Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? - Part 1686

And Jesus said, "I AM: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:62)

Throughout the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, there are those continually asking Jesus (and, as well, of John the baptizer) about identity. Often, the response was not considered, even when those questioning were told the truth. One such occasion is herein, when Jesus was about to be crucified. Therein, the chief priests and all the council are seeking for witness against Jesus so that He would be put to death, but these found none. So, instead, there arose certain and bare false witness against Jesus saying, "We heard Him say -- I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands." (Mark 14:58-59)

But even when the witnesses could not agree in their testimony against Jesus, the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus directly, saying, "Answer Thou nothing? what is it which these witness against Thee?" But Jesus held His peace. So he then asks, "Art Thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed?" When Jesus answered and said, "I AM" He also told him that "ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Mark 14:60-63)

In another account, "as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led Him into their council, saying, "Art Thou the Christ? Tell us." And Jesus said unto them, "If I tell you, ye will not believe. And if I also ask you, ye shall not answer Me, nor let Me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God." Then said they all, "Art Thou then the Son of God?" And He said unto them, "Ye say that I AM." And they said, "What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of His own mouth." (Luke 22:66-71; Matthew 27:1-54)

You see, while the high priest (and others) said unto Jesus, "I adjure Thee by the living God that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God," it was evident from scripture that these should have already known by scripture who Jesus was. After all, the coming of the Christ, the Messiah, was prophesied throughout the old testament. (Matthew 26:63; Isaiah 53:7; Leviticus 5:1)

Just like now, there was nothing hid from the hearts of those who willingly sought the Lord God. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgement, and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of My people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth ...." (Isaiah 53:7-9; Acts 8:32-33; Revelation 5:6; Luke 23:1-25; Daniel 9:26; I Peter 2:21-22; I John 2:1; Isaiah 42:1-8; Romans 5:15-19; John 19:19)

Jesus' identity should have been evident to one and all, if only by the opposition to Pilate writing the title -- JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS -- in Hebrew and Greek and Latin. But the chief priests told Pilate to write not the King of the Jews, but rather, that He said, "I am King of the Jews." Nevertheless, Pilate had written what he had written, which means these (the fathers and their children also) are without excuse.

"Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that is in them is; who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, "Why did the heathen rage? and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel [purpose] determined before to be done ..." (Acts 4:24-29;  Exodus 20:11; Psalm 2:1-2; John 10:30, 36; Acts 2:23, 36)

The message wherein we can now understand from the scriptures is that Jesus -- the Son of man was and is the Lord of glory. Jesus was and is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus was and is the visible image of the invisible God. And that all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Him (Colossians 2:9)

"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)

Indeed, "to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." (II Corinthians 5:17-19)

This is why when Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest (including the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees) were gathered together at Jerusalem, and they asked Peter filled with the Holy Ghost  - "By what power, or by what name have ye done this?" Peter could say "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by Him doth this man stand before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the corner." (Acts 4:1-26)

His Name is Jesus!

"Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man." Hebrews (8:1-2; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 9:8, 11-12, 15, 24)

Let those with ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.