The Promised Messiah
Notes
Transcript
Prayer
Prayer
Let’s pray.
Preamble
Preamble
When considering what to bring out of the Christmas story I had one word that kept coming back to me again and again.
I had no idea how I would deal with it, but of all the words I could have chosen to focus on, this seemed the most important and is at the very heart of what Christmas is all about:
Messiah
So what I want to set out for you today are the prophecies surrounding the birth and mission of Christ - The Promised Messiah - and my prayer is that you’ll be moved by the Holy Spirit to marvel at God’s plan for his people.
Let’s begin with two questions:
What do we mean by the word Messiah?
What was Jesus “The Messiah” sent to do?
Easton’s Bible Dictionary (Messiah)
MESSIAH—(Heb. mashiach), in all the thirty-nine instances of its occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the Septuagint (The Greek OT) as “Christos.” It means anointed.
Thus priests, prophets and kings were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices.
The great Messiah is anointed “above his fellows”, he embraces in himself all three offices of Prophet, Priest and King.
So the Hebrew “Messiah” becomes the Greek “Christos” which we translate into English as “Christ.” The words Messiah and Christ are therefore interchangeable.
So Jesus is destined to become, as is rapped up in the meaning of this word Messiah, the overall Prophet, Priest and King of the Israelite nation.
So what did the prophets have to say about Jesus?:
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
The announcement of a Messiah comes in the context of a discussion between King Ahaz and Isaiah a prophet of Judah, thought to have taken place around 734BC.
The announcement is given in Isaiah 7:14 and repeated in Matthew 1:23 as we’ll read later.
God offers a choice of any sign Ahaz would like as proof that the things Ahaz feared would not come to pass. But Ahaz says, and I’m paraphrasing here, No thank you!
By this point in the conversation between Ahaz and Isaiah, God wasn’t very pleased with Ahaz, so through Isaiah God says: I’ll give you a sign anyway and so we have Isaiah 7:14:
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
So you’re probably thinking
Okay, the virgin birth of Immanuel (God with us) was foretold by Isaiah the prophet around 734 years before the Messiah’s birth actually took place. Pause for a moment and let that sink in.
Wow, he must be important!
It gets better:
Hosea a prophet of Isreal who was active between 755 - 722BC
1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
and then Micah, another prophet of Judah who was active between 742 - 710BC
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
So, not one prophet but three prophesied about the coming of Christ:
One prophesied that he would be from the line of Jacob (Isreal) - If you go look at the first few verses of Matthew 1 you’ll find Joseph’s family tree that traces his line all the way back to Abraham - it includes Jacob whose sons and grandsons became the heads of the twelve tribes of Isreal - and one of those tribes was Judah.
Another prophesied that Jesus would be born to a virgin and he would be called Immanuel, which means God with us.
Another prophesied that his birth would take place in Bethlehem, from the house of Judah and that he would become ruler of Isreal.
If all of these prophecies were happening in our hearing, do you think we’d put two and two together? we all know that 2 & 2 equals twenty two don’t we. It’s not four at all.
So, as I said earlier, Jesus is destined to become the overall Prophet, Priest and King of the Israelite nation.
Imagine Moses (Prophet), Aaron (Priest) and David (King) all wrapped up into one person “The Messiah.” Wow what a man, what a superhero!!!
The Israelites believed they were going to witness the rise of such a man who was not only a prophet and a priest but also a king like King David, who was going to lead them to victory over all of their enemies. After all, that’s what superheros do isn’t it? How deceived they were and that by their own expectations. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
So what reasons did the Jews have to think that the Messiah would come as such an all-conquering hero?
Let’s see shall we?
Jesus’ Mission Foretold
Jesus’ Mission Foretold
We begin in Isaiah who was active as a prophet in Judah between 740 - 710BC.
We’re going to look at the prophesies confirming that Jesus’ mission was:
Foretold from the beginning of time;
To rule and establish the Kingdom of God;
To establish Justice and Peace;
To help and heal the poor;
To take the message of salvation to all nations;
To be fulfilled in poverty and humility;
To suffer and die.
Called to his mission from the beginning of time:
Isaiah 49:1 says:
1 Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
His mission to rule and establish the kingdom of God:
Isaiah 9:6-7 says:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
His mission to establish justice and peace:
Isaiah 11:4-5 says:
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
His mission to help and heal the poor:
Isaiah 61:1-3 says:
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
His mission was for all nations:
Isaiah 49:6 says:
6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
His mission was fulfilled in humility and poverty:
For this we move to Zechariah who was active as a prophet of Judah around 520BC: Zechariah 9:9 says:
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
His mission to suffer and die:
Isaiah 53:3-10 says:
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Such a rich history of prophetic utterances about Jesus the King of the Jews and the Saviour of the World.
His Birth
His Birth
So around five hundred and twenty years later we come to the new testament record of his actual birth and God sends Angels to tell Mary and Joseph what’s going to happen:
The birth of Christ appears in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. In Matthew the story begins from Joseph’s perspective and in Luke, it begins from Mary’s perspective.
So in Matthew 1:18-25 we read of Joseph’s experience:
Matthew 1:18–19 (ESV)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Matthew 1:20–21 (ESV)
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:22–23 (ESV)
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:24–25 (ESV)
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Now we move into Luke’s gospel and in Luke 1:26-38 we read of Mary’s experience:
Luke 1:26–27 (ESV)
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
Luke 1:28–29 (ESV)
28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
Luke 1:30–31 (ESV)
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
So to Joseph the Angel said:
You shall call his name Jesus.
He will save his people from their sins.
They shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
And to Mary Gabriel said:
You shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great.
He will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
Of his kingdom there will be no end.
The child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
What was the response of Mary and Joseph?
Mary accepted as fact what the Angels had said to her and Joseph went a did what the Angel had told him as though God himself had spoken to them.
So, through all of this prophecy and the messages of Angels we see that Jesus didn’t come as some conquering hero in the likeness of King David, nowhere do we read of him shedding the blood of others in battle as King David did.
Remember in 1 Chronicles 22:7–8 that God stopped David from building Solomon’s Temple because he had shed too much blood. And Jesus himself spoke about the temple in John 2:19 where he says “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews thought that he was talking about the physical temple made of wood, metal and stone, but we know he was talking about himself. If Jesus had shed the blood of men he could not have spoken of himself as “this temple”.
No, Jesus came as a conquering hero over the spiritual forces of evil at work in this world. People saw him doing this throughout his ministry.
Many people were freed from demon possession, their physical disabilities were healed, some were raised from the dead, remember it was because of sin that death and disease entered the world, so these kinds of miracles were always going to be in evidence, but the people, and in particular the religious leaders of Israel, didn’t see it that way.
Because Jesus was not what they expected, because he wasn’t this Army-Leading King they’d conjured up in their collective minds, he was rejected.
He didn’t come as the all conquering action hero who would lead armies to defeat their enemies and thereby restore Jewish sovereignty and supremacy in the land that, after all, God had given to them. So they rejected him.
His mission wasn’t to scratch the surface, put a plaster over it, deal with the symptoms and walk away. No, his mission was to do a work which would strike at the route of all that ailed them:
On a spiritual level - to release people from their slavery to the Devil and to Sin.
On a physical level - to relieve people of their disabilities and diseases and to give them a fresh start in life.
Just as he does for you and I today. He meets us where we are, deals with the route cause of what ails us (our sin) and sets us on the right path, the narrow path that leads to eternal life with Christ.
Application
Application
So as we think about Christmas and the way we celebrate it think about who this child is: Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This is a very busy time of year for many, the TV adds encourage us to indulge in endless shopping trips for food and gifts and to decorate our houses inside and out. To send Christmas cards, to catch up with old friends, family reunions, office parties, you name it, it all seems to happen at this time of year.
Though we might do some of those things, remember instead that we’re living in the Kingdom of God, celebrating a time when God himself came down to earth as a helpless child, to whom God himself gave the mission to change the course of our lives, and that with the help of the Holy Spirit to carry us in the present and to prepare us for our future with him in Heaven.
So I encourage you, do nothing that fuels this worldly existence and everything that celebrates Jesus. Amen?