The Life of the Messiah

John the Baptist and the Sanhedrists

About the time Jesus was in Capernaum the Baptist was visited by a delegation from the Sanhedrin to check whether he was the long-awaited Messiah. Indications were that all Israel was in expectancy that their Deliverer would soon be with them because of the prophecy of Daniel 9, i.e. that 483 years after the issuing of the edict to rebuild Jerusalem, Messiah the Prince would come. The population of Jerusalem had increased year on year in expectation of the unveiling of the ‘Coming One’. To many John seemed a likely candidate (Luke 3:15). But John rejected the possibility saying: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,” as the prophet Isaiah said.”” (John 1:23; cf. Isa.40:3).

The visit of the delegation from Jerusalem was part of the process laid down for the examining of Messianic credentials of any Messianic claimant. It would soon be repeated with the Lord Jesus. But when John declared that he was not the One, the process was soon aborted.

However, John did indicate that the Messiah was close at hand and was as elevated above him as a king is elevated above a beggar. John (whom Jesus said was the greatest prophet born of woman) (Matt.11:11; Luke 7:28) asserted that he was not worthy even to carry Messiah’s sandals (Matt.3:11).

Jesus heals a leper

Luke, in his biography, soon comes to a very important healing. It was a severe case of leprosy. “Behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean. Then He (Jesus) put out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately the leprosy left him.” It is significant that this first recorded case of leprosy that was treated by the Messiah was a person “full of leprosy”. The disease had such a hold that it had almost extinguished life. It had run its course and had the decaying man firmly in its grip. Since leprosy is called the ‘living death’ and is, according to the Mishnah, a “father of uncleanness”, and is listed next to “corpse uncleanness”, how remarkable is the action of the Messiah, “He put out His hand and touched him”. The creeping death fled before the Lord of life. The touch of “the resurrection and the life” regenerated the dying body of the diseased man. Jesus instructed the leper to report to the priest, and offer those sacrifices that were required by the law.

The ministry to lepers does not have as much prominence in the gospels as the ministry of exorcisms. Nevertheless, there are those touches to show that it was an integral part of the overall mission of the Messiah. When John sent to Jesus for confirmation of His Messiahship, the Messiah offered His miraculous ministry as proof. Included in the catalogue of attesting signs was the ministry to lepers. “Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matt.11:4,5). Observe that Jesus used the word ‘cleansed’ not healed. Like the casting out of demons, Jesus also delegated this ministry to the apostles, to offer further proof to the nation that He was truly Israel’s Messiah.

The case of the leper was dire. The isolation imposed on him not only took him out of any social contact with others, but also removed him from any support the Temple and its sacrifices might give. Rabbinism confessed itself powerless in the presence of this living death. So this first healing of a leper was bound to cause some excitement and the news of the miracle spread very quickly.

The healing of leprosy was a de-facto Messianic claim and Jesus, wishing to bring His claim to the attention of the Sanhedrin could have done nothing more to arouse their interest that sending the healed man to the priests in Jerusalem to follow the prescribed procedure.

In the administration of the law of the leper, the priest would require answers to three questions.

(1) Had he really been a leper? The priest would need either a testimony, or a priestly record, or better still, both.

(2) Is he now clean? The priests would examine him over a period of seven days to confirm that there was no trace of the disease.

(3) What was the agency of his cleansing? Was it the result of an intervention by someone?

The leper of Luke 5 would have the following answers. To the first question – Yes, he had been a leper, indeed a very severe case, as many would testify. As to the second question, after the seven-day period of examination the priest would confirm his healing. Third and last, the leper would confirm that the Messianic claimant, Jesus of Nazareth did it!

Next Time : Investigating a Messianic Claim

The Life of the Messiah (Continued)

Messiah's Early Ministry

Synagogue in Israel

Power over Demons—A Messianic Sign

Having been rejected by those in the synagogue in Nazareth, the Messiah travelled to Capernaum. There He entered the synagogue. A man with the spirit of an unclean devil was troubled at the presence of the One who is stronger than Satan. Jesus commanded the demon, “be quiet and come out of him”. With a last defiant flourish, it “cast down” the poor, possessed individual and then left him. This demonstration of Messianic control over Satan amazed everyone who talked of His authority and power. The phrasing of Scripture at this place is quite significant. The man had “a spirit of an unclean devil”. The Jews made a difference between an unclean spirit and an evil spirit; ‘evil spirit’ being the general term for the demon while ‘unclean spirit’ was the description of a demon that found its element among the tombs and other places that were most unclean (that is, ritually unclean). The Talmud speaks of the necromancer who visits burial places to be better inspired of an unclean spirit. Similarly, they under-stood those with the spirit of python, or the prophesying spirit, to be of the same kind. Here then is the significance of the Messiah’s first recorded exorcism, that it demonstrated the power of the Messiah over Satan, especially Satan seen as the Serpent (the spirit of python) (cf. Acts 16:16), and Satan as an unclean Spirit, who had the power of death and produced in humans the fear of death (cf. Heb. 2:14,15).

 It is clear that the grip of Satan on the population would have to be broken before Israel could be free to accept (or reject) Jesus as their Messiah. The ministry of exorcism, conducted by the Messiah and His disciples, was essential to accomplish this. By the end of this particular day many of those possessed by demons had been healed, their devilish tormentors confessing as they were dismissed: “You are the Messiah, the Son of God” (Luke 4:41). Here is an indicator that demons were compelled to acknowledge the deity of Jesus as well as His Messianic office. These victories over demons were consequent upon the successful stand taken by Jesus in the wilderness, from which He had returned in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 The gospels also mention other individual exorcisms, such as the Gadarene demoniac (one who, like the ‘unclean demon’ of Luke 4 inhabited ritually unclean locations like cemeteries) and Mary, who had been possessed by seven devils. There will be the very important case in Matthew 12 when the Sanhedrists charge Jesus of being a servant to Beelzebub (which we will examine in due course). Jesus delegated this power over Satan’s domain to His disciples when He sent them out to the towns and villages of Israel: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) They exercised this power in the name of the Messiah. Matthew described the power delegated to the twelve apostles: “And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matt.10:7) The early Church continued this ministry (Acts 8:7; 16:18; 19:12).

 Next time: John and the Sanhedrists

The Wedding at Cana in Galilee (Continued)

Nowadays, the sevenfold marriage blessing is:

1. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, who created the fruit of the vine.


2. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, You created all things for Your glory.


3. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, You created humanity.

4. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, You made humankind in Your image, after Your likeness, and you prepared for us a perpetual relationship. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, you created humanity.

5. May she who was barren rejoice when her children are united in her midst in joy. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, who makes Zion rejoice with her children.

6. You make these beloved companions greatly rejoice even as You rejoiced in Your creation in the Garden of Eden as of old. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, who makes the bridegroom and bride to rejoice.

7. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, who created joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, mirth and exultation, pleasure and delight, love, fellowship, peace and friendship. Soon may there be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the jubilant voice of bridegrooms from their canopies and of youths from their feasts of song. You abound in blessings, Adonai our God, You make the bridegroom rejoice with the bride.

For blessings very similar to these, Jesus provided the wine. The One who was present in Cana was the Creator of the fruit of the vine (blessing No.1), and created all things for His glory (blessing No.2). He created man (blessing No.3) in His likeness, and for a relationship (blessing No.4). He had rejoiced with Adam and Eve in Eden (blessing No.6), and wished to bless Zion (blessing Nos.5&7). If they would receive Him they would have joy “up to the brim” – new wine!

Those attending the wedding were aware of the significance given to marriage in the T’nach. It was customary, then as now, to reflect on the union that took place in the Garden of Eden, which God blessed by His presence. Jesus used this occasion to reveal Himself to His disciples as the creator God, or as John puts it, “manifested (revealed) His glory” (John 2:11), that is made visible and known, the glory of God incarnate. ‘Manifested’ or ‘revealed’ is a word to indicate a revelation - something hid, now visible. It is the word that Jesus used in His high priestly prayer, when He asserted that He had disclosed to them the divine reality, the Name of God, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” (John 17:6) No wonder John declared, “… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:14)

More Next Time:

Incidents in the LIfe of the Messiah

The First Miracle – Changing Water into Wine

Can you spot the error in this picture?

John identifies the miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee as being the first.  Nevertheless, it appears from the words of the Messiah that it would have been a more appropriate sign at the end of His public ministry. This is why He said to His mother, “my hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). But the grace of God permits it at the beginning.

The main facts are these. Jesus and His disciples attended a wedding where they ran out of wine. When His mother brought this information to His attention, she expected Him to do something about it.  He commandeered the six giant water pots that held water for the ritual cleansing of the family and guests.  Each of the water pots held between twenty and thirty gallons.  The Messiah ordered the servants to fill them with water.  The servants filled them to the brim. He changed this  water into wine – the best wine, according to the governor of the celebrations. John adds, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”  (John 2:11)

This first miracle demonstrates the seeds of the move from law to grace.  John had previously stated, “the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) The water, which had been set aside for the rituals of purification, is a reminder of the legal requirements being imposed on the population at that time.  The Pharisees wanted the general public to observe the rules of ablution that the priests in the Temple obeyed. They were aiming to establish a kingdom of priests! These champions of legalism were legislating joy out of the nation. Jesus turned the water, symbolic of the ritual cleansing under the Mosaic covenant, into wine, the symbol both of the New Covenant, where it represents the blood of the Messiah shed for sin, and the blessing under the Melchizedekian priesthood. In providing between 120 and 180 gallons of best wine it is also a physical illustration of the text, “I am come that you might have life and that more    abundantly” (John 10:10).

At a wedding feast, they formally drank several cups of wine.  The first was the cup of Terumah, which denoted that the virgin bride might have had a priest as a bridegroom.  (The Church’s bridegroom will be the High Priest of the order of Melchizedek) (Heb.6:20).

The second cup was the cup of good news when they proclaimed and certified the virginity of the bride. (The Church is espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin) (2 Cor.11:2). 

They pronounced the bridegroom’s blessing over the third cup, a blessing that was repeated every day of the feast. At this wedding, attended by Jesus and His disciples, the supply of wine ran dry. Mary asked her son to address the   problem. Jesus, as Messiah of Israel,  rather than Mary’s son, responded to the challenge.

 It is unlikely the wine ran out before they drank the cup of Terumah, because that took place at the beginning of the celebrations.  For the same reason, it is unlikely, that it was before the cup of good news.  It could  be  that  the  problem  surfaced  when the governor of the feast was preparing to pronounce another of the bridegroom’s blessings, or  perhaps a blessing after the order of the customary sevenfold marriage blessing.

Next Time: The Marriage Blessing

The Life of the Messiah

His Temptation

In Luke’s account the third temptation (in Matthew it is the second) brought another change of scenery. Satan took Jesus to the top of the tower on the south-western corner of the Temple Mount, where he challenged Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw (cast) Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you, and, In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against      a stone” (Matt.4:6; Luke 4:9-11). This less than subtle effort was another attempt to get Jesus, Son of God, to occupy the position of the one ‘cast down’.  Israel’s Messiah, who must have been meditating on the trials and difficulties of Moses, His Messianic predecessor, responded to the Devil with another quote from Deuteronomy: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt.4:7; Luke 4:12; Deut.6:16). The full quote is, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.” Massah is the Hebrew word for ‘tempted’, as recorded in Exodus: “so he called the name of the place Massah … because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exod.17:7) Jesus, recalling this episode from the history of the wandering nation, used the quote from the speech of Moses to repulse the temptation, and affirm that God was with Him - a   powerful  riposte  to  the  conditional challenge,  “if You are the Son God”. James encapsulates not only the thrust and parry of the     conflict but also the outcome when he wrote, “… submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

After Satan had left Him, and angels had ministered to Him, He “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region”. (Luke 4:14)

Although Jesus had successfully repulsed the Devil in the Judean wilderness it did not end Satan’s attacks. When He presented Himself to His home congregation in Nazareth as Messiah,  they questioned His authority to make such a claim. Jesus sensed their unbelief and responded, “no prophet is accepted in his own country” (Luke 4:24). He followed this statement with two examples of prophets ministering to Gentiles while Israel was in unbelief. Those people who had been fellow citizens of His were filled with a demonic fury and “rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and … led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff” (Luke 4:29). Having failed to manipulate the Messiah into being the ‘cast down’ one, here Satan inspired those that had been His neighbours, His customers, His friends, to enact it. It was another attempt to kill Him before His time and by a method that would     reverse the prophecy of God. To bruise Satan’s head, Jesus would have to be the ‘lifted up’ One. The people of Nazareth tried to make Him the ‘cast down’ One.  Jesus “passing through the midst of them … went His way” (Luke 4:30) A similar incident took place later in His ministry where He coined the more famous phrase that has now become a proverb: “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country” (Mark 6:4; Matt.13:57). Of those in Nazareth the biographer stated: “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt.13:58).

More Next Time

The Life of the Messiah (Continued)

His Temptation (Continued)

In respect of the next two temptations, reflection on the events that took place in the Garden of Eden provide some understanding to the strategy of the Devil. In the Garden, God, in the person of the pre-incarnate Christ, cast down the serpent, “… On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.” (Gen. 3:14). This not only demonstrated His power over Satan, it symbolically  re-enforced the truth that this most powerful of fallen angels was, and ever would be, the ‘cast down’ one.

Similarly, Moses, who in Israel’s eyes was their first Messiah, in  preparation for the exodus from Egypt, re-enacted this same scene by casting down the serpent-rod, re-affirming the continuing power and authority of God over Satan. This was the prelude to the defeat         of Satan’s instrument Pharaoh, whose tiara of authority carried a  representation of a serpent.  

The ministry of the ‘seed of the woman’ (Gen.3:15), Jesus, must demonstrate this same power and authority, and climax in the prophesied ‘bruising’ of the serpent’s head. However, this enemy is  no weak vessel. He has position and power and is a consummate   tactician with an overall strategy that can be summed up in a phrase, deception with a view to destruction’. It had always been his ‘modus operandi’. Jesus referred to the element of deception when He said to the Jews, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your  father you want to do … When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).  We are warned of the “wiles of the devil” (Eph.6:11).  His followers are “deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor.11:13,14). Deception, beguilement, bluff and subterfuge and even camouflage are used by the Devil to accomplish his evil  purposes.

However, deception was simply a means to destruction.  Not only is he the father of lies but also a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). He is the Adversary, “a roaring lion”  who goes about “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet.5:8). It was this deceiver, in the ‘one to one’, ‘face to face’ confrontation with the incarnate God, who attempted to cloud the issue and misdirect the Messiah into taking the position of the one ‘cast down’. Satan took Jesus up a very high mountain, showed Him all the splendour of the kingdoms of the world, and said, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” (Matt.4:8,9; Luke 4:5,6). It was inevitable that Satan would couch this temptation in terms that reflected the cause of his own downfall - personal ambition running counter to the will of God. Here, he tries to recover all lost ground with one throw of the dice.  What he had failed to do when he was the mighty, covering cherub, he tried to accomplish when the God that defeated him there was clothed in flesh. Jesus, weak with hunger, with limited resources refused the offer and put His finger on the crux of the  matter: “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matt.4:10).     Jesus   rejected the offer of kingdoms, power and glory; and later reminded His followers that, “the kingdom, and the power and the glory” (Matt.6:13) eternally belong to the Father.