harwood@cvl.UUCP (David Harwood) (07/30/85)
Reply to a question:
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>From: martillo@mit-athena.UUCP (Yakim Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Why Jesus' genealogy is important
Message-ID: <295@mit-athena.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jul 85 18:22:56 GMT
If establishing Jesus' claim to the throne of David was important,
and if this claim was so important, why did Pilate, have rex
iudaeorum (Herod the Great's title in Latin) rather than rex israelis
(David's title in Latin) inscribed on the cross of execution (I may
have misunderstood the account and the actual inscription may have
been in Greek but the actual language is not important)?
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The real question is why did the author of John give this
account. But no one can certainly know whether there is any intended
significance in giving a title which is less provocative and political
than "King of Israel", the title of the expected successor of David.
Anyway, John does not emphasize the importance of Jesus being
the expected physical descendent of David; rather, he emphasizes the
pre-existent and spiritual nature of the Messiah, identifying him by
the pre-existent Glory which appeared to Abraham, Isaiah, and also David.
As it is said in the final discourse, "I have made your Name known to those
You have given me, therefore they are assured that I was sent by you."
(A similar revelation by God was made for Moses, so that the people would
know that he was indeed "sent" by God. That's what "apostle" means.) For
this reason it is said that Jesus has been "glorified" by God, "given
the highest Name in Heaven", which Name is pronounced by God alone.
In John, Jesus also said, "My kingdom is not of this world,"
which would dismiss the importance of being of lineage for political
leadership of Israel.
On the other hand, I recall that David himself was the descendent
of two good-hearted Gentile women. Nevertheless, David was favored by God
because he was "a man after My own heart," desiring to build a lasting
Temple among men.
This is what it means to be a Son of David. Jesus forsaw that
the earthly Second Temple would be destroyed, but he said that he would
build an everlasting Temple, by his eternal resurrection in the hearts
of mankind. Everyone, of the will of God, is a spiritual descendent of
David.
Therefore, it is the spiritual lineage and authority of Christ
which is important, more than his physical descent. The other is only
important to controversialists on either side, since the apostles, who
had despaired of Jesus upon his execution, could never contradict the
revelation of God by which Christ was known to be "glorified".
David Harwood