Jesus' Identity Revealed through Suffering and Death
The identity of Jesus as the Christ, or Messiah, is profoundly revealed through his suffering, death, and resurrection, a theme consistently presented in the New Testament [1, 7, 8]. The name "Jesus" itself signifies "savior," while "Christ" means "anointed," indicating his roles as both priest and king [4].
Jesus's suffering and death were not accidental but were understood as a necessary part of God's sovereign purpose for the Messiah [1, 7]. The Apostle Paul, for instance, "explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead" [1]. This understanding challenged common expectations of the Messiah, as Jesus began to reveal to his disciples that he "must suffer before entering his glory" [7]. This revelation came after Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah, marking a turning point where Jesus clarified that his messianic identity would involve suffering and death [8].
The crucifixion of Jesus is central to this revelation. Peter explicitly declared that God raised "Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified," from the dead [3]. This act of crucifixion, followed by resurrection, confirmed his identity. The Apostle John emphasizes that Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son "by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross" [6]. This statement directly counters early heresies, such as Cerinthus's teaching that "the Christ" spirit left Jesus before his death, by affirming that Jesus's baptism and death together confirmed his identity as the Christ, the Son of God [6].
The resurrection is a cardinal fact and doctrine of the gospel, without which Christian faith is considered vain [5]. The New Testament revelation rests on the resurrection as an historical fact, with Jesus himself intimating his resurrection in his discourses [5]. After his resurrection, Jesus was "revealed to his disciples" on multiple occasions [2]. The suffering and death, therefore, were not merely events in Jesus's life but were integral to the divine plan for revealing his true identity as the Christ who saves humanity [1, 4, 7].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 17:3 (BSB) — explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared.”
- John “This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead. -- John 21:14”
- King James Version “[KJV] Acts 4:10 — Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jesus Christ — "The life and character of Jesus Christ," says Dr. Schaff, "is the holy of holies in the history of the world." + NAME.--The name Jesus signifies saviour . It is the Greek form of [713]Jehoshua (Joshua). The name Christ signifies anointed. Jesus was both priest and king. Among the Jews priests were anointed, as their inauguration to their office. (1 Chronicles 16:22) In the New Testament the name Christ is used as equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah (anointed), (John 1:41) the name given to the long-promised Prophet and King whom the Jews had been taught b”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Resurrection of Christ — One of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the gospel. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain (1 Cor. 15:14). The whole of the New Testament revelation rests on this as an historical fact. On the day of Pentecost Peter argued the necessity of Christ's resurrection from the prediction in Ps. 16 (Acts 2:24-28). In his own discourses, also, our Lord clearly intimates his resurrection (Matt. 20:19; Mark 9:9; 14:28; Luke 18:33; John 2:19-22). The evangelists give circumstantial accounts of the facts connected with that event, and the apostles, ”
- 1 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 John 5:6: 5:6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross (literally This is he who came by water and blood): John’s contemporary, the heretic Cerinthus, taught that “the Christ” descended as a spirit on the man Jesus when he was baptized but left him before he died. The truth is that Jesus’ baptism and death confirmed his identity as the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth was and is truly the Christ, the Son of God, from the beginning and forever.”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 16:21: 16:21-28 Jesus, now officially recognized by his disciples as the Messiah, begins to reveal a startling aspect of his mission: He must suffer before entering his glory (16:21-23), and those who follow him will meet a similar fate (16:24-28). 16:21 This is the first of three predictions of Jesus’ passion—his suffering through betrayal, crucifixion, and death (see also 17:22-23; 20:18-19). Each prediction gives a lesson on the cost of discipleship (16:24-27; 20:20-28). • That he would suffer was God’s sovereign and necessary purpose for the Messiah (see 17:12).”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 9:18: 9:18-27 Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah marked a turning point, as Jesus moved from demonstrating his messianic authority through miracles to explaining the unexpected suffering of the Messiah. Jesus accepted the confession but clarified that his being the Messiah would involve suffering and death. He called his disciples to follow him regardless of the cost.”