WHO IS JESUS? Part II Mark 8:27-33 If you go to YouTube and do a search for "Who is Jesus - street interviews" you'll discover what a lot of people think about Jesus. Most people I saw in those videos were skeptical that he was anything but a great teacher, healer, or prophet. People in first century Israel AD were all over the map about his identity as well. And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am? And they told him, John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets. And he asked them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the Christ. And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. The average person in Israel thought Jesus of Nazareth was a great prophet - like John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah. But Simon Peter testified that he was the Christ - "the anointed one" - the long awaited messiah. Actually, Peter wasn't the first to make that assessment - it was his brother Andrew. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which means Christ). John 1:40-41 These were Jewish men talking about a Jewish messiah. They believed that Jesus wasn't just a teacher or guru who pointed the way to God. They believed he was the way to God! In time, they came to believe that he was God. But where in the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament) do we find prophecies about messiah, and why do we think Jesus of Nazareth was the messiah? And what difference does it make to you and me anyway? Where Messiah was Born Micah 5:2 says He'd be born in Bethlehem. Two of his biographers - Matthew and Luke wrote explicitly that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But according to this verse, his real coming was from eternity!
When Messiah Would Come Genesis 49:10 says that the messiah ("Shiloh") should have come before the destruction of the temple, so we'd know he was a descendant of Judah. Messiah should have come before the Jews lost their right to decide capital crimes. Messiah should have arrived by the first century. A Sign - A Pregnant Virgin Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (Isa. 7:14) Jews argue that it isn't referring to a virgin but a young woman. But if you look up every reference in the OT using the Hebrew word "almaw" you won't find a context where it clearly doesn't mean "virgin." For instance, it's used as a synonym for a virgin in Genesis 24. The passage says that Isaiah brought his son Shear-jashub to meet King Ahaz in order to give him hope because there was a threat to the throne of David. And a threat to the throne of David meant there was a threat to the Messianic hope, because Messiah was to come from the line of David. King Ahaz was then challenged to ask for a sign from God to confirm this promise of protection. But the evil king declined the offer, with false piety arguing that he didn't want to tempt the Lord by asking for a sign. Then Isaiah turned and addressed the entire house of David, declaring that if the king wouldn't ask for a sign, the Lord Himself would give them a sign to show that the House of David was secure - that the Messianic hope was secure. He said they'd know this when a "pregnant virgin" (literally in Hebrew) gives birth to a son who will be "God with us" - Immanuel. This child would grow up under oppression and then they'd know that the Lord had delivered the House of David. This is a clear reference to the coming Messiah - as Matthew 1:23 confirms. Both Matthew and Luke use the Greek word παρθένος = "virgin" to describe Mary. Verse 15 return the focus to Isaiah's child - Shear-jashub. Before that child reached a certain age, the threat on Judah in that day would fade. But the real hope of this passage in verses 13-14 is about the coming Messiah. The greater Son of David would indeed come. The throne of David was secure. The messiah would be born, and we'd know it, because He'd be born of a virgin.
His Name Shall Be Called For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given... And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Look at his names. You might call a child "Wonderful." And when he grows up, you might call him "Wonderful Counselor." But to call a child "The Everlasting Father" (or "the Father of Eternity") - that implies the author of time. And consider the title "the Prince of Peace." Those are words not reserved for an ordinary child. They're royal terms, reflecting the nature of this child - and yet more - much more. This child will be God-in-the-flesh. Whether you're Jewish or not, this should matter to you. We're talking God the creator becoming human. How could you consider yourself educated, how could think yourself inquisitive and not care about this? If God came to earth...the implications are extraordinary - and they involve you! What Messiah Will Do If you were to ask an observant Jew to explain what Messiah would do, the only thing they'd probably tell you, is that he would bring peace. But there's more to the Messiah than just being a peace-maker. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. (Isaiah 35:5-6) The messiah would be far more than a peacemaker. He'd perform many miracles. The Jewish rabbinic literature says that "as was the first redeemer, so would be second redeemer." The first redeemer was Moses - who'd done many miracles. The second redeemer would be a miracle worker too. A Jewish person seeking the truth about Messiah would have to know that some rabbinic literature acknowledged that Jesus of Nazareth had been a magician and that he'd performed things by saying the divine name. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8616- jesus-of-nazareth These are prophecies about the Messiah. Jesus appeared to match the description. He seemed to fit the bill of the miracle worker described in Isaiah 35. But more than a peacemaker and miracle worker, Messiah would be a teacher. The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD... (Isaiah 61: 1-2) The traditional, observant Jew says Jesus couldn't have been Messiah. But Messiah would... Be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) Come by the first century (Gen. 49) Be born of a virgin as a sign to Israel (Is. 7:14) Have the titles of Deity (Is. 9:6) Be a miracle worker (Is. 35) Proclaim "good news" to broken-hearted (Is. 61) If you still want to dismiss Jesus as the promised messiah, then I'd simply encourage you to pray and ask God to show you. But I must warn you - that prayer has led to more than one sincere Jew who was still looking for the Messiah to become convinced that Y'shua was and is the Promised One. And even if you're not Jewish, that prayer may become a turning point for you. Messiah Would Die And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." Daniel 9:26 (NKJV) It explains that the Messiah would die - not for himself - but for others. And it explains when it would happen. It refers to the time when the Romans would destroy the city of Jerusalem and the temple. The Messiah would die - and he'd die before the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD). It's especially important that Jewish people see this - those who are still looking for a Messiah in the future - that according to the prophet Daniel, He'd die before the end of the first century. Why Messiah Would Die Why would the King who'd come to deliver, to save his people, why would he need to die? How could he save or deliver anyone if he died? But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him... By oppression and judgment He was taken away... who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? (Isaiah 53:5-6; 8 NASB) The prophet Isaiah said that Messiah would not die for his own sins, but would bear the punishment for us - for our transgressions, our rebellion, our guilt. We owed the debt to God, yet the Messiah freely came in order to suffer death for our sins. He would pay the price, providing atonement for us. There'd be an exchange of life - He'd die so we could live. What Do We Do With Sin? All of us -even the most moral among us - are guilty of sin - white lies, angry words, hateful thoughts, etc. We offend in thought, word and deed - in the things we do and the things we leave undone. God is righteous and holy - and expects us to be righteous too - but we can't! The entire sacrificial system was set up to deal with our sins - to cover them until the final sacrifice would be made to eradicate them forever. But the temple, the place of sacrifice was destroyed, so what do we do with our sins? The sacrificial system was preparatory - leading us to Messiah. The Christ would cover our sins by his blood. Trusting his work in our behalf - standing in solidarity with him - appropriating his blood for our sins - means that there's no condemnation for us! The historian is bound to face the question: once Jesus had been crucified, why would anyone say that He was Israel s Messiah? Nobody said that about Judas the Galilean after his revolt ended in failure in AD 6. Nobody said it of Simon bar-giora after his death at the end of Titus s triumph in AD 70. Nobody said it about bar- Kochbar after his defeat and death in 135. On the contrary, where messianic movements tried to carry on after the death of their would-be messiah, their most important task was to find another messiah. The fact that the early Christians did not do that but continued against all precedent to regard Jesus Himself as Messiah...is evidence that demands an explanation...they retained the Jewish belief in a coming Messiah but redrew it drastically around Jesus Himself. Why? The answer early Christians themselves give for these changes, of
course, is that Jesus of Nazareth was bodily raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion." N. T. Wright http://afterall.net/quotes/nt-wright-on-jesus-as-resurrected-messiah/ On two occasions in the life of Jesus, (at his baptism and at his transfiguration) a voice was heard from Heaven saying "This is my beloved Son..." The Bibles says he was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the savior of all who will trust him. Who do you say Jesus is?