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Monday Morning Prophecy #36 – The Messiah Would be Revealed to People Not Seeking Him

Wayne — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:57 +0000

Introduction

The Jews waited hundreds and thousands of years for their promised Messiah, but the Old Testament prophecies indicate that the Messiah would be revealed to a people not even seeking him.

Old Testament Prophecy

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ [Isaiah 65:1 NIV]

New Testament Fulfillment

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demonpossession.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. [Matthew 15:22-28 NIV]

But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” [Romans 10:18-20 NIV]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #35 – The Messiah Would be Rejected by The Jews

Wayne — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:25 +0000

Introduction

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at a number of people who rejected Jesus. The Old Testament also clearly prophesies that the Jewish people would reject their Messiah.

Old Testament Prophecy

But I said, “I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.” [Isaiah 49:4 NIV]

All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations- [Isaiah 65:2 NIV]

New Testament Fulfillment

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? they asked. Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor. And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. [Matthew 13:53-58 NIV]

Haven’t you read this scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; [Mark 12:10 NIV]

Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews? Pilate asked them. Crucify him! they shouted. Why? What crime has he committed? asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, Crucify him! Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. [Mark 15:9-15 NIV]

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. [Luke 4:28-29 NIV]

But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. [Luke 17:25 NIV]

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [John 1:11 NIV]

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. [John 5:16 NIV]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #34 – The Messiah Would Be Rejected by His Own

Wayne — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:00:53 +0000

Introduction

Not only would the Messiah be rejected by his own family, the Old Testament also prophesied that the Messiah would be rejected by his own people.

Old Testament Prophecy

But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people. [Psalm 22:6 NIV]

I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons; [Psalm 69:8 NIV]

New Testament Fulfillment

But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. [Matthew 12:14 NIV]

But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. [Luke 6:11 NIV]

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. [John 7:7 NIV]

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” [John
19:6 NIV]

But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. [Luke 23:21-23 NIV]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #33 – The Messiah Would be Rejected by Family

Wayne — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:00:42 +0000

Introduction

Last week, we looked at the attempts against the Messiah’s life predicted in the Old Testament, but the Old Testament also prophesied that the Messiah would be rejected by his very own family.

Old Testament Prophecy

I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons; [Psalm 69:8 NIV]

New Testament Fulfillment

Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. [John 7:3-5 NIV]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #32 – Many Would Conspire to Kill the Messiah

Wayne — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:00:35 +0000

Introduction

When Jesus walked the earth, there were a number of attempts to take his life. The Old Testament predicted thousands of years earlier that that would be the case.

Old Testament Prophecy

For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life. [Psalm 31:13]

New Testament Fulfillment

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. [Matthew 27:1]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #31 – The Messiah Would Come Incarnate as a Man

Wayne — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:00:49 +0000

Introduction

Last week we looked at the prophecies that the Messiah would dwell amongst God’s creation. The Old Testament also indicates that God would condescend himself and come in the form of a man.

Old Testament Prophecy

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes-I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! [Job 19:25-27]

New Testament Fulfillment

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out–those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. [John 5:24-29]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #30 – The Messiah Would Dwell Amongst His People

Wayne — Mon, 31 May 2010 13:00:06 +0000

Introduction

Unlike many so called gods of other religions, the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would come to earth and dwell among God’s people.

Old Testament Prophecy

“Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the LORD. “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. [Zechariah 2:10-11]

New Testament Fulfillment

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #29 – Children Would Praise Him

Wayne — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:00:17 +0000

This morning, I am introducing a couple of changes to the format of Monday Morning Prophecy. First, in previous installments, the verses included were from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Going forward, quotes are taken from the New International Version. Although I prefer the ESV for my reading and study, the database of Old Testament prophecy I has previously accumulated included verses from the NIV. In order allow me more time to spend with my family, I have opted not to update these to the ESV version. Secondly, I intend to go with a more streamlined approach to presenting these prophecies which includes much less verbiage from me. For the most part, these verses speak for themselves, and it does not seem necessary to include a lot of my own thoughts to further explain the prophecies. Henceforth, my intent is to include a one or two sentence introduction simply followed by the verse(s) reflecting the Old Testament Prophecy and the verse(s) representing the New Testament fulfillment.

Introduction

One of the many prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in Jesus was that children would praise him. On a personal note, as someone who works with kids, this is one of my favorite prophecies. The idea that the Messiah would forego the praise of royalty and dignitaries for the praise of children says a lot about the special affection God has for kids.

Old Testament Prophecy

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
[Psalm 8:2]

New Testament Fulfillment

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” [Matthew 21:15-16]

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Monday Morning Prophecy #28 – The Messiah Would Heal the Lame

Wayne — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:00:02 +0000

Welcome back to the Monday Morning Prophecy. It’s been months since this series went on hiatus for a couple of other longs running series, but now it makes its triumphant return. In this series, we are working through the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah and their New Testament fulfillment. This week marks the end of the prophecies related to the miracles the Messiah would perform during his earthly ministry.

In Isaiah, we read that, amongst other things, the coming Messiah would heal the lame:

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [Isaiah 35:4-6 ESV]

The New Testament records numerous instances of the fulfillment of this prophecy. In Matthew we read of the time John the Baptist’s disciples came and questioned Jesus about whether or not he was the Messiah. Jesus’ reply speaks to the miracles he performed:

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” [Matthew 11:2-6 ESV]

Matthew records at least two other instances of Jesus healing the lame:

And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, [Matthew 15:30 ESV]

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. [Matthew 21:14 ESV]

Luke shares the story of a lame woman healed by Jesus on the Sabbath:

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. [Luke 13:10-13 ESV]

John also recounts a story of Jesus healing the lame:

One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. [John 5:5-9 ESV]

The Old Testament is clear that one of the signs of the coming Messiah would be the miracles he would perform including healing the lame. The New Testament is clear that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #27 – The Messiah Would Heal the Mute

Wayne — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:03 +0000

We’ve covered the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah healing the blind and deaf in earlier weeks. This week we will look at the prophecies that the Messiah would also heal the mute. If you have been following this series, by now the following prophecy from the book of Isaiah, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, should be familiar:

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [Isaiah 35:4-6 ESV]

We’re going slightly out of order as we should probably handle the healing of the lame first, but we’ll take care of that in a later installment. The point is that God let his people know hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus that the Messiah would accomplish the following miracles:

Heal the blind
Heal the deaf
Heal the lame
Heal the mute

We turn once again to the book of Matthew for examples of Jesus healing the mute:

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” [Matthew 9:32-33 ESV]

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” [Matthew 12:22-23 ESV]

Once again, we see the miracles of Jesus forecast hundreds of years before his birth and recorded by a prophet of God.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #26 – The Messiah Would Heal the Deaf

Wayne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:18 +0000

Last week we looked at the prophecies which indicated that the Messiah would heal the blind. Those prophecies were recorded in the book of Isaiah hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. In that same book, we find a number of prophecies indicating that the Messiah would also heal the deaf:

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. [Isaiah 29:18 ESV]

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [Isaiah 35:4-6 ESV]

The book of Mark records the events in the region of the Decapolis when Jesus healed a deaf man with a speech impediment:

Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. [Mark 7:31-35 ESV]

Finally, when John the Baptist’s disciples inquired of Jesus as to whether or not he was the Messiah, he pointed to the healing of the deaf as one of the things indicating that he was:

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” [Matthew 11:2-6 ESV]

Like the healing of the blind, God prophesied through Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth that he would heal the deaf. This was given to us by God as another sign of the coming Messiah and would be fulfilled by a carpenter from Nazareth named Jesus.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #25 – The Messiah Would Heal The Blind

Wayne — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:24 +0000

Last week we looked at the prophecy that the coming Messiah would calm the seas. This week we will look at the prophecy that the Messiah would also heal the blind.

Old Testament Prophecy

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah made it clear that the coming Messiah would give sight to the blind:

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. [Isaiah 29:18 ESV]

Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [Isaiah 35:4-6 ESV]

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. [Isaiah 42:6-7 ESV]

In addition to all his other miracles, these passages make it clear that one of the signs of the coming Messiah would be bringing sight to the blind.

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament records numerous examples of instances where Jesus healed the blind in fulfillment of this prophecy. The following are some examples from the book of Matthew:

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” [Matthew 9:27-30 ESV]

Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” [Matthew 12:22-23 ESV]

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. [Matthew 20:29-34 ESV]

Jesus referred to the fulfillment of this specific prophecy when John the Baptist’s disciples came asking if he was the Messiah:

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” [Matthew 11:2-6 ESV]

Finally, there is the famous story from the book of John:

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” [John 9:1-11 ESV]

Jesus clearly fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that the coming Messiah would heal the blind, and these miracles bear witness to the fact that he was the Son of God.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #24 – The Messiah Would Calm the Seas

Wayne — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:36 +0000

We just finished up a number of weeks looking at the Old Testament prophecies regarding the genealogy of the coming Messiah and the fulfillment of those prophecies in the family line of Jesus Christ. In addition to predicting which family the Messiah would be born into, the Old Testament also includes a number of prophecies regarding the miracles that would be performed by the coming Messiah to prove that he came from God. In the next few installments of Monday Morning Prophecy, we will look at several of these prophecies beginning with a prophecy from Psalms about the time the Messiah would calm the seas.

In Psalm 107, we read the prophecy regarding the coming the Messiah calming the seas:

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. [Psalms 107:28-30 ESV]

To anyone familiar with the gospel accounts, reading this account from Psalms is sure to bring up images of the time the apostles were crossing choppy seas and Jesus slept. The story is recounted in Matthew 8:

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” [Matthew 8:23-27 ESV]

Despite the fear of the apostles, Jesus was quick to remind them to have faith and he quieted the seas around them consistent with the prophecy made hundreds of years earlier. This is just the first of many miracles prophesied in the Old Testament.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #17 – The Messiah Would Come From the Lineage of Abraham

Wayne — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:00:01 +0000

Last week looked at the proto-evangelica which prophesied that the coming Christ would come from the seed of woman and crush the head of Satan. Over the next several weeks, we would look at a variety of individuals from the Old Testament who were told well in advance of Jesus’ birth that the Messiah would come from their lineage. In this week’s prophecy, we will look at the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would come from the line of Abraham.

When God talked to Abraham and told him to leave his home, he promised him that the world would be blessed through his offspring (a prophecy fulfilled in the birth of the Messiah). In Genesis 12, we read:

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [Genesis 12:1-3]

Again later, in Genesis 22, we read that all the nations would be blessed through his offspring:

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” [Genesis 22:17-18]

Thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, God chose one man – Abraham – and announced to him that he would bless the entire world through him. Let’s have a look at the New Testament to see if Jesus was indeed in the lineage of Abraham. There are two separate genealogies of Christ included in the New Testament. One in included in Matthew and traces the descent of Jesus related to his legal right to the throne. The other is in Luke and traces the physical descent of Jesus. We will use both of these genealogies in the coming weeks to show the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the lineage of Jesus. Let’s look first at the genealogy from Matthew (I’ve highlighted the relevant individual in the verse below):

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ² Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, ³ and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, ⁴ and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, ⁵ and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, ⁷ and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, ⁸ and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, ⁹ and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, ¹¹ and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. ¹² And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, ¹³ and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, ¹⁴ and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, ¹⁵ and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. [Matthew 1:1-16]

Now, let’s have a look at the genealogy from Luke to see if Abraham shows up in that family tree as well:

²³ Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. [Luke 3:23-38]

These genealogies clearly show that Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul makes the point crystal clear:

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. [Galatians 3:16]

As we discussed earlier, over the next several weeks, we will look at the linage of Jesus as predicted in the Old Testament. While any one of these prophecies in isolation does not prove that Jesus is the Messiah (Abraham, for example, had many sons as kids in Sunday school sing about every week all over the world), but taken all together they provide yet another example of the pervasive proof for the supernatural inspiration of Scripture. Next week we’ll knock 50% of the lineage of Abraham out of contention for Messiah as we look at the prophecies that the Messiah would come from the line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #16 – Born from the Seed of a Woman

Wayne — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:00:58 +0000

We just completed a series of prophecies related to birth and childhood of the coming Messiah. In this installment, and for the next several weeks, we will look at eight prophecies regarding the lineage of the coming Messiah as prophesied in the Old Testament thousands of years before his birth.

In this first prophecy, we will look at the proto-evangelica – the very first prophecy contained in the Old Testament. In Genesis 3, we read the story of The Fall of Man in which Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent and disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As part of the curse brought on by that disobedience, God tells the serpent (Satan):

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” [Genesis 3:15]

The implication if that the offspring of the woman would be bruised by Satan (fulfilled in the crucifixion). Meanwhile, the seed of woman (Christ) would crush Satan (bruise his head).

Now, let’s look at the New Testament fulfillment of this prophecy that the Messiah would come from the seed of woman. It may seem obvious to us in hindsight that a man would have to be born of a woman, but we should keep two things in mind. First, God is all powerful and presumably could have chosen to send the Messiah in any number of ways which would not have involved being born of a woman. Secondly, in a very patriarchal society, it is extraordinary that this very first prophecy of the coming Messiah points not to a father of the Messiah but to the woman.

Now, let’s look at several New Testament passages indicating that Jesus was indeed offspring of the woman:

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. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [Matthew 1:18-21]

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 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. [Luke 1:34-35]

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,” [Galatians 4:4]

The New Testament leaves no doubt that Jesus was born a baby to a woman in the town of Bethlehem. He was indeed from the seed of the woman.

Furthermore, the New Testament confirms that the seed of woman, though bruised in the heel, did conquer Satan:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” [Hebrews 2:14]

The proto-evangelica as it is called is an amazing prophecy. Just three chapters into the story, and immediately following man’s rejection of God, God tells man that he will save him and conquer the enemy all of which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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Monday Morning Prophecy #15 – The Messiah Would Be Wise From Childhood

Wayne — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:00:13 +0000

Last week we looked at the prophecy included in Isaiah detailing with amazing accuracy the coming of the wise men after the birth of Jesus. This week we continue with the early childhood of Jesus and the prophecy regarding the Messiah’s childhood wisdom.

In a verse we looked at in an earlier post [Monday Morning Prophecy #10 – He Would Be Called Immanuel (God With Us)], Isaiah also tells us that the coming Messiah would be able to discern good from evil at a very early age:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. [Isaiah 7:14-15]

Luke confirms that this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus at a very early age:

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. [Luke 2:40]

Later in the same chapter, Luke gives us some insight into the extent of Jesus’ wisdom early in his life

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. [Luke 2:46-47]

From a very early age, Jesus demonstrated a significant amount of wisdom in the things of God (no surprise there). It was a wisdom so beyond his young years that the adults at the temple who heard him were amazed by his wisdom. Such knowledge was prophesied by Isaiah over 700 years prior.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #14 – He Would Be Presented With Gifts

Wayne — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:15 +0000

Last week, we looked at the Old Testament prophecy regarding King Herod’s reaction to the birth of Jesus. This week we will look at a common component of the traditional Christmas story – the arrival of the wise men.

Let’s start with a verse recorded by Isaiah roughly 700 years before the birth of Jesus:

A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD. [Isaiah 60:6]

As mentioned in an earlier entry, Isaiah is sometimes called the fifth gospel because it includes so many details about the life of Jesus. This is no exception. If I hadn’t revealed that this particular verse was taken from the Old Testament, you may easily have confused it with a New Testament account of the Christmas story. Now, let’s look at the actually story from the gospel of Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” [Matthew 2:1-2]

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [Matthew 2:11]

Right down to the gifts that the wise men would bring, Isaiah prophesied the coming of the wise men 700 years before the birth of Jesus. When we think about the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus, it is important to remember that many were about him, but there were also a number of prophecies regarding people who played a part in his life story.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #13 – Herod Would Kill the Children

Wayne — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:00:16 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, we have looked at Old Testament prophecies indicating that angels and shepherds would worship Jesus. This week we tackle a prophecy about how King Herod would react to the birth of Jesus.

Some 600 years or so before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Jeremiah recorded the words of the Lord:

Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” [Jeremiah 31:15]

This is one of the prophecies of the Old Testament where we need to look at the New Testament to understand its fulfillment. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Matthew records what happened when King Herod realized that the wise men had not come back to tell him the location of the baby Jesus:

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” [Matthew 2:16-18]

Herod ordered that all boys in the region two years old and younger be killed. The mothers of those children surely wept over the loss of their new born children. Matthew is clear that this is in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Some will argue that it is only the words of Matthew that “retroactively” made this prophecy. However, as we continue with the Monday Morning Prophecy series, you will see that this is just one in the overwhelming number of prophecies fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #12 – Shepherds Would Worship Him

Wayne — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:00:19 +0000

Last week we looked at the Old Testament prophecy that said the angels would worship the coming Messiah. This week we will look at a prophecy related to the shepherds to whom the angels came to announce the Good News of the birth of Jesus. In Psalm 72 we read:

May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! [Psalms 72:9]

Other translations render “desert tribes” as “they that dwell in the wilderness” and “desert nomads.” This is a description of shepherds. So, this Psalm can rightly be interpreted to prophecy that shepherds would worship the Messiah.

Luke recounts what happened the night when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds outside of Jerusalem:

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” [Luke 2:8-15]

As with many of the prophecies we have looked at thus far, this prophecy was not one over which Jesus had any control. The number of prophecies included in the Old Testament which were fulfilled in the life of Jesus and recorded in the New Testament is astounding. We are week #12, and we’re just getting started. Next week we will look at the prophecy related to Herod’s reaction to the birth of Jesus.

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Monday Morning Prophecy #11 – Angels Would Praise Him

Wayne — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:00:21 +0000

Last week we looked the prophecy from Isaiah about the Messiah’s name. This week let’s look at yet another prophecy from the Old Testament over which Jesus had no control. In Deuteronomy, Moses writes,

“Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.” [Deuteronomy 32:43]

Although not as crystal clear as certain other prophecies, Moses seems to indicate that the heavens would rejoice over the coming of the Messiah and bow down to him. Now, let’s turn our attention to a time roughly 1,500 years later when Jesus was born. Luke records the following event after the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field to announce the birth of the Messiah:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [Luke 2:13-14]

There was rejoicing amongst the angels at the birth of Jesus. The Book of Hebrews tells us that the angels worship Jesus:

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” [Hebrews 1:6]

The angels rejoiced at the birth of Jesus and worshiped him in accordance with Old Testament prophecy. We should do the same! As indicated earlier, this does not appear to be a prophecy that is as obvious as some of the others we have looked at, and will look at, in other Monday Morning Prophecies. However, taken as a whole, it is clear that God spoke through his prophets hundreds of years prior to the birth of Jesus to tell people about the coming Messiah. All of these prophecies serve as proof for the supernatural inspiration of scripture.

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Image courtesy of Abby Reed