Lynch, page 4). The stories of Jesus’ heroic works and deeds combined with his brutal death and spectacular resurrection would have provided useful reassurance for first century Christians threatened by persecution. With the knowledge that Jesus was in fact their unquestioned savior, they likely would have felt justified in resisting their anti-Christian governments. Lastly, the pressured Christians would likewise have felt safe in the comfort of their God, as they believed Jesus would keep them protected in spite of the persecution.