Jesus as Messiah Advertisement

The Times carried an advertisement (Dec. 11) placed by “Jews for Jesus” to which Lawrence G. Corey took exception in a letter (Dec. 23). My letter is neither a defense nor a criticism of that advertisement or of those who placed it. It is only intended to correct Corey’s remark that Jesus “never claimed to be our God” and that his statement, “I and the Father are One,” is simply “an expression of Devekut, or mystical ‘cleaving’ to the Godhead.”

In Mark 14:61-62, the High Priest asks Jesus, who is on trial before him: “Are you the Christ” (i.e., the Messiah) “the Son of the Blessed One?” (According to a note in the Jerusalem Bible, which I am quoting, “The Blessed One” was a term for Yahweh, which was considered too sacred to pronounce.) Jesus answered: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power” (another name for Yahweh) “and coming in the clouds of heaven.” The High Priest then exclaimed to his fellow judges: “You have heard the blasphemy. What is your finding? And they all gave the verdict: he deserved to die.” Clearly, “Son of the Blessed One”--that is, God--is not considered here as simply “an expression of Devekut.”

Other New Testament passages could also be interpreted as expressing the claims of Jesus to Divinity in the strict sense--e.g., John 8:58 and 11:25--as well as his subordination to God as a human being. Thus John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I.” However, I trust that the quoted passage from Mark will suffice to correct Corey’s misstatement.

FELIX DOHERTY

Bellflower