As Kyle Idleman moves on in Chapter 2 of The Missing Messiah, he notes that when we’re called to Christ, we pledge our allegiance to Jesus as King. Above all, Kyle adds, the New Testament makes that clear. Yet, we often fail to register the difference between our world and the world of the Gospels.
However, Kyle underscores, the idea of a ‘missing Messiah’ isn’t a new problem. As a result, Pastor Idleman cites Mark 1:1 (NIV). Here Mark begins his Gospel with these words:
“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Most significantly, Kyle points out, notice Mark’s choice of words. Because Mark’s use of the word Messiah resonated with his Jewish readers. But Mark’s intended audience centered on Gentile converts — Christians in Rome, the capital of the empire. The locals referred to their emperor as the Son of God. Thus, both Jewish and Gentile believers possessed a title that reflected the highest ruler of their political system.
Therefore, Pastor Idleman contends:
“But as time passed and the Jewish influence on the church waned, it became easier to define Christ through the lens of culture. As the understanding of the Messiah as the fulfillment of prophecies faded in the early church, the idea of Jesus’ kingship became easier to overlook. . . . After so many centuries of translation, it’s easy to forget that the Messiah was Jewish concept in the first place.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you understand the completely different playbook of “Messiah” and “Son of God”? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Messiah in the rear view mirror”