Jesus is the Messiah

Messiah: The promised savior and deliverer, foretold in the Old Testament scriptures, who is believed to be the anointed one of God, sent to redeem and save humanity from sin and bring about God's kingdom on earth.

“Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”” (Matthew 16:16, CSB)

When we think about the good news of the kingdom of God we must, even early on, consider the Messiah. Every kingdom has a king. This king, this Messiah, according to the Scriptures is the one who will bring the manifestation of the kingdom of God on this earth. 

Jesus is the Messiah is the fourth of the nine essentials of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. 

The big question to consider is Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah and how would we know?

There are actually a lot of reasons for believing that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the Messiah. In fact, I can’t think of another person in history who would match up to the qualifications that Jesus brings to the table. 

You may ask, “Well, what are some good reasons for believing that anyone, let alone, Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah?” It’s a good question. I’ll list eight reasons, then I’ll look more in depth at three of them. Here are the eight.

1. Fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures.

2. Miracles performed by Him.

3. His life and teachings. 

4. His claim and demonstration of authority.

5. His death and resurrection.

6. The transformation of His followers.

7. The birth and growth of the early church.

8. The continuing impact of  personal meaning, purpose and transformation of individuals throughout history to today. 

There could be more listed, but I believe that I’ve covered the big ones. Now let’s move from the eight to what I call the big three. 

The first of the big three is also number one in the above list: Fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) for over one thousand years specifically promised a coming Messiah. These Scriptures spoke of the Messiah’s lineage, his substitutionary suffering, and the occasion and place of his birth. 

While we could look back even further, it was at the time of King David that God specifically linked a future descendant of David to establishing an everlasting kingdom. 

“Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”” (2 Samuel 7:16, CSB)

“The LORD said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn an oath to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah” (Psalm 89:3–4, CSB)

Besides the Messiah coming out of the lineage of David, this Messiah would also be born in the city of David, Bethlehem according to the Scriptures.

“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2, CSB)

The fulfillment. 

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,” (Matthew 2:1, ESV)

Besides the Scriptures citing the Messiah as coming from the line of David and his place of birth, I want to touch on just a few others. I’ll just make reference to them. 

• Isaiah 53. This passage speaks of a suffering servant bearing the punishment of the sin of others. Christians believe that Jesus did this on the cross. 

• Messianic Psalms. In speaking of the cross. Psalm 22 is a description of the scene of the crucifixion from the standpoint of the crucified Jesus. What is amazing in this as in all these Scriptures is that they were written hundreds and even over one thousand years before. 

• Book of Daniel. Especially note chapter 9:24-27 which is interpreted by Christians as a prophecy outlining the Messiah’s arrival and his sacrificial death. 

For more on this prophetic subject, I direct you to the Gospel According to Matthew. This gospel was written with a Jewish audience in mind and includes multiple references to the Old Testament Scriptures demonstrating that Jesus fits the bill to be the promised Messiah. 

The second of the big three would be Jesus’ ministry. This would include his life, his teaching and his miracles. His life was marked by acts of selfless love and service. He associated himself with those rejected by greater society. He washed his disciples’ feet. He and others claimed that He lived a sinless life, which was to be characteristic of the Messiah. 

When looking at Jesus’ teaching, He championed love, forgiveness and compassion. This resonated with the people. His “Sermon on the Mount” is considered by many to be the greatest sermon ever preached and it was completely counter-cultural. This can be found in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7. 

In addition to these teachings, Jesus challenged the status quo. In the later part of His earthly ministry He came into more and more conflict with religious and civil authorities. He advocated for the marginalized and criticized hypocrisy wherever he encountered it. 

The last of the big three is Jesus’ death and resurrection. This death and resurrection are considered a fulfillment of prophecy as well. Peter, in his sermon preserved for us in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 explains as much. But aside from that, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is considered the ultimate sign of His divinity and power over death. Only God can conquer death and Jesus rising from the grave validates His claims as being the Son of God and the Messiah. With Jesus’ resurrection, it also gives all who will believe in Him the hope of eternal life. 

For those who don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, I ask the question, “Then who else could be?” Who would better fit the job description than Jesus? Dallas Willard challenged a person on one occasion by stating:  “If you can find someone better than Jesus, then follow him. Who do you have?” That person was speechless. I think this is an appropriate challenge. Many may refuse to believe Jesus is the Messiah, but who do they have that is better? 

One last observation I want to make is about expectations and the Messiah. The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah for many in that day was due to their preconceived notions about what the Kingdom of God was going to be like and how the Messiah would come and introduce it. It appears that most wanted a political savior. Some scholars have thought that Judas' betrayal was a way for him to force Jesus’ hand and to overthrow the corrupt Jewish religious class and the oppressive Roman government. Yet, even the disciples were as blind to what God was doing. Jesus had to open their eyes and it wasn’t until the coming and filling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when the church was born, that they truly understood the mystery of God. 

Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Damascus in order to persecute Christians when he met the resurrected Christ. This meeting changed his life. It took a revelation of God for Saul to believe. Perhaps that is what it will take for many that they may believe. But still we are commanded by our king to share the good news of the Kingdom with all peoples. Read the words of encouragement by Saul, who became known as the Apostle Paul. 

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

But, as it is written, 

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7–10, ESV)

The Kingdom of God is Now Available

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, ESV)

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14–15, ESV)

The gospel (good news) about the kingdom of God is that we can live right now in it. I frequently refer to this “gospel of the kingdom” instead of just saying, “the gospel” because I want to differentiate between the popular gospel of the atonement and this good news that you can live in the kingdom of God right now. This is the heart of why I am using terminology about the “gospel of the kingdom” instead of just saying the “gospel”. 

It’s not just semantics. Neither are there two gospels. There is only one, but it is my position that we have focused so much on the gospel of atonement that we have missed the larger and all encompassing gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached. The gospel of atonement which has been preached is that Jesus died for your sins and if you confess, repent and believe in Jesus and what He did for you at the cross, you will be saved and go to heaven when you die. Romans 10:9-10 certainly confirm this. But from this kind of preaching and teaching, one could come to believe that Jesus saves us for heaven but the rest of life is up to us. You may have your ticket to heaven but what does that do for you today? 

Not everyone has been taught this narrow gospel of the atonement. I had. In revivals we were admonished to “get right with God and be saved.” Then we were told to live the life that God wants us to live, basically on our own power. Heaven was taken care of, but everyday life was up to us. Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, inviting someone to church, giving and service were the barometric measurements of our Christianity.  

To me, it just seems Jesus had a different view of what the good news of the kingdom was about. His was more the “inside out” focus rather than the “outside in” focus. In my experience with churchianity, the measurements of our faith were about what we did, not about who we were, or who we had now become. The gospel of atonement focuses on getting us into heaven, but the gospel of the kingdom focuses on getting heaven into us. 

When Jesus said in Mark 1:15 that “The time is fulfilled”, he didn’t mean that it was about to be fulfilled or that it would be fulfilled sometime in the future. Jesus said the opportunity was here now. At this moment the waiting is over. Time had reached the culminating point. It has reached its peak. 

You may wonder how I’ve arrived at that conclusion. It is because the verb in the original Greek for “fulfilled” is in the perfect, passive and indicative, third person singular. To put it simply, one might say the egg timer set by God has dinged, and those in the spiritual realm have heard it go off. 

Jesus then goes on to say what the results of this “ding” brings. He says, “God’s kingdom is at hand.” In other words, it has come near, near enough for us to have access to it. When we look at the whole phrase, Jesus is telling us that over time the opportunity for us to have access to be a part of God’s kingdom and to enjoy its blessings has been moving toward us, but today, at this moment, right now this is the peak. Access to God and his blessings for your life will never be greater nor more accessible. 

This brings up three important questions. First, why would God do this? It was because of his great love for us (John 3:16). It was also because of His promise. God took on flesh and came to earth as the man, Jesus the Messiah. He is the promised one from long ago. In the Garden of Eden God made the promise of one who would come and destroy the works of the enemy (Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8) and create a people for God and His kingdom “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:5–7, ESV)

Second, how would He make His kingdom open to us who are so far away? This is best answered by Scripture. I like the way the New Century Version reads: 

Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. So God raised him to the highest place. God made his name greater than every other name so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus— everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11, NCV)

Third, why would He do this at this particular moment in history? The Scriptures say, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,” (Galatians 4:4, ESV) We can only speculate why the incarnation of the second person of the triune God came when He did. Perhaps it was the right time due to the Roman Empire’s enforcement of peace, the road system and ability to travel throughout the known world at that time. The Greek civilization had provided a language for Scripture that is most expressive, as well as a common language across the empire for communication. In addition to these things, there are the Jewish synagogues that were scattered around the world, making what we call the Old Testament known in its concepts of God and man. These synagogues became the first preaching points for Paul’s missionary work. 

As a result of this great news, this gospel of the Kingdom, Jesus tells us how to enter into it in the last part of Mark 1:15. There are two things. First, repent. I’ve written on this before, and I will write on it more in the future, because it is one of the essential elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. In a nutshell, “repent” is to change one’s mind. For us, it is to change our mind about who we think God is, what he has done for us, who we are, and what we are to do. So in short, repent means a lot of changing!

Second, Jesus tells us to “believe in the gospel.” This is to actually place your faith in what Jesus is saying about the Kingdom of God. In short, he is calling us to place our trust for life here and now and the hereafter in Jesus. To place our faith in Him means that we adjust our lives to this new reality. When we do, God meets us. 

Jesus even tells us to pray that the reality of God’s kingdom will be felt more and more in this earth. I’m beginning to understand when I pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means that I am praying for God’s kingdom rule and reign to be in me first. 

Perhaps you have entered into God’s Kingdom through the new birth (John 3:3), but you still find yourself by the kingdom of this world. Praying that part of the Lord’s prayer could be a very effective way to make living in the Kingdom of God now a reality. 

Today's Problems Come From Yesterday's Solutions: It's the Problem with Rebellion

“As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses? With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”

(Hebrews 3:15–19, CSB)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

(Matthew 6:33, CSB)

The second essential element of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the understanding and acceptance that our problem is the choice we have made to rebel against God. The problems we have today were created by us or by some other person(s) choices in the past. It’s like what Peter M. Senge wrote, “Today’s problems come from yesterday's solutions.”

We do what we do because we want to be happy. I want to be happy. In general I believe that most of the human race would like to be happy. The problem we find in our search for happiness is what we believe will make us happy. Motivation is a powerful thing. Motivation that is directed by a true and good belief is one of the most positive ways to live and to have a happy and successful life. Motivation that is directed by a false and wicked belief can be the most destructive and lead to a miserable life. The motivation to want to be happy is natural. How we go about seeking this happiness is governed by our beliefs. 

Our problem is that we believe the wrong things. We believe the wrong things because we trust the wrong source. 

The first two human parents did this. The Lord God had created them, made the perfect environment for them to thrive, and loved them. He spent time with them. The Lord God laid down the rules for a healthy and happy life. They should have trusted Him. There was no reason to not trust Him. 

Then along came the crafty serpent. He questioned God’s motivation and outcome for the rules He had given Adam and Eve. Our ancestors then listened to the serpent and believed him. He appealed to their desire to be happy. Actually they should have been happy until the serpent’s lie convinced them that they would be happy-er if they were like God. They believed that God was holding back something that was good for them. 

Adam and Eve broke the moral law that all of creation was founded upon. They rebelled against God. The whole cosmos has suffered ever since. 

In short, the problems we have in our world today are the result of the rebellion of yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that and so on. We are all rebels against God and we suffer for it. 

That was the problem of Israel as they were delivered by God through Moses out of Egyptian slavery. You would think they would be eternally grateful. They lived under the foot of a people who used and abused them. They and their ancestors before them cried out to God in misery, asking God to remember the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

God answered. He delivered them by His mighty hand through ten plagues and a trip through the Red Sea on dry ground. In the wilderness God gave them victory over enemies, guidance and protection with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and fed them. Yet when it came time to enter into the Promised Land, they rebelled. Ten times God said they had disobeyed and for that, none of that generation would enter into God’s rest, save Joshua and Caleb. 

Rebelling against God is not good for us. Why can’t we learn that? I think it is because I believe I know what will make me happier than God does. I also think that perhaps God is holding back on me. I need to figure it out on my own. As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that workin’ for ya?” 

There is also another problem with rebellion. It makes us stupid. Now, it's not wise to rebel against God in the first place, but after that, rebellion increases our stupor when it comes to God, His will and His ways. The more we rebel, the more we want to rebel. The more we sin, the more we sin. Our judgment gets cloudy and our understanding of the moral and even physical order of things becomes confused. 

Rebellion or sin in general is like quicksand. The more we wallow in it, the deeper we go. This is why we think we can change the reality of things by using different words. We call sin a “mistake.” A man who thinks he can be a woman, or a cat just because that is what he wants to be called, is not just mistaken, he is delusional. Things that are clearly spelled out as sins in the Scriptures are touted in our day as freedoms or rights. 

“And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.” (Romans 1:28–32, CSB)

If we keep going this direction, our problems will only increase, both for individuals and for society at large. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.  

It’s hard to admit that we have rebelled against God. But God often has mercy on people and allows them to see the true source of their pain. Like the prodigal son so far away from home and away from his father, we can “come to our senses” (Luke 15:17), repent and start the journey back home to our waiting father. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, CSB)

God has provided a solution for us. Why He’s done this is the greatest mystery of all time! I think after the Adam and Eve debacle, I’d just have scrapped the whole thing and started over with another creation. But that is not God’s way of doing things. He is certainly powerful enough to do it, but he is also holy, righteous and loving. We are made in His image. He chose another way. That will be further explained in other essential elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom.