That Same Man of Galilee!

Monday Philips Ekpe writes that the centrality of the Christmas story to humanity can never be ignored

I have spent much of my adult life writing numerous stories. I’ve also had the honour of interviewing many personalities and serving same to readers of diverse persuasions. I’ve been equally privileged to read quite a few biographies.But I’m yet to encounter any personality whose life is as compelling as that of Jesus of Nazareth. And having already entered the second half of my own life on earth, I doubt if I ever will. Neither will I deliberately squander any opportunity to speak the bit I know or feel about him, no matter how little. Christmastime, recognised worldwide as commemorating his birth, represents one of such chances.

The gospels in the Holy Bible show that Mary, Jesus’ mother, was minding her own business in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, when Angel Gabriel appeared to her with the message of God’s decision to release his only begotten son into the physical world through her womb. Joseph, her fiancé, a carpenter, who was hoping to rightfully take his future wife’s virginity, suddenly found himself in a very awkward situation: having to chaperone a pregnancy which wasn’t his. Added to that discomfiture was that the almighty was directly responsible for what was a serious emotional and social predicament.

But was the metamorphosis of divinity into humanity, a clear unprecedented abnormality, supposed to be a tea party? Certainly not!From the familiar narrative of the humble delivery of Jesus in a Bethlehem manger to the end of his earthly stay, he demonstrated his uniqueness and pivotal place in human history. Someone who never wrote anything, apart from the one he did on sand when a woman caught in adultery was brought to him, has had unquantifiable things written about him, like no other person. 

The Book of Matthew records that,“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria…. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” It’s instructive that when the God-man prosecuted his ministry, he did so with intentionality, identifying publiclyand on countless occasions with the less-likely.

According to theologian Frederick Bruner, “their (Galilean citizens) mixed origin explains the differences in speech which distinguished them from their brethren in the South, who regarded Galilee and the Galileans with a certain proud contempt.”Remember the enduring rhetorical question, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Now, it’s not just anygood thing. The first coming of the one pronounced in the scriptures as the way, truth and life, marked, arguably, a threshold, an indelible watershed, in the chronicle of mankind.

A figureof that stature must mean much to Nigerians, most of whom are grappling with crushing survival issues at the moment. A country once the pride of Africa is now home to the largest number of extremely poor people on the globe. Not an enviable profile. Worse still, there’s nothing tangible on ground to show that this sorry ranking would change anytime soon. The hope that the Jesus experience provides, therefore, is highly recommended for warm embrace by longsuffering Nigerians, even if not by the corporate Nigerian entity. 

One probable reason why Jesus’ first miracle – turning water into wine -happened in Cana of Galilee was to show in concrete terms that God’s redemption plan was both boundless and borderless, made readily available to everyone of whatever status. Not surprisingly too, the 12 men originally chosen by this star Nazarene were all Galileans either by birth or residence. It was, therefore, understandable that the angels who addressed Jesus’ disciples ashe ascended to heaven did so unequivocally:“Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

That pronouncement set up the great expectation that fuels the Christian faith today – second coming of the same exceptional Galilean who traversed Palestine over two millennia ago.

As expected, billions of people in all ages have struggled with this uncommon report. Some with scepticism. Others with outright cynicism. Yet, its relevance and vitality remain unimpeachable, at least to followers of Jesus the Christ. In the words of Kathy Keller, American author, lecturer and theologian,“Christians have nothing to fear from questions, however searching, or doubts, however scathing. History is on our side.”It’s surely on the side of those who believe.For, extra-biblical platforms like archeology and other sciences have since taken up the challenges of probing and validating this ancient but most captivatingbody of accounts, churning outauthentic proofs in the process.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board