“At exactly the time when Jesus was growing up, there was a movement—call it a political movement, a religious movement, or (as Josephus calls it) a “philosophy”—that said that it was time for God alone to be King. The people were waiting for the cyclone. They were praying for it. Did they know what it would mean? They knew what it wouldn’t mean. They were fed up with their own ‘kings”—the Hasmonean dynasty of the last hundred years, such as it was, and then Herod and his second-rate sons.” (“Who Should Be King?”, Simply Jesus,  N. T. Wright, p. 41)

There are dictators – there are presidents – there are Prime Ministers – there are Kings and Premiers. We have all kinds of “names”, “positions” for those who rule the countries and nations across the world — and they have differing amounts of power. Where they differ greatly comes in their attributes – some are kind, others corrupt; some are greedy, others compassionate; some are full of hope, while others are full of themselves. For thousands and thousands of years there have been “human” rulers who run the gamut between greed and charity – ability and inability – and people have been either prospering or suffering under their rule.

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all believe in the coming of the One whom they all call the Messiah. We Christians call Christ the Messiah. The concept of the Messiah in Christianity originated from the Messiah in Judaism. However, unlike the concept of the Messiah in Judaism and Islam, the Messiah in Christianity, Jesus Christ, is the Son of G-d. Jesus of Nazareth became the accepted Christian designation of Messiah because Christians believe the messianic prophesies in the Old Testament – and they were fulfilled in his mission, death and resurrection. As such, we believe that Christ will fulfill the rest of the messianic prophecies, specifically the prophecy of a future king who would come from the Davidic line and usher in a Messianic Age – that G-d’s kingdom, and G-d’s will come to earth, as it is in heaven.

What is common among us all is this – we all anticipate a Messiah – who will make things right, again.

Pastor Dave