Matthew 22:41-42; “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.”

As we’re coming closer to Easter and Holy Week, I’ve been pondering on events in Jerusalem at this time 2,000 years ago. It’s easy to get caught up in my own traditions and lose sight of the long range ideals of the Lord, so to slow myself down I plop myself into 33 AD.

With that in mind, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the prophetic events of that first Easter, so over the next few weeks we’ll be exploring the significance of several events. We’ll see how they all pointed directly to their fulfillment in just one person, that being Christ Jesus our Lord. The goal is to find out what people at that time thought of Jesus. What were the concerns of different groups like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes? What about the average Jew living at the time?

Moreover, what about the Mormons of today? What do they think of Christ, and what are their thoughts on the events 2,000 years ago? So here we go!

A few days before our Lord would give His life as a ransom for ours, He took time to have a conversation with the Pharisees.

After answering numerous questions they threw His way, the Scribes allowed Him to ask a question, and His question was; ‘What Think Ye of Christ?’

This of course, was an easy answer for them seeing as how they were all students of the Law, and their answer was spot on when they replied ‘The Son of David’. This was part of their catechism, and the first scripture that probably came to mind was Psalm 110:1 which reads ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool’.

Their overall problem was their inability to accept the Godhead of the Messiah. They pictured a Messiah who would be a military hero, breaking the chains of Roman bondage. In their dogged determination to be free of their dictators, they became short-sighted, allowing immediate needs/wants to override the eternal. Matthew Henry phrased this scenario in eloquent terms when he said –

“Either it was their ignorance that they did not know, or their impiety that they would not own.”

Similarly, the Mormons have made the same mistake. In their quest for being the headliner of the next big thing in America, Joe Smith introduced his own version of a Messiah. Here’s a Mormon definition of Christ that strikes right at the foundation of whom they believe He is.

Bruce R. McConkie defined Christ as a person in need of salvation –

Mormon Doctrine, 257; “We ask, then, where is the prototype? or where is the saved being? We conclude, as to the answer of this question, there will be no dispute among those who believe the Bible, that it is Christ: all will agree in this, that he is the prototype or standard of salvation; or, in other words, that he is a saved being. And if we should continue our interrogation and ask how it is that he is saved, the answer would be — because he is a just and holy being; and if he were anything different from what he is, he would not be saved; for his salvation depends on his being precisely what he is and nothing else; for if it were possible for him to change, in the least degree, so sure he would fail of salvation and lose all his dominion, power, authority, and glory, which constitute salvation; for salvation consists in the glory, authority, majesty, power and dominion which Jehovah possesses and in nothing else; and no being can possess it but himself or one like him.” – Bruce R. McConkie  Also see Deseret News, April 11, 1857.

You see, Joe Smith allowed events taking place on the American landscape to overshadow the reality of what God had already revealed in His Son. Smith wouldn’t allow himself to think upon the miracles God had performed, and instead tried to pull off a bigger and better miracle than the Almighty Himself.

If Jesus was merely someone in need of salvation, it would mean He isn’t God. If He’s not God, then the door is open for others to come alongside and share the glory.

In the meantime, a false prophet stepped in (which Jesus would warn us would happen), proclaiming the most vile of things against our Lord.

The Mormon Jesus is Lucifer’s brother

The Mormon Jesus was crucified for polygamy

The Mormon Jesus was begotten through a sexual union between God and Mary

The Mormon Jesus didn’t create the earth

Those are but a few of the accusations thrown at the Jesus of the Bible. The question for today is this:

Whom do you think He is?