WHY WE ARE SURE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH (LUKE 24:44; GAL. 4:4) In the first century C.E., the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth were fully convinced that he was the foretold Messiah. (John 1:41) One of the disciples, a man named Simon Peter, openly said to Jesus: “You are the Christ.” (Matthew 16:16) How, though, could those disciples—and how can we—be sure that Jesus really is the promised Messiah? 6 The prophets of God who lived before Jesus foretold many details about the Messiah. These details would help others to identify him. We might illustrate things this way: Suppose you were asked to go to a busy bus depot or a train station or an airport to pick up someone you had never met before. Would it not help if someone gave you a few details about him? Similarly, by means of the Bible prophets, Jehovah gave a rather detailed description of the time of his arrival, what the Messiah would do, and what he would experience. The fulfillment of these many prophecies would help faithful ones to identify him clearly. JESUS THE SON OF GOD TESTIFY TO THE FACT (LUKE 24:44;) that he is the messiah. After his resurrection, he said something to his disciples: —Lu 24:44. READ 44 He now said to them: “These are my words which I spoke to YOU while I was yet with YOU, that all the things written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and Psalms about me must be fulfilled.””—. “note …Jesus words….These are my words which I spoke to you …..about me must be fulfilled.”… WHAT ABOUT THE TIME OF HIS ARRIVER Let’s consider GAL. 4:4 . 4 BUT WHEN THE FULL LIMIT OF THE TIME ARRIVED, GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON, WHO CAME TO BE OUT OF A WOMAN AND WHO CAME TO BE UNDER LAW,) 16 By means of his prophet Daniel—a man of unwavering faith—Jehovah had given a prophecy involving “seventy weeks.” That prophecy would enable first-century Jews to know that the appearance of the promised Messiah was approaching. In part, the prophecy stated: “From the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.” (Daniel 9:24, 25) 7. Over 700 years in advance, the prophet Micah foretold IN (Micah 5:2) that the promised One would be born in Bethlehem, a small town in the land of Judah. Was Jesus actually born in Bethlehem? Certainly yes, in that very town! (Matthew 2:1, 3-9) , many centuries in advance, the prophecy recorded at Daniel 9:25 pointed to the very year when the Messiah was to appear—29 C.E. The fulfillment of these and other prophecies proves that Jesus was the promised Messiah. 8 Further proof that Jesus was the Messiah became clear near the end of 29 C.E. That is the year when Jesus went to John the Baptizer to be baptized in the Jordan River. Jehovah had promised John a sign so that he could identify the Messiah. John saw that sign at Jesus’ baptism. The Bible says that this is what happened: “After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.’” (Matthew 3:16, 17) After seeing and hearing what happened, John had no doubt that Jesus was sent by God. (John 1:32-34) At the moment when God’s spirit, or active force, was poured out upon him that day, Jesus became the Messiah, or Christ, the one appointed to be Leader and King.—Isaiah 55:4. Do the Hebrew Scriptures identify the Messiah? Certainly. By his personal name? No, But just because the personal name is not recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures does not mean they do not name Jesus as Messiah. As illustrated earlier Many descriptive names of the Messiah are given, names that describe his qualities, his conduct, his service, his position. He is named Immanuel, and it was Jesus who lived up to that name. (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:22, 23) He is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace, and Jesus fits them all. (Isa. 9:6) The Messiah was called many other names that Jesus fulfilled, such as Seed of the Woman and, Seed of Abraham (Gen. 3:15; 22:17, 18; Gal. 3:16; Heb. 2:14), Servant and Light to the Nations (Isa. 42:1, 6; Matt. 12:18; Luke 2:32; Acts 26:23), Leader and Witness (Isa. 55:4; Matt. 23:10; Rev. 3:14), Redeemer (Isa. 59:20; Rom. 11:26), Tried Stone, Cornerstone and Sure Foundation (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:4, 6-8). Hundreds of other descriptive details about Messiah are in the Hebrew Scriptures, and all of them found their fulfillment in Jesus and identified him as the promised Messiah. The eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ were willing to stake their lives upon the actuality of Messiah resurrection. Stephen of Jerusalem suffered stoning to death for testifying to the Messiah’s resurrection. James the brother of the apostle John was put to death by the sword by King Herod Agrippa I of Jerusalem. The apostle John was sentenced to exile on the penal island of Patmos by Rome’s decree for testifying to Messiah’s resurrection. Brothers If you where ask IS JESUS THE MESSIAH? What will be your answer?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 13:26:39 +0000
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