There is perhaps no more significant study in Christendom than the study of Jesus Christ. Without the humanity and deity of Christ, there no longer remains a fruitful approach to the Christian lifestyle. We have to come to terms with Jesus being the King of kings in addition to our propitiation. As God, He demands our obedience to live as His people (Ex. 19:5). As man, He seeks to develop a deep and eternal relationship, one that could be described as a brotherhood (Heb. 2:11).
The figure of Jesus plays a significant role in how one goes about interpreting the Old and New Testament and how they live it out. It’s one thing to read scripture, but it’s another thing to live it out. A diligent student must incorporate Christology into their pursuit, for it is at the Messiah where the Old and New Testaments meet. One of the first and primary importance of Jesus Christ, is His ability to bridge both testaments found among the 66 books and letters that make up the canon of scripture. Jesus and His salvation is the big picture of holy scripture.
The gospels play a significant role as being handwritten testimonies to the life of Jesus. It is through these writings that we glean a picture of Jesus. The gospel according to John is a powerful one for it speaks to various audiences. It reaches the depth of Greek philosophy while maintaining the doctrine of Jewish theology. Both of these cultures would have been particularly prevalent in the First Century. When the Word of God became flesh, it raised questions for many witnesses in the first century. The Greek word, logos was a term that would have been very familiar to the gentile people as well as maintaining significance for the Jewish people. Gary Anderson in his book, Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament points out that there is an unavoidable connection to the Word becoming flesh and the old dwelling place of God in the tabernacle and temple (Anderson, 101). For the first time since the creation, God was dwelling with His people in a physical form rather than by way of cloud or smoke. God was walking among man.
Prior to the First Century, the Jewish people were searching for the Messiah ever since the promise was given to King David (2 Sam. 7:11-13; Luke 1:32). The prophets and priests had all been looking forward to one figure to come and rule the nations. After the prophet Malachi, there was a period of absence from prophets and voices of God lasting some 400 years. This moment of silence was a time period for mankind to hold fast to God’s teachings in the past. It was a time of great anticipation as the Messiah made His entrance into the world as human flesh. You could imagine the excitement, and curiosity at the arrival of Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary, and Son of God.
Jesus’ role as the Messiah is absolutely pertinent and necessary for the study of theology. No other contender has more gravity for man’s eternal abode than the Christ. In order to better understand God, one must understand and read of God’s Son through avenues such as the gospel accounts. We then take on the responsibility of letting the world read of Jesus through our life and our actions. You and I owe it to our God to walk in footsteps of Christ and display mercy and love to all we come in contact with. It is through such actions that we experience the discipleship and practice of Christianity. This is the comprehension of Christ in regard to Christianity.
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