From the record of the gospels we find that on several occasions Jesus accepted the recognition of others that he was the expected Messiah, but his affirmation was usually in an indirect or rather secret way. Mark 8:29 tells how Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah but Jesus then told the disciples not to tell others about it. The reason was that the popular idea of what the Messiah would be like and would do was different from Jesus' understanding of what it meant. At Jesus' Baptism, the voice of the Father was heard saying that he was the chosen one of God (Mark I: 11). 'You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.' In the Old Testament, the relationship which the king of Israel ought to have to God is described as being like that of a much loved son to his father (2 Samuel 7:14, Psalm 2:7).

The Hebrew word 'Messiah', meaning 'anointed one', was associated with the prophecies of the ideal king, descendant of David, who would be sent by God to rule for him in the world and to establish God's Kingship over all mankind. The title 'Son' in Mark 1: 1 I is therefore a Messianic title and because of this, was an assurance to Jesus that the time had come for him to begin his work as God's anointed one. The words which follow-'I am pleased with you'-refer to a prophecy of a different kind, about the Servant of God who will act with gentleness and humility as he establishes justice on the earth (Isaiah 42: I -4). The Servant will accept suffering for the sake of others (Isaiah 53). Gentleness and humility were not characteristics usually associated with kings, who ,'were usually thought of as displaying power and evoking fear in others: The words which came to Jesus at his Baptism therefore point to his .role as God's anointed one, but also the gentle and suffering humble Servant of God. This combination of ideas about the King and the Suffering Servant, bringing together contrasts, pointed to a quite new understanding about the Messiah.

 

This new understanding can be seen in the account of the Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4: 1-13) which followed his Baptism. As he rejected each temptation, Jesus showed that he would not be either the powerful political leader, the warrior king, or the leader who influenced men into following him by spectacular deeds which glorified himself, or the leader who persuaded men by promises of material prosperity. Jesus knew that he had to be totally obedient to what was in accordance with the character of God. This would mean absolute opposition to evil in any form and inevitably, conflict and opposition, rejection and suffering would have to be faced in the fight against evil and sin which the ministry of Jesus would involve.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem to the acclaim of the crowd who welcomed him as the Messiah, there must have been many people who quickly became puzzled and disappointed because he did not do anything which they expected the Messiah to do. He did not encourage them to violent rebellion against the Romans although he did not reject the people’s recognition of him as the Messiah.

After the Resurrection, the disciples knew without a doubt that Jesus was the anointed one of God for whom their people had waited so long but they also knew that their previous ideas about what t Messiah would be like and would do, had been inadequate.

Christos, the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew word Messiah, became part of the name of Jesus when his followers spoke of him. H: was no longer called Jesus of Nazareth but Jesus the Christ.