“On Knowing The Messiah!”

“On Knowing The Messiah!”(Lk.9:18-22).
According to Jesus’ disciples, none of the people knew Jesus’ real identity. He was something other than the Messiah. The public often hold tightly on the wrong version they have of a person. It is often difficult to correct that wrong version.
It is said, “Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Close friends surely know you better than other people, but this is not always the case. The eleven were with Judas Iscariot long enough, but they did not know him. They did not know what he was capable of doing.
However, the Twelve were long enough with Jesus and knew his true identity – maybe not fully. They knew the version of the identity they had created of him. He was God’s Messiah, as Peter said. But as we already know, their understanding of the Messiah was a political king of Israel who would free them from foreign domination.
It was enough for Jesus that they knew he was the Messiah. He “strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.” The reason is simple: Those who come with “The Full Gospel” make themselves enemies of the propagators of “The Food Gospel!” The full gospel calls people to repentance as it exposes the bitter truth of human evil. In the midst of chaos, the food gospel promises peace without a blueprint on how to achieve the peace. The food gospel placates and cajoles the food providers with sugarcoated messages that compromises the truth.
Jesus did not want his Messianic identity to be disclosed earlier, for that would have cut short his earthly itinerary.
Jesus went ahead to tell the disciples the route of his Messiahship: He “must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
The route of the Messiah is torturous and perilous; yet it is the route of victory and the assurance of salvation!
My friend, as we continue the journey of Lent, let us seek the Holy Spirit to help us to know Christ more and more and the power of his resurrection. If the risen Lord returns today, who would you say he is?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, reveal the identity of Christ to us, help us to believe in him, and live what we believe. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you !
Rev Babila Fochang.
04/03/2026.