Jesus The Messiah

by TERRELL, J. D. | Category: Names And Titles Of The Lord Jesus | Sept 2005

We come now to consider a title of the Lord Jesus Christ which has special relevance for the Jewish people, and around which there revolved much of the religious controversy that prevailed during the Master's years of earthly ministry. That title is 'Messiah' and in this case 'title' is the more accurate word than 'name' for us to use, as we shall see.

Stand with me for a moment in the judgement hall of Caiaphas the High Priest of Israel in what was very likely the year AD 33. It is Passover season and an early, though in fact illegitimate, meeting of the Sanhedrin has been convened. Before the High Priest stands a solitary prisoner, composed and quietly dignified. To confusing and confused allegations, He had disdained to answer. Now the High Priest rises solemnly to his feet in response to a statement vindictively and inaccurately attributed to the prisoner. '"Do You answer nothing?"' he demands in imperious tones. '"What is it these men testify against You? ... I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"' The reply was neither delayed nor fudged. '"It is as you said."' In other words, 'Indeed, I am.' The high priestly garments are then ceremoniously torn, and the outraged declaration is, '�He has spoken blasphemy!�'

The scene we have depicted, as recorded in Matthew 26:62-65 sums up the Jewish concept of their expected Messiah at the time the Anointed One of God appeared among them, unrecognised and unacknowledged. For the term 'the Christ' is the Greek translation of 'Messiah' itself from a word of Hebrew origin meaning 'anointing'. The Messiah is the Anointed One. That very fact immediately associates the bearer of the title with the offices of prophet, priest and king, all of which involved a ceremonial anointing for their religious and royal offices.

The defining moment of history had arrived for the Jewish nation on that Passover occasion in AD 33. For centuries the Jewish people had studied, meditated on, and anticipated the concept of the Messiah. They read about Him in the writings of their most respected prophets. He was to be the agent of the God of Israel for the fulfilment of the destiny of the nation. He was the coming One who would fulfil all the aspirations of the prophets. In His royalty and conquering valour He would spring in genealogy from the family of David. Caiaphas, the High Priest before whom Jesus stood on that fateful day, was very familiar with Isaiah's resonant words, 'There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist' (Is.11:1-5).

This was but one of the stirring depictions of the Messiah in the ancient prophets of Israel. Who was this itinerant preacher-rabbi from Nazareth, of all places, to presume upon such a title? But had not the same prophet who wrote of the Messiah that 'the government will be upon His shoulder ... of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end', also given God's people a challenging picture of One whose 'visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men yet who would sprinkle many nations; kings would shut their mouths at Him'? Also about 'a man of sorrows' upon whom Jehovah would lay 'the iniquity of us all' - for whom the Lord would 'divide Him a portion with the great, and ... divide the spoil with the strong?' And all because 'He poured out His soul unto death ... was numbered with the transgressors ... bore the sin of many ... made intercession for the transgressors' (Is.9:6,7; 52:14,15; 53:3,6,12)? Oh yes, the words of Isaiah 11 were very welcome, thank you, to the Jewish religious leaders to promote a national ego-trip, but not the sublime story of a suffering Messiah whose real power was in sacrificial love, in vicarious sin-bearing, who was to reign from a cross in the hearts of men and women before returning to the highest seat of heaven.

The actual word 'Messiah' only appears as such twice in the English New Testament while 'Christ' occurs some 35 times in the synoptics; and we have referred several times in this series to Peter's monumental confession, '"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."' It is, interestingly enough, in John's gospel that the word 'Messiah' is used.

In John 1:41 Andrew declares to Simon his brother, '"We have found the Messiah."' And then from an outcast woman by a lonely well in Samaria comes the claim, '"I know that Messiah is coming,"' followed by the challenge to her fellow townspeople, '"Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"' (John 4:25,29). So the mighty revelation, denied to the crooked and unbelieving Caiaphas, was given to uncomplicated hearts ready to receive the Lord by faith.

Calvary past, and Isaiah's prophecy of suffering fulfilled, the apostles of Jesus Christ went out in Holy Spirit boldness to fulfil His commission of evangelism. Their witness was first to the Jewish nation, and to begin with they vigorously asserted the Messiahship of Jesus their Master. Two occasions come to mind. From Peter came the words, '"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ"' (Acts 2:36). And concerning Paul's early days of witness it was written, 'Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ' (Acts 9:22).

Of course, the religious Jews always saw in the title 'Messiah' a glorious future of triumph and exalted authority. And they were not entirely wrong in this. The tragedy lay in their blind rejection of a suffering, sin-atoning Christ of Calvary. Truly the day will dawn when Isaiah's powerful words will come to pass, 'He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked' (Is.11:4). Then also Micah's prediction will be realised about the One to come forth out of Bethlehem Ephratha who 'shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; ... For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace' (Micah 5:4,5).

The title 'Messiah' does have a special resonance for the Jewish nation, but all who love and serve the Anointed One of Jehovah rejoice together in the glories of the prophetic, priestly, and kingly offices of Him who wore the crown of thorns at Calvary for us men and for our salvation; and whom God has highly exalted and given the Name that is above every name.

TERRELL, J. D. | Sept 2005
Names And Titles Of The Lord Jesus