“One of the inevitable (and unfortunate) traits of prophets is that they often endured great suffering for challenging the authorities. They were, all too often, suffering servants of God. Yet even though a prophetic Mesiah would have been standard fare to an Old Testament audience, a suffering Messiah would have seemed unimaginable.”- Kyle Idleman
“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD . . . . With righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.”- Isaiah 11:2,4 (NIV)
In today’s blog, Kyle talks about Jesus as prophet in Chapter 2 of The Missing Messiah.
2. A Prophet like Moses. First, Pastor Idleman notes this fact about ancient Israel. A king could not be a priest, nor could a priest be a king. The two roles were mutually exclusive. Because priests came from the tribe of Levi, while kings came from the tribe of Judah.
However, either a priest or king could be a prophet. For example, both Jeremiah and Ezekiel functioned as prophet-priests. In addition, Saul and David ruled as kings and also prophesied. Therefore, it came as no surprise that the regal Messiah served as a prophet as well as a king.
Thus, the Messiah, like Moses and other prophets (Samuel, Nathan, and Elijah) would:
- establish a renewed Kingdom.
- promote righteousness, justice, and judgment.
- teach truth, instill wisdom, and call for repentance.
But, Pastor Idleman stresses, the Old Testament only alludes to a suffering Messiah three times. Furthermore, that idea nowhere is repeated in extrabiblical sources. Suffice it to say, though, that this small thread of prophecy becomes a major theme in the Gospels.
Today’s question: How does the concept of a suffering Messiah impact your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Take a fresh look: Jesus as Messiah”
Makes me think of 1 Peter 4:1-2. Christ suffered for our sins. We should leave our sinning behind and do the will of God (instead of fulfilling worldly desires). God sent Christ to save us, and we should want to share that news forward as we've been commanded.