Jun

25

Jesus: the radical Messiah - The suffering servant

June 25, 2008 |

Posted by ben hind · Filed Under Christology, Theology 

Having talked about the Jewish expectations of the Messiah, it is clear why Jesus life and teachings were so radical in His day.

Jesus managed to gain a lot of attention from who He liked to hang around with. Sinners, gentiles, prostitutes, tax collectors, the sick and unclean who were forbidden to enter the temple. Not only was He breaking taboo by doing all this, it seems to go against what the Messiah was supposed to do. The Messiah was supposed to destroy the wicked… not invite them to dinner! And instead of judging the world it seems He prefers to show mercy. The woman caught in adultery by Jewish law was to be stoned to death. But instead of being her judge, Jesus opts for being her defense. You can see why John writes in His gospel ‘For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (Messiah)’.

Another bizarre action by Jesus is how He serves others. The disciples seem puzzled when Jesus gets on His hands and knees with a bowl and towel and starts washing their feet. Surely His disciples were to serve Jesus, not the other way round? After all wasn’t the Messiah to be King, the very person you wouldn’t expect serving someone else? But Jesus insists on turning everything on its head. For He says, ‘I have not come to be served, but to serve.’ Is this ‘Jesus the servant’? Whatever happened to ‘Jesus the Messiah’?

Jesus teachings sound even more radical when put in their historical context. ‘Love your enemies’, ‘do good to those who persecute you’, ‘if someone hits you, give them the other cheek as-well’. These don’t sound like war cries; something you might have expected to hear from a Messiah. Jesus does not call for the liberation of Israel by Roman occupation; but for peace. To tell a group of Jews living in first-century Israel to ‘love your enemies’ was to love the very people who had just taken over your country.

The radical love that Jesus called for can be seen in His own ‘cheek-turning’ at His crucifixion. Far from calling down fire and brimstone on the Romans (which He could have done), some of His last words were ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing’. He even promises paradise to the thief next to Him on the cross (far from administrating justice it seems He opts for grace and mercy again). But even more striking is who He’s dying for; the very people who are crucifying Him! And not only them, but for the sins of the whole world. Far from conquering it, He instead dies to make peace between the world and God.

Jesus is not just a saintly figure who did some ‘nice things’ for people. But someone who from the beginning not only claimed to be Messiah (though I haven’t discussed that yet), but who went against all traditional views of what the Messiah would be like. Instead of judgement there is mercy. Instead of war there is peace. Instead of vengeance and justice there is grace and forgiveness. Jesus was and is the radical Messiah.

Part three coming up…


Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. francisco on June 26, 2008 8:29 pm

    “jesus christ” is Anti-Messiah!

    John 3:18 “He that believes on The Messiah is not condemned: but he that
    believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name
    of the only begotten Son of GOD”…….period…….

    why was it needful for the pagan “greeks” and pagan “catholic/christian”
    whorish systems of religion to change “the name” of The Messiah to their
    “imag”ined “jesus christ”?

    well there was no other way for them to “ply their trade”, which is deceit and
    delusion, for “the name” reveals who The Messiah was and is.

    simply The Messiah was Immanuel(GOD with us) indeed and Truth for as Paul
    testified, “The Only True GOD was in The Messiah reconciling the world unto
    HIMSELF”…….period…….

    and The Messiah testified, “the words I speak are not My words but they are
    the words of Our Father WHO sent Me”, “the works I do are not My works
    they are the works of Our Father WHO sent Me”, The Messiah testified, “I
    can do nothing of Mine own self”……. and The Messiah was “a servant of
    The Only True GOD”…….”the beginning of The Creation of The Only True
    GOD, HE WHO is Father of ALL”…….

    “Let there be Light, and there was Light”!

    and if one wishes to use the GOD given birth name(YeHoWsHuwa’) of The
    Messiah, then the transliterated modern english language name from the
    original GOD given hebrew birth name would be Jeshua. The Messiah had
    the same name as Jeshua(joshua) of the Old Covenant…….yet when The
    Messiah was immersed in, of, by and through The Holy Spirit He became
    Immanuel, “GOD with us” indeed andTruth…….

    and The Messiah, He is Alive!

    All Thanks, Praise And Glory Be Unto Our Father and GOD!

    peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world……. francisco
    (Truth IS what IS and must be received, not debated or proven)

  2. ben hind on June 27, 2008 6:14 am

    I see…??

    - Ben

  3. Laura on June 27, 2008 7:56 am

    Hiya Ben, I was just wondering. A lot of people have arguments for believing in Christ and God, but there is one question that always puzzles me. Who made God?
    Laurax

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

FireStats icon Powered by FireStats