Are You the One who is to Come?

Michael F. Bird. Are You the One Who is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question. Baker Academic, 2009

This is the second volume of Michael Bird's that I have read and it does not disappoint. Bird shows his extensive theological background and writing as he delves into the question of what Jesus actually knew in terms of his own identity and vocation. In particular, Bird asks whether Jesus was aware he was the Messiah and whether there were definite claims made by him in regard to this title.

Bird's thesis points out that whether or not Jesus did self-disclose his role as Messiah, one cannot ignore how his actions [his vocation as Tom Wright references it] pointed toward his being associated with the Messianic identity that was anticipated by Jews in the 1st century. In his first chapter, Bird reviews all the Jewish related literature of the Old Testament and intertestamental period to show how the concept of Messiah was related to the office of Israel's king and to a developing "messianism" that evolved into an understanding of God communicating an eschatological hope to Israel identified in the roles of individuals proclaimed and identified, not so much in title but in vocation, as messiah figures who would lead Israel to its future eschatological hope of liberation and restoration of land.

Secondly, Bird reviews scholarship that debates whether Jesus actually identified himself as Messiah or referenced Messianic titles as explanation of his role and mission. Entering into the dialogue of references to the Q document, Bird does a through job of rebutting the notion that Jesus' refusal of the mention of him as Messiah and squashing any mention of this reference by his disciples and followers indicates his rejection of the title. He mentions that by necessity, given that leaders of the empire used the Christos reference and given the heightened tension of insurrectionists proclaiming to be Messiahs, Jesus asked his followers to keep his identity as Messiah under wraps lest they suffer the wrath of the Empire in shutting down what Jesus was doing. Bird also points out that if there was absolutely no Messianic claim to Jesus then why, after his crucifixion, do the disciples continue to refer to him as Messianic given the continuing danger of doing so unless he proclaimed to be Messiah and their understanding of his death and resurrection proved a redefinition of this title. No disciple would make up such a story and endure the persecution of identifying the risen Jesus with an empirical title of Christos.

Bird points out that, " Ultimately the Old Testament seems to have formed the interpretative grid through which the story of Jesus' passion was interpreted, rather than comprising the creative pool from which the story was created." [page 75] Along these lines, he also points out that if scholars feel that the disciples created the concept of Messiah as reference to Jesus then why don't they also apply the same logic to their having created the identity of Jesus outright?

In the following chapters, Bird builds the argument of Jesus himself redefining the role of Old Testament messianism but taking on the title of "Son of Man" from Daniel 7 and attaching it to the title of King of Israel and so intertwining the two and drawing on Isaianic references to the suffering servant as outlined in the Markan gospel to show that Jesus does draw on Old Testament references - particularly the Zechariah 9 passage, to model to the Jews his identity and purpose in terms of mission and vocation. The purpose here is to demonstrate that not all Christian construction of Christology is anachronistic or read back into the gospels. Bird mentions that:

Christians certainly did interpret Jesus' actions to suit their own theological and sociological interests. Even so, that interpretative act sometimes consisted of making explicit what was already implicit in the story line, and the triumphal entry is a good example of exactly that ... [page 124]

Nearing the end of the book, Bird proclaims strongly that in reviewing the gospels and the intertestamental period literature, there is strong evidence that, "...Jesus deliberate attempt to act out a messianic vocation is the smoking gun that explains the messianic testimony of the early church ..." [page 158]

Although very dense and requiring a very close reading and understanding of the extant material available, Bird's work is well worth the serious read of those who want to understand the theological and scholarly debate on the identity of Jesus and Jesus' own self-disclosure as messiah.

Introducing Paul

Michael F. Bird Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message Intervarsity Press, 2008

I've had the recent pleasure of a friend introducing me to the writings of Michael Bird. I am quite pleased at this very first book I've read by him on Paul. It is a great primer for students and a great refresher for seasoned ministry leaders. In this volume Bird is more concerned about the reader apprehending who Paul is and how he thinks, than the burden of proving his own academic ability to write on Paul.[By the way he shows plenty of foundation in terms of supportive material - some volumes he references I will follow up and read as well]

Bird begins the volume at the event of Paul's encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. He argues that this is the most pivotal moment in the life of Paul the man. It is here where his life is turned upside down and redefined in terms of his view of God, Israel, the world and people. Understanding what changes Paul then catapults the reader into the stories Paul lives out of that help him make sense of the overall story of God's mission of recovery and renewal. Bird gives a brief overview of the biblical stories that Paul lives out of that frame the way he views Jesus and his mission in driving the church forward to the future God has for it.

A quick overview of all Paul's letters are great vignettes of the main theme in each of them and give the reader a taste of each letter in anticipation of reading them again with the vignette in mind. Bird reminds the reader that reading Paul's letters is like reading someone Else's mail and the burden of the reader is to reconstruct the conversation that prompted the writing. Several times in the book, Bird makes reference to the fact that "Paul wrote the letters to people and for us." This principle gives the reader an understanding of the letters in a way that encourages primary attention to the original people that Paul wrote to and the understanding that in many ways Paul was also writing - in a second sense - to people at large and other generations in general.

Bird points out the counter-cultural message of the good news that Paul proclaims in a climate of Roman rule where the leaders of the empire used the same royal titles referenced by Jesus for themselves. The gospel Paul proclaimed carried with it a great deal of risk of which Paul himself suffered persecution in light of it. He reminds the reader that the faith of the early church was expressed as a counter-cultural view that set them at odds with those in the empire. Along these lines, Bird also points out the breakdown of sexuality and sexual relationships charactistic of the 1st century and how Paul addresses this head on pointing a counter-cultural view of sexuality set within its biblical context of marriage as opposed to the promiscuity encouraged both culturally and through pagan religious practice.

What kept the early believers assured of the future was the message of the return of Jesus to inaugurate the Kingdom of God which was already in their hearts and was coming to physical fulfillment in the future. It is in this climate that Paul starts churches and nurtures believers in their faith. Bird points out the strong ethical side to Paul's letters encourage believers to walk in faith honouring people and reaching out with God's love as servants of others. Believers were encouraged by Paul to orient themselves to the coming Kingdom. To those who were self-serving in sharing the good news, Paul has harsh words of judgment and a reminder to live a life worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ.

There is, although, a twofold disappointment in the book. One is Bird's strong affirmation of the crux of the gospel based on Paul's dictum of "justification by faith." I do not share this with Bird, as much as I appreciate the majority of what he says. I see a very strong reformed tradition in his approach to verifying the centre of the gospel proclaimed by Paul. Using the book of Romans as his reference point, Bird continues to establish the strong reformed belief in Paul's view of justification by faith and the penal substitutionary theory of the atonement as the key to explaining Paul's view of the gospel.

The other is virtually no references to Ephesians except to say the regular references so often made to Ephesians chapter 4 on the demeanor and identity of the Christian community. Unlike Bird, I do believe Ephesians to be the key to Paul's thinking. Rather than justification by faith as the chief focus, [of which I clearly believe is only one of the aspects of Paul's explanation of the gospel - only one of many analogies and expressions] in Ephesians, Paul identifies 'adoption' as the primary analogy explaining God's cosmic plan of rescue for the world and the human race. In a letter where Paul shares his big picture view of God's plan for the world, what Paul mentions in the first two chapters and then elaborates on in the remaining four is tantamount to his view of what God is up to in our world. I have to appreciate this approach, although new, as much more in keeping with recognizing the nature of the letters that Paul wrote [not that Luther and others of the reformed period read] that give us insight into Paul and his thinking. If I were to re-write Bird's chapter on "The Crux of the Gospel" I would start with adoption and then follow with righteousness. This better explains the rationale to God's righteousness and the reason why Jesus goes to the cross and gives his life 'as a ransom for many.' [Bird does a great job in denoting the weight of the term "righteousness" in Paul's letters] I know I may be "splitting hairs" but I believe that for Paul the passion of God's heart is to bring us back into communion and relationship with Him and this is what drives Him to go to the lengths of giving His Son. The act of sacrifice which accomplishes justification is driven by God's deep desire to "adopt" us. In keeping with the great picture Paul paints in Ephesians chapter 1, Paul describes adoption as what determined well before the foundation of the earth was formed, choosing us in Christ to be holy and blameless.

I do appreciate the fact that Bird does emphasize how Paul delineates the scope of Jesus work for humanity and creation by emphasizing the greater impact of the resurrection on humanity and the world. He rightly criticizes the evangelical focus on resurrection as simply proof of Jesus' divinity and proof of the efficacy of the cross to us. Rather, in the resurrection is bound up all creation which is renewed in Christ and set on a course of complete renewal in the future.

Above all, I am seriously contemplating having my 2ND year students read this book as part of their assignment in the course as it is a great introduction to Paul and to his thinking as well as a great primer to Paul's letters and the insight Paul gives to faith in light of his relationship with 1st century believers.