PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 26:63-68
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63)
The phrase ‘son of God’ did not mean the second person of the trinity to them.
Nor did it mean God in the flesh, as this was not their expectation.
They awaited a heaven-backed human hero that would restore David’s kingdom.
The Son of David was prophesied to be the ‘son of God’ (2 Samuel 7:12-14).
His blasphemy was in claiming to be God’s promised messiah, not to be God.
I do believe that Jesus is ‘the Word made flesh’ and ‘God with us’.
But how this works is not our primary concern, but how we respond!
He is God’s appointed king, and we need to obey Him, not just affirm Him.
I fear too many people affirm Jesus’s divinity, without submitting to His authority.
Jesus calls us to live a certain way, radically different from how we want to live.
It is His radical way of loving that saves us… and that we are saved for.
It is the Adam (human) way to live (Luke 3:38), how children of God are to live.
I’m saved BY grace and FOR grace – loving God and others like Jesus did, by His Spirit.
This is what makes us children of God and ‘messians’ (christ-ians) to our world.
PRAYER
Lord, in our violent, messed up world, we need You and we need more people like You. Help us as ‘messians’ to continue Your work of radical grace, mercy and peace in our world.
Jesus talks in prophetic language and makes the direct connection to the vision of Daniel that the leaders must have been very familiar with – their immediate reaction indicates that understood exactly what Jesus was referring too! But they were blinded by their own evil desires to get rid of him – their own perception of what the Messiah should be. At times I’m blinded too – I may think this is how my Christian life should be – but life is messy and Jesus entered into the messiness of life. I too must be willing to serve within the difficulty of life – in dealing with the sin and hurt.
Jesus knew what would happen to Him by the hands of men and yet He did His Father’s will, as He had prayed beforehand in the garden. He was victorious over the evil and Satan. And where is my anchor? Am I strong enough in my trials and temptations to stand up for Jesus? Help me Lord to also live this day for You. Make me strong.
1 In doubt and temptation I rest, Lord, in Thee;
My hand is in Thy hand, Thou carest for me;
My soul with Thy counsel through life Thou wilt guide,
And afterward make me in glory abide.
Refrain:
My God, I will extol Thee
And ever bless Thy Name;
Each day will I give thanks to Thee
And all Thy praise proclaim.
2 In glory Thou only my portion shalt be,
On earth for none other I long but for Thee;
My flesh and heart falter, but God is my stay,
The strength of my spirit, my portion for aye. [Refrain]
3 All they that forsake Thee must perish and die,
But near to my Savior most blessed am I;
I make Thee my refuge, my Lord and my God;
Thy grace and Thy glory I publish abroad. [Refrain]