Jesus recognised as The Christ? Who? How? When? What?
How do you learn new stuff? Various senses may be involved, for example, touch ("Ow, that is really hot!").
I have posted previously on Jesus being The Christ (The Messiah). I have included information from disciples who show differing levels of understanding and conviction. But, how did it come about in the first place that they had become disciples of The Christ? In this post I connect the later picture with earlier information about Jesus. Everyone had to start somewhere, even if we do not have the details!
Before Jesus was born (by about 6 months) John (the Baptiser) was born. John's role had been promised to his (hapless) dad: And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord (Luke 1:16-17a NLT). Prepare for the coming of the Lord...
Time passed (about 30 years - probably more).
All of the Gospels have John the Baptiser in the opening scenes of Jesus' public life. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light....(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me’” (John 1:6-8, 15 NIV). Sent from God... The Gospel of John's content is unlike that of the other three (the Synoptics), but there is agreement. So we see here:
From all Judea and Jerusalem crowds of people went to John. They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River. John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey. John also told the people, “Someone more powerful is going to come. And I am not good enough even to stoop down and untie his sandals.[a] I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” (Mark 1:5-8 CEV) John did indeed testify. His activity was clearly an event with a big impact. (He would long be remembered.)
Repent(ance) is in all three Synoptics and is a frequent part of Luke's text. I think we know the word as turning back, or regretting the previous decision. [Here John Baptist's meaning is to turn back to God, seeking God's forgiveness for admitted personal breaches of God's Law, to undertake amendment of life, and be baptised accordingly.]
Reading the responses shows clearly that John was really listened to - why? He held no official status; was not part of their academia. Was it because he plainly relied upon the Bible they knew, and lived a simple, non-commercial life, and spoke of their own realities and hopes? He spoke of a coming, even more thorough and final agent of God, who would change people. Did their consciences compel them to respond? They knew he was right?
Listen here to the Messenger in the wilderness: I baptize you with water so you will give up your sins.[a] But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.[b] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks.[c] He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out (Matthew 3:11-12 CEV). Now separation was coming; thr ultimate division. John was preparing the way for someone, a Someone with an even more lasting impact. Hmm? How did John know that someone really powerful was coming? How indeed! Reminiscent of accounts of Old Testament (OT) prophets, Luke tells us (see above) that God's Word had come to John. He was sent by God (see Gospel of John, above). God took action in the life of John.
Apart from anything specific and personal to John and his family, that community or most of it, had long had an expectation of God's direct and physical intervention amongst them. They knew the story of their community and the past many, many words of judgement. So above, in the quotation from Luke, which includes words found in Isaiah. Centuries before, Isaiah was a prophet to the nation. (There was a lot more to study and consider about their national destiny and hopes - see below.) The Lord was coming, and would be preceded by a voice in the wilderness.
So we find the Jerusalem elite interrogating John about his identity and him answering (in part): He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20 ESV). They, and others, wanted to know if John was claiming to be their Christ. You can read the accounts of John the Baptiser in Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1.
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17 NIV). What exactly did John see? He saw it, and his knowledge was confirmed, though not unshakeable, as we see below.
Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”[a]).
Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”[b]) [John 1:35-42 NLT]. And there is more to see in that chapter!
So the lives of the selected men took a new and unique direction; they were the original apostles. They had accepted a specific invitation. Others did also. (There were more people, including women, who attached themselves personally to Jesus as time passed.)
The apostles knew Jesus and had an understanding about him and his role in the plan of God (see John's Gospel quoted above). How did they know there was a plan which could be fulfilled in Jesus? Note again above the quotation from the text of Isaiah. There are more quotations in this part of the account. All the quotations, of course, come from the collection of writings from the first (Old) Testament. Those documents were the Bible of Jesus' day. The men had recognised Jesus as their Promised One.
Isaiah? It is really unlikely the apostles had their own copies of Isaiah. They may not ever have had the opportunity to read the prophet for themselves. They would have heard it read in synagogue and school (if they were schooled), possibly in Aramaic (by this time Hebrew was an uncommon language in that land). Incidentally, it is interesting to me that only John preserves the Jewish word "Messiah". I believe that John here reflects the common Aramaic language amongst the population.
There were many statements from the original Bible which were applied to Jesus; he was the fulfilment.
[It is notable that quotations in the Greek New Testament (GNT) are from the Greek Old Testament, known as the Septuagint (LXX), which might vary from the original Hebrew. So above.]
Luke's quotation above from Isaiah matches the LXX. This at the very least shows how those words of Isaiah were understood at that time. Jesus was seen as the fulfilment from quite early. There was a readiness to understand him in those terms.
Incidentally, there were other valued writings from the synagogue period - the Mishnah and Gemara were compiled into the Talmud. I am not aware of direct quotes from those documents in the GNT. However, consider Jesus saying:“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV). That "hate" clause is not found in the ancient Law but may well have been heard in the synagogue and/or popular culture. It is probably a logical inference, and I wonder if it was clear in the Talmud.
And so Jesus acquired the apostolic band. There were moments, and it may have been a challenge to hold to the belief that Jesus was The One. So, with nothing happening to overthrow the wrongdoers, John the Baptiser, imprisoned and in grave danger, came to doubt his own identification of Jesus. John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:18-19 NIV). Are you the One? Should we expect someone else, not yet come? John identifies himself with the hopes of his community. I hope Jesus' reply about his kingdom actions gave John some comfort in his remaining time (you can read the reply in Luke, chapter 7, or in Matthew chapter 11). Were others affected by John's doubts? Were others feeling shaky as their civic hopes were unfulfilled? It is easy to imagine that could have been the case.
John the Baptiser was executed, though not forgotten.
In John's Gospel, chapter 6, we see an even larger crisis moment when enduring sharp divisions emerged. There had been, and still was, the expectation and hope that their Christ would intervene in the political/military situation. In vain, people wanted to make Jesus their King, which plainly meant to have him stand against the existing authorities. He explained in confronting terms what it meant to accept life through him ("eat my flesh"; "drink my blood").
The pericope in John ends with a division plain for all to see. In that same pericope we have a clear statement of commitment from the Apostles; that may have included others. Here it is: But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”[a] (John 6:64-69 NRSVUE). "We have come". They, Peter said, had come to recognise that Jesus was God's Holy One who gave his people the words of eternal life. These words point me to developed understanding on the part of the Apostles. (Nonetheless, the hope of power in the world was not extinguished. Some of them were later carrying swords, if not already doing so.)
The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah[a] or Jeremiah or some other prophet.”
Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter spoke up, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus told him: Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. So I will call you Peter, which means “a rock.” On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But he will not allow anything you don't allow.
Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20 CEV). Mark and Luke also record the moment; Luke has the injunction to keep secret the messiahship.
Each person had (has) to make their own decision about Jesus, and knowing him as Christ, to decide for Jesus. To decide to trust Jesus and accept his salvation gift and come under his lordship... There is an obvious question there, I think?
https://jesussaviour4unme.blogspot.com/2022/03/jesus-lamb-of-god.html
Addendum
One other example of Old Testament support for messianic hopes:
“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.” Therefore the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought the people of Israel up out of the land of Egypt,” but “As the Lord lives who brought out and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all the lands where he had driven them.” Then they shall live in their own land” (Jeremiah 23:5-8 NRSVUE). The passage belongs to time after the northern Jewish kingdom had fallen and the southern was about to fall, with people forcibly relocated (586 BC). The restoration picture was longed for, but did not fully match reality at the time of Jesus.
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