Wednesday 26 November 2014

The works of Christ


"Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
I never really read what was written here until recently. As I was reading this passage my eyes were drawn to the phrase "the deeds of the Christ". What were these "deeds of the Christ" (or "the works of Christ" as in my translation)? It is not called "the deeds of Jesus". It wasn't simply the fact that Jesus were doing wonders. Many prophets (e.g. Moses, Elijah, Elisha) did wonders in the past. But it was specifically works that identify the Messiah (the Christ / the Anointed One). Isaiah 35: 5-6 among others, makes it clear that these were signs of the coming Kingdom...
He will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

This why it is not simply called the „deeds of Jesus“, since it was not simply miracles, but very specific miracles that were prophesied to be Messianic („the deeds of the Anointed“).

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