The Light Shines in the DarknessSample

Jesus is the Messiah / Christ

“One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ).” (John 1:40-41)

When Andrew invited his brother Simon to become a follower of Jesus as well, he caught his attention with the following words: “We have found the Messiah”. For most modern readers, this name won’t ring a bell immediately. But for Jews, it is the summary of all they are hoping for.

Right at the beginning of the Bible, when Adam and Eve had first sinned, God promised to send someone who would defeat their enemy Satan. All through the Old Testament, we find prophecies that provide more detail about this coming Savior. He will be from the royal line of David and will bring peace, harmony and abundance. His reign will never end. He will also bring spiritual restoration. Some prophecies indicate that He will not be an ordinary human. But others say He will be rejected and despised, even killed.

All these different, sometimes paradoxical descriptions come to mind when Andrew talks about “the Messiah”. The question whether or not Jesus really is the Messiah, is a major theme in all of the gospels. He does fulfill some of the expectations, but not (yet) all of them, or differently from the way people had hoped or anticipated.

Does Jesus fulfill the expectations you have of a King and Savior?