Born of Mary and Joseph - descendants of David, in Bethlehem of Judea in Palestine (ca. 9-5 B.C. under Augustus Caesar).  Persecuted by Herod the Great; and after a short exile in Egypt, moved to Nazareth in Galilee where he lived and worked in the quiet shadows of a little town.

At thirty, without having been to any teacher or school, he dedicated himself to the singular mission of the journeying Master, walking through Palestine.  Though many followed him, avid of his word and benefited by his wonders, those in the upper class were envious and hostile to him.  Afraid to have a rival in him, they retained him rebellious to the Mosaic Law and the reason for the tight control by the civil power.  Betrayed by a disciple, he was tried by the Sanhedrin and condemned to death by Pontius Pilate, then Roman Procurator under the Emperor Tiberius (ca. April 30 A.D.).  He died on the cross after three hours of agony; but right then, the executioners - besides recognizing the injustice of the sentence, exalt his beyond-human moral grandeur.

Since time immemorial, some among the Hebrew nation’s major Prophets alluded to him.  John the Baptizer was the last to render him solemn witness, testifying of him to the people as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Aside from the Jewish texts, those who spoke about Jesus were Pliny the Younger, Tacit, Svetonius, Hadrian the Emperor, Lucianus of Samosata and Joseph Flavius; not forgetting the main historical foundation of his life and works: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of Paul, and the Apocalypse.

He is not a “philosopher” but the Master.  Apart from exemplary life and the order of his mission, his doctrine does not constitute a “system” but a message proven as “divine revelation”; the last Word heard by the Patriarchs and taken by the Prophets in the course of long and tormented history of his nation.

A “unique Revelation” because made evident by an incomparable individual who appeared as the personification of the same Truth and Life - and that intends to enlighten human conscience of all times on God’s mystery and his relations to the world.  For this, his image jumps to history’s horizon, transcending religious traditions of the Hebrews as a people, the theories of the wise of the Orient and the conquest of classical thought.  But the supernatural content of his teaching - though necessitating faith - leaves a depth of truths to transpire and be accessible to reason.  Truths leading to a philosophy that is an indispensable prelude to the acceptance of his Word.  It is an implicit philosophy in the usual and most vital human communication, filled with ideas about the intuition of being, the category of categories, foundation of universal knowledge.

Thus: The “mystery of the Trinity” implies the living God, Creator of the world, who excludes his origin by emanation and evolution (against monism of Presocratics…)  He who makes the lilies of the field grow and feeds the birds of the air, is worshipped as Provident, that obliges to reject the Aristotelian dualism and the subsequent pessimistic interpretation of the human life and historical process…

The God of Jesus is Spirit, against all types of materialism and polytheism, fetishism and animism; hence he demands to be adored in spirit and truth as the most decisive condemnation of all formalisms and pagan cult superstitions.  To Him who examines the depths of consciences and intentions, everything is possible; thus the only obstacle capable to put the watch and the wonders of his mercy in vain is just man’s presumption and unrepentance, bad faith and hypocrisy.

Man is “person” because he is His “image” and not a material produce, or due to the whims of “chance;” and his destiny - against Epicures - transcends the thrust of death.  The body-soul duality is equivalent to the distinction between “matter” and “spirit” and basis of “human composition,” - against Platonic dichotomy and materialism of Democritus.  The images (parables, similitude…) to which his eloquence recurs, suppose - in man - the dependency of the intellect to the senses, of the “ideas” to “phantasms,” against rationalists and empiricists.

The possibility (and the fact) of sin aside from the heteronomy of human life, implies the recognition of freedom against intellectual determinism of Socrates or the equation: virtue-knowledge, vice-ignorance… The “physical evil” is also a consequence (i.e. sanction) of moral disorder.  Often times, this is subordinate to the exaltation of the power of God, Author of nature and hence capable of “miracle” resulting from his laws, suspension of its course despite what positivists and contingents would sustain centuries thereafter. The creation of matter, the Incarnation of the Word, the exaltation of nature, the valuation of the sensible and the merit of all conditions of life subtend the most serene optimistic vision of earthly existence, against Manichean dualism.

The typically evangelical paternity of God and the decreed universal brotherhood contain a philosophy of the law which condemns every discrimination of age, sex, race, culture and social condition.  The unique profession of Jesus and his disciples, and his parables taken from moments and events of the life of fishermen and shepherds, farmers and housekeepers, teachers and intellectuals, etc. are equivalent to an obvious exaltation of the dignity of work.  His love for the Hebrew nation is a duty as the universality of his openness to the entire human family: patriotism and cosmopolitanism perfectly reconciled.  Jesus blesses the wedding to the point of accomplishing his first miracle.  Marriage is declared monogamous and indissoluble; hence divorce and prostitution are a reproach.  Even just desiring the neighbor’s wife/woman is adulterous.  The “Family” is a natural institution.  Filial obedience, fraternal correction, social service, aid to the poor, defense of the weak, respect for women and children, etc. are all sacrosanct duties.  We must not judge anyone, but be merciful to all.

The Master commands to do unto others as we wish others do unto us, as if whatever we do to anyone he identifies himself with: the young, the undesirable, the sick, the wanderer and the imprisoned - we have done unto him.  He rewards the servant who doesn’t squander the talents received, he even praises the smart and prudent action of the unfaithful steward…; but never tolerates thieves, the violent, usurer, perjurer, the vengeful, liars and the litigious.  He strikes the slanderous, of senseless words, as well as the ambitious who want to occupy the prime seats, show-off their own merit, and always expect returns for the good done.

Having saved the truth and given to God what is due to God: the observance of the law, the tribute to Caesar, and the just wage of the laborer are conditio sine qua non of social equilibrium.  Thus, confident and faithful prayer remains the supreme commitment.  More so when raised with the knowledge that one’s life can never be prolonged even for a day, despite febrile human acts toward accumulating wealth that thieves, rust and death can steal anytime.

In praying to God, there’s no need of so much words like the pagans do: He is pleased with filial conversation enjoyed in the depth of one’s heart, and listens to us when our prayer is to fulfill his will and never to oblige him to do ours.  The praise of celibacy, and the need for justice superior to that of the scribes and the Pharisees, the proclamation of a new precept of love, the renunciation of earthly wealth and so much sublime other teachings that came only from Jesus do not suppress but assure and put the level of the natural and rational ethics to a new high.

These are exactly how he presupposes an insurmountable civility, the celebration of true humanism, the foundation of the “Christian philosophy of the Act” that leads to the “Metaphysics of being” that begun since God revealed his “name” to the children of Israel.  His doctrine is intransigent, as rigid as the distinction between truth and falsity, rectitude and bad faith.  It is not licit to be evasive due to the impossibility of serving two gods.  Who is not with Him is against Him… 

He is the fire that devours all impurities, the sword that divides, taking the masks out of pretenders and hypocrites, inflaming to despise public opinion, not caring for world hatred: the “wise” have been always and everywhere unpopular, defied by the superfluous and adulators, scorned by those in power and easy-goers.  The irrefutable truth of his “message,” the persuasive power of his word, the insuperable finesse of his discipline make every ostentation to culture - for Him - superficial.  The tight, rigorous logic of his discourses somehow is hidden in the simplicity of a spontaneous, occasional conversation, be it private or public, with friends or adversaries. 

Like Socrates, He did not leave any writing: it seems he ignored the philosophical address of the classical thought, then sterile and decadent with respect to the revolutionary newness of his “proclamation”…  He presents himself as the only “Way,” the “Master” par excellence, the “good Pastor” who alone can lead the “sheep” to the “Fold” against the attempts of all “mercenaries” - past and future. 

If there is a “Christian philosophy” - as in fact is needed for the Church Magisterium to be absolutely comprehensible and valid - it is not right that the History of the Western Thought ignore Him who has been its Founder, even though the image of Prophet and Son of God has always eclipsed the light of all human wisdom.

(Enrico Zoffoli, Principles of Philosophy, pp. 219-222.)