Next to consider in the subject of "Did Humans Make Jesus Divine?" is whether the Old Testament scriptures present the Messiah as one who would be Divine? Or was the Messiah just going to be another human leader that would make Israel victorious? Have we misunderstood God altogether?
"Messiah," is a term found deep in the Old Testament, having the concept of an "anointed one." It was a term in Levitical days that was used as an adjective in referring to Priests (Lev.4:3,5; 4:16; 6:22), but was predominantly used in reference to the Kings (1Sam.24:6,10; 2 Sam.19:21; 23:1; Lam.4:20). However, it was in the time of the captivities, that Isaiah was the first of the prophets to refer to an extraordinary king of the future to come (Isa.8:8; 9:6; 53) an enigmatic one who would be sent from God, called by the designations of God, with the attributes of God and born of a young maiden or virgin. Isaiah adds that this enigmatic one would die in a shameful and pitied way. Similarly, his contemporaries Amos (Ams. 9:11) foretold of a time when the shattered fortunes of Judah would be restored by God, and Hosea (Hos.3:5) speaks of the reunion of the two kingdoms under David's line, adding yet another characteristic.
It was a foregone thing, that by the time of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, that the throne of David was seen as gone forever. Jeremiah, a child of the captivity then speaks longingly of a Messiah called the “righteous Branch” who is to be raised after the concept of David. This Messiah would be called “God (is) our righteousness,” that is, God as the one making righteous dwell in him (Jer.23:5; 30:9). His contemporary Ezekiel alluded to a future king as the coming one “whose right it is” (Ezk.21:27), and as God's “servant David”, a “prince” or “king” who would rule forever over a reunited people (Ezk.34:23 37:24). While the argument might be made that they are simply pining for a new human king to bring them out of their despair; it is difficult to avoid the language of Ezekiel makes that it is the ideal Messianic ruler who is here being spoken of. In Ezekiel's vision, the Prince plays a subordinate part, yet is connected to the complete ideal of God. Zechariah sees the Messiah, the futuristic King regarded as the sign of the coming Branch (Zech.3:8). Though unique to Zechariah, is Zech.9:9 where the Messiah comes not on a splendid charger like a warrior king, but upon the foal of an ass, righteous and victorious, yet lowly and peaceful, strong by the power of God to help and save.
So, did they make the Messiah divine? It is interesting how that even though different men, living at different times, their concepts and writings are similar. They describe not what a human would want, but what meets the ideal of God. Yet, notice again, it is not with the arrogance of a human king, a dominating rule, or vanquishing military leader that they say will describe the one who is the Messiah. He is lowly, despised of men, no one who you would look upon to be a leader. He is humble, He is going to die and yet, He will be victorious.
Does this make Him divine? Not per se'. Yet, to describe this Messiah as they did, they could not do so without appointing him the same designations that they would apply to God. the point that they make is that only God could fit this role.
So, the next question that we have to ask for the next article, is if man did not make the Messiah divine, who did? Is Jesus the Messiah and if so, did Jesus make any claim to being divine? And if He is divine, what makes Him so?
Jim
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