The Crucified Messiah

Paul wrote his Letter to the Romans with at least two purposes in mind. First, to prepare the ground for his visit to the city and his planned missionary trip to Spain. Second, to deal with conflicts between Jewish and Gentile believers in the assemblies of Rome. In the Letter’s first half, he explains his Gospel. In the second, he addresses the status of the Jewish people and the specific conflicts in the congregation.

After his resurrection, Jesus declared: “ All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations! ” He then dispatched his disciples to announce his Lordship and salvation to the “ uttermost parts of the Earth .” The Era of Salvation commenced with his death and resurrection; therefore, his life-giving message must be announced to all men. The Son of God has achieved salvation for his people!

The Apostle Paul describes the proclamation of “ Christ crucified ” as the “ wisdom and power of God .” The proposition that God overthrew Sin, Satan, and Death through the execution of the lowly Nazarene is contrary to the “ wisdom of this world .” Even the spiritual “ powers and principalities ” did not understand what God was doing and sealed their own fate by crucifying the “ Lord of Glory .” And the slain “ Lamb ” will consummate this victory when he returns at the end of the age and populates “ New Jerusalem .”

Basic to the biblical perspective of redemption is the covenant with Abraham and his “ Seed .” The covenant included the promise that “ all the nations of the Earth would be blessed in him .” Moreover, the Patriarch would have innumerable descendants. But how and when will the nations be blessed by him? Who are his descendants, and most importantly, who is the true “ Seed of Abraham ” destined to inherit the promises?

Jesus is called the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth ” in the present tense in the Book of Revelation . His sovereignty is based on his past death and resurrection, NOT on hereditary rights or military might, and he reigns on the Throne at the center of the Universe. Though at times the “ Kings of the Earth ” do Satan’s bidding, the slain “ Lamb ” even uses their plots to achieve his own redemptive purposes for humanity and the Creation itself.

The conspiracy by the Earth’s kings to unseat God’s Son is applied by the New Testament to the plot to kill Jesus . The Second Psalm is a key messianic passage applied to Jesus several times in the New Testament. But precisely when were its predictions fulfilled, and is the Messiah reigning now on David’s Throne? Or is the world still waiting for his accession to God’s Throne at a future date? What about the “ revolt ” of nations and kings against Yahweh’s “anointed one”? Is this a prediction of a future conflict between Jesus and the government of the Earth - (Psalm 2:1-6)?