“It is natural to see Jesus as looking like the person in the mirror. The gravitational pull throughout church history is to remake him in our image rather than allowing him to reshape us into his. . . . We would be wise to take a fresh look, listen respectfully, lean in carefully, and humbly accept what Jesus said about his own rule as the Messiah.”- Kyle Idleman
[Jesus] said to [the Pharisees], “How is it that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord.’ For he says, ” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ‘- Matthew 22:44 (NIV)
Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 2 of The Missing Messiah with a discussion of Jesus as priest.
3. A Priest like Melchizedek. While kings came to Israel’s political game a bit later, Kyle notes, priests served as anointed leaders from the beginning. Most significantly, the role of Messiah included both roles. To govern the political realm as well as the sacred space of the Temple. Which in the new Kingdom consisted of Jesus’ followers.
As a result, Kyle notes, the psalmist (see Psalm 110) drew on the imagery of Melchizedek when he predicted a Messiah who was both royal and priestly. However, Pastor Idleman states, today we lack the misconceptions about the Messiah that the early church did.
But, Kyle wonders, are we as clear about Jesus’ lordship over our lives? What do we find ourselves missing that the Old Testament audience and the early believers understood? For if we miss the:
- Messiah-King, we expect Him to serve us rather than assuming we will serve him.
- Messiah as Prophet, we possibly accept His past suffering while ignoring His present call for us to carry a cross.
- Messiah as Priest, we may view Him more as a contemporary preacher than a Melchizedek who preceded Abraham himself.
Today’s question: What enables you to take a fresh look at Jesus as Messiah? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A Bible captcha, Messiah style?”