Was
Jesus born the Christ?
|

|
Our
discussion this week will take the form of a simulated
conversation between a Jehovah's Witness named Joe and a
Christian named Chris.
Chris:
Joe, I understand that the Watchtower does not believe
that the baby Jesus who was born in a manger was the Christ.
Is that true?
Joe:
Jesus was not born the Christ but became the Christ at
his baptism at about 30 years of age.
Chris:
I understand now why the Watchtower doesn't want to
celebrate the birth of Christ. They can't celebrate the
birth of Christ when they say Christ was never born. What
scripture does the Watchtower use to justify their position
that Jesus was not born the Christ?
Joe:
The Christ means anointed one. Since Jesus was anointed
by holy spirit according to Luke 4:18 this anointing means
that Jesus became the Christ at baptism.
Chris:
Can you explain then, Joe, why the angels said to the
shepherds "For there is born to you this day in the
city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." If the
angels said that the Christ was born that day why does the
Watchtower say that Jesus wasn't born the Christ?
Joe:
What the angels meant was that Jesus was born to
become the Christ at a future date.
Chris:
The Watchtower would have to change the Greek tense in
order to make the angel's statement into a future tense. The
word "is" in the Greek is in the present indicative. If the
Watchtower says that the wording could mean a future event
then one could also interpret John's statement of faith in
John 20:31 "these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ" could really mean "these are written
that you may believe that Jesus is to become the Christ" and
the Father speaking in Matthew 3:17 at Jesus' baptism saying
"This is My beloved Son" could mean instead "This is to
become My beloved Son" for the same Greek word is used in
all of these passages.
Joe:
But the Father didn't say that Jesus was to become his
Son at a future date. He became God's son when he was being
baptized.
Chris:
That contradicts scripture, Joe. If Jesus became the son
of God and he also became the Christ at his baptism then
Simeon could not have had his prayer granted in Luke 2 that
he would not die until he sees the Lord's Christ. Simeon
said that his prayer was answered when he saw the baby
Jesus. Also Joe what about the prophecies of Christ's
baptism?
Joe:
What prophecies do you mean?
Chris:
That's my point. There are no old testament
prophecies about the Christ coming at baptism. All the
prophecies concerning the Christ's coming are for his birth.
Matthew 2:4-6 says "And when he had gathered all the chief
priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of
them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him,
"In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the
prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are
not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you
shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'" The
sign to Israel was the birth of a baby not the baptism of a
man.
Joe:
But don't you think the baptism of Jesus was
important?
Chris:
Yes it was important for Jesus to be obedient, but his
baptism is not what made him the Christ. You know, Joe,
there are consequences if one denies that Jesus was born the
Christ.
Joe:
What consequences are you talking about?
Chris:
1 John 4:1-3 gives a warning "Beloved, do not believe
every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God;
because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By
this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every
spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the
Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now
already in the world." Do you believe that the Christ came
in the flesh as a human? Or do you believe what the
Watchtower says that the Christ is only a title that Jesus
took on at baptism?
|