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THE PROPHECY OF THE MESSIAH Week # 2
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John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Luke 2:11
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Matthew 14:33
“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Matthew 26:63
“But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Matthew 27:43, 54
“He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.”
(v54)
“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
Mark 15:39
“And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.”
1 John 5:10
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
Revelation 2:18.
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;”
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1). To you, who is the Son of God?
Since I’ve heard about Jesus (Son of God), I’ve known Him as my Savior. I truly believe that He is the Messiah. I believe He was with God in the beginning, and God sent Him to die for our sin.
2). What did the High Priest demand of Jesus?
They wanted Jesus to say in plain words that He was the Son of God, and He did, but they didn’t believe when they heard it; He told them, but they just couldn’t receive it. They wanted Him to say He was a prophet, but not the Son of God.
3). What was the reason the Jews wanted to kill Jesus?
They couldn’t understand Him claiming to be the Son of God as being a man like them, but He was!
4). What was blasphemy according to the Jewish leaders?
The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders.
5). Just as Judas was a manifestation of perdition, Jesus was a manifestation of Who?
Jesus was a manifestation of God
6). To you, who is Jesus Christ?
To me, Jesus Christ is my Savior, my Lord, my Provider, my Protector, my everything; He is the Son of God.
7). We must confess that Jesus is who?
We must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and the Son of God.
8). Explain John 10:30.
“I and my Father are one.” This is the Trinity of God; Jesus claiming to be one with the Father as part of a larger argument to note that He had existed from eternity past, lived in perfect oneness with the Father, held the same power as God, and was sent by God the Father’s authority. Unfortunately, He was rejected as divine by the Jewish leaders. Jesus’ claim to have equal power as the Father was not blasphemy. It was the plain truth.
9). What did the Jews call Jesus?
They called Him a blasphemer.
10). Why did the Jews tried to stone Jesus?
They wanted to stone Him because He claimed to be God.
11). What did John 1:1 and John 1:14 say?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;” and “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh.
12). What did the Old Testament prophets announced?
Old Testament prophecies of Christ announce His deity, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
13). What do modern scholars claim about Jesus?
In attempts to explain away the words of Jesus, modern “scholars” claim the “true historical Jesus” did not say many of the things the Bible attributes to Him. Who are we to argue with God’s Word concerning what Jesus did or did not say?
14). Why is the question over Jesus’ identity so important?
The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
15). Explain this week’s background scripture.
1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” And we know that the Son of God is come, .... That the second Person in the Godhead, who is equal to the Father, and of the same nature with him, is come from the Father, from heaven into this world, not by local motion, but by assumption of nature; that he is come in the flesh, or is become incarnate, in order to work out salvation for his people, by his obedience, sufferings, and death; and this John and others knew, for they had personal knowledge of :him, and converse with him; they saw him with their eyes, heard him, and handled him: he dwelt among them, preached to them, wrought miracles before them, which proved him to be what he was; and it may be known that the Messiah must become, since Daniel's weeks, which fixes the time of his coming, are long ago up; the sceptre is departed from Judah, and the second temple is destroyed, neither of which were to be till the Messiah came; and that Jesus of Nazareth is he who is come may be known by the characters of him, and the works done by him: John said, “we know this!”
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Share how you can say “God is with me!” personally.
Oh, what a privilege! God is with me because I personally asked Jesus to come into my heart, and Jesus told me through the Word that He would never leave me nor forsake me; also, I believe God is with me, because the Word tells me. I sense God in my life personally, and I believe the Word to be true. My life has changed since I’ve come to know Him. (Genesis 28:15, Exodus 33:14, Leviticus 26:12, Deuteronomy 20:1, Isaiah 43:2, Hebrews 13:5)
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“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
The prophet Isaiah prophesied this, which was one of the major prophets before the captivity of Judah.
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In the prophecy of the virgin birth, Isaiah 7:14, the prophet Isaiah declared, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel." This prophecy refers to the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:22-23, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' which means, 'God with us.'" This does not mean, however, that the Messiah’s name would actually be Immanuel.
There are many names given to Jesus using the phrase “He shall be called,” both in the Old and New Testaments. This was a common way of saying that people would refer to Him in these various ways. Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). None of these titles was Jesus’ actual name, but these were descriptions people would use to refer to Him forever. Luke tells us Jesus “shall be called the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32) and “son of God” (1:35), but neither of these was His name. In two different places, the prophet Jeremiah says in referring to the coming Messiah, “And this is His name by which He shall be called, YHWH, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16). Now we know that God, the Father, is named Yahweh. Jesus was never actually called Yahweh as though it was His name, but His role was that of bringing the righteousness of Yahweh to those who would believe in Him, exchanging that righteousness for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, this is one of the many titles or “names” which belong to Him. In the same way, to say that Jesus would be called "Immanuel" means Jesus is God and that He dwelt among us in His incarnation and that He is always with us. Jesus was God in the flesh. Jesus was God making His dwelling among us (John 1:1,14). No, Jesus' name was not Immanuel, but Jesus was the meaning of Immanuel, "God with us." Immanuel is one of the many titles for Jesus, a description of who He is. Jesus was and is the Son of God. As we study about Jesus, we must remember His identity is very important, because Jesus’ deity is why He is the only way of salvation. That why He could claim “I am the way and the truth and the life!”
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I have finished reading this week's reading assignment!
Prayer:
Father God, we thank You for given to us a Savior to save us from sin and destruction. Thank You for the gift of life that came through Jesus our Messiah. Thank You, Lord, because we know that it was love that lifted us when nothing else could help; thank You God for giving Your Son when nothing else could help; thank You, Jesus for giving Your life when nothing else could help. It was love! Thank You Jesus, as the Son of God You have blessed us. Our hope is in You, Lord; our peace is in You, Lord. Our strength is in You, Lord. Our life is in You, Lord. We praise Your holy Name. We honor You, Lord. We worship You, Lord. Lord God, bless us as we enter this New Year. Lord, we depend on You. We trust in You, Lord. Bless us to learn all we can about the Messiah, and then share what we have learned with others. This we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
God is with us: Immanuel: Matthew 1:23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Printed Text: (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Subject: The Son of God:
Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God's Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 declares, “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God).
During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63). “’Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’” (Matthew 26:64). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later, before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus 24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”
Another example can be found in John 17:12 where Judas is described as the “son of perdition.” John 6:7 1 tells us that Judas was the son of Simon. What does John 17:12 mean by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”? The word perdition means “destruction, ruin, waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things were the identity of Judas' life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest (John 1:1, 14).
"Who is Jesus Christ?"
Unlike the question “Does God exist?” very few people question whether Jesus Christ existed. It is generally accepted that Jesus was truly a man who walked on the earth in Israel 2000 years ago. The debate begins when the subject of Jesus' full identity is discussed. Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a godly man. The problem is that the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly man.
C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity writes the following: “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”
So, who did Jesus claim to be? Who does the Bible say He is? First, let's look at Jesus’ words in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement, “We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God’” (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews by saying, “I did not claim to be God.” That indicates Jesus was truly saying He was God by declaring, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). John 8:58 is another example: “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” Again, in response, the Jews took up stones in an attempt to stone Jesus (John 8:59). Jesus’ announcing His identity as “I am” is a direct application of the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14). Why would the Jews again want to stone Jesus if He had not said something they believed to be blasphemous, namely, a claim to be God?
John 1:1 says “the Word was God.” John 1:14 says “the Word became flesh.” This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh. Thomas the disciple declared to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. The apostle Paul describes Him as, “…our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The apostle Peter says the same, “…our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). God the Father is witness of Jesus’ full identity as well, “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” Old Testament prophecies of Christ announce His deity, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
So, as C.S. Lewis argued, believing Jesus to be only a good teacher is not an option. Jesus clearly and undeniably claimed to be God. If He is not God, then He is a liar, and therefore not a prophet, good teacher, or godly man. In attempts to explain away the words of Jesus, modern “scholars” claim the “true historical Jesus” did not say many of the things the Bible attributes to Him. Who are we to argue with God’s Word concerning what Jesus did or did not say? How can a “scholar” two thousand years removed from Jesus have better insight into what Jesus did or did not say than those who lived with, served with, and were taught by Jesus Himself (John 14:26)?
Why is the question over Jesus’ true identity so important? Why does it matter whether or not Jesus is God? The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Only God could pay such an infinite penalty (Romans 5:8;2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt. Jesus had to be man so He could die. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus’ deity is why He is the only way of salvation. Jesus’ deity is why He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Background Scripture: 1 John 5:20
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
Scriptures References: John 3:16; Luke 2:11; Matthew 14:33, 26:63, 27:43, 54; Mark 15:39; 1 John 5:10; Revelation 2:18.
Questions:
1). To you, who is the Son of God?
2). What did the High Priest demand of Jesus?
3). What was the reason the Jews wanted to kill Jesus?
4). What was blasphemy according to the Jewish leaders?
5). Just as Judas was a manifestation of perdition, Jesus was a manifestation of Who?
6). To you, who is Jesus Christ?
7). We must confess that Jesus is who?
8). Explain John 10:30.
9). What did the Jews call Jesus?
10). Why did the Jews tried to stone Jesus?
11). What did John 1:1 and John 1:14 say?
12). What did the Old Testament prophets announced?
13). What do modern scholars claim about Jesus?
14). Why is the question over Jesus’ identity so important?
15). Explain this week’s background scripture.
Application Question: Share how you can say “God is with me” personally.
Who Prophesied This? Week # 2
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Please share a short Review:
Reading Assignment: Week # 2 Isaiah 9-17 Monday through Sunday
Sharing: Christmas Song Week # 2 What child is this?
What child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and donkeys are feeding? Good Christians, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. Nails, spears shall pierce him through, the cross he bore for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, Come, peasant, king, to own him. The King of kings salvation brings, Let loving hearts enthrone him. Raise, raise a song on high, The virgin sings her lullaby Joy, joy for Christ is born, The babe, the Son of Mary.
This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary.