Questions and Answers
QUESTION:
“Jewish people do not believe that the Messiah will be God. Why do you?”
ANSWER:
Because most Jewish people do not understand God’s true nature as revealed to us in the Tenach, the Older Testament. They fail to realize that God does have a Son.
Proverbs 30:4 asks this question: 4Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know!
And Proverbs 2:7, 12 describes the need for man to submit to God’s Son. 7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 12To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; NASB
The Tenach (the Older Testament) also teaches that the Messiah would be both God and man, assuming you believe that God is all powerful, He would certainly be able to do this.
In Isaiah 9:6-7, He is identified as the “Son of David.” 6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. NASB (Emphasis mine)
I personally find it more then interesting that the “son who will be given to us,” will also be known as “Mighty God!” He is identified as the “Son of David,” but at the same time the titles, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” “Prince of Peace, but these titles which belong to Him, can only be given to God Himself.
Isaiah 7:14 says this: 14“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us).” NASB (Emphasis mine)
“Immanuel” means “God with us.”
In Jeremiah 23:5-6 we’re taught this: 5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. 6“In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’
The descendant of David who will reign in complete peace is given the name which belongs only to God, “Adonai Tzidkenu,” the Lord our righteousness
David himself, in Psalm 110:1 is described as hearing a conversation spoken by the Eternal God to David’s Lord – God’s Son, the Messiah.
1The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” NASB
Only a perfect being could provide an all proper atonement. The only perfect being is God. If God can do all things, He could definitely send His Son to earth, to be born as a man, to die and be resurrected.