Search results
22 sie 2024 · To dive into the various representations of Jesus with a wand and to discover their true meaning, read Lee M. Jefferson’s article “Jesus the Magician? Why Jesus Holds a Wand in Early Christian Art,” published in the Fall 2020 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
- Jesus and Magic
Early Christian depictions of Jesus in which he holds a...
- Art
The Bible clearly shows that the soul can die: “The soul...
- Jesus and Magic
10 mar 2022 · As you can see in all three panels, Jesus is performing his miraculous signs with the use of a staff or a wand. That might conjure (pun intended) images of wizards and magicians. And that might bother you somewhat. Was Jesus seen as a magician? But surely, his miracles aren’t mere magic tricks.
Jesus often holds a stick or staff in early Christian depictions of him performing miracles. If not a magician’s wand, what is it? Explore the tradition and meaning of the miracle-working tool.
Clearly, it appears as though Jesus is using a wand to aid in the miracle and it is often interpreted as an iconographic indication that Jesus was a magician. This can be seen in Morton Smith's Jesus the Magician (1993.) among others.
Although not a magic wand, the staff that Jesus wields and bequeaths to Peter does insinuate a type of Christian “magic.” However, the magic implied is not the magic of modern pop culture; rather, it inspires the understanding of miracles, miracle working, and Church authority.
22 mar 2023 · Most people—especially Christians—agree that Jesus healed people. But how he did it remains a perplexing topic. Most of the earliest artwork depicting Jesus as a healer shows him holding a wand in his hand, as if it was an act of magic.
These two miracle images were as equally common Jesus performing miracles, so it's important to think about this relationship. The author you link to argues it means Jesus was being seen as a "New Moses" rather than a magician in these images.
