Disciples Global Network

Following his baptism in the Jordan River, the Voice from Heaven identified Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of the LORD . The theme of fulfillment is prominent in Matthew’s Gospel . The promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus, the Anointed Son sent to redeem Israel and rule the nations. Peter confirmed that he was the “ Messiah ” but failed to understand that he would undertake that role as the suffering “ Servant of Yahweh ,” a misunderstanding that persists to this day. Christ’s true identity and the significance of his mission are revealed in his Death and Resurrection.

Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies . The inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until after his crucifixion is a central theme of the Gospel of Mark . Ironically, the first man to do so is the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men. He was the Savior no one expected or wanted .

In the Gospel of Mark , Jesus is “ on the way ” to Jerusalem his death at the hands of his enemies. The theme of his inexorable journey is repeated in Mark , beginning with John the Baptist who came to “ prepare THE WAY of the Lord .” He would complete his mission as the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ of the Book of Isaiah when he was tried by the priestly leaders of the Temple and faced death outside the walls of the City of David at the hands of Rome.

In Colossians , Paul stresses the exaltation of Jesus following his Resurrection. Some members of the congregation were confused about his authority over the spiritual powers that were hostile to God and His people; therefore, Paul reminded the Assembly of just how highly God exalted the One who became the “ Firstborn of the Dead .”

In the first half of Romans , Paul presents the “ Gospel .” It is the “ power of God for salvation to Jews and Greeks ” alike. He provides salvation through the “ faith of Jesus Christ ” to everyone who responds with repentance and faith. Death passed from Adam to all men, both to those “ within the Law ” and those “ apart from the Law ” because “ all sinned .” Now, however, “ apart from the Law ,” the “ righteousness of God ” is being revealed for “ all men who believe, for there is no distinction .”

Paul claimed that the source of his apostleship was the same God who raised His Son from “ among dead ones ” (literal rendering). This same Messiah died and was raised from the dead to “ deliver us from this evil age .” In Galatians , The Apostle was responding to certain “ men from Jerusalem ” who were operating in the Assembly as if the old era was still in effect, insisting that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Jewish calendar, and challenging Paul’s Apostolic authority and credentials.

The Last Days, the Age of Fulfillment, began with the Death, Resurrection, and Enthronement of the Son of God . When we hear the term “ Last Days ” we assume it refers to the final few years of history that will occur just before the return of Jesus “ on the clouds of Heaven .” This is logical and natural. However, the New Testament presents the present age as the time of fulfillment, the period that began following the Death, Resurrection, and Enthronement of Jesus.

Foundational to the Letter to the Hebrews is the appointment of Jesus as our High Priest, and this was due especially to his obedience “ unto death ” whereby he achieved the “ purification of sins .” In his sufferings, he was “ perfected ,” and in his resurrection, God vindicated his sacrifice by seating him at the “ right hand of the Majesty on High ,” where he now sits enthroned interceding on our behalf. The stress is not on his position as the Royal Son, as true as that is, but on his priestly status and ministry for his people.

The Book of Revelation applies several terms to the saints who are under assault from without and within. The men who were redeemed by the “ Lamb ” form a single company that transcends all national, social, and cultural boundaries, and for them, persecution and “ tribulation ” are neither aberrations nor things to be feared. Persevering through trials while bearing witness is what it means to follow the “ Lamb wherever he goes .”

Having established his priestly qualifications,  Hebrews  presents Jesus as the High Priest who intercedes faithfully and sympathetically for his people. He participated fully in the nature and sufferings common to all men, therefore, his priestly intercession for his “ brethren ” is characterized by compassion for them. The “ Son ” experienced the same death that is common to all men, and in doing so, he qualified for the priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek ” even though he was not a member of the Tribe of Levi. What set him apart from other men was his sinlessness.

The priesthood of Jesus is a key subject in the Letter to the Hebrews . He became the “ merciful and faithful High Priest ” who now intercedes for “ his brethren ” from the presence of God. This subject was anticipated in the Letter’s opening paragraph, including the uniqueness of his priesthood, when the Author declared that he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” and then afterward, he “ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High .” And he triumphed over Satan and Death as a fully human priest, only “ apart from sin .”

After predicting his death, two disciples began jockeying for high-status positions in his coming Kingdom. Thinking according to the ways of this world’s concepts of political power, they did not comprehend what kind of Messiah Jesus was (and remains), and therefore, what it meant to follow him “ wherever he goes .” However, in Jerusalem, he would soon demonstrate how one achieves “ Greatness ” in the Kingdom of God.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant to be the Messiah of Israel. In the city of David, he was about to face his final confrontation with the Temple authorities which would end in his violent and unjust death at the hands of the Romans. Was not Jerusalem the appointed place where the prophets sent to proclaim God’s word to Israel were slain, where the Messiah himself must suffer rejection and death, according to the Scriptures?

Paul links the start of the “ Last Days ” with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The time of fulfillment arrived, and all God’s promises now find their “ Yea and Amen ” in the risen Savior. Similarly, the  Letter to the Hebrews  declares that “ in these last days ,” God has “ spoken ” His definitive “ Word ” in His Son who now sits at the “ right hand of the Majesty on High .” History reached its pivotal point in the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God.

Jesus is the Son whom God appointed as our merciful and faithful High Priest after his suffering, death, and resurrection.  A key theme in the Letter to the Hebrews is the elevation of Jesus to the office of the High Priest because of his obedience “ unto death .” In his sufferings, he was “ perfected ,” and in his resurrection, God vindicated his sacrifice when he “ sat down ” at the “ right hand of the Majesty on High .” There, he now intercedes on behalf of his “ brethren .” The stress is not on his status as the Royal Son, as true as that is, but instead on his priestly position and ministry.

The definitive “ Word ” that God now speaks “ in the Son ” surpasses all the past revelations made in “ the prophets ,” including Moses, the Great Lawgiver. Jesus of Nazareth went beyond all his predecessors. He alone “ achieved the purification of sins .” Consequently, he “ sat down ” at the right hand of God and inherited “ all things .” Among other things, his exaltation signaled the commencement of the promised “ New Covenant .”