A Palestinian Jesus?

Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority gave a Christmas message. This sounded rather strange knowing that Abbas is a Muslim, hates Jews and Christians. It is due to the P.A’s encouragement that Muslim pressure has meant an exodus of Christians from such places as Bethlehem.

However as Abbas spoke about Jesus two things became apparent. The man didn’t know what he was talking about and secondly Chairman Abbas was using Jesus as a ‘Poster boy.’ The reason for this was to make Jesus out to be a Palestinian (the term means Philistine in the bible) who was the original freedom fighter. Such a ploy has been used many times by cults, gay rights activists and anti establishment groups. To make Jesus Christ a mere ‘poster boy’ for a cause is ridiculous to the facts and scurrilous to the person. How such leaders from Arafat to Abbas try to use the Church as a political platform while seeking its extinction is beyond comprehension. Still hypocrisy has no shame.

The apostle Paul has called such endeavours as an attempt to create another Gospel and thereby another Jesus (Galatians 1:6–9. 2 Corinthians 11:4). His verdict upon such promoters is that they are cursed.

I wondered how the Islamic world would have reacted if the Pope had twisted the history of Mohammed in a similar fashion. What if it was said that the founder of Islam was a secret admirer of Israel and supportive of their right to the God given land. What if Mohammed was seen as a freedom fighter against the forces that occupied the land of Israel when he lived. Oh boy there would have been a jihadist uprising to put things right as they understood it. Here is a big difference between the two belief systems. Christians are called by their Lord Jesus Christ to pray for their enemies and the ignorant leaders such as Mahmoud Abbas. Islam says ‘kill them!’

In Matthew 24 Jesus gives some insights into what precedes His promised return to earth. Part of His message included a warning about pretenders to His name and authority. In verse 23 the Lord said ‘If anyone says to you “look! Here is the Messiah!” or “there he is!” – do not believe it.’ Such expectations are built upon similar delusions as to who is Jesus and denying what the bible reveals about Him. Chairman Abbas’ comments fall into that arena.

When you look at all the founders of religious belief and enterprises one thing stands out. You can take all but one of them out of their faith system and it would roll on as if nothing happened. However should it be possible to do that to the Judeo–Christian Faith and remove the Messiah Jesus everything falls apart. On top of that the Christian Faith actually becomes meaningless. The same applies to the person, work and promises of Jesus in the life of His followers. Why?

Because He is their Lord and Saviour! He is the Way the Truth and the Life. It is by Him and with Him that we enter into the Father’s kingdom. Without Jesus there isn’t any message of amazing Grace. There isn’t any foundation for sin’s penalty paid and forgiveness available. Without Jesus there is a desperate groping around to be good enough for a god you can never know. For where would you look and how would you know such a god if you found him or her, or it? Humanity, you and I, needed God to come seek us and present Himself with verifiable proof from a previous record able to be checked out. Such information must then be tested as to whether His life and history matched the prophesies. That is the purpose of the Old Testament and its history. It is the claim of Jesus in the Gospels to check Him out (John 5:39). It is the testimony of the New Testament writers to what they saw in this Jesus. It is the beauty of God’s amazing, transforming and sustaining Grace that Jesus fulfils all the requirements.

That is Jesus. He is from the tribe of Judah, a Jew, not a Palestinian.He is the Messiah! Jesus fulfilled scripture even to dying on the cross (check Psalm 22. Isaiah 53. Palm 110.) He is risen from the dead and is coming again. Don’t settle for counterfeits or the ‘cover boy’ of terrorists.

The Christmas Question

A Question from the Magi

There are many mysteries surrounding Christmas. Maybe none more so than the visit by the Magi from the East. The star has intrigued people for centuries with many a speculation. To me the issue most interesting is ‘how did the Magi know about a promised Messiah in Israel?’ Who were they and how did they know about the birth of Jesus, a name they would not have known. They did know the one born would be King of the Jews. It would have come about approximately five hundred previously. That was when the Southern Kingdom called Judah was carried off to Babylon. The Lord’s promise of judgement on disobedient Judah became the means for the Gentiles to know about the Messiah. Men of the calibre of Daniel and Ezekiel and their stories are in the bible. How they influenced such men as the Magi can only be speculated but it would have happened. The Babylonian interest in astronomy would be a real lever for Daniel to tell them about the coming King.

We call the Magi the ‘wise men’ and rightly so. However they needed someone to tell them “where is He who is born King of the Jews”. Notice, they didn’t say the baby was the heir to the throne. No! He was born King. Where was the answer found? In the Bible! For them the answer came from Micah 5:2. Christmas was not unexpected. It had been long planned. In fact from Genesis 3 in the promise to Eve and the warning to the Devil.

People who are wise still ask a similar question “where is He who was born King?” If they linger over the manger and imagine He is still a baby they’ll never meet Him. The quest for Him may begin at the manger but there is a trail leading from there to follow. We track Him down along the road marked out in the Gospels. As you read that map you find special places marked out where this Jesus met and fulfilled certain prophetic criteria. But He didn’t stay there. He had moved on to the tragedy of rejection, false accusations and finally a criminal’s death on a cross. The search of the Magi must seem to end there at Calvary. Over the head of this Jesus was a sign ‘Jesus King of the Jews’.

Now people search for His tomb. They would like to make it a sacred place, a pilgrimage centre. But He isn’t there. He has risen! It’s an empty space. Now this could create a problem for those who ask the Magi’s question, “Now where is He who was born King of the Jews”? Their answer came from scripture. So will the answer come to the wise from the scriptures who still seek to find Him. As you follow the trail set out in the bible you don’t end at a tomb. You climb the Mt. of Olives and read about His ascension to the Father’s realm. From there Jesus has promised to return to earth to complete the promises yet outstanding.

Does that mean you or I cannot find Him and know Him now? Of course not! The biblical information which motivated the Magi has been filled out in greater detail for us. Their knowledge and faith gave them motivation to find this Jesus. The same goes for us. Knowledge from the bible about the promised one and faith to believe what it says prepares a meeting ground. It has now become a heart and mind matter more than a seeing one. Romans 10:9-11 ‘If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”’

When that act of faith takes place you discover more to the answer the Magi were after. You find that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings who one day will rule over the Kingdom of God. Also you will find this Jesus to be your Saviour and companion along life’s way. How to you keep in touch with Him? Through the scriptures, learning to talk with Him and meeting with those of like heart and mind.