Noah the Jewish Fly, Chapter 6

  As I winged my way back into the Upper Room a more complete picture of Jesus was starting to come together in my mind.  One big piece was missing but I felt the total picture was almost in my grasp. The hours that I and Al bar Levi had spent poring over the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Messiah had borne fruit in abundance in my consciousness and spirit.
  Bar Levi used the rabbi's usual teaching method of  answering a question with a question.  I confess I found it exasperating at times but also it made me think more deeply than I might have otherwise.  He didn't leave me foundering when I had exhausted all my mental and spiritual resources.  Instead, he would carefully, almost imperceptibly, nudge me in the right direction.  Still, still, I had a few concerns that lingered until Jesus had me return to bar Levi.
  As bar Levi and I studied the scriptures I wondered: Was Isaiah's description of the Suffering Servant intended to be a  portrayal of Messiah?  If so, it didn't line up at all with the traditional view of Messiah in the mold of David; a Warrior-King who would rid Israel of all its oppressors, rebuild the Temple and restore the nation to its former glory. For a while the two options bounced around in my head like pinballs.(*)  Even though the latter view was certainly the most appealing I ultimately realized that its appeal was to the flesh; not the spirit.  It was much later that I understood how accurate Isaiah's vision and prophecy proved to be.  Also later, my eyes were opened to the realization that Jesus WAS before the earth was formed and in Genesis, God had set in motion His plan of salvation.
  At the feast of the Passover, Jesus said the bread and wine represented his body and his blood which would be 'shed for many.'  Who are 'the many?'  Are they the righteous?  Back to Isaiah; "And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."  The 'many' are all of us; everybody; no exceptions both now and in the future. The way I understood it, Jesus was going to allow himself to be sacrificed for the sins of everyone in  the whole world. The logical question that follows is this: How can the death of one man, no matter how devoted to God; no matter how willing; how can that sacrifice possibly be sufficient to erase all sin in another person's life?
  That question was burning in my mind when I flew into the Upper Room where Jesus was sitting alone.  He extended his hand and I lined up on it for my landing approach.  The instant I touched down on his palm I heard a Voice in my spirit; a majestic, quiet Voice, yet as forceful and awesome as stars colliding or mountains crumbling.  I was so startled by the sound and substance of the message the Voice delivered, my landing gear collapsed.  I did three forward rolls and ended on my back inside the sleeve of Jesus' robe.
  "That was quite an entrance, Brother Noah," Jesus said.
  I crawled out of his sleeve and onto Jesus' hand. "Master, I know who you are,"  I said, head bowed and with all the reverence within me.
  "Really?  Who am I?"
  "You are the Christ; the Son of the Living God."
  "You're blessed, Noah.  You didn't pick this up on the street and you didn't reason it out.  No mortal revealed it to you.  It came to you directly from my Father who is in heaven.  Simon bar Jonah has already been been blessed the same way.  One day there will be thousands of thousands who will have made the same confession."

(*) Editor's note:  Pinballs were not invented for another 1900 years.  Please forgive error by elderly author.