The Person of Jesus the Messiah

There are certain facts that all those that follow Jesus hold to be true. These are truths that inform our behavior, and give us hope both in and beyond this present life. These things, being true, I pray will increasingly give you faith, hope, and love, through all of your days. Jesus' Name itself means "salvation" and speaks to us of His mission, to rescue us when we were separated from God. We refer to Jesus as being the "Christ" or the "Messiah". Both of these words carry the idea of "Anointed One". There were only three types of persons that were anointed in the Ancient Near East- Prophets, Priests, and Kings. Only One was all three. All others, such as Moses, Aaron, or David, served as pictures of Jesus, the One Who Was to Come.

The word "incarnation means to "take on flesh". Isaiah the Prophet predicted that the Messiah would be "Emmanuel" or "God with us". This was fulfilled in the historical event of Jesus' birth. Jesus was literally the very Presence of God manifested in our midst. The fact that the Creator of the Universe came as a baby born in a cattle stall might be receive by us as scandalous or foolishness, but it speaks to the fact that God, in Jesus, has come to where we are. God crossed the greatest divide for one reason- because He loves us.

Jesus grew up poor, uneducated, the son of a carpenter. Yet in just a few short years as an itinerant preacher, He spoke words that are considered the most profound ethical teachings ever uttered. His teachings were always accompanied by miraculus signs, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, and feeding vast multitudes. By the standards of the Law of Moses, His life was perfect. He displayed great compassion. He broke down the walls of racism and sexism with His strong, consistent love. Throughout His teaching career, claimed to have, and displayed to all, in His actions, perfect communion with God, His Father.

On a number of occasions, Jesus predicted the way in which He would die. He would die the death of a criminal, on a Roman cross. The only charges posted would be "The King of the Jews." The Gospels show that Jesus was not a victim, but willingly gave His life for our sakes, fulfilling the Divine Law that some one had to die for our transgressions. Jesus said about Himself, " …the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many…" (Matt. 20:28)

The work of Jesus, was not over at His death. Having died on the cross, and having been buried, God raised Him from the dead. In doing this God not only confirmed the authenticity of His Son's ministry but also announced a reversal of the nature of death which began in Jesus and will be completed in all who place their trust in Him. Because Jesus has won the battle over death we know that, one day, too, we will be raised from the dead to live with Him.

The Scriptures record that Jesus, having risen from the dead, spent a period of time with his disciples, teaching them further. Finally, He led them out to the Mount of Olives and literally rose from their sight. He had previously told that them that His departure was crucial, because it would be followed by the giving of the Holy Spirit to his disciples.

 At the time of His departure, an angel spoke to those present, saying that Jesus would return much as He had left. Jesus often spoke of His return as a time in which He would judge both the living and the dead. Following that, He would set all things right, in the way in which they were intended from the time of the Creation. We are united by the hope that, at an undetermined moment, Jesus will return, and judge all who have ever lived.