The Crucified Messiah

Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies . The inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until after his crucifixion is a central theme of the  Gospel of Mark . Ironically, the first man to do so is the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men.  He was the Savior no one expected or wanted .

The theme of fulfillment is dominant in the New Testament. In Jesus Christ, the promises of God have found their fulfillment. He is the Son of God sent to redeem Israel and rule the nations but in a most paradoxical way. Peter confirmed that he was the “ Messiah ” but failed to understand that he would undertake that role as the “ Servant of Yahweh ” who came to “ bear the sins of many .” His true identity was revealed through his self-sacrificial act at Calvary.

Paul began his Letter to the Romans with a lengthy introduction in which he identified himself and his mission. In doing so, he makes several declarations about the identity and victory of Jesus, more specifically, that he was “ marked out as God’s Son ” by the “ spirit of holiness ” that characterized his life, and by his resurrection “ from among the dead .” By raising him, God validated all that the Nazarene had said and done.

John proclaimed a baptism in water “ for the remission of sins ,” and he announced the arrival of the “ Coming One .” He was sent as the Forerunner of the Messiah as promised in the  Book of Isaiah  - “ Behold, I send my messenger before your face… The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord .” Moreover, he was the promised King of Israel who would baptize his people “ in Spirit and Fire .”

As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus queried his disciples: Who do men say that I am? At least nine times, the  Gospel of Mark  declares that Jesus was “ ON THE WAY .” His march to the City of David echoed the words in the  Book of Isaiah  applied previously to John the Baptist- “ Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare YOUR WAY .”

When an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ conceived of the Holy Spirit ,” it indicated that something more than just a miraculous birth was about to unfold. From the beginning, the activity of the Spirit dominated the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He was “ Jesus, the one called Christ ,” that is, the “ Anointed One ,” the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

In the three synoptic gospels, the term “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who received the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” According to Jesus, “ All the tribes of the Earth ” will mourn when “ they see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven .”

The  Gospel of Mark  opens with a declaration based on passages in the Hebrew Bible, providing the scriptural basis for the ministry of John the Baptist, and setting the stage for the mission of Jesus. In this way, Mark’s account begins on a note of fulfillment. This man from Nazareth was the Messiah and Savior promised by the God of Israel in the Scriptures.

The introduction to the Gospel of Matthew declares that Jesus is the “ Son of Abraham ,” the descendant destined to fulfill the covenant promises made by God to the Patriarch, Abraham. His identification as the son of Abraham in Matthew stresses the theme of fulfillment. Through Jesus, the promises become reality.