N.T. Wright is a thorn in the flesh of many a Reformed Theology adherent. He sometimes caricatures the tradition to make a point, but there are occasions when you do need to provoke someone into hearing you. The following is one of those occasions:
The reformers had very thorough answers to the question 'why did Jesus die?'; they did not have nearly such good answers to the question 'why did Jesus live?'
...orthodoxy, as represented by much popular preaching and writing, has had no clear idea of the purpose of Jesus' ministry. For many conservative theologians it would have been sufficient if Jesus had been born a virgin (at any time in human history, and perhaps from any race), lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and risen again three days later. (In some instances the main significance of this would be the conclusion: the Bible is all true.)
These quotes tap into the reason behind much of Wright's work: When we de-Judaize Jesus, his life makes no sense, and so everything is up for grabs for whoever wants it. Perhaps this is an unfair question, but when was the last time you heard a sermon in which it was mentioned that Jesus was in fact a Jew? Is this important?
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