“It’s easy to miss what’s right in front of us. . . . Jesus was clear, however, about who he is and what he came to do. Throughout his ministry, both through actions and through declarations about himself, Jesus defined Messiah for us in unmistakable terms.”- Kyle Idleman and Mark E. Moore
“The high priest tore his clothes. ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?’ he asked. ‘You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’ “- Mark 14:63-64 (NIV)
Kyle Idleman and Mark E. Moore conclude Chapter 3 of The Missing Messiah. Thus, they talk about the seventh passage (Mark 14:53-65) the New Testament uses to form a portrait of the Messiah.
7. Christ revealed to the High Priest. In this seventh passage, Jesus makes His final messianic confession during His trial before Caiaphas. Because rumors of Jesus’ role had reached the highest levels of religious hierarchy. Thus, the high priest pressed for a confession he could label as blasphemous. So he could execute Jesus.
Most significantly, Kyle and Mark note, Jesus’ confession wasn’t long in coming. Hence, Caiaphas blew a gasket after Jesus’ response to his question about Jesus’ identity: “I am.”
However, the authors point out, the high priest never determined Jesus’ destiny. Instead, that rested on the prophetic utterances of God. And Jesus’ declared role as the suffering Messiah through His actions. Not merely His words.
In conclusion, Kyle and Mark counsel:
“So often, we assume victory comes through strength — through powerful displays of bravado or shining success. Our Messiah, however, conquers in counterintuitive ways. He won through suffering . . . . brought life through his own death. He has the audacity to suggest that our greatest successes will follow his path of self-abnegation. The cross isn’t merely something he did for us; it’s the lifestyle he modeled for us as the path to greatness.”
Today’s question: How do you tell others that Jesus defined Messiah clearly? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Jesus Messiah = Jesus Christ?”