THE PROMISED MESSIAH

Lecture Objectives:

To show that Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of all the promises of God found in the Old Testament concerning a deliverer to save the world.

References:

John 5.39-40; Luke 4.16-21; John 5.34ff; Matthew 16.15-20; John 4.25-26; Matthew 11.17; Luke 10.21-22; John 10.33-36; John 11.4, 25-27; Luke 4.33-34

Questions For Focus:

1. Where is Nazareth?
2. How serious a matter is it for one to "claim" to be the Son of God?
3. What does the word "Christ" and the word "Messiah" mean?
4. What does it imply when it says "the Scriptures bear witness to" Him?
5. Can you name three sources that bore witness to Christ's being the Messiah?
6. How do you explain God being a "Father" and Jesus being "the Son"?
7. What is the significance of Jesus permitting people to call Him by titles normally ascribed to God?

I. INTRODUCTION

Have you ever looked forward to the arrival of someone who was very dear to you? Perhaps your parents, grandparents, a son or daughter, or a very special friend.

Christians believed that Jesus Christ was truly the one promised and fulfilled all that was said about His expected coming.

II. JESUS MADE THE CLAIM HE WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT WRITINGS

1. In Luke 2.41-51 He claimed in the context of the incident to be the fulfillment of Scripture.
2. In John 5.39-40 He said the Scriptures bore witness of Him...that He was the One who could give life. The first incident after His messianic anointing by the Spirit of God, He went back to His home town, Nazareth, and identified Himself. Luke 4.16-21
   1. Note His statement: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
   2. There are two distinct themes present in these texts:
      1. Jesus clearly claimed to be the One spoken of in these Scriptures as the Messiah.
      2. The Scriptures are cited clearly as the source of evidence for these claims.

III. "MESSIANIC CLAIMS" IS AN EXPRESSION VITAL TO THIS DISCUSSION.

1. It is essential to the whole case for Jesus' Messianic identity.
   1. Did He actually claim to be Messiah?
   2. The overwhelming testimony of the New Testament is that He did.
   3. His contemporaries heard them first and followed Him to the end, even into persecution and death.
   4. His claims and their examination of such seem to be the center point of their faith.
2. John 5.34ff - A well developed defense for His Messiahship based on five strong sources of proof:
   1. The first witness: verse 33 - John the Baptist.
      1. They had asked John for his conclusion to the claims being made.
   2. The second witness: verse 36 - The works He did.
      1. They were commissioned by God, thus implying, He was commissioned by God.
   3. The third witness: verse 37 - The Father.
      1. But they had failed to hear His voice in the deeds He commissioned.
   4. The fourth witness: verse 39 - The Scriptures.
      1. A thorough, honest investigation of Scriptures.
   5. The fifth witness: verse 45 - Moses.
      1. I.E. What Moses had written.
      2. The Torah condemned them as it contained Messianic terms.
      3. They were short of insight into God's law.
3. In other texts He clearly affirmed that He was the expected Messiah/Christ.
   1. Matthew 16.15-17, 20
      1. When Peter clearly affirmed :Christ's identity, Jesus accepted Peter's perception and congratulated him for it.
      2. Peter had made the discovery for himself; it was best that others make the discovery for themselves, hence verse 20.
   2. John 4.25-26
      1. The woman said "I know that the Messiah is coming."
      2. With no reserve on His part He clearly states "I who speak to you am He."
4. Consistently, throughout the Gospels, He affirmed that God was His Father and that He was God's Son.
   1. Matthew 11.27; Luke 10.21-22
      1. Note that these words depict an exclusive mutual bond between Father and Son.
      2. That a revelation of the Father is dependent upon the Son's knowledge of Him.
   2. John 5.17-20
      1. His sonship is underlined by His activity (healing) as the Father's activity. His works and the Father's works are similar in character.
      2. This statement was made because He had called God His Father (verse 18).
   3. John 10.33-36
      1. He claimed to be the Son of God based on the "works" His Father had given Him to do.
   4. John 17.1
      1. The glory of the Son contributes to the glory of the Father.

IV. JESUS OFTEN ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONFESSION OF HIM AS MESSIAH BY OTHERS AND ACCEPTED MESSIANIC TITLES ASCRIBED TO HIM.

1. John 1.40-41 - Andrew said: "We have found the Messiah."
2. John 1.45-49 - Philip tells Nathaniel they had found "Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote."
   1. Nathaniel confesses: "You are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel."
3. John 6.68-69 - Peter calls Him "Lord", tells Him He has the words of eternal life, and acknowledges Him as "the holy One of Israel."
4. Matthew 3.16-17 - God said: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
5. Matthew 8.28-29; Luke 8.28 - Two Gardarene demoniacs said: "What have you to do with us, O Son of God..."
6. Matthew 21.15-16 - Children cried out: "Hosanna to the Son of David..."

V. JESUS DEVELOPED A STRONG CASE FOR HIS IDENTITY FROM OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES.

1. Read carefully Luke 24.25-27; 44-45. Note these significant statements and explain what is inferred by their content.
   1. "...to believe all that the prophets have spoken..."
   2. "...beginning with Moses and all the prophets , He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself..."
   3. "...while He opened to us the scriptures..."
2. Matthew 5.17 - He said He hadn't come to abolish the law and the prophets but to "fulfill them..."
3. John 5.39-40; 46-47 - "Moses wrote of Me..."
4. Luke 22.37 - "...this scripture must be fulfilled in me...for what is written about me has its fulfillment..."
5. Explore these questions:
   1. What is the significance of the fact that Jesus developed the Biblical case for His Messiahship from the whole of the Biblical cannon of the Hebrew scriptures (O.T.)?
   2. He repeatedly appeals to the Law (first five Books of the Old Testament), the Prophets (their entire collection of writings), the Psalms (the devotional literature beginning with the Psalms). Why?
   3. Considering the data cited here, who do you think Jesus believed Himself to be?

VI. CLOSURE

1. What have we learned?
   1. That Jesus clearly believed He was the Messiah who was promised.
   2. He interprets Messianic texts and applies them to self and often shows that He had more knowledge of who/what the Messiah was to be and the nature of Messiah's redemptive role.
   3. Those who investigated His claims became His disciples.
   4. From these basic authenticated beliefs developed the religion men have known for 2,000 years as Christianity.