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| Ethiopian 15th Century Diptych. Walters Museum, Baltimore USA |
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:29
I remember having long theological discussions with my barber in London during my gap year. The hair was long, and the proceedings were longer. I was introduced to biblical teaching from the Jehovah's Witness perspective. When I remonstrated about the time being taken, my barber pushed back saying, "are you not interested in eternal life?" I had to agree that I was, as eternity was just round the corner.
The JW bible does not acknowledge Jesus as 'of the very nature God'. Rather he is defined as 'a god', and is seen as an adjunct to God. My barber got me reading and I had to agree, there was no clear message of divinity. I discussed this with my father, and I liked his reply. Discovering the divinity of Jesus comes from getting to know him, and working it out for yourself. This is what Jesus' friends and family had to do. This is what many people did, including the officer who stood guard at Jesus' execution. Also many unlikely people realised that Jesus was divine, including Pontius Pilate's wife, crazy street dwellers, and the Samaritan woman at the well.
The 'Christ', the 'Messiah', is not to say the divine. Christ means 'the appointed one'. The messiah is the jewish form relating to a similar principle. And in the bible there are many clues.
The stranger who Jesus met in the heat of the day by a samaritan well said:-
“I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:25-26
Martha, a great friend of Jesus, expressed her awareness by saying;
“Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:27.
Friends know the true nature of each other. Jesus comes to us as a friend.
PRAYER: I am so glad that I know you as my friend and my Lord.
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