Reasons Jesus Was so Effective -- No. 2

In this brief series of articles relating to Jesus’ effectiveness, I will be focusing on His humanity prior to His death and resurrection.  It’s essential to rightly understand Jesus’ nature for us to fully follow Him.  The Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. attempted to resolve the human/divine issue in Jesus by declaring that “He was fully God and fully man”.  That has all the earmarks of a political decision and is not particularly helpful.  We must move beyond this.  Let’s continue to look at Jesus’ humanity.

2) Jesus was a king.  The point of the geneaologies in Matthew and Luke is to establish His right to claim the throne of Israel.  The “Wise Men” from the east came with one question, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2)?  The worship they wanted to offer Him was that one would offer a king.  His kingship is underscored by Pilate’s direct questioning of Jesus at His trial, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  So Jesus said to him, “It is as you say” (Matthew 27:11). Finally, on the Cross over Jesus’ head were these words:  “THIS IS JESUS/THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matthew 27:37).  This aspect of Jesus’ life is little appreciated and rarely, if ever, taught.

Application.  A practical outworking of this aspect of Jesus’ life is the frequency with which He commanded things to happen.  Not once did Jesus ever pray for somebody to be healed, delivered, or raised from the dead—He commanded!  That same kingly anointing of authority is to be upon us.  Specifically, the word of God is, “Jesus Christ. . .has made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5&6).  We are to stand between God and man [as priests] and exercise authority on Jesus’ behalf [as kings].  The Bible speaks of our ruling and reigning with Christ [during the Millennium], but now is when we need to develop practical experience—in Jesus’ Name, ruling over our circumstance and nature, as occasion warrants, but it all begins with wise self-rule because “whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).

3) Jesus was a Prophet.  Emphasis upon this in contemporary teaching/preaching is almost as woeful as the emphasis upon his being a king.  Testimony to Jesus being a prophet showed up among the common folk as with the woman of Samaria.  After Jesus had given her “the word” that “you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband. . .” [she replied] “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet” (John 4:18 & 19).

By the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking such hidden things was a common attribute of prophets and recognized as such.  It wasn’t just hidden things to which prophets were made privy.  With Jeremiah it was a matter of his being set over nations and kingdoms, “to root out and pull down, to destroy and to throw down, build and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10).

The words of prophets were critically important with the fate of entire nations hanging upon their words.  With the prophet Samuel the power of his words was doubly emphasized when it was said, “the Lord was with him and let none his words fall to the ground” (I Samuel 3:19).  Simply stated, everything Samuel proclaimed came to pass.  As a prophet Jesus was operating in a powerful tradition.  This office is being restored, perfected and matured in the church.

Application.  Our words are critically important.  With them we tear down and build up, often being ignorant of the process.   Solomon emphasized this when he said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:21).  Beyond the exercise of words is hearing from God. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3) was a precious promise given to the prophet Jeremiah but which is also available to us inasmuch as God is no respecter of persons.