Is it wrong to see Jesus as a mystical being?

coffeeandmuffins · May 8, 2007

I don't mean that I see Jesus as a really cool magician or a fictional character like the Tooth Fairy (who was always nice and left me five bucks, hehehehe). I mean, I see Jesus as more than just a man with incredible powers given to Him by His Father because He is the Son of God.

I think Jesus is that and something more than human, which He was. I don't know, maybe I don't make sense, but I can't help but imagine Christ as a mystic, someone who transcended the physical world, a mystery. He healed with His hands, He turned water into wine and walked on water! My husband says these are metaphorical, and of course I do see that, but I swear I really do honestly believe that those things happened literally. I believe Jesus had that mystical power even if that may not be the point.

Is it wrong to be in awe of that and have that viewpoint or are we limited to only seeing His miracles as metaphors?

HypnoToad · May 8, 2007

You are absolutely correct - the miracles are not just "metaphors".

And Jesus did transcend the physical world, He was more than just a human with gifts from God - He was true God and true man.

Diamonds2004 · May 8, 2007

Jesus claimed to be of the same substance as the Father. That is not the claim of a mystic. That is the claim of someone who is either God Himself or an imposter. One thing is for sure is that Jesus can not be considered a mystic.

A mystic is "a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility of attaining, insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge, as by direct communication with the divine or immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy." (Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.)

Jesus did not ever claim to gain knowledge from a divine source, as a mystic does. He claims to be that Divine source. This difference is why Jesus should not be considered a mystic.

On a side not, the miracles of Jesus can be reliablly read as literal events happening in the same physical world anyone here inhabits. Your husband, good man that he is, is not correct about to say the miracles of Jesus are metaphors. The Apostles certainly did not think of them as metaphors and Jesus did not leave room for that kind of interpretation.

dvd_holc · May 8, 2007

coffeeandmuffins said:
I don't mean that I see Jesus as a really cool magician or a fictional character like the Tooth Fairy (who was always nice and left me five bucks, hehehehe). I mean, I see Jesus as more than just a man with incredible powers given to Him by His Father because He is the Son of God.

I think Jesus is that and something more than human, which He was. I don't know, maybe I don't make sense, but I can't help but imagine Christ as a mystic, someone who transcended the physical world, a mystery. He healed with His hands, He turned water into wine and walked on water! My husband says these are metaphorical, and of course I do see that, but I swear I really do honestly believe that those things happened literally. I believe Jesus had that mystical power even if that may not be the point.

Is it wrong to be in awe of that and have that viewpoint or are we limited to only seeing His miracles as metaphors?

Yes and no,

Jesus did not transcend the flesh. He was the image of the living God in the flesh and in union with the way God wanted us to be. He did not miracles to just transcend the problems we had in life. The miracles intacted symbolically and physically the destruction of the corruption of sin in our lives.

The problem with going this route of a mystical Jesus who transcended the world is dramatic reduce the Creator God who wants to redeem the physical world from the corruption of sin. What God enacted and accomplished through Jesus is the first taste of what the world would be like in the final restoration. There were many symbols in the world where God was dwelling with the people. One of which is the divine glory dwelling with Israel in the wilderness and in the Temple. God did not dwell with Israel to show how to transcend the world, but to be with the people. Likewise, Jesus becoming flesh was indwelling of God to be with us and repair the world.

Secundulus · May 8, 2007

I believe the miracles are real.

He was fully human and at the same time fully God.

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES

heron · May 8, 2007

Jesus instructed His followers to do the same! So if we take our faith seriously, and the scriptures seriously, then we need to wrestle with that offer and right. God wants to heal people through you.

He healed with His hands, He turned water into wine and walked on water! My husband says these are metaphorical, and of course I do see that, but I swear I really do honestly believe that those things happened literally. I believe Jesus had that mystical power even if that may not be the point.

Compassion and generosity are not limited to gifts of money, but attention to people's complete needs. Jesus provided for people in unusual ways - - crippled people were able to work again, and have full lives. The miracles weren't just shows of power, but solutions to gruelling problems.

Many of us here at CF attend churches where these healings from humans are part of daily life and expectations, sometimes part of the church service. We don't speak of this as being mystic, but just receptive to what God can do through us.

Some forum areas you might like to explore --

Healing Ministry

Prayer Ministry
http://www.christianforums.com/f564-prophetic-ministry.html http://www.christianforums.com/t5289644-healing-please-read.html
Healing the Sick is not prayer.
"gifts"??? "anointing"???
Healing Faith

http://www.christianforums.com/f484-deliverance-ministry.html

coffeeandmuffins · May 8, 2007

Thank you for your responses everyone! When I say 'mystic' I suppose I mean someone who has powers, but I think you're more right when you say that Jesus didn't have these powers that came from a source per se, but that He was the source.

Man, that's even more awesome! Ha.

heron · May 8, 2007

Man, that's even more awesome! Ha.

It sure is!

When I say 'mystic' I suppose I mean someone who has powers,

That's fine, no biggee -- I think that word could mean about a hundred things. Thanks for defining.

but I think you're more right when you say that Jesus didn't have these powers that came from a source per se, but that He was the source.

There might be a few people here that say that because he humbled himself to become human, that the Father's power had to flow through Him the same way the disciples healed...

but I think that most people here would say yes, He was the source!! And still is.

calidog · May 8, 2007

coffeeandmuffins said:
I don't mean that I see Jesus as a really cool magician or a fictional character like the Tooth Fairy (who was always nice and left me five bucks, hehehehe). I mean, I see Jesus as more than just a man with incredible powers given to Him by His Father because He is the Son of God.

I think Jesus is that and something more than human, which He was. I don't know, maybe I don't make sense, but I can't help but imagine Christ as a mystic, someone who transcended the physical world, a mystery. He healed with His hands, He turned water into wine and walked on water! My husband says these are metaphorical, and of course I do see that, but I swear I really do honestly believe that those things happened literally. I believe Jesus had that mystical power even if that may not be the point.

Is it wrong to be in awe of that and have that viewpoint or are we limited to only seeing His miracles as metaphors?

I agree with you and I agree with your literal interpretation.

Secundulus · May 8, 2007

Not only is he, as God, the source but he continues to give his believers these miracles today.

I personally have had so many of my prayers answered that I am either the luckiest person in the world, or God really does answer prayer.

Adoniram · May 8, 2007

c&m-

You are certainly on the right track.

Jesus performed the miracles not only for the obvious reason of love for the recipient, but also to prove that he and his message were from God and that it was true.

John 10:37-38
"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."

And of course, the message: John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

SuperNova · May 9, 2007

Jesus is all that and then some. He is indescribable. Words can not say what He is and do him justice.

God in the flesh. What more is there? And yet even that is too simple a statement.

Secundulus · May 13, 2007

Musicology said:
impossible especially back in 1AD and without the help of fancy computer programs!

If he really was God then this probably wouldn't be a limitation.

We believe they are true miracles because the witness of the first Apostles says so. Its really that simple.

Radagast · May 14, 2007

coffeeandmuffins said:
... I mean, I see Jesus as more than just a man with incredible powers given to Him by His Father because He is the Son of God.

...He healed with His hands, He turned water into wine and walked on water! My husband says these are metaphorical, and of course I do see that, but I swear I really do honestly believe that those things happened literally.

Yes, they did literally happen. They're not just metaphors.

And Jesus is more than just a man.

Is it wrong to see Jesus as a mystical being?

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