Vintage

“Two thousand years ago a child was born in a backward part of the Roman Empire. The child grew up to be a religious reformer, who preached for three years and was then put to death as a nuisance by the Roman colonial authorities, at the insistence of Jewish religious leaders, supported by a noisy, vocal rabble. It is in short a story of ignoble failure, ending in a horrific and shameful death. Today the world of 6 billion people counts its years and conducts its annual cycle of events in memory of this crucified failure.”

Such has been the impact of the Lord Jesus Christ on history, as viewed by Paul Johnson in the Reader’s Digest for December 1999.

So who was this “ignoble failure”?

God had planned from the very beginning, as we see in Eden, to provide a Saviour - one who would overcome the power of sin and save his people. The one who was to bring such blessing upon the human race — a blessing to all nations — would descend from the line of Abraham and David, as testified in the first verse of the New Testament:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)

Searching for the Messiah

At the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rome had conquered and subdued all the civilised world, in accordance with the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s image:

The fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. (Daniel 2:40)

These words describe the ruthlessness of Rome in its march to world power. Its triumphant armies marched throughout the known world, with the flying eagle (the symbol of Roman power) fluttering from its standards. Rome dealt cruelly with the conquered cities, including Jerusalem, forcing heavy taxes upon them — and feeding upon them like parasites.

The Jews were a stubborn and defiant people and often rebelled against their overlords. However, their cruel oppressors were too much for them, crushing and punishing all opposition. Many were hoping for the coming the Messiah, to destroy their Roman conquerors and usher in a golden age of peace and prosperity, as foretold by the prophets of Israel. The Jewish understanding of prophecy was that the Messiah would be the king of the Jews, a political leader who would defeat their enemies and establish the Kingdom of God, as foretold for instance by Daniel’s prophecy:

In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)

Another prophecy about the coming Messiah was given to Daniel in a vision:

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

There is a well-known prophecy, often quoted today at Christmas, which was probably well known to them also:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, … (Isaiah 9:6-7)

In order to encourage Daniel and his people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken captive to Babylon, the prophet Daniel was given a prophetic time line (Daniel 9:24-27). Some Jews must have used this prophecy correctly to calculate that the time was right for the Messiah to appear. There was an air of expectancy amongst them that his appearance was imminent.

So it was that following the birth of Jesus, wise men visited Jerusalem following a star, who asked King Herod:

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

When Herod enquired of the chief priests and scribes, they had no trouble answering him from the prophecies given by the prophets of Israel:

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” (Matthew 2:5)

They were quoting from the prophet Micah:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

The Birth Of Jesus Was Foretold

Jesus was the name given by his parents to the little babe born at Bethlehem, who was to become the centre of the purpose of God. The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘Saviour’ and was given as the angel instructed:

You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

‘Christ’ is really a title and means ‘anointed’, and therefore ‘specially chosen’. Jesus was The Christ just as John was spoken of as The Baptist.

We need to note that the Jews had not taken into account prophecies showing that their Messiah had to first come and die in order to save his people, as the angel of the Lord told the shepherds who were watching their flocks in the field by night:

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Mary recognised that her son was the promised saviour and in her Song of Rejoicing she sang:

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour ... He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. (Luke 1:46-47, 54-5)

An angel had visited Mary to tell her she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God:

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:32-33)

This was in part fulfilment of the promise made to King David:

When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. …your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

The New Testament confirms that the prophets of old had foretold the facts concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ:

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22)

The Redemptive Work of Jesus Foretold

The redemptive work of Jesus is referred to in many places in the Old Testament. It formed the hope of the believers who lived prior to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Job is such an example:

I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-26)

It was the theme of that beautiful fifty-third chapter of Isaiah:

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. … Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. …By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:3-11)

The prophet Zechariah spoke of the time when the Jews have been converted, and are sorrowful for what they did to the Lord Jesus Christ in handing him over to the Romans to be crucified:

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. (Zechariah 12:10)

And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds (in) between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ (Zechariah 13:6)

Psalm 22 paints a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ as he suffered upon the cross. Some of the exact words that he spoke are included in this psalm. The following are a few quotations (You may wish to look up the cross references in your own Bible):

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46) Why are You so far from helping Me (Luke 22:42) … A reproach of men, and despised by the people (Matthew 27:39-40). All those who see Me ridicule Me (Luke 23:35); they shoot out the lip, they shake the head (Mark 15:29), saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him (Matthew 27:43), since He delights in Him!” … For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me (Matthew 27:27–35). They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me (Matthew 27:39). They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots (John 19:24). (All from Psalm 22)

From the few quotations we have given it can be seen that the Old Testament taught and prophesied that the Lord Jesus Christ’s first coming was as the perfect Lamb of God. God’s purpose was that he should die as a sacrifice in order to save his people.

It may seem surprising that the Jews had not taken account of this aspect of the work of the Messiah. It was because Israel had rejected God that He closed their eyes and ears to an understanding to His purpose. The Lord Jesus Christ explained, quoting from Isaiah 6:9-10, although given in a different context:

I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ (Matthew 13:13-15)

In his inspired writing to the Romans, Paul, who was himself a Jew, also quoted Isaiah:

I say then, has God cast away His people (the Jews)? Certainly not! … What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day. (Romans 11:1, 7-8)

Paul explained that God has used their blindness as an opportunity to offer salvation to people like us — the gentiles!

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! …Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. (Romans 11:11-12, 28)

Paul also assures us that Israel’s blindness is only temporary and that at the coming of the Deliverer (the Lord Jesus Christ) they will be converted:

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:25-26)

It is worth reading the whole of this chapter to get a fuller picture of God’s purpose. Note Paul’s closing words of praise:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unreachable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

His Second Coming Foretold

After his resurrection Jesus ascended to heaven and two angels told the watching disciples that he would return again:

Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

Peter challenged his Jewish listeners to repent and be obedient to the gospel message:

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)

The prophet Daniel was given a vision concerning the return of Jesus:

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days (God), and they brought Him (Jesus) near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

The Work Of Jesus Now

After his resurrection Jesus ascended to heaven. At his ascension, two angels declared he would return again:

Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)

Jesus will return to fulfil the rest of God’s purpose in him. Meanwhile, He is a mediator - one who goes between God and man. He is described as a High Priest who can intercede for us to the Almighty:

There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)

The Letter to the Hebrews explains that because Jesus lived his life on earth and was made in every way ‘like unto his brethren’ He can understand how we feel and can be sympathetic to our needs:

In all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Finally …