What is your concept of the Messiah?

Scriptures to read Matthew 11:2-6. 

"Are you the one or do we look for another?" 

Those were the words of John the Baptist when he was locked up in prison on a charge by the king.  He was feeling alone, abandoned, disillusioned, dispairing and dispondent. 

 Those are the words that come to us when God does not visit with us, show up, rescue us out of all our problems, or answer our prayers in the way we expect Him to do so.  "Are you the One or do we look for another".  Jesus and John were cousins (but unlike Abraham and Lot) Jesus does not bust John out of the prison or pay for his bail. 

Whenever God does not answer your prayers or show up for you the way you expect Him to.  The tendency is to ask Jesus, "are you the One or do we look for another?"  Our framework of reference is very limited to a selfish mentality, expecting God to move the same way all the time.  If He doesn't, we give up and feel disillusioned and dispondent. 

So what is your concept of the Messiah? Who is Jesus to you?  Does He fit into your mould, and limited, finite, framework of reference? 

You may not be physically sitting in a prison cell today, but you feel locked up and imprisoned by your circumstances of life.  Which are temporary anyway, and subject to change.   God is eternal. 

Look at the divine response from Jesus go and tell John... "the blind see, the lame walk,  the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised back to life, the poor have the gospel preached to them".  The works of Jesus testify to who He is.  

That is Jesus's response to you today ... The dead are raised, the blind see the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor have the gospel preached unto them.  Jesus is busy working in the kingdom of God. 

Read John 6:5-15 in verse 15 the Jews want to make Jesus, king.  Their concept of the Messiah was the same as the Zealots.  To have a conquering Messiah who would knock out and overthrow the Roman government. That was not Jesus' missionary mandate while on planet earth.  His Kingdom is not of this world. 

(John 18:36). 

John the Baptist; acknowledged Him, identified Him and called Him out.  When he said "behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:36).  That should be our concept of the Messiah.  After all the Messiah comes from another kingdom, might and dominion, located in Heaven.  Operated and governed by heavens framework of reference. 

Read Genesis 1:26-27 God says He will make man in His image and after His likeness. Notice it is His image and His likeness. 

Idolatry is when man sets up a god creates an image, an icon, a statue, an effigy, a system, and bows down to worship it.  Whether it be through human, animal or financial sacrifices the dumb idol, whether it be wooden, carved, statue, formed, fashioned, crafted, is somehow worshipped.  When ever you create a Jesus that fits into your image or you try to carve, craft a god into your image and likeness then that is idolatry! 

Read Exodus 32.  The Israelites worship the Golden calf.  One that is formed and fashioned by Aaron the high priest.  The people corrupt themselves while Moses is on mount Sinai for 40 days and for 40 nights receiving the Ten Commandments.   They try to form a god into an image they would have seen whilst in their Egytian bondage of slavery.  Egypt had many god's. They worship it, sacrifice to it, dance, have ceremony and corrupt themselves.  

 

God wants us to approach Him on His terms. After all we are made in His image and after His likeness. We are to conform to His image and be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 8:29,  12:2).  There is only one way to God the Father and that is through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). 

In our modern age that does not recognise the Bible as the only source of infallible truth.  In our post modern thinking, full of worldly philosophies, blend in mentality,  carnal scripts, and our being "politically correct" so that we can be socially acceptable means that we water down the gospel and compromise the truth of the scriptures forming and crafting an image of the Messiah that fits into the 21st century.  

Are we conforming to the image and likeness of God our eternal heavenly Father and creator.  Or are we creating and forming a Jesus to blend into a postmodernism lifestyle?  A me, myself, and I, culture ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5).  "Are you the One, or do we look for another?"

Jesus where are you now?  

So what is your concept of the Messiah?  Who is Jesus Christ to you?  Jesus is still saying to you today,  (Hebrews 13:8), "the blind see, the dead are raised, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them".  The works of Christ testify Him to be authentic, the Spirit of God rested and remained upon Him.