John Dominic Crossan calls Jesus an egalitarian. He was a leader and a teacher. A social visionary who spoke for the disenfranchized, the slave, the female, the poor and the rejected.
Marcus Borg recognizes Jesus as a deeply spiritual man. He sought to redefine true piety in Judaism and he knew the way to God and pointed and inspired others to seek after Him.
Mack Burton sees a Jesus who lived in and was influenced heavily by Greek culture and thought. He was a cynic sage, living without a home and teaching a true wisdom that irritated the authorities.
E P Sanders sees in Jesus a prophet. He had a deep passion for the Jewish people and, like the prophets of Old sought to reform a corrupt practice while keeping a strong eschatalogical mindset.
John Meier and Ben Meyer both root Jesus deep in Jewish history and culture. He recognized himself as Messiah and actively sought to fulfill Messianic prophesies in his life and teaching.
And I could go on, but these are the biggest names of those modern scholars who are truly trying to seek anew who Jesus was. The problem is, by doing so, they are doubting, downplaying, or overlooking the very fundamental fact that historians, scholars, and seekers throughout time have recognized. Jesus is the very Son of God, came to this earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross taking our sins upon himself, and rose victorious from the grave on the third day. That is who Jesus is. But that is not the sum of the story.
The fact is, as misguided as their quest may be, this bevy of non Christian Jesus scholars have done us a very great service. They are not wholly wrong. Jesus is an visionary. A leader. A teacher. A Prophet. The messiah (in a very Jewish understanding of the word). He did seek to bring about social justice, and hope for the downtrodden while pointedly stepping on the toes of the religious and political elite.
Sometimes I think we get far too caught up in a much too narrow version of the gospel. He came that we might be free, not just then... but now. Not just spiritually, but in every aspect of our lives. He came that we might have life. Not just then... but now.
