Ecco Homo
“Behold the man”
(John 19:5)
Jesus, Lord
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Jesus asked His Apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15). The question lies at the heart of His entire purpose. Today, Muslims say he is a prophet; Mormons, believe he was conceived by the Father (with a heavenly wife) as a lesser god and to whom no one should pray; Jehovah Witnesses believe he is Michael the Archangel; others say he is a mere historical figure while others, a myth. The answer to this question is no small thing. Because Jesus and Scripture say something entirely different, if not outrageous: that He is God.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
Apologist Isaiah Bennett notes that the Greek proskunéo refers to adoration or worship and is used in reference to God the Father throughout the Bible.[1]cf. catholic.com But it is also used in reference to His Son, Jesus. Now, to worship anyone other than God is idolatry, a breach of the first commandment.[2]Exodus 20:3 Yet we read in Matthew what happens when the shepherds encounter the newly born Jesus:
Going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. (Matthew 2:11)
Neither Mary nor Joseph stops them from what would be scandalous idolatry because they knew that He was the “Son of the Most High,” as the angel Gabriel told her.[3]Luke 1:32 And the Jewish people believed this title was equivalent to being God.
This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the sabbath but also called God His own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18)
Gabriel also said that Mary was to name Him Jesus “because He will save people from their sins.”[4]Matt 2;21 Indeed, later on, Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic — and the scribes freaked out:
Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins? (Mark 2:7)
So, to prove that He was God, Jesus also healed the paralytic.
In fact, even before Jesus was born, when Mary went to visit Elizabeth, her cousin exclaimed:
How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43)
The title “Lord”, though it can be used as a title of honor to someone in authority was also used by God in the Old Testament when identifying Himself to Moses:
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity.” (Exodus 34:6)
When Jesus healed a blind man, He asked him if believed “in the Son of Man,” to which he replied:
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38)
Again, were Jesus only a prophet, archangel, or mere religious leader, He would have corrected this idolatrous behavior on the spot. This is actually what happened when St. John, overcome by his heavenly visions, fell at the feet of the angel to worship him. And immediately the angel said:
Don’t! I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers who bear witness to Jesus. Worship God. (Revelation 19:10)
And that’s what the blind man did after he was healed. Jesus then turns to the Pharisees and says they are blind for not recognizing Him too. Again, that’s why they wanted to crucify Him — precisely because Jesus claimed to be God.
We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God. (John 10:33)
Knowing they wanted to kill Him for this alleged blasphemy, Jesus only doubles-down as He applies to Himself the revered Old Testament name Yahweh, which means “I AM”:
God replied to Moses: “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14)
Jesus warned the Pharisees: “If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”[5]John 8:24 And again, “’before Abraham came to be, I AM.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him…”[6]John 8:58-59 Finally, when Jesus used this title in Gethsemane, the impact was unmistakable:
When He said to them, “I AM,” they turned away and fell to the ground. (John 18:6)
On the other hand, when doubting Thomas placed his fingers into the wounds of Jesus after His Resurrection, he didn’t turn away but exclaimed:
“My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:28-29)
You and I are those who have not seen Jesus. But who do you say that He is? St. Paul clearly identified Him as God, making a point of differentiating Him from the angels:
Of the angels he says: “He makes his angels winds and his ministers a fiery flame”; but of the Son: “Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever; and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:7-8)
Jesus often spoke of His Kingdom,[7]cf. Luke 22:28-20 which He simultaneously calls His “Father’s Kingdom.”[8]cf. Matt 26:29 And that’s no surprise since the Jews wanted to stone Him when he also said, “The Father and I are one.”[9]John 10:30 And thus of this coming Kingdom, St. Paul says we are…
…awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
While there are many more Scriptures one could cite, it would not be fitting to end here without quoting the introduction to St. John’s Gospel where he speaks of Jesus whom He calls the “Word made flesh”:[10]cf. John 1:14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
The Blessed
Why is this important, or rather, why in the words of Jesus would those who believe in Him be “blessed”? Will believing in other religious figures such as Mohammad, Buddha, or the Dali Lama make you blessed? In the Old Testament, the Israelites expected that God Himself would come as a Messiah to liberate them:
Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall see, and the ears of the deaf be opened… (Isaiah 35:4-5)
When Jesus read from the scrolls in the synagogue near the beginning of His earthly ministry, He echoed these words ascribing them to himself:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1–2)
In other words, to be blessed from God’s perspective is to be liberated… I’ll continue in Day 3.
So grateful for your prayers and support.
Thank you!
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