The Blindness of Twenty-twenty Hindsight

[Mark]

One of the crazy things about modern theological exegesis is that we know what we are talking about… from our perspective. We have a clear understanding of what our Scriptures say, defining our terminology with specific accuracy, and thereon building the fundamentals of our religious perspective.

If I stand in front of a Church congregation and I begin to talk about "the Light of the World", the audience knows exactly about whom I am speaking. I’m talking about Jesus, the Messiah. If I refer to "the Son of Man", we understand this too as a common idiom that our Messiah often used as a reference toward Himself. The same goes with "the Son of God."

When we look into the Gospel accounts and the record of Messiah’s teachings, it seems odd that He would use such terminology to describe Himself. If He’s simply referring to Himself, why didn’t He just say "Me"?

What we find is that these (and many other) terms in the Greek text, already were known terms that the original audience would understand and reference in a way that we have completely lost, simply identifying these terms as representing Christ.

If I asked a First Century Jew about his "Light of the World", he would understand me to be talking about his Hanuukah menorah. "The Light of the Word" represents Adonai’s commitment to His peculiar people and the rededicating themselves to Him after enduring (or often submitting) under harsh adversity.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 KJV)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
(John 8:12 KJV)

If I stood before a First Century congregation and began to talk about the "Son of Man", they would understand me to be talking about two men of the Old Testament: Daniel and Ezekiel, who also bore this title. Particularly, the term is "ben aw-dahm" describing the one who was formed out of the clay (Adam). The reference describes one who has been fashioned by the Hand of Adonai to serve as a beacon to draw men to Himself.

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
(Matthew 18:11 KJV)

The Hebrew word (or idea of) "ben" (son) is often grossly misunderstood, particularly in circles that deny Messiah as being God. "He can’t be God if He is His Son!" I’ve heard more times than I can count. When my sons approached the bema (Synagogue podium) for the first time at their Bar Mitzvah, they were each given a new name. That name was "Ben " or "Son of the Scriptures". The idea is that from this day forward, their life is patterned in obedience to learn from the Scriptures as their guide, just as a father’s necessary obligation is to "train them up in the way that they are to go". From the day of Bar Mitzvah, these young men are committing themselves to as, to this point, they had committed themselves under the authority of their father.

When Messiah refers to Himself as the "Son of God" it is in this context. Culturally speaking, the term was an idiomatic reference to the Messiah, who would restore the broken relationship with God.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
(John 9:35-37 KJV)

We sell ourselves short, having bought the package of Holy Writ without ever taking the time to unwrap it. We understand the words of the Bible without truly understanding the meaning of what the Author teaching. We have blinded ourselves to learning simply because we have been taught that we already know.

So often we fail to see what is provided before us simply because we are not looking for it. We have our understanding and we are comfortable with what we have learned. Literally, we have become wise in our own conceits. Could it be that we are starving our relationship with Messiah, thinking that we are filling ourselves? Could it be that we are lost on the path to righteousness, thinking that we are leading the way? Could it be that we still need to come to Him as a little child?

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
Oh my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD;
teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou [art] the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they [have been] ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
Good and upright [is] the LORD:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.
(Psalms 25:1-9 KJV)