The Roles of Jesus

In the Beginning

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS for he shall save his people from their sins.—Matthew 1:21

Once again the season is approaching for observing the Memorial of Jesus’ death as a redemptive sacrifice for all mankind. This year the appropriate time is after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15.

While most notable men are commemorated on the days of their birth, the celebration that Jesus inaugurated “in remembrance of me” honors the time of his death. That death however was followed just three days later by his birth to a new nature, the divine nature, the same as that inhabited by his heavenly Father.

In this issue of The Herald we will take a look at the various roles Jesus played on his way to becoming a ransom for Adam and the entire race in his loins. The articles in this edition will examine him as the son of God, the suffering Messiah, the elder brother of his church, and the redeemer of mankind.

The verse-by-verse treatise focuses on one of the psalms which Jewish tradition links with the annual Passover celebration, and which may have formed a part of the hymn which the apostles sang after the Last Supper before departing for the lonely vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. This psalm is the 118th and is known as the last of the Great Hillel, or psalms of praise.

In addition to the articles that concentrate on the life and work of Christ, an extensive treatise on Building the Temple traces the houses of worship used by the Jewish nation from the days of the exodus from Egypt to the times of Jesus and the apostles.

Another dissertation deals with the world situation facing us today, especially after the fall of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Entitled A Crisis of Confidence, it deals with developments in the economic, political, and social segments of society and how these connect with Bible prophecy.

The editors of this journal place this material before our readers in the hope that it will not only awaken a fresh appreciation of the greatest life ever lived, but also alert us all to the signs around us that the long-promised kingdom of Christ is finally at the doors.