The Crucified Messiah

Jesus is the True and Final Sanctuary where the glory of Yahweh dwells, the substance foreshadowed by the old Temple .  In the second chapter of John, the disciples discover that Jesus is the True and Final Temple of God. The era in which God “ dwelt ” in portable tents and stone buildings came to an end with the resurrection of the Messiah from the dead. No longer does God dwell in structures “ made-by-hand ,” nor can His presence be contained within physical walls or geographical boundaries that keep His people separated from His presence.

Christ Crucified is the example we are summoned to follow daily, and it is the test of the genuine Apostolic Faith and true spirituality . The death of Jesus provides the indispensable pattern for how we must live in this fallen world, and the measuring rod for judging spirituality. Whether examining a man’s wisdom, teachings, conduct, or supernatural deeds, the Cross of Christ is the bright line between truth and falsehood. No man can know God apart from “ Christ crucified .” God has revealed Himself in His Son, the Crucified Messiah.

In Galilee, the disciples witnessed Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, forgive sins, and even calm a violent storm, all supernatural acts performed with great authority. However, all too often, his words and deeds produced confusion followed by the question – “ Who is this man? ” Only at his execution on Golgotha did a human being begin to understand who he was.

By his Death and Resurrection, Jesus formed one new covenant community - One New Man - based on faith in him – Ephesians 2:11-22. Paul is unequivocal. Considering what Jesus accomplished in his Death and Resurrection, no longer can there be divisions between Jews and Gentiles in the One People of God. By his sacrificial death, he “ dismantled the middle wall of partition ” that separated Jews and Gentiles so “ he might reconcile them both in one body for God through the Cross .” God is building Jewish and Gentile disciples into one habitation of God “ in the Spirit ,” having voided the “ law of the commands in ordinances ” that previously divided them.

Jesus summons us to become “ perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect ,” yet how can we emulate the perfect righteousness of God? His explanation is clear – By performing acts of mercy for others,  especially our enemies . Self-sacrificial love is the heart of the Gospel and the essential nature of the merciful God. Was Jesus not the Messiah who submitted to an unjust death on our behalf when we were yet the “ enemies of God ”?

John proclaimed a baptism in water “ for the remission of sins ,” and he announced the arrival of the “ Coming One .” He was sent as the Forerunner of the Messiah as promised in the  Book of Isaiah  - “ Behold, I send my messenger before your face… The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord .” Moreover, he was the promised King of Israel who would baptize his people “ in Spirit and Fire .”