JAS Players

Misunderstood Messiah Article by Tom Gilbert — January 2007 Christians profess a faith in One God. This is foundational, but we also believe that God sent His only begotten son to us to redeem us from our sin and to show how us both His great love and what it means to be human. The Incarnation – the Word made flesh – is a great mystery. God becoming human and yet remaining God, a divine man, is not something we can reason out with any logic. It is mind blowing. Yet, we as believers have faith that this is a great Truth for us. Despite this wonderful and good news it seems that Jesus is misunderstood. He is the Messiah; he is the King of Kings. But his whole message for how to live (see Matthew 5, the Beatitudes) is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. The very circumstances of Jesus’ birth should clue us in to the importance of real humility. Scripture tells us that Mary gave birth under very difficult conditions. She and Joseph had to deal with a premarital pregnancy, travel a great distance while in the final stages of her pregnancy, and then give birth in a cave or stable. Through the years Christianity has often been packaged to be more acceptable to the culture or the ruling powers. While this has helped spread the Gospel it has also painted a distorted picture of the Christ. The Savior is not exclusive to a particular country or people. He is not meek and soft. He is not a constantly condemning and critical Lord that keeps score over sin. And he is certainly not a militaristic “might makes right” kind of king. This is Not New Misconceptions and misunderstandings about Jesus Christ are nothing new. According to the New Testament Gospel of Luke even members of Jesus’ own family didn’t understand what he was about. Do you recall the story in Luke 2 of Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem and Mary and Joseph were frantic when they discovered he wasn’t with them on the way home. They returned only to find him in the Temple speaking with great knowledge to the religious teachers (Luke 2:46-48). There is also the intriguing account in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus is told his mother and brothers are outside wanting to talk to him (Matthew 12:46-50). Jesus replies that anyone who does “the will of my Father in heaven” is a brother, sister and mother. It’s another way to say Jesus came for everyone. God is the God of everyone. In this New Year we have an opportunity to recommit our hearts and minds to God and to Jesus Christ. This means letting go of our self-control over people, places and things. It means taking responsibility to find out more about who Jesus is and asking Him to guide us, teach us and live in us. It means keeping an open mind about what God through Jesus is teaching us. Remember, Christ said he would send a helper – the Holy Spirit – to teach us all things.