Jesus: The Messiah of Prophecy

Introduction

As our brother Walcott indicated, this morning will be a little bit different, look a little bit different to you. We will still do the same elements of worship. In fact, the same number of songs, everything in that regard will be the same. The only thing that will be different is the order of events. And Sean and I have worked together, and the songs will be intermingled throughout the lesson. And so that will be the difference this morning. We thank you for joining us as we worship God as we do every first day of the week. And we’re thankful for your presence this morning and thankful that you can join us. And what we want to do this morning is just take a journey through the prophets and through the prophecy of Jesus.

We’re going to look at Jesus, the Messiah of prophecy. You know the word Messiah corresponds to the word Christ. Messiah is the Old Testament word. Christ is the New Testament word, and they are both translations of a word that mean the anointed one. They weren’t appointed. This anointments was associated with kings and priests in the Old Testament. And they were anointed.

1. The Prophets and the Angels Wanted to Know

Prophet and King. I want to begin with you this morning and ask you to turn with me to the book of 1 Peter. In 1 Peter chapter 1. In both of his epistles, Peter has something to say about this idea of prophecy and the prophets, particularly as it relates to Jesus Christ, our Messiah. And he begins in, or we will begin in 1 Peter 1, verse 8, speaking of Jesus Christ, the inspired writer says this, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, having received the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

That’s us, isn’t it? We did not see the Christ, but we love him, and we believe in him to a large part because he is the fulfillment of those prophecies. Peter says in our text here that those prophets, those Old Testament prophets, men like Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, all of those prophets wanted to know what they were talking about. They wanted to see the big picture that we’ve been blessed to be able to live at a time in which we can see the completed prophecy. And not only did the prophets, but the text here in 1 Peter chapter 1 tells us that the angels desired to look into. What an evocative picture that brings to mind, isn’t it? And here were these angels in heaven watching the unfolding of God’s plan.

And pardon my overliteralization, but you can almost picture that angel stooped at the edge of a cloud, looking down and saying, What is God up to? What’s he doing? How is he going to bring this about? What did Moses mean when he said that about a prophet would come like unto me? And what did Abraham when it was said to Abraham that through you all nations of the earth would be blessed? What did David mean when he said that? What did Jeremiah mean when he prophesied of that? And so the prophets of old wanted to know. The angels wanted to know.

2. The Messianic Anticipation in the First Century

Get to the first century. When we turn that page from the end of the Old Testament into the New Testament, we cannot fully appreciate the messianic anticipation that existed in the first century. They had waited not just their whole lives for the coming of the Messiah, but their parents’ lives and their grandparents’ lives, their great grandparents. Hundreds upon hundreds of years had waited for the fulfillment of these messianic prophecies. I think maybe the closest thing that we can compare that to in our mindset is waiting nine months for the birth of a child. And anticipating that. And maybe to some mothers, especially, maybe you waited longer than nine months. You’ve been waiting most of your adult life, maybe, and grandparents have been waiting maybe longer than that to become grandparents for the first time.

And the anticipation and the waiting and the longing that had built up to a fever pitch by the time we get to the gospels. In fact, go with me, if you will, to Luke chapter 1. If this was a Bible class this morning and we were doing some interaction, I would ask you a trick question. How do the gospels begin? Someone might raise their hand and say, I know the gospels begin with the birth of Christ.

You can almost feel the fervor and the anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.

When Elizabeth, who is expecting, who will become John the Baptist, meets Mary, who is expecting the one who will fulfill these prophecies. She speaks of that anticipation. Mary herself will speak of that anticipation. Zacharias, who will become the father of John the Baptist, will speak of that anticipation. Simeon, the old man, who had been waiting his whole life, and who is told you won’t die. Though you’re an old man, you won’t die until you see the fulfillment of these prophecies. But let’s just look at one of those. Look at the statement of Anna. Look in Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2, beginning in verse 36. Luke 2, verse 36 says, now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, a daughter of Phenil and the tribe of Asher.

She was of a great age, and had lived with the husband seven years from her virginity, and this woman was a widow of about 84 years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant, she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So prior to his birth and immediately after his birth, we see and we can even feel the anticipation. Do you remember the statement of Philip in John chapter 1 that when Philip goes and finds Nathaniel? And what does he say about having found Jesus the Christ? John 1. And in verse 45, Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, We have found him.

We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph. Can you imagine the excitement in his voice? We’ve found him. Does that not imply that they’ve been looking for him? Looking forward to him. For how long? Philip says, at least since Moses. And we have found him. The prophets wanted to know. The angels were stooping down from heaven and watching and witnessing what was transpiring as those prophets prophesied, and they wanted to know. And the entire nation of Israel was longing for the moment when all the pieces of the puzzle would come together. And we would know. And we would see the Messiah. I’m asking to lead us in a song, Tell Me the Story of Jesus right on my heart every word.

Tell me the story most press sweetest that ever was heard. Tell how the angels and call us they welcome to his birth Glory to God in the heart peace and good tidings to the story of Jesus Right on my heart every word. Tell me the story most pressus, sweetest that everything alone in the desert tell of the days that are pass how for our sins he was t was triumphant at last Tell of the years of his library of the sorrow he bust despised and afflicted and for me the story of Just Right on my heart every word Tell me the story most press sweetest that ever was he tell of the cross where they anguish and pain Tell of the grave where they lay him tell how he lived again Love in that story so ever I see stare let me weep while you whisper love some for me tell me the story right on my heart every word tell me the story most press sweetest that ever was love we see the fulfillment of these prophecies and we can see the picture clearly.

3. Going Back to When the Puzzle Was Being Assembled

The benefit of hindsight, we can understand every one of those prophecies and how they were fulfilled. But we’ve gone back to the first century, that anticipation of wanting to see the Messiah and experience the redemption that he would bring. But let’s go further back in time. When these prophecies were being uttered. When the angels wanted to know what this meant. When the prophets themselves, who spoke these words, wanted to know what and what manner of time the spirit that was in them was pointing to. Let’s go back to when this puzzle was being assembled. Are you puzzle people? You’re either a puzzle person or you’re not. I wasn’t a puzzle person. The only puzzle I could put together was those Thor farm animals that went in the big wooden square.

But I married into a puzzle family. Deedra’s family were big puzzle people, and so now we’re puzzle people.

You have to find another puzzle person to be able to do this challenge. Exchange puzzles with someone else. But don’t give them the box. That’s the first step in putting puzzles together, isn’t it? You prop up the box so you can see what the picture is going to look like when it’s complete. But is this puzzle, the puzzle that would picture the Messiah is being assembled? The prophets nor the angels themselves knew what the picture was going to look like. And so imagine putting a puzzle together. You have all the pieces, but you don’t know what the final picture is going to look like. It may get clearer as more pieces are attached, but the picture won’t be complete until it’s complete. And so we begin with the first piece of our puzzle.

In the very beginning, the beginning of sin, a promise was made, a prophecy was given of how this new problem would be dealt with. This new problem that would become a recurring and universal problem would be dealt with. Surely in the ears of Adam and Eve, our Lord spoke to the serpent and said, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, and he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Adam and Eve, and even Moses, who would record these words years later, surely didn’t understand all the import of that piece of the puzzle. But that almost as soon as sin had reared its ugly head on this planet, a promise was spoken to this planet of a solution.

Of a solution that would kill the tempter and the destroyer. It’s the first piece of many pieces. Barton Payne, the biblical scholar, estimates that there are 191 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ. 191. Alfred Edersheim takes it further. He estimates that there were 456 prophecies of the Messiah and his time. That’s the puzzle we’re going to assemble this morning. Depending upon who you listen to, it’s 191 piece puzzle, or it’s 456 piece puzzle. And as we start assembling the pieces, we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. But we get more pieces. Years later, to a man by the name of Abram, later known as Abraham, a promise is given in Genesis chapter 12 that says, I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curses you.

And in you, all families of the earth will be blessed. Abraham had that piece of the puzzle. But Peter tells us what we might figure out on our own, that Abraham didn’t really know where that piece of the puzzle went. Or even exactly what it meant.

But what’s that going to look like? How’s that going to be fulfilled? And then later we’re told that not only will this one be a descendant of Abraham, but we get more specifics. He will be a descendant of Isaac as well, after the birth of Ishmael, years later from that first prophecy. Abram’s about 99 years old, and Ishmael has been born. But God says, No, Abraham. No, Sarah, your wife, shall bear a son, and you’ll call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him. And so Abraham gets another piece of the puzzle. And he’s wondering, and the angels are wondering, what does this mean? And when will this happen? Not just the descendant of Abraham, not just of Isaac, but now more specifics are given.

Balaam, when he was tempted to prophesy against the people of Israel, did just the opposite and spoke this prophecy in Numbers 24. I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob. A scepter shall rise out of Israel and batter the brow of Moab and destroy all the sons of tumult. Not just Abraham, but Isaac. Not just Isaac, but a descendant of Jacob. And we know that Jacob’s name will be changed to Israel. It’s almost two pieces of the puzzle in one here, isn’t it? Because he says he will be descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob, but what else is in that piece? There’s a scepter.

A scepter, a king’s scepter, will be in his hand. Now, as we’re assembling this puzzle, and by the way, let’s pause there and recognize how blessed we are. We don’t have to put this puzzle together, do we? It’s been put together for us. And not only has the puzzle been put together for us, but it’s been explained. Every piece has been explained as to why it’s a part of the puzzle and what it means and how it fits with the others. But if we were assembling this puzzle as we see received peace by piece, we would take this piece that says he will be of the descendants of Jacob, and a scepter will be in his hand. And we would know that that piece of the puzzle must be located close to this next piece of the puzzle.

When in Genesis 49, Jacob’s last words to his sons, he says, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of the people.

And another piece of the puzzle shows up, and we recognize it will fit with those others that not only will he be of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not just of the tribe of Judah, but he’ll be an heir to David and to the throne of David. Isaiah, in giving the prophecy of the government of this promised son, says, of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform it. Imagine these prophets seeing these pieces of the puzzle being assembled. And even the angels looking and seeing.

4. Pieces of the Puzzle That Puzzle Us

And when? When will this puzzle be completed? We find some pieces of the puzzle that, pardon the pun, puzzle us. In fact, we would even wonder at first whether they even belong to this picture. Surely this puzzle piece belongs somewhere else. Because with great specificity, Micah, that prophet of the divided kingdom, would say this in Micah 5, verse 2: But you, Bethlehem, Ephraithah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet one of you shall come forth to me, the one to be the ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. Now we marvel at how specific this prophecy, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ is.

Bethlehem. And we’re especially troubled when we realize that as late as Luke chapter 1, Joseph and Mary aren’t in Bethlehem. And so how will this piece of the puzzle fit? And not only are we told of the birth of Bethlehem, but of some of the other events that would surround it, the slaughter of the innocents. Jeremiah would say later in Jeremiah 31, verse 15, thus says the Lord, a voice was heard in Ramah. Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. Jeremiah understood, or thought he understood what he was talking about. That that was happening to the children of Israel in the captivity. But little did he know that he was giving a piece of the puzzle.

And not till this is quoted in Matthew chapter 2. Do we, and even the angels understand? That’s a piece of the puzzle. That is speaking of Herod issuing the order that all boys ages two and under around Bethlehem were to be killed. And Hosea surely didn’t know that he had a piece of the puzzle when he spoke these words in Hosea 11, verse 1. When Israel was a child, I loved him. And out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea would have said, that’s not a piece of the puzzle. That’s a piece of history. That’s talking about Israel coming out of Egyptian bondage. But again, the New Testament, this time Matthew in Matthew chapter 2, will say, Yes, that was a piece of history, but it was also a piece of this prophetic puzzle.

Mary and Joseph would take their child to escape the slaughter of the innocents down into Egypt. And he would come up out of Egypt. Isaiah’s message to King Ahaz, the king of Judah, was another piece of the puzzle.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel. You remember that first piece of the puzzle? The seed of woman. And now we have this piece of the puzzle that he would be born of a virgin. And he would be called God with us. He will come in flesh, but he will be God in the flesh. A child will be born. And you will call his name Emmanuel. Joy to the world. 495, joy to the world.

Joy to the world.

Let receive for king. Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and have nature. Joy to the ear the Savior reigns. Let men songs and floods rock hills and flames repeat the sounding joy. Repeat the sounding joy repeat repeat the sounding joy No more lets and sorrows grow nor things in best the ground he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found far as the curse is found for the curse found He rules the world with truth and grace and make the nation’s fruit the glory of his righteousness and wonders of his love and wonders of his love and wonders of his love piece by piece the picture is starting to form. Maybe the angels in heaven were beginning to see a part of what was happening.

We’re beginning to see the manifold wisdom of God in the fulfillment of these prophecies. This child that would be born in all places of Bethlehem and of all ways by a virgin would become a prophet. Moses would say, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, and him you shall hear. Did Moses know that that was a piece of the puzzle? And if he did, did he know what the final picture would look like? We surely do. This one would be a great teacher. And not just the teacher, but the way he would teach, that he would speak in parables. The psalmist says, in Psalm 78, Asaph says, I will open my mouth in a parable.

5. Not Every Piece of the Puzzle Is Pretty

I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from his children. Prophecy that’s quoted in Matthew 13 when Jesus spoke in parables. This prophet liken to Moses. And not only would he be a great teacher, but he would heal. He would heal the brokenhearted. Isaiah 61 prophesied. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. And he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to comfort all those who mourn. We’re starting to get a picture of the Messiah. But not every piece of the puzzle is pretty.

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him.

If we didn’t have divine help in assembling these puzzle pieces, we would cast this piece aside and say again, it doesn’t belong. Because we’re assembling a picture of the glorious Messiah, the Son of God. How can we hide our faces from him? How will he be despised and rejected? And how will he be betrayed by a friend? Psalm 41 in verse 9 would prophesy, even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. An ugly piece, but a piece of the puzzle nonetheless. And more specifics are given when another piece surely will be put right next to that piece when we read in Zechariah chapter 11 and verse 12 that says, Then I said to them, if it’s agreeable to you, give my wages, and if not, refrain.

So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And he would be condemned with criminals. Isaiah says in his famous prophecy of the suffering servant, therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he has poured out his soul unto death. And he was numbered with the transgressors. And he bore the sin of many and became intercession for the transgression. There’s parts of this puzzle we may recoil from. But it’s painting a picture. That he would be rejected by men, betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver, and would be numbered among the transgressors. And Zechariah even gives us this detail. In Zechariah 12, verse 10, I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication.

Then they will look on me, whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn. He’ll be despised, numbered with transgressors, and will be pierced. The psalmist adds in this portrayal of Jesus upon the cross that while all that is happening, he would be scorned and mocked. Psalm 22, verses 7 and 8, all those who see me ridicule me. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him, let him deliver him, since he delights in him.

But they belong in the puzzle. And without them we would never have the full portrayal of the Messiah.

Uttered hundreds of years before. That he would be buried with the rich. Again, Isaiah 53 in the portrayal of that suffering servant said, and they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. That was fulfilled when the rich man Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus and laid it in his own unused tomb. And if you look carefully, it says of Joseph of Arimathea, who lived in the first century that he was looking for the Messiah. And he saw him. And we see him, and all pieces of the puzzle finally assembled. And we see the suffering that he had to bear on our behalf. And he did so willingly, because at any time he could have called ten thousand angels to stop the assembly of this beautiful picture.

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed They led him through the streets in shame They sped upon the Savior so pure and free from sin they said crucify him to blame He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free He could have called ten thousand angels but he died alone for you and me upon his precious head they placed a crown of thorns they laughed and said before the king They struck him and they cursed him and mocked his holy name all alone he suffered everything He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free He could have called ten thousand angels but he died alone for you and me when they nailed him to the cross his mother stood nearby He said warm before thy son He cried I thirst for water but they gave him none to drink Then the sinful work of man was done He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world He could have called ten thousand angels But he died alone for you and me to the howling mob he yielded He did not for mercy cry The cross of shame he took alone.

And when he cried, it’s finished, he gave himself to die. So vision’s wondrous plan was done. He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free.

Ten thousand angels, but he died alone for you. He could have called ten thousand angels. But in so doing, he would have destroyed not the works of sin, but the plan of God. The puzzle would have never been completed. And the picture of the glorious Messiah would have never emerged. And so as we partake of the Lord’s Supper this morning, let’s picture that completed puzzle. We see the brightness in that picture of a miraculous child. A great teaching that he would do, but then our eyes are drawn to the darkness in that picture. And being condemned with criminals, betrayed by a friend and pierced through for our iniquity. Would you bow with me, please? Our dear Father, we’re so thankful for your manifold wisdom for this wonderful plan for the prophets who spoke.

And of you who planned it all and brought it to fruition through your son.

We love him for the price that he paid and the offering that he gave.

Amen.

Will you bow with me again? Our Father who art in heaven, we pray, our Father, that you’ll take us back to that cross. And allow us to see the horror of his death upon that cross.

May we remember him, and may we honor him in partaking this morning.

Amen.

Thus ends the remembrance and the observance of the Lord’s Supper this morning. It’s usually customary at this time to pass the trays for the collection, as we’re commanded to do upon the first day of the week. Things look a little bit different now, but we’re still fulfilling the commandment and the example on the first day of the week to lay by in store. There are boxes in the foyer for you able to do that. If you’re one of our members and you’re watching online, there are resources for you to be able to do that online.

6. But There’s Light to Come

But there’s light to come.

You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. That wasn’t the last piece of the puzzle. Him being killed and laid in a tomb. There was more. The picture’s getting clearer, isn’t it? Because when this puzzle is completed, it will be a picture, a complete picture of the Messiah. And it’s getting clearer, and thankfully it’s getting brighter again. The psalmist would also add that he would ascend to God’s right hand. You’ve ascended on high, and you’ve led captivity captive. You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell there. And Paul in the book of Ephesians says, that’s the Christ, ascending to the right hand of God. And in Daniel’s vision of the four beast, he says, Behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven.

He came to the ancient of days, prophesying of not just his resurrection, but his ascension back to his father. He came to the ancient of days. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations and language should serve him, and his dominion is an everlasting dominion. That’s the picture of the Messiah. And it’s now complete.

Conclusion

And we, as Peter said, we’ve received the end. The salvation of our souls. Would you benefit from that glorious picture of that anticipated Messiah, the anointed one? Jesus the Christ. Would you be a part of that glorious kingdom? And would you be buried and rise again in baptism? So that when this life is over, you will rise again and ascend as he did to receive the glory of that kingdom. If we can help you in any way, would you come right now as together we stand?

Jesus my savior waiting the coming day.

Up from the grave, he arose with the mighty triumph for his falls.

Jesus my savor Jesus my Lord up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes he arose from the dark domain and he lives forever with his saints to reign hallelujah Christ can keep his pray Jesus my savor he was my Lord up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph for his foes victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever with his saints to reign.

Hallelujah Christ. Please be see that.