Tag Archives: messiah

What’s In A Name?

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? 

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas,’ (which, translated, is Peter).” John 1:40-42 (NIV)

Why did John go into so much detail in relating this little incident? Didn’t Jesus call these two brothers from fishing in the lake to follow Him? I cannot answer these questions because the Bible does not connect the dots. However, we get some interesting insights into the character of these two brothers.

Simon and Andrew were two very different characters. Andrew seems to have been the more serious one, a disciple of John and keen to find out about the Messiah John was introducing. Together with an unnamed disciple of John, he sought Jesus out and spent the day with Him. Convinced that He was the Messiah, he hurried off to fetch his brother and bring Him to meet Jesus.

Andrew was more contemplative and less vocal than Simon Peter. He was very much part of the Twelve but stayed in the background while Peter was the spokesman and always in the forefront of the action. Perhaps, after this introduction to Jesus, the brothers went back to their nets until Jesus was ready to call them

Jesus’ response to Simon needs some comment. Why did He change his name?  In Hebrew thought, a name was a prophetic utterance of character. Babies were often named according to the circumstances of their birth, or as an expression of their prophetic destiny. John the Baptist was not named after his father, Zachariah, but called John which means “grace”. He would be ushering in, through Jesus, a new era of grace.

 

The name Simon means “to hear” or “reputation”. Jesus saw him, not as merely a hearer but as a rock – Petros in Greek, Cephas in Aramaic — one who would become steadfast and dependable. Isn’t this typical of the way God sees people, not as they are but as they would become through His grace?

There were important implications for Peter in this way of viewing and treating him. Jesus had to endure some questionable ideas and behaviour from this volatile and outspoken disciple. He often spoke first and thought afterwards. He said the first thing that came into his head. He had inflated ideas about himself and then crumbled when the test came.

Jesus knew Simon. He knew his character. He knew the way he was thinking and the way he would respond but He also knew what he would become. On the strength of that, He renamed him Peter. On a few occasions, when Simon really exasperated Him, He would revert to his old name but, more often than not He called him Peter. Every time Jesus said “Simon”, He was rebuking him and reminding him of who he was — just a hearer. And that’s what he often proved to be. Simon suffered from “selective hearing” just like the rest of the disciples did!

But it was not Jesus’ intention to tie him to his past. There was no value in reminding Peter who he was. In changing his name, Jesus was declaring His intention to change his character, and every time He called him Peter, He was drawing him towards his future.

There are valuable lessons for us in the example of Jesus. First of all, we learn that God is more interested in what we will be than in what we are. He has called us His sons and daughters. Our role in life is to learn to become what we are — holy and beloved children of God. True faith is taking possession of what we already own. We are heirs of all that God has promised. It is our job to inherit His promises with faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12).

The second lesson is equally important. Just as Jesus saw Peter as a rock, so we must view people according to their potential rather than their actual. Instead of criticising them for what we don’t like about them, call them “Peter”. See them as holy and beloved. That attitude will pull them towards their future instead of anchoring them to their past.

Release them from the past by cancelling their debt just as God has done, and they will be set free to become what God already sees them to be.

Will you do that? That’s what Jesus did.

Who Do You Say That I Am?

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WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

“One time when Jesus was off praying by Himself, His disciples nearby, He asked them, ‘What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?’ They said, ‘John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back.’ He then asked, ‘And you — what are you saying about me? Who am I?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ Jesus warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said. Luke 9:18-21 (The Message).

Luke said nothing about the circumstances and environment of this event – which happened at Caesarea Philippi, the “red light” district of Israel — or Jesus’ altercation with Peter because of his misunderstanding of what He, as God’s Messiah, had come to do.

Jesus, it seems, wanted His disciples to be clear in their minds about His identity. They needed to distance themselves from the opinion of the people around them because, without the absolute conviction that He was the Messiah, they would not have the strength or perseverance to stay with Him when the going got tough.

The crowds who thronged Jesus were dazzled and enamoured by His personality and His miracles but they still fell short of their understanding of who He was. He was a prophet, yes, even one of the great prophets of history come back from the dead — that was a possibility — but not the Messiah. They could not rise to that, especially as their spiritual leaders repudiated His claims and were bent on annihilating Him because He was a threat to them.

It was imperative that His disciples get it. It must have encouraged Him to know that they, probably through discussion among themselves, had at least recognised that He was more than just a prophet. Whatever their understanding of Messiah was, was yet to be revealed. It turns out that they were set on believing that He would deliver them from Roman occupation and restore the glory of David’s kingdom and nothing more than that.

Although He repeatedly tried to get them to understand what His messianic role was, it was only after all the horror of His crucifixion and the miracle of His resurrection that they came any closer to understanding that the deliverance of which He spoke was more than political and that God’s kingdom was broader than Israel.

It’s a great pity that there are large parts of the church today that have just as narrow a concept of who Jesus is as the disciples and the people of Jesus’ day had. Many denominations narrow God’s kingdom down to their particular theology or way of doing things. Some preachers insist that it’s all about “faith and prosperity”, while others go so far as to declare categorically that there is no salvation outside the boundaries of their “church”. They have removed Him from the throne and put themselves in charge.

But Jesus refuses to fit into anyone’s mould or to be anyone’s servant. He does not belong to anyone’s denomination or subscribe to anyone’s theology. His criterion for participation in the kingdom of God is far simpler and less regulatory than that.  He said, ‘Follow me.’ Those who don’t do that, immediately disqualify themselves from being His disciples.

As simple as that instruction is, it will take a lifetime to understand and carry out His command. Following Jesus implies watching, listening, learning, practising, falling, getting up, starting again, going on, imitating, obeying, repenting, relearning, over and over again, like an infant learning to become a responsible adult.

Anything less than, or other than that, is just not Christian. As He said, ‘If you don’t do that, you are disqualified.’ It’s time for us, who call ourselves believers to get back to the Word of God and stop inventing our own brand of Christianity. The measure I use, which helps me to stay on course, and especially when I see and hear what goes on in the name of Jesus, is to ask the question, “Is that why Jesus came?”

It is the Bible, not popular preachers, that gives us the answer.

“Who Do You Say That I Am?”

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“WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

 “One time when Jesus was off praying by Himself, His disciples nearby, He asked them, ‘What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?’ They said, ‘John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back.’ He then asked, ‘And you — what are you saying about me? Who am I?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ Jesus warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said. Luke 9:18-21 (The Message).

Luke said nothing about the circumstances and environment of this event – which happened at Caesarea Philippi, the “red light” district of Israel — or Jesus’ altercation with Peter because of his misunderstanding of what He, as God’s Messiah, had come to do.

Jesus, it seems, wanted His disciples to be clear in their minds about His identity. They needed to distance themselves from the opinion of the people around them because, without the absolute conviction that He was the Messiah, they would not have the strength or perseverance to stay with Him when the going got tough.

The crowds who thronged Jesus were dazzled and enamoured by His personality and His miracles but they still fell short of their understanding of who He was. He was a prophet, yes, even one of the great prophets of history come back from the dead — that was a possibility — but not the Messiah. They could not rise to that, especially as their spiritual leaders repudiated His claims and were bent on annihilating Him because He was a threat to them.

 

It was imperative that His disciples get it. It must have encouraged Him to know that they, probably through discussion among themselves, had at least recognised that He was more than just a prophet. Whatever their understanding of Messiah was, was yet to be revealed. It turns out that they were set on believing that He would deliver them from Roman occupation and restore the glory of David’s kingdom and nothing more than that.

Although He repeatedly tried to get them to understand what His messianic role was, it was only after all the horror of His crucifixion and the miracle of His resurrection that they came any closer to understanding that the deliverance of which He spoke was more than political and that God’s kingdom was broader than Israel.

It’s a great pity that there are large parts of the church today that have just as narrow a concept of who Jesus is as the disciples and the people of Jesus’ day had. Many denominations narrow God’s kingdom down to their particular theology or way of doing things. Some preachers insist that it’s all about “faith and prosperity”, while others go so far as to declare categorically that there is no salvation outside the boundaries of their “church”. They have removed Him from the throne and put themselves in charge.

But Jesus refuses to fit into anyone’s mould or to be anyone’s servant. He does not belong to anyone’s denomination or subscribe to anyone’s theology. His criterion for participation in the kingdom of God is far simpler and less regulatory than that.  He said, ‘Follow me.’ Those who don’t do that, immediately disqualify themselves from being His disciples.

As simple as that instruction is, it will take a lifetime to understand and carry out His command. Following Jesus implies watching, listening, learning, practising, falling, getting up, starting again, going on, imitating, obeying, repenting, relearning, over and over again, like an infant learning to become a responsible adult.

Anything less than, or other than that, is just not Christian. As He said, ‘If you don’t do that, you are disqualified.’ It’s time for us, who call ourselves believers to get back to the Word of God and stop inventing our own brand of Christianity. The measure I use, which helps me to stay on course, and especially when I see and hear what goes on in the name of Jesus, is to ask the question, “Is that why Jesus came?”

It is the Bible, not popular preachers, that gives us the answer.

It’s All About The Tassels

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TASSELS

“While He was still talking, someone from the leader’s house came up and told him, ‘Your daughter died. No need now to bother the Teacher.’

“Jesus overheard and said, ‘Don’t be upset. Just trust me and everything will be alright.’ Going into the house, He wouldn’t let anyone enter with Him except Peter, John, James and the child’s parents.

“Everyone was crying and carrying on over her. Jesus said, ‘Don’t cry. She didn’t die; she’s sleeping.’ They laughed at Hm. They knew she was dead. Then Jesus, gripping her hand, called, ‘My dear child, get up.’ She was up in an instant, up and breathing again! He told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were ecstatic, but Jesus warned them to keep quiet. ‘Don’t tell a soul what happened in this room.'” Luke 8:49-56 (The Message).

What is it with Jesus? One minute He’s shouting, ‘Who touched me?’ and the next He’s telling the parents not to tell anyone what happened in the room where their daughter was raised from the dead!

None of this will make sense until we understand about the tassels. In Numbers 15:37- 38, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels (Hebrew – tzitzit) on the corners (Hebrew – kanaph) of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them…'”

 

Each tassel had five knots and four spaces, representing the five books of the Torah and the four letters in the name YHWH. They were to put the tassels on their outer garment or cloak (Deuteronomy 22:2) which eventually became the prayer shawl or talit. The corners (kanaph) of the talith were called the wings.

Now Malachi’s prophecy in Malachi 4:2 (NLT) begins to take on a new meaning. “But for you who fear my name, the Sun (it can also be translated “servant”) of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings (kanaph),” This was a Messianic promise.

When the woman with the issue of blood touched the tassels of His prayer shawl, she must surely have understood Malachi’s prophecy and experienced the healing which the tassels symbolised.

Now let’s look at the phrase Jesus used when He spoke to the child. Mark recorded Jesus’ actual words: ‘Talitha koum.’ The translation into English blurs the true meaning. It should read ‘Talit ha koum’ — ‘The talit is here. Get up.’  Jesus, the Messiah was there, in the room, wearing the talit which symbolised the name, the Word, the nature and the ways of God.

This entire episode, to the man who was intimately involved with the life of the synagogue, the centre of religious activity in the town, must have had deep significance. He and his wife had actually witnessed the fulfilment of Malachi’s prophecy.

Just to be told not to tell anyone that Jesus raised his daughter from the dead made no sense because they all knew she was dead — Luke made sure of that when he said that they laughed at Jesus — and they all saw her alive again. It only makes sense when we understand that Jesus forbade them to tell anyone how it happened.

It was always Jesus’ intention that people decide for themselves, based on their interpretation of the evidence, who He was. The final proof of His identity was yet to come, in His resurrection from the dead. In the meantime, He did not want to attract followers who were either out for entertainment by watching His miracles or after him for what He could give them.

And Jesus is still looking for true disciples who follow Him because He is Lord! Are you one of those?

Yes Or No?

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YES OR NO?

 “John’s disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, ‘Are you the One we’re expecting or are we still waiting?’ The men showed up before Jesus and said, ‘John the Baptist sent us to ask you, “Are you the one we’re expecting or are we still waiting?”‘ 

“In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from disease, distress and evil spirits. To many of the blind He gave the gift of sight. Then He gave His answer: ‘Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see; the lame walk; lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; the wretched of the earth have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them. Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourself fortunate!'” Luke 7:18-23 (The Message).

Poor John!

He was sitting in a dungeon at King Herod’s good pleasure. Would it not have been reasonable for him to expect Jesus to do something about him? After all, He was family and he, John, had paved the way for Him! And besides, didn’t the Scriptures prophesy that He would set captives free?

What did John expect? Perhaps, at the very least, Jesus could have gone to Herod and put in a good word for him. Day after day he sat in his prison, waiting and hoping for release, only to be disappointed. He began to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, after all. Perhaps He was a hoax. The longer he sat there, the more the doubts plagued him.

He had to find out. At least he would know whether there was any hope of being rescued before Herod got it into his head to execute him. He couldn’t go himself, so he sent for a few of his disciples to go for him. ‘Master,’ they asked Jesus, ‘John wants to know whether you are really the Messiah, or do we have to keep waiting for someone else to come?’

Jesus gave them no direct answer. All He said was, ‘Watch and listen.’ So they followed Him around, watching and listening. After some hours He asked them, ‘So? What have you just seen and heard? Now go and tell John all about it.’ He gave them a resume’ of the miracles He had done over the last while. ‘Ask him if this is what he was expecting? If it was, then he is truly blessed.’

What was going on here? John’s circumstances were getting to him. No one can blame him. Who can endure incarceration like that and not give in to self-pity. He had preached that the kingdom of God was a realm of generosity and unselfish service but, in his own suffering, he had begun to turn inward. Hoping that Jesus would mount a rescue, he could not understand why nothing had happened. Perhaps he had been mistaken after all.

His disciples returned with an answer he had not quite expected. A straight ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ would have been better. Instead, in typical “Jesus” fashion, He invited John to weigh up the evidence and decide for himself. That was His way of convincing him who He was according to the evidence and the Scriptures.

John was a rabbi and, of course he had memorised the entire Hebrew Scriptures. He would have immediately caught on to what Jesus was saying. ‘John, don’t take my word for it. Take another look at what the Scriptures say about me and then decide for yourself.’ The Messianic fingerprint was clearly visible in the Old Testament prophecies. All John had to do was to match it up with what Jesus was doing.

Whether or not Jesus got him released was irrelevant. Overshadowing Herod was God’s hand and he had to rest in that. His story was being written into God’s bigger story and Jesus was writing the meaning of that story into the lives of sick, maimed and side-lined people. It was up to John to answer his own question.

We all have to decide whether Jesus is the Messiah or not. Weigh up the evidence.

Is He? Then follow Him!