Not just another 'ology - by Ben Bonython

Christology – not just another ‘ology’

…they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus…But later on…From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (John 6:15,24,66)

What happened? In this one chapter, people wanted to proclaim Jesus as their king and searched to find him, only to later abandon Him. And when those around Jesus began to abandon him, Jesus even asked those closest to him “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (Jn6:67). One of these close disciples was Peter, proclaimed a response that was absolutely true:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (Jn 6:68)

I would argue it was an answer confident in its conviction, yet would prove to be conflicted in its commitment and reality. And this conflict would come to the fore in John18 as Peter goes on to deny Jesus three times, one occasion recorded in 18:25 with the crowd asking Peter: “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” Again, what happened here? After three years of being with Jesus, how can Peter abandon Jesus? Yet the love of Jesus for Peter goes from ‘Proclaiming’ to ‘Denial’, and returns to ‘Proclaiming’ with the response to Jesus saying ‘I love you Lord’ (John21).

This pattern of people proclaiming Jesus as King, only to change and end in abandonment is repeated yet again in John12, where the crowds welcomed Jesus like a king singing:

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” But within a short passage of time, John19 records that the crowds… cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Here again, what happened? Then upon the cross, while Jesus himself endured total abandonment, utters words of faith and anguish in Psalm22: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

2000 years since Jesus ascended to heaven, victorious over sin, there remains followers of Jesus and the number of people who believe in Jesus continues to grow. Some who follow Jesus live calm and relatively easy lives of freedom and comfort. While other followers of Jesus face persecution, danger and poverty for His name sake.

Of all the people in history, Jesus is someone worthy of study and understanding. And irrespective of your culture, faith or scientific deference’s, this remains worthy of our attention: who Jesus is, and what He said and did, both continues to transform human history, culture and the hope of His followers to this day.

Do you want to know what happened and why? And why people still follow Jesus to this day? Are you interested to understand the person who went from King to Abandonment to King? We therefore proclaim that Christology is not just another ‘ology’. Rather we desire to know Jesus more, who He is, and what He did and what He said and how Jesus gives eternal hope to many?

Therefore, using the words of Peter as our own conviction, where else can we go for eternal hope, and the words of eternal life, but Jesus!