Whose Son Is That?
He asked in awe and wonder… an Easter meditation
I was fascinated recently when I read:
“As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, ‘Abner, whose son is that young man?’ Abner replied, ‘As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.’” (1 Samuel 17:55 NIV)
My heart was captivated by the question, “Whose son is that…?”
I could imagine Saul, unable to take his eyes off the young man walking to meet Goliath. Some moments in life are defining, and this moment would be defining: not just for David; and not just for king Saul; but for all Israel. The stakes were high. If the giant Goliath defeated the young shepherd, then Israel would become the Philistines’ slaves. Surely every eye in the Israelite army was fixed on David, glued by a mixture of admiration, wonder, disbelief, hope and fear.
Goliath was approaching twice David’s height, had been trained to fight since his youth and he was armed with the very best in battlefield armour and technology of the day. David walked towards this mighty foe alone, armed with only: his shepherd’s staff; five smooth stones; and a sling… oh and by far the most important thing — an astounding confidence in God.
We know the outcome of this battle, but my mind was propelled forward a thousand years, to an even greater “David and Goliath battle” — to when Jesus of Nazareth faced the giant of sin and death. From a human point of view Jesus had no army to support him; all his followers deserted him; and in the end, even his God abandoned him.
Jesus was left to face the consequences of the sin of the whole world on his own, armed only with almighty love. He died utterly alone.
I wonder if, during those cosmos defining moments of that first Easter, anyone looked at Jesus in wonder and astonishment and asked, “Whose son is that?”
At least one man asked himself the question, and was convinced of the answer:
“And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39 NIV)
We know the outcome of this battle too: sin was defeated; death was defeated; the devil was defeated:
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14 NIV)
How astonishing, how brave, how wonderful, how mighty is the love of Jesus.
Whose son do you say he is? Does your heart fill with wonder, love and praise at the lengths his love went for you?
