“When we’re called to Christ, we pledge allegiance to Jesus as King. That’s clear in the New Testament. Yet because this whole idea of a king is so unfamiliar to us, we subconsciously dismiss it. The world of the Gospels is immensely different from ours, so much so that we often don’t even register the differences.”- Kyle Idleman
“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”- Mark 1:1 (NIV)
In Chapter 2 (“Christ is Not Jesus’ Last Name”) of The Missing Messiah, Kyle Idleman cautions against writing someone’s story in your head. Rather than hearing it in your heart. Therefore, Pastor Idleman poses this question: Are you willing to assess how well you’ve inquired of Jesus and how intently you’ve listened to His answers?
Hence, Kyle starts with Jesus’ title: Christ. First, Pastor Idleman notes, the word Christ appears in the New Testament over five hundred times. And Each reference connects directly with Jesus. In addition, both the Greek word Christ and the Hebrew parallel Messiah mean ‘Anointed One.’
However, Kyle points out, since we don’t practice anointing in our culture, the term feels unfamiliar to us. But for the Jewish people, the act of anointing set someone apart for a specific role they were to assume. A rite of passage, anointing marked a new role and responsibility in the community.
So, in Scripture God anointed priests, kings, and prophets — the primary leadership roles in Israel. Most significantly, the Messiah fulfilled each of these roles.
Finally, since we don’t have kings, that presents a problem for Western readers. Thus, in a historical context, Americans remember the revolution of 1776. And when we think of a king in mythical terms, it conjures up figures from fairy tales.
Today’s question: What Bible verses get you back on track when you subconsciously dismiss the idea of a king? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the August Short Meditation, “Turns our sighs into a song”