Friday, January 25, 2019

Something from ... Eusebius: On what it means that Jesus is the Christ

Jesus is the Christ.  He is anointed by the Spirit to serve as our prophet, high priest, and king.  He is the fulfillment of every prophet, high priest, and king.  The magnificence of Jesus as the Christ is highlighted by Eusebius (ca. 260 - ca. 340), who also notes that the effects of the Christ surpass any prophet, high priest, or king who has ever been.

From Eusebius:

Eusebius of Caesarea
"Proof of this is the fact that none of those symbolically anointed of old, whether priest, king, or prophet, ever obtained the sort of divine power our Savior and Lord, Jesus--the only real Christ--demonstrated.  None of them, however honored among their own people for so many generations, ever conferred the name Christian on their subjects from their symbolic title of Christ.  None was worshiped by his subjects or held in such esteem after his death as to be ready to die for the person honored.  None caused such a stir in all nations throughout the world, since the power of the symbol could not produce such an effect as the reality of our Savior.  He did not receive the symbols of high priesthood from anyone or trace his physical descent from priests.  Armed forces did not promote his rule, nor did he become a prophet like those of old.  Jews accorded him no rank or precedence whatever.  Yet he had been adorned with all these by the Father, not in symbols but in truth.  Although he did not obtain the honors cited, he is called Christ more than all of them, for he is himself the one true Christ of God who has filled the entire world with his Christians.  He no longer provides patterns or images for his followers but fully revealed truths, and he has received not material chrism but divine anointing by the Spirit of God through sharing in the unbegotten divinity of the Father." (pp 28-29, emphasis original, The Church History.  Eusebius.  Translated by Paul L. Maier.  Kregel Publications.  Grand Rapids, MI  (c) 2007)

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