Jesus said to [the Jews], “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”- John 8:58 (ESV)
In Chapter 7 (“The Messiah No One Saw Coming”) of The Missing Messiah, Kyle Idleman and Mark E. Moore stress that Jesus went well beyond the roles of prophet, priest, and king. Because He exceeded every expectation in surprising and superlative ways. Unmistakable proof of His divine resume.
As a result, Kyle and Mark observe, no less than seven stunning surprises about the Messiah Jesus exist. The authors talk about the first surprise today.
Surprise #1: Messiah Jesus is greater than historical heroes. Jesus was more than just the Messiah to come. He was the culmination of all the biblical figures preceding Him. Because Jesus finished what they started. And completed what they corrupted. Hence, Jesus is the:
- New Adam.
- predecessor of Abraham.
- embodiment of Israel.
- fulfillment of Moses.
- promised King David.
- one greater than Solomon.
First, Jesus became the new, perfected Adam. That enabled Him to restore us to a place where we can walk with God. As Adam did in the Garden of Eden. In addition, while Adam brought death into the world, Jesus overcame death through the resurrection.
Finally, in Jesus’ day, anyone claiming to compare themselves to Abraham risked threats of execution. Yet, Jesus possessed the audacity to make that claim. As the authors point out, Jesus echoed Exodus 3:14, claiming the proper name for Yahweh. So, it’s no wonder they picked up stones to kill Him.
Today’s question: What does it mean to you that Jesus repeated, completed, and perfected God’s purpose and plans? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “No rabbi dared contradict Moses”