THE TRUE MESSIAH

Prophecy is God’s own method of proving His truth – Truth shall set you free – Isa. 41:21-23 – the challenge, Isa. 42:8-9 and that glory He will not share with another. The true God alone foreknows and foretells the future.

Isa. 45:9,1_0 – The appeal by God that He alone can give and fulfill prophecy is found in, II Tim. 3:16, II Pet. 1:19-21, Deut. 18:21,22, Isa. 41:21-23, Jer.28:9, John 13:19 etc.

CHRIST’s coming is the central theme of the Bible. The coming of Christ promised in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, His birth, character, work, teachings, His sufferings, death and resurrection are the grand central themes of the Bible. Christ is the bond that ties the two testaments together. The Old Testament is in the New revealed and the new in the old concealed.

Let us carefully examine Jesus credentials.

(1) God eliminated half or the human race as the immediate parent of Messiah and at the same time He made it clear that Messiah would come as a Man and not as an angel – “the seed of the women” Gen: 3-15 – the First direct Messiah promise, we have evidence in Gen 4:1 that this promise was well understand by Adam & Eve, for at the birth of the first son, Eve joyfully exclaimed “I have obtained the Man, even the Lord” (Hebrew of Gen 4:1) She was mistaken. Fullness of time – Gal 4:4 made of a woman

(2) Next God eliminated 2/3rd of the nations, indicating that Messiah must come through SHEM – nor Ham or- Japheth – Gen 9: 26,27 (no ‘he’ in v,27) John 1:1, 14 – He came through Shem through Abraham.

(3} Later choice was made. All of the hundreds of the nations were eliminated except one – the new nation started by God Himself when He called Abraham. So the God of history divides the nation into two groups: Jews and gentile – and segregates one small nation, the Jews, through whom Messiah might come. Gen 12:1-3,7 & Gen 17:1-8, 15-19 & Gen 22:16-18

A great nation was crested and given a land of their own for one purpose that Messiah might come through them to bless the world Gal 3: 8,16, Math 1:1

Messiah must be the ‘seed of the woman’ come through the line of Shem and be the ‘seed of Abraham’. That narrows our search for Messiah.

(4) But Abraham had several sons including Ishmael his first born & then Isaac. So another choice has to be made. We are informed that Messiah was to come through Isaac Gen 26:2-4 that Messiah and he promised blessing should come through Isaac Deut 18:18 (in the midst of thee) – Rom 9:4,5

(5) Since Isaac had two sons, the Messiah line must be further narrowed. The prediction is clearly made that Christ must come through Jacob not Esau. Messiah could not be an Edomite (Jordan) Num 24:17,19

(6) But Jacob had twelve sons – so another choice had to be made one of the twelve , JUDAH is selected Psalm 78:67-68 ” For Judah prevailed above his brethren, of him is (to come) the chief ruler” ; (Hebrew of I Chron. 5:2) ‘Nagid’ Gen 49:10, Heb 7:14, Rev 5:5

(7) Next of the thousands of families in the tribe of Judah, another choice must be made – Messiah must come from ONE family line, from the family of JESSE, the father of David Isa. 11:1,2 – The word ‘rod’ appears in Prov. 14:3 carries the meaning of a ‘twig’ a cut down tree ‘stump’, It means that God will take a man with no standing – a mere ‘stump’ of a tree cut down – and in graft- new life into it. Jesse was not the head of the royal family until God made him the father of a king and put him into the Messiah line.

(8) Jesse had 8 sons, another choice – Psa. 13; 2:11, Rom 1:3, II Tim 2:7,8, Rev 5:5, 22:16, Acts 2:30-32, Luke 1:30-35, Math. 9:27, Math. 15:22

The public knew Jesus as “the Son of David” and so called Him (Math. 9:27, 12:22-23, 15:22, 20:30,31, 21:9,15 Mark 9:10, 10:47-48, Luke 18:38-39)

The Pharisees knew full well that Messiah must be the son of David Math. 22:41-46. – Son of David.

(9 ) Moreover, David had many ‘ sons’ – Messiah must get His right to the throne of David through Solomon’s royal line. 1 Chron: 28:5,6, 1 Chron. 29:24, Solomon is in the royal line from David to Joseph. Luke 2:4, Math: 1:6

(10) He must be born of a virgin, and since Messiah must be the fruit of David’s body. (Psalms 132:11) this virgin must be direct descendent of king David.

Isa.7:13-14, It is remarkable that whenever the birth of Messiah is spoken of in Old Testament, ref. is made to His mother – or the womb – never to a human father. Isa. 49:1, 49:5, Jer. 31:22, Psa. 22:9, Micah 5:3

Math 1:18,20-23 We are dependent on a good woman, Mary, a good man Joseph, (Luke 2:4), a good Doctor – Luke, a faithful recorder – Mathew, the word of an Angel, the word of God – Fulfillment. Math 1:16-23, Luke 1:28-35, Luke 2:1-20

Here indeed is a sign – a WONDER – that only God can fulfill. Obviously no Messiah pretender can cause himself to be born of a virgin. We have the testimony of 5 witness God fulfilled it. Jer. 1:12

Absolute accuracy ” Seed of the woman – the son of Abraham and the son of David” – No other person could meet all.

(11) The “place of His birth – Micah 5:2, of all the continents one is is chosen, ASIA – of all state one is chosen, CANAN. All provinces of Palestine one eliminated – save one Judea – all cities of Judea are eliminated save Bethlehem Ephratah – a tiny village of 1000 people. Infallible word – Math 2:4-6, John 7:42.

(12) The time of His coming – (A) Gen 49:10 – The ‘ Sceptre’ – tribal staff (identity) AD 70 – destroyed – before that. (B) Messiah must come while the temple was still standing – Psa. 118:26 – Math 21:9,14. (C) Daniel – Dan 9:26

Harry Houdini perhaps the greatest magician that ever lived? Once gave a demonstration in Paris of his ability to unlock locks. A local magician claimed he could do all that Houdini did. And he publicly offered to extricate himself the next day from a cage, locked by Houdini’s special lock. The wily French magician had an accomplice unknown to Houdini who learned the combination of the lock from the American magician. But Houdini suspected the trick – so that night he changed the combination. The next day … new five letter combination F R A U D. The one who worked out the combination is the one who could unlock it. The one who gave these mysterious prophecies as a Lock, knows the combination, JESUS had the “key” in His own person and ministry. All counterfeit Messiah are ‘frauds’

A BRANCH – Isa. 11:1-2, AS KING – Jer. 23:5-6, AS SERVANT – Zech. 3:8, AS SON OF MAN – Zech 6 :12,13, AS SON OF GOD – Isa 40:9, Isa 4:2.