Abstract

This paper outlines elements of a biblically informed theology for faith-based activists. First, it examines the historical reality of Jesus as the defining sign of the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14) and an important bridge to seventy years of biblical studies on the historical Jesus and his Palestinian context. Second, it argues that Jesus’s baptism “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mk 1:4b) functions as a highly symbolic public action defining his message, mission, and identity as God’s loving response to the sinful decimation of Israel’s institutions. Third, it asserts that Jesus’s choice to accept responsibility for the sins of his people is the first step of a new exodus leading to the confrontation at the Temple in Jerusalem and the question every disciple must face: How is God moving and acting in history now, and how am I called to collaborate with those movements in my historical context?