For The Bereans

Matthew 16:13-17 records this exchange between Yeshua and His disciples:

When Yeshua came into the territory around Caesarea Philippi, he asked his talmidim , “Who are people saying the Son of Man is?” They said, “Well, some say Yochanan the Immerser, others Eliyahu, still others Yirmeyahu or one of the prophets.” “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say I am?” Shim’on Kefa answered, “You are the Mashiach , the Son of the living God.” “Shim’on Bar-Yochanan,” Yeshua said to him, “how blessed you are! For no human being revealed this to you, no, it was my Father in heaven.

When Yeshua asked about His reputation among the people, the answers were varied. However, when He asked about His disciples’ perception of Him, only one answer is recorded: you are the Messiah.

I’m under the impression that many present day believers are unaware of the significance of this declaration–which, by the way, Yeshua emphatically affirmed. Why do I think this? In my, albeit limited, observation (1) present day believers don’t see themselves having a connection to the physical descendents of Israel; and (2) present day believers don’t see themselves having any relationship with Torah beyond it being a historical reference point. In fact, on the latter, many seem to believe Yeshua inaugurated the departure from Torah.

The irony in this is that (1) the Messiah is specifically Israel’s Messiah; and (2) any person who would turn followers from Torah specifically could not be the Messiah. Although the practical implications of the Messiah being Israel’s Messiah may be lost on some, I don’t think that fact itself would be called into question. On the other hand, the idea that turning from Torah categorically disqualifies a person from being Messiah is probably worth further consideration.

For that, I invite your attention to Deuteronomy 13:1-5:

“If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’ you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. For ADONAI your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love ADONAI your God with all your heart and being. You are to follow ADONAI your God, fear him, obey his mitzvot , listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him; and that prophet or dreamer is to be put to death; because he urged rebellion against ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from a life of slavery; in order to seduce you away from the path ADONAI your God ordered you to follow. This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.

Did you catch that? Even a prophet whose predicted sign or wonder comes to pass is to be rejected–in fact, killed– if he says let’s follow other gods.

Now, I already now what I would say to this: ‘Jesus was not asking people to follow other gods. He was showing people a better way to serve the same God.’

The problem with that argument is, if you’re telling people to do something contrary to what the LORD our GOD said do, you’re not teaching them to follow Him.

But, I might say, Jesus is God. Therefore, He can change His mind if He wants.

That argument has merit from an authority standpoint. However, it fails from an integrity standpoint. Think about it: if the LORD our GOD ends something He said was eternal, what confidence can we have in the next promise?

The good news we don’t have to ponder that. For the true and living eternal God has given us His true and living eternal Word. He has pardoned our failings through His true and living eternal Son. And, He empowers us by HIS true and living eternal Spirit.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Yeshua delclared:

 ”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness !’”

 I don’t know about you, but for me, the idea that I could do things in His name yet be turned away always had been of grave concern. This is because I had the impression there was no way of knowing in advance that (1) I was doing what the Father wanted; and (2) Yeshua knew me. After all, if doing mighty works in His name didn’t qualify, what would?

Notice, though, that I said had. Those concerns have been alleviated. I now have clarity on how I can be sure I know Him and am Known of Him, thanks to John’s first letter. He wrote (1 John 2:1-3 ):

“My children, I am writing you these things so that you won’t sin. But if anyone does sin, we have Yeshua the Messiah, the Tzaddik [advocate] , who pleads our cause with the Father. Also, he is the kapparah [propitiation] for our sins - and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands.“

When the apostle Paul appeared before the Jewish council (Acts 23), he declared “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” Luke’s account suggests this statement was meant to exploit the disagreement between the two primary factions in the council. Namely (v8), “the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.”

While I admire the rhetorical maneuvering, I caution us not to ignore the criticality of his statement. For the hope that we have rests entirely on the reality of the resurrection of the dead, especially the resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ). Please indulge me a brief tangent as I make this case.

Recently, I was asked if Jews were looking for the Messiah’s first or second coming. I responded, “first (and only).” Why would a person who believes Yeshua is Messiah answer as such? First, because I was asked about Jews’ perspective. To my knowledge, they don’t believe their Messiah has come. Second, because I understand that perspective. You see, Yeshua did not do all the things that the Messiah is to do.

And, that brings us back to the question of resurrection. If Yeshua did not accomplish, before dying, all that was prophesied concerning the Messiah, then he could only be Messiah if he rose again….and completed those things.

To those who question whether there is more for the Messiah to do, you need only look to the question the disciples asked just before Yeshua ascended to the heavens (Acts 1:6): “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

My point?

If Yeshua has risen from the dead, then he can still fulfill the role of Messiah–including restoring the kingdom, as apparently Yeshua communicated he would do (note the disciples’ question was when, not if). If Yeshua has risen from the dead, then we, too, will be raised “at the last day” (John 11:24).

Now, here’s the good news: Yeshua is risen. He is risen indeed!