Names of Jesus: Messiah

Names of Jesus: Messiah

Jesus Christ proved while He dwelled among people on earth that He was the promised Messiah the Jewish people had been waiting for for many generations. Through His earthly ministry and all the works He has accomplished He fulfilled many prophecies, gave understanding, fulfilled the Law, and ascended back to Heaven after His death and resurrection with a promise that He would return and fulfill what remains to be fulfilled. Most of all, He became the Way of salvation for all who will believe in faith that He is the Messiah and that salvation comes only through faith in Him by the grace of God.

In John 1, we get to see Jesus referred to as the Messiah, being acknowledged as the One the people had been waiting for. In this part of the gospel story Jesus was identified by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, and he explains that this was the One he, John, was to come before and prepare the way for.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 
³⁰ This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’

John 1:29-30 CSB

A couple of John’s disciples followed Jesus immediately after hearing this from John, and before going with Jesus Andrew went to get his brother, Simon (Peter). Andrew clearly wanted to share this news and experience with his brother. He was excited about finding the Messiah and clearly knew the importance of getting his brother first to join him.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 
⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”^[a] (which is translated “the Christ”),

John 1:40-41 CSB

Not only did Andrew go get Peter, but he also acknowledges his belief in who Jesus is when telling his brother he found the Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised savior of the Jewish people. When Andrew and Peter showed up again, Jesus called out to Peter, letting him know that He knew who he was.

⁴² and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.^[a] You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”^[b]).

John 1:42 CSB

The Messiah knows you

I love that Jesus displays His knowledge of Peter, and I love also that He does the same for us. Not only does Jesus know each of us by name, but He knows every detail of our lives, thoughts, personalities, likes, dislikes, and every other grain of information even we don’t know about ourselves. He knows all of this, and also He knows every sin, every slip, every hurt, and every idol. He knows where we are in our lives, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going. He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves because He made us, crafted us, designed us, numbered our days, and prepared a plan for our lives according to what we would do each step of the way and how He would provide, call, and teach us along the way.

For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 CSB

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 
²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 
²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^[b]
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[c] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 
³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 
³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:25-31 ESV

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 ESV

He knows all of this, and because he knows it He knows we could never pay the penalty for all of our sins, that He is also intimately aware of, so from the very beginning He knew He would come to be the sacrifice that would pay the penalty for our sin in order to redeem us. He knows every detail of your life and died to save you from your sins so that you could have abundant and eternal life through faith in Him.

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6 ESV

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10 ESV

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 
¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17 ESV

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The Messiah is the Way to be saved

When Andrew told Peter that they had found the Messiah, he was acknowledging his belief in the prophecies of the One to come and save them from their oppressors, bringing peace to the Jewish people. We see in other parts of the gospels the acknowledgment that Jesus is the Messiah, and the faith of those who believed this of Him.

¹⁶ and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,

who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Matthew 1:16-17 CSB

While the Jewish people commonly believed it was their worldly enemies the Messiah would save them from, Jesus came and taught them, just like us, that He came to save every person who would believe in Him from their sins. He wasn’t there to defeat the romans, but to defeat sin. For us today, we ehave hope in that He did defeat the power of sin over those who give their lives to Him by faith.

The Messiah suffered in our place

It is important that we recognize that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but also that we recognize that the Old Testament is filled with foretellings of His coming, as well as explanations about why we should believe in Him. In Luke 24 Jesus explains that He was the One written about in the Old Testament, through the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms.

⁴⁴ He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 
⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 
⁴⁶ He also said to them, “This is what is written:^[a] The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 
⁴⁷ and repentance for^[b] forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:44-47 CSB

Here we read that Jesus was destined to suffer, and not just suffer but suffer in our place. He obtained salvation through the blood sacrifice of Himself. The just punishment for sin is death, and that is the punishment we all deserve. Jesus, though, wanted us to be restored to God and paid for our sins with His own. Life. He defeated the power of sin and death when He rose again from the dead, making the way for all who would believe in Him to be saved from the penalty of sin and restored to our He

The Messiah gives understanding

Luke also states that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the scriptures”. Not only is He the promised Messiah who died in our place to save us from the penalty of sin, but when we have faith in Him He grants us understanding as well as salvation. He explains that the Messiah will suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. By this, those who repent will be forgiven because of His sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the only One who can proclaim salvation over those who choose to believe in Him in faith. Not only should we believe that He is our Savior, the Son of God, Son of Man, the Almighty, but He wants us to learn and understand His wisdom. We get to learn that the scripture is full of evidence about Him, about prophecies that will come to pass later on, as well as how to live a godly life that brings Him honor and glory.

¹⁹ And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 CSB

²⁸ And he said to man,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
    and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Job 28:28 ESV

In knowing His identity as Messiah we learn the importance of the history in scripture, the foretellings and prophecies, and the gift of understanding provided when we choose to have faith in Him. He provides us with all we need in this earthly life to prepare us for the promise of abundant and eternal life in Heaven with Him all throughout His Word, and commands us to learn from His Word, meditate on it, remember it, and do what it says. Seek Him and His Kingdom, obey Him in love, and follow Him in faith.

⁸ This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on^[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.

Joshua 1:8 CSB

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

² Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 
³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 
⁴ And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4 CSB

⁷ Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

2 Timothy 2:7 ESV

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