The Crucified Messiah

The Gospel of Matthew begins by declaring Jesus of Nazareth to be the “ son of Abraham .” The statement sets the stage for the theme of fulfillment threaded through Matthew’s account. The Nazarene was the Messiah and King of Israel, the promised “ Seed ” of the Patriarch. In him, all the covenant promises have found their fulfillment. As the Crucified and Risen Messiah, he now lays claim to the inheritance of Abraham.

At Mount Sinai, Yahweh summoned Israel to be His “ kingdom of priests and holy nation .” If the nation kept His covenant, Israel would become “ my own possession… for all the Earth is mine .” He never intended for His people to be isolated from the rest of humanity. Instead, Israel was to reflect His light in a dark world. However, Israel failed to keep the covenant and never lived up to her calling. Now, with the arrival of the Messiah, the Church has inherited this mission.

As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus queried his disciples: Who do men say that I am? At least nine times, the  Gospel of Mark  declares that Jesus was “ ON THE WAY .” His march to the City of David echoed the words in the  Book of Isaiah  applied previously to John the Baptist- “ Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare YOUR WAY .”

The reality of persecution raises important questions. How should disciples of Jesus react, especially when persecuted by the State? Is resorting to anger or acts of civil disobedience appropriate, or should they instead emulate examples from the life of Christ? In his teachings, he warned all men who decided to follow him to expect “ tribulation ,” and he summoned them to follow his path (“ If they persecuted me, so they will persecute you ”).

In the Gospel of John , Jesus is the Logos, the “ Word become flesh ” in whom the “ Glory of God ” resides. He is the Greater Tabernacle foreshadowed by the Tent that Israel carried in the wilderness, the place where the Glory of Yahweh was manifested. John’s declaration anticipates his later passages that link him to the Father. Jesus is the true and full manifestation of the Glory of the Living God who created all things.

Two terms appear multiple times in the  Book of Revelation , namely, “ witness ” and “ overcome ,” themes that are closely related. Beginning with Jesus and the witness he gave in his death on the Roman cross, the Book calls his disciples to persevere in his “ testimony ” regardless of any consequences they may suffer. It is in this way that they “ overcome ” and reign with the “ Son of Man ,” as well as qualify for everlasting life in “ New Jerusalem .” Jesus himself summoned his saints to “overcome, just as I also overcame.”