I intended to write this as comment in response to the discussion going in Weekly Bracha 9, discussing the idea of Messiah-as-Lord, but instead it grew into something deserving of its own post.
Yeshua made some remarkable statements in the gospels. Big, huge, theology-shattering statements. Statements that nip-in-the-bud beliefs that downplay Messiah as anything short of divine.
Here are a few. After each statement, I wrote down the first thought and immediate conclusion that comes to my mind:
- "I and the Father are one."
-Messiah and God are united.
- "He who has seen me has seen the Father."
-Seeing Messiah is seeing God.
- "No one comes to the Father but by me."
-Humanity comes to God only by Messiah's will.
- "All power on heaven and earth have been given unto me."
-Messiah is omnipotent (all-powerful).
- "The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son."
-Judgment belongs to Messiah.
- "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."
-God draws humanity to Messiah, and Messiah will raise his flock from the dead in the end times.
- “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.”
- Messiah gives everlasting life.
- -"If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
-Knowing Messiah = knowing God.
- "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
-Messiah has the power to keep all men who turn to him, and he gives them eternal life.
- "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
-Messiah reveals God to others.
- “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
-Messiah is the master of all. God and Messiah are intertwined.
- “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.”
-Acknowledging Messiah results in mercy before the heavenly court. Messiah is a divine, everlasting mediator.
- “Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
-Disowning Messiah will result in judgment. Messiah has been given the power of judgment.
Whatever view of Messiah one has, one must reconcile that view with these statements from the gospels, from Yeshua himself. These statements betray the those who wish to paint Yeshua as anything less than the all-powerful, glorified Son of God the gospels make him out to be.