Friday: Further Thought – Jesus in the Writings of Peter
“It seems logical to begin with ‘Messiah,’ since the Christian church owes its name to the Greek equivalent Christos, the ‘Anointed One.’ The Hebrew word relates to the deliverer figure whom the Jews awaited and who would be God’s agent in the inauguration of a new age for God’s people.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
Both the Hebrew and the Greek terms are derived from roots meaning ‘to anoint.’ Evidently, by calling Him ‘Christ,’ the New Testament writers regarded Jesus as specially set aside for a particular task.
“The title Christos occurs more than 500 times in the NT. Although there was more than one concept of Messiahship among Jesus’ contemporaries, it is generally recognized that by the first century Jews had come to look on the Messiah as someone in a special relationship with God. He would usher in the end of the age, when the kingdom of God would be established. He was the one through whom God would break through into history for the deliverance of His people. Jesus accepted the title ‘Messiah,’ but did not encourage its use; for the term carried political overtones that made its use difficult. Though reluctant to avail Himself of it in public to describe His mission, Jesus rebuked neither Peter (Matt. 16:16-17) nor the Samaritan woman (John 4:25-26) for using it. He knew Himself to be the Messiah, as seen in Mark’s report of Jesus’ words about giving one of His disciples a cup of water ‘because you bear the name of Christ’ (Mark 9:41).”-The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 12, p. 165.
Discussion Questions:
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There is nothing I can say that may describe something that I feel! I can try to do it in words, but my experience is mine! If my relationship is such a personal one, I can only try to tell what I have. But telling and feeling are different things. I need to feel Jesus myself. What He has done for me has to be a real experience. If it is not real, if my relationship with Him is based on what I read or hear about Him, that's not real! It is an illusion! I need to feel Jesus... Once christians do not realize this, their experience with Christ is null! Christ is real to me only when I bring Him to my personal life! He may even act protecting me although I only see Him as a distant character. But He becomes real when I invite Him to be part of my present!
Jesus was despised and rejected by men so that I could be accepted by God (Is. 53:3)
Jesus carried my sorrow and grief so that I may receive the joy of my salvation (Is 53:4)
Jesus was wounded for my sin so that I can be whole and clothed in righteousness (Is. 53:5)
He was cut off from the land of the living so that I may receive eternal life (Is. 53:8)
He bore my iniquities so that I may be justified (Is. 53:11)
He bore my sin and interceded for me while I was lost in my transgression so that I could be found by His grace (Is. 53:12)
Praise His holy Name - the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. (Rev. 5:12)
I am thinking about the second discussion question. While it is true that endurance under duress draws strength in knowing that this life is temporal (Paul would call it a light thing for the moment), it cannot neglect the Christian duty to seek to relieve suffering. We are to bare the burdens of others, and set the oppressed free. We are to act justly, to love mercy, in walking humbly with God. To use the hope of the afterlife to neglect the duty of service in uplifting our fellow man toward freedom, security, etc. is to deform truth and make it error.