Mark 6:14-16 (NIV): King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”|
But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
Nobody denied the miracles that Jesus was doing. Everyone who hung around Him for any length of time could easily see the amazing things that He was doing, and that there was no trickery or deceit involved. These were powerful miracles; not just one or two that were passed along by word of mouth, but dozens, hundreds, done in broad daylight, with hundreds of witnesses.
Naturally the people tried to figure out a reasonable explanation for how Jesus could do all of these miracles. Many believed that Jesus was John the Baptist raised form the dead. Even though John never did any miracles (John 10:41), they figured that if he had been miraculously raised from the dead, miraculous powers flowing through him would be part of the package. (This was Herod’s reasoning, too, although he was driven to his conclusion more by guilt and dread than by logic!)
Others believed that Jesus was Elijah reincarnated. Elijah had done many amazing miracles, and was also prophesied to appear before the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6). This assumption was logical, but entirely off the mark. In fact it was John the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and who prepared the way for Jesus, the Messiah (cf. Matthew 17:10-13). Still others believed that Jesus was a new prophet like those who had done mighty miracles in Old Testament times.
But the simple truth was that all of those people were mere precursors to Who Jesus really was: God in the flesh, the Messiah whom God had foretold for centuries. More than John, who had come merely to prepare His way. More than Elijah, who, even though he proved himself mighty against the priests of Baal and Asherah, was still a mere man, subject to flaws and discouragement. And more than any prophet who had ever appeared. They spoke on God’s behalf, but Jesus was God in the flesh. He was the Messiah Himself, who had come to set all humanity free from the tyranny of sin and death.
Father, we still have many people with differing opinions about who Jesus was, and of the same kind that were circulating in His day. To many He was a good man, who serves as an example to us of how to live a good life. To others, he was a social reformer, who tried to get people to treat each other more kindly and fairly. To others, He was a great teacher with profound insights into spiritual matters. And to still others, He was a misunderstood religious reformer, who tried to get Judaism back on track. But just like in Jesus’ day, all of those fall far short of the truth. Jesus was and is God in the flesh, very God and very man (cf. John 1:1-3, 10:30-33, 14:8-9; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; 1 John 4:2-3). That testimony must be at the center of what we believe, or our beliefs are not in agreement with what You clearly reveal in Your word. Thank You for the truth of Your word that changes everything. Amen.