the Messiah

Messiah: Hebrew for The Anointed One.  A title Jesus received in his lifetime, but did it happen upon birth?

Up until this week, I never gave the name or when the title was given much thought.  After all, when Jesus was born there were Kings (wisemen) and shepherds that followed a star to Jesus's manger.  They followed the star to find the Messiah, the chosen one, the promised one that Isaiah and Daniel predicted.  Kings were brought to their knees, and the animals all laid down in awe.  At least this is what I learned in Sunday School.  How Biblically correct is this?

I believe this is more than one blog worth of commentary, so today I will focus on WHEN Jesus became the Messiah.

Bonnie and Lori visited this Wednesday and we began the chapter, "Who is Jesus Christ?" in the book, "What Does the Bible Really Teach?"  I must state that I believe Jesus's story (like many in the Bible), has been retold and revamped to fit whatever and whomever's story it needs to fit.  The Gospels aren't even in complete agreement, but nonetheless Jesus of Nazarath was a man that for many fit the Mesaiah title.  But WHEN did many start to believe?

I imagine Mary was 100% certain the baby inside her was not the result of premarital sex; and I'm sure her conversations with the angel Gabriel were hard to believe, that is until her belly grew and the movements of life began to warm her heart.  Joseph also knew, but I would have to believe Harrod's desire to find and kill the Messiah was enough to keep Jesus's position a secret.  I can only imagine Joseph's difficulty with pretending the baby was his, in order to save the life of the son of God.

I will leave the infant narrative for another time, because on Wednesday I realized that Jesus was anointed (i.e. became the Messiah) upon his baptism, not upon his birth.  No wonder baptism is vital for the Christian faiths!  Before this time, Jesus had disciples that believed.  However, God spoke to the crowds (in Luke) stating, "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."  It is assumed the crowds heard God's voice, not something in "normal" everyday life.  So I would imagine this was a HUGE ordeal.  God was anointing Jesus as his son and the Messiah.

Does this change how I feel about the birth of Christ?  No.  But it sheds some light on prophecies by Daniel.  In Daniel 9:25 it is written, "Here is what you must understand: From the time the world goes out to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Anointed Leader, there will be seven sevens.  The rebuilding will take sixty-two sevens, including building streets and digging a moat.  Those will be rough times.  After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed Leader will the killed - the end of him.  The city and Sanctuary will be laid in ruins by the army of the newly arriving leader.  The end will come in a rush, like a flood.  War will rage right up to the end, desolation the order of the day.  Then for one seven, he will forge many and strong alliances, but halfway through the seven he will banish worship and prayers.  At the place of worship a desecrating obscenity will be set up and remain until finally the desecrater himself is decisively destroyed."

Historians believe that the "start" date for the "Seventy Weeks" is 455 BCE.  Why?  According to Nehemiah 2:1 the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem started "In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king."  Historians confirm 474 BCE was Artaxerxes' first full year as a ruler.  Therefore, 455 BCE would be his 20th year.  Biblical scholars believe each week represents 7 years, which is based on the Jewish concept of weeks of years represented in Exodus.  So the first 7 weeks (or 49 years) would end in 406 BCE.  The next set of weeks is 62, which would equal 434 years.  The year would be 29 CE.

According to the Bible Jesus was about 30 years old when he entered public life, which was following his baptism (his annointing from God).  Does this confirm that Jesus was the Mesiah predicted?  I must say the evidence is pretty clear.

I'm also reading another Witness book called, "Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy!"  I have learned that many regard the book of Daniel to be a forgery and written after the events had taken place.  Regardless of its validity, I am humbled by the idea Jesus was a normal man that only became the Messiah upon his baptism.  I just find that idea awesome, and it has made me look differently at baptism.  As a Lutheran, I was taught you must believe Jesus Christ is your savior and be baptized to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Even with its sacramental status (baptism and communion are the only 2 in the Lutheran faith; compared to 7 in the Catholic faith), I never considered it was because baptism was the moment Jesus became the Messiah.

I plan on writing more on this idea in the future.  But for now, I have a whole new appreciation for John the Baptist.