Bible Lesson: The Death of Jesus an Evolving Myth

[Jenny A]

The gospels are far from uniform. They are contradictory in places and the each tell of a rather different Jesus. The synoptic gospels share a similar story, but the details change as Jesus becomes less man-like and more god like:

This depiction of Jesus is of a man in the desolation of despair. He is not expecting salvation.

If you start reading a little earlier, you'll see that he is expecting salvation:
Mark 14
24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new[c] covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

And yet on the cross he cries out "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." This is a man who is not assured. It's much easier to be assured while drinking wine, even if you know the centurions are coming. A man/prophet may doubt at the end even if he's been preaching salvation. Would god on earth, even in human form doubt? There may be doubting Christians in foxholes and on their death beds, but god incarnate? The very humanness of Jesus is apparent in Mathew and Mark. I like the Jesus of Mathew and Mark rather better that the Jesus of Luke.