During his short public ministry, Jesus Christ (who often called himself the Son of Man) made many astounding claims concerning himself, all of which were foretold in the Old Testament. If I were to make these claims about myself, I would either be admitted into a mental health ward or, more likely, be arrested under ISA for being a threat to national security!
1) HIS CLAIMS – TRUE OR FALSE?
a) His person
‘Again the high priest asked him – are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’
‘I am’ said Jesus (Mark 16:61b-62a)
b) His ministry
‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:45)
‘Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’ (John 3:14-15)
c) His death and resurrection
‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ (Luke 24:7)
d) His exaltation
‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One’ (Mark 14:62)
Were all these claims TRUE or FALSE?
2) HIS FATHER’S “AMEN”
Amen means “so be it” or “I agree”
Paul prays that we may know the power of the glorious Father: ‘That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,’ (Ephesians 1:19-20)
The fact that the Father RAISED and EXALTED his Son Jesus Christ is clear proof that the Father approved his every thought, emotion, word and deed. And so his claims are TRUE!
POSTSCRIPT
But our gracious Father reminds us that there in one claim of Jesus Christ which is still unfulfilled and he warns us to be ready for this great event.
‘At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.’ (Matthew 24:30-31).
AMEN.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
