they know and they know they know

What does the future have in store for humanity? There are around 7 billion people on earth at present. About 2.1 billion of these are Christian. For them the Messiah – the Christ – is expected to return to earth one day. 

About 1.6 billion people are Muslims. They too are expecting a Messiah – they call him the Mahdi – who will defeat evil in the world. 

The Jews, also known as Israelis, in the world number, at the very most, only 15 million – such a small number. They are still awaiting their Messiah having rejected Jesus.

Is there a common task which these three messiahs are expected to achieve?

 

Come with me now on a time machine bicycle and pedal backwards in time and towards the Middle East in direction to Jerusalem in AD 30 (see bold above). It’s the final few days before the death on a cross of Jesus – and his resurrection after 3 days.

Matthew, an eye-witness, records that a Jewish party political conference is taking place. The religious political party of the Pharisees are all together in one place and Jesus is able to speak at their conference.

In fact he questions them about their long-promised Messiah. These Pharisees, for the most part, are plotting to kill Jesus. 

What do you think Jesus will say to them? Amazingly all he does is ask a very simple question to which they will immediately know the answer. He asks: “What do you think about our Messiah? Whose son is he?” (Messiah is the Hebrew word for the Greek word “Christ”.)

They replied straight away: “The Son of David.” King David reigned over Israel between 1000 BC and 970 BC and was the greatest of their Kings. This King David was a song writer and musician. In many of his songs he wrote about the Messiah – the Christ – who was to come and who would be his son – David’s son, generations later.

Jesus questions them a second time: He says, “How is it then that King David, whose son will be the Messiah, gives him the name of Almighty God?” In David’s Psalm 110 he wrote “Almighty God the LORD says to my LORD (the Messiah): “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footrest.”

Jesus adds: “If then David calls the promised Messiah “LORD” how can he be a son (a male human descendant) of David?”

Do you see the point of the question? In AD 30 how did the Jews reconcile the fact that their own ancient national archives made it clear that their promised Messiah would be both a son of David and at the same time Almighty God?

 

Would these questions stop them in their murderous tracks? What would you do if you had been intending to put this man to death – this man who healed the sick and even raised the dead – this man whose teaching was sublime in its goodness and truth? 

What would you do if you were reminded that the Scriptures on which you based your lives stated clearly that this man, if he was the Messiah, would also be the LORD God Almighty?

Their decision? Matthew records only this: “No one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.”

No Answer. No more questions. They were convinced. 

They still killed him. And on the third day……..he rose again. “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”