Who Is Jesus?
To
answer
this
question,
we
need
to
understand
key
Titles
and what they mean.
The Messiah:
The
word
Messiah
originates
from
the
Hebrew
word
Mashiach
meaning
Anointed
One
.
Khristos
is
the
Greek
translation
of
the
Hebrew
word
Messiah,
and
Christ
is
the
English
form
of
Christos.
In
the
Hebrew
Scriptures,
anointing
was
a
symbolic
act
that
set
someone
apart
for
God’s
purposes,
e.g.
kings,
priests
and
prophets.
However,
many
prophecies
in
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
(Old
Testament)
speak
of
a
specific
future
Anointed
One
who
would
be
the
ultimate:
King–Priest–Prophet–Saviour.
The Messiah = This Future Prophesied Anointed One
Messianic Prophecy by Isaiah:
For
to
us
a
child
is
born,
to
us
a
son
is
given,
and
the
government
will
be
upon
his
shoulders.
He
will
be
called
Wonderful
Counsellor,
Mighty
God,
Everlasting
Father,
Prince
of
Peace.
Of
the
greatness
of
his
government
and
peace
there
will
be
no
end.
He
will
reign
on
David’s
throne
and
over
his
kingdom,
establishing
and
upholding
it
with
justice
and
righteousness
from
that
time
on
and
forever.
(Isaiah 9:6–7)
The
entire
Jewish
nation
was
eagerly
awaiting
this
Messiah,
as
they
were
experiencing
much
oppression
from
foreign
rulers
and
internal
corruption.
Their
expectations
were
deeply
shaped
by
centuries
of
scripture,
prophecy,
struggle
and
longing.
By
the
time
Jesus
started
his
ministry,
the
expectation
for
this
Messiah
to
arrive
and
deliver
the
Jewish
people
was
as
high as ever.
The
title
Messiah
had
become
highly
charged—both
politically
and
religiously,
with
different
Jewish
groups
expecting
different
things.
Some
longed
for
a
military
king
who
would
overthrow
the
Romans,
others
anticipated
a
prophet
like
Moses,
and
still
others
hoped for a spiritual leader to bring moral renewal.
Jesus
did
not
match
the
mould
of
a
political
or
military
leader.
His
message
of
love,
peace,
forgiveness,
and
the
kingdom
of
God
was
radically
different
from
the
prevailing
expectations
of
political
liberation,
and
because
of
the
weight
of
the
title
and
the
nature
of
His
mission,
Jesus
was
careful
in
how
He
revealed
His
identity.
Only
on
select
occasions
did
He
openly
confirm
that
He
was
the
Messiah.
But
He
never
denied
the
title,
and
when
His
disciples
acknowledged
Him
as
such,
He
instructed
them
not
to
tell
anyone.
Instead,
He
referred
to
Himself
using
a
more
cryptic
and less politically charged term:
The Son of Man.
Son of Man
This
is
the
title
Jesus
most
frequently
and
openly
used
for
Himself.
The
expression
originates
from
a
vision
recorded by the prophet Daniel:
I
saw
in
the
night
visions,
and
behold,
with
the
clouds
of
heaven
there
came
one
like
a
son
of
man,
and
He
came
to
the
Ancient
of
Days
and
was
presented
before
him.
And
to
him
was
given
dominion
and
glory
and
a
kingdom,
that
all
peoples,
nations,
and
languages
should
serve
him;
his
dominion
is
an
everlasting
dominion,
which
shall
not
pass
away,
and
his
kingdom
one
that
shall not be destroyed.
(Daniel 7:13–14)
When
Jesus
referred
to
Himself
as
The
Son
of
Man,
He
wasn’t
just
identifying
with
this
prophetic
figure
–
He
was
declaring
himself
to
be
the
one
described
in
Daniel’s
vision,
and
although
clearly
Messianic
in
nature,
it
was
more
subtle,
and
without
the
military
and political baggage that ‘Messiah’ had acquired.
Son of David
The
most
famous
and
respected
king
in
Israel’s
history
was
King
David.
According
to
Jewish
prophecy,
especially
the
promise
found
in
the
book
of
Samual:
The
Messiah
would
come
from
David
’s
royal
line
to
restore
the
kingdom
and
reign
with
justice
.
(2
Samuel
7:12-16)
Because
of
this,
many
people
addressed
Jesus
as
the
Son
of
David
,
recognizing
him
as
the
long-awaited
Messiah.
When
the
blind
men
cried
out:
Son
of
David,
have
mercy
on
us!
(Matthew
9:27),
and
when
the
crowds
welcomed
him
into
Jerusalem
shouting:
Hosanna
to
the
Son
of
David!
(Matthew
21:9),
they
were
declaring
their
belief
that
Jesus
was
the
promised
Messiah
who
would bring salvation to Israel.
King of the Jews
The
Messiah
was
strongly
associated
as
the
future
role
of
a
divinely
Anointed
King,
that
would
be
a
descendent
of
King
David.
Old
Testament
Messianic
prophesies
also
used
the
word
‘King’
when
talking
about the future Anointed one.
Say
to
the
people
of
Zion:
Your
King
is
coming
to
you,
gentle,
and
riding
on
a
donkey,
and
on
the
foal
of
a
beast
of burden.
(Zechariah 9:9)
Pontius
Pilate,
the
Roman
governor,
seemed
genuinely
struck
by
Jesus’
calm
authority
and
mysterious
identity.
Though
he
found
no
basis
for
a
charge
against
Him,
the
pressure
from
the
religious
leaders and the crowd eventually forced his hand.
But
Pilate
did
something
remarkable:
he
ordered
a
sign
to
be
placed
above
Jesus
on
the
cross
that
read:
Jesus
of
Nazareth,
King
of
the
Jews.
He
refused
to
change
it,
even
when
Jewish
leaders
objected
and
requested
it
to
say:
He
claimed
to
be
King
of
the
Jews.
Pilate replied: What I have written, I have written.
(John 19:22)
Son of God
Although
Jesus
encouraged
everyone
to
relate
to
God
as
a
loving
Father,
he
made
it
clear
that
his
own
relationship
with
God
was
uniquely
that
of
a
true
Father and Son.
Jesus:
Everything
has
been
committed
to
me
by
my
Father.
No
one
fully
knows
the
Son,
except
the
Father,
or
fully
knows
the
Father,
except
the
Son
and
those
to
whom
the Son chooses to reveal him.
(Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22)
Jesus:
Father,
the
hour
has
come;
glorify
your
Son
so
that
your
Son
may
glorify
you.
For
you
gave
him
authority
over
all
humanity,
so
that
he
might
give
eternal life to all those you have given him.
(John 17:1-2)
Others
also
recognised
and
addressed
Jesus
as
the
Son
of
God—such
as
John
the
Baptist,
the
disciples,
and
even
unclean
spirits.
However,
Jesus
always
silenced
the
demons,
not
wanting
his
identity
revealed
in
that
way.
On
a
supernatural
level,
the
angel
Gabriel
referred
to
the
child
as
the
Son
of
the
Most
High
when
announcing
his
birth
to
Mary.
At
both
his
baptism
and
transfiguration,
a
voice
from
heaven
declared:
This is my dearly loved Son.
In
the
Hebrew
Scriptures,
divine
sonship
was
often
associated
with
kingship
and
the
hope
of
a
coming
Messiah:
You are my Son; today I have become your Father. (Psalm 2:7)
I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. (2 Samuel 7:14)
So,
when
Jesus
claimed
the
title
Son
of
God,
especially
in
front
of
the
religious
leaders,
the
implications
were
profound.
He
wasn’t
simply
calling
Himself
a
prophet
or
teacher.
He
was
claiming
an
intimate,
divine
relationship
with
God—even
equality
with
God.
And
He
knew
the
consequences
of
such
a
claim
would
be
death.
Lord
In
everyday
speech,
the
title
“Lord”
carries
two
levels
of
meaning.
it
could
simply
mean
a
human
master
or
a
position
of
authority.
But
the
Hebrews
took
the
word
Adon
(lord)
and
its
personal
form
Adoni
(my
lord),
and
developed
the
sacred
title
Adonai
(My
Lord),
which
was
reserved
exclusively
for
God.
When
their
Scriptures
(The
Old
Testament)
were
translated
into
Greek
(the
Septuagint),
Adonai
was
rendered
as
Kyrios.
From
that
point
onward,
Kyrios
carried
divine
weight
for
the
Jewish
people.
The
Gospels,
written
in
Greek,
used
this
very
title
for
Jesus.
To
call
Him
Kyrios
was
not
a
polite
form
of
address
but
a
confession:
He
is
Adonai.
To
proclaim
Jesus
as
Lord
in
the
full
biblical
sense
was
to
place
Him
on
the
same
level
as
God
Himself.
That
is
why
the
earliest
Christians,
even
under threat of death, boldly declared:
Jesus is Lord.
When
John
the
Baptist
was
asked
who
he
was,
he
replied
with
a
quote
from
Isaiah
40(3):
I
am
the
voice
of
one
crying
out
in
the
wilderness:
Prepare
the
way
of
the
Lord.
This
prophecy
didn’t
just
describe
John’s
role
—
it
identified
the
one
he
was
preparing
the
way
for.
In
the
original
Hebrew,
the
verse
says:
Prepare
the
way
for YHWH, meaning:
Prepare the way for God Himself.
This
same
anticipation
is
echoed
in
Malachi:
Behold,
I
send
my
messenger,
and
he
will
prepare
the
way
before
me.
And
the
Lord
(Adonai)
whom
you
seek
will
suddenly
come to his temple.
(Malachi 3:1)
Jesus
also
spoke
with
divine
authority.
In
response
to
religious
criticism,
he
declared:
The
Son
of
Man
is
Lord
Jesus
also
spoke
with
divine
authority.
In
response
to
religious
criticism,
he
declared:
The
Son
of
Man
is
Lord
even
of
the
Sabbath
.
(Mt
12:8,
Mk
2:27–28,
Lk
6:5).
To
declare
lordship
over
the
Sabbath—the
very
day
God
set
apart
was
a
powerful
statement
of
divine
identity.
The
disciples
also
addressed
him
as
Lord—not
merely
as
a
title
of
respect,
but
in
recognition
of
his
divinity.
After
the
resurrection,
when
the
previously
doubtful
Thomas
encountered
the
risen
Christ,
he
exclaimed:
My Lord and my God!
(John 20:28)
The Religious Leaders
The
religious
elites
of
Jesus’
day
expected
that
when
the
Messiah
arrived,
they
would
be
honoured
participants
in
His
kingdom.
Instead,
they
found
themselves
repeatedly
challenged
and
seriously
chastised
by
Jesus.
As
far
as
they
were
concerned,
this
could
not
be
the
Messiah,
and
t
hey
saw
Jesus
as
a
threat
to
their
power,
traditions
and
influence.
As
His
popularity
grew,
so
did
their
hostility.
Eventually,
they
arrested
Him
and
put
Him
on
trial—yet
they
could
not
find any evidence to justify execution.
However,
when
the
High
Priest
put
the
question
to
Jesus:
Are
you
the
Messiah,
the
Son
of
the
Blessed
One?
Jesus
openly
cites
Daniel
7
when
He
replied:
I
am,
and
you
will
see
the
Son
of
Man
sitting
at
the
right
hand
of
the
Almighty,
and coming with the clouds of heaven.
This
was
the
moment
Jesus
explicitly
united
the
titles
Messiah,
Son
of
Man
and
Son
of
God
–
declaring
His
divine
identity
without
ambiguity.
This
led
to
the
charge
of
blasphemy
and
a
sentence
of
death.
But
Jesus
knew
this
was
his
destined
path.
He
was
not
the
victim
of
a
tragic
misunderstanding.
He
had
repeatedly
told
His
disciples
what
would
happen
to
Him
during
that
final
journey
to
Jerusalem
for
the
Passover
Festival.
He
knew
exactly
what
lay
ahead.
Jesus
understood
the
purpose
of
His
mission
and
the
prophecies
that
foretold
these
events,
as
outlined
in
another Old Testament Messianic Prophecy by Isaiah:
But
he
was
pierced
for
our
transgressions,
he
was
crushed
for
our
iniquities;
the
punishment
that
brought
us
peace
was
on
him,
and
by
his
wounds
we
are
healed
.
We
all,
like
sheep,
have
gone
astray,
each
of
us
has
turned
to
our
own
way;
and
the
Lord
has
laid
on
him
the
iniquity
of
us
all.
He
was
oppressed
and
afflicted,
yet
he
did
not
open
his
mouth;
he
was
led
like
a
lamb
to
the
slaughter,
and
as
a
sheep
before
its
shearers
is
silent,
so
he
did
not
open
his
mouth.
By
oppression
and
judgment,
he
was
taken
away.
Yet
who
of
his
generation
protested?
For
he
was
cut
off
from
the
land
of
the
living;
for
the
transgression
of
my
people,
he
was
punished.
He
was
assigned
a
grave
with
the
wicked,
and
with
the
rich
in
his
death,
though
he
had
done
no
violence,
nor
was
any
deceit
in
his
mouth.
Yet
it
was
the
Lord’s
will
to
crush
him
and
cause
him
to
suffer,
and
though
the
Lord
makes
his
life
an
offering
for
sin,
he
will
see
his
offspring
and
prolong
his
days,
and
the
will
of
the
Lord
will
prosper
in
his
hand.
After
he
has
suffered,
he
will
see
the
light
of
life
and
be
satisfied;
by
his
knowledge
my
righteous
servant
will
justify
many,
and
he
will
bear
their
iniquities.
Therefore,
I
will
give
him
a
portion
among
the
great,
and
he
will
divide
the
spoils
with
the
strong,
because
he
poured
out
his
life
unto
death,
and
was
numbered
with
the
transgressors.
For
he
bore
the
sin
of
many,
and
made
intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53:5–12)
Humble Servant or Glorious King?
At
the
time,
much
confusion
surrounded
Jesus
and
the
question:
Was
He
the
Messiah?
People
recognized
His
heavenly
wisdom
and
miraculous
power,
yet
He
was
a
very
humble
and
peaceful
man,
qualities
that
did
not
match
the
common
expectations
of
the
prophesied
Messiah.
There
is
good
reason
for
this.
The
Hebrew
Scriptures
contain
two
distinct
sets
of
Messianic
prophecies:
One
describing
a
suffering
servant
and
the
other
describing
a
glorious
king.
These
are
not
contradictions,
but
actually
refer
to
two
different
moments
in
history:
The
First
and
Second
Coming of the Messiah.
The Ultimate Title
The
true
nature
of
Jesus
is
a
profound
mystery,
one
that
lies
beyond
full
human
comprehension.
Yet
throughout
the
Gospels,
His
own
words
reveal
something
unmistakable:
He
holds
divine
authority,
entrusted
to
Him
as
both
Judge
and
Saviour
of
humanity.
After
His
resurrection,
just
before
ascending
to
heaven,
Jesus
made
a
clear
and
astonishing declaration:
All authority
in Heaven and on Earth
has been given to me.
(Matthew 28:18)
This is the most direct statement Jesus made about
His true identity. Such absolute authority can belong
to only one being: God.
Continue…
