Monthly Archives: December 2007

Heavens Light 12-26-07 The Savior – The PERSON of Jesus Christ – The Incarnation and Virgin Birth of Christ

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The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

The Incarnation and Virgin Birth

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,

glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. NASB

 

The Incarnation – What Does the Bible Say?

When considering the person of Jesus Christ from the Bible, one soon learns that Jesus is extraordinary. This is because He is the One unique person in all of history in whom God became “incarnate.” This is to say that God became “incarnated” as a man in the person of Jesus Christ by the agency of the virgin birth.

John 1:14 – 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. NASB

So when we consider the nature of Jesus from Scripture, we find that He is “fully man and fully God.” The Bible teaches that He is God in the flesh.

1 John 4:2-3 – 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. NASB

This is what distinguishes Jesus Christ from every other religious leader, Jesus is in fact God Himself, come into the world to be with us and manifest God to us in a way that we can understand clearly by taking on our very nature. The name Immanuel is a title for Jesus meaning “God with us.” God took on a human nature in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:23 – 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” NASB

 

The Virgin Birth

The Bible clearly speaks of the fact that Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit and that He did not have a human father.

Matthew 1:18-20 – 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” NASB

This divine miracle is remarkable indeed. It clearly speaks of the nature of the baby to be born, that it will be divine. This child will be Holy and without the iniquity of an earthly father being passed to Him. He will be the very Son of God!

Luke 1:35 – 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. NASB

So we see that Jesus not only had a human mother, Mary, but His father is God Himself. This is a thing of wonder indeed. The humanity and the deity of Christ are clearly seen in the fact that Jesus is the son of man, being born of Mary, and the Son of God, being conceived of the Holy Spirit. Thus, God took on a human nature and became a man.

Galatians 4:4 – 4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, NASB

This was absolutely necessary for Jesus to come into the world to die as a substitution for our sins. No one other man could ever do this for us because Jesus was the only One without sin, and therefore able to die in our place. This doctrine of the Virgin Birth is always and continually under attack for this very reason. If we forsake this fundamental teaching of Scripture, the doctrine of substitutionary atonement loses its foundation of a “lamb without blemish”, and we are therefore left with a less than perfect Savior to die in our place.

 
 
 

This teaching is a part of a 9 month series called “The Savior, The Cross, and The Gospel” ….

 

See the Outline here….. http://www.abqhcf.com/lessons/2007/handouts/dz/The_Savior_The_Cross_and_The_Gospel_Brochure.pdf

 

This teaching can be heard on audio here:

 

http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/2007/discovery/10-14-2007_SundaySchool.mp3

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and receive eternal life…..click here

 

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-348–5092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life

Heavens Light 12-16-07 The Savior – The PERSON of Jesus Christ – The Two Natures of Christ

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The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

The Two Natures of Christ

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason

the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. NASB

 

The God-Man

The fact that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a man is a fact that is widely known. The historical record of Jesus life and ministry is clear for all to see. In fact there have been more books written about Him, more pictures painted of Him and more attention focused on Him down through ages than any other man who has ever lived. He is the most famous person who lived in the history of mankind without dispute. But look closer at the person of Jesus and you find Him to be the most unique person who has ever lived as well. He was a man of amazing supernatural powers unlike any other person who has existed. In the Bible, the life, ministry and supernatural power of Christ are seen to be the result of the fact that He is actually the very Son of God. In the Bible, Jesus Christ is presented as God incarnate in the flesh. This fact is known as “the deity of Christ”, or “the divinity of Christ.”

John 1:14 – 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. NASB

So when we consider the biblical Jesus, we find Him to be this unique person in history in which God became a man and lived in the flesh as a man, the God-man. In the history of the world, no other claim as this has been the center of more controversy, study, and focus of theologians and religious worshippers as the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. More than this, the claims of this man Jesus Christ and the supernatural powers he bore, witnessed by thousands, makes Him a wonderful and fearful man indeed. Consider just a few of His claims and works….

·         He claimed to be God in the flesh (Matt 26:64, John 8:23, 58, 10:36, 11:25, Rev 1:17, 22:13)

·         He claimed to be the promised Messiah of the Jews (John 4:25, 6:35-40, 51)

·         He claimed to have pre-existed his life on earth in Heavenly Glory (John 3:13, 6:41, 17:5)

·         He claimed to be the final judge of all people at the end of the ages (Matt 16:27, 25:31-46)

·         He claimed to give eternal life to those who embrace His message (Matt 19:29, John 11:25)

·         He taught with supernatural wisdom never heard of in history (Luke 6:20-49, 12:1-18:33)

·         He did miracles of healing  lame, blind and deaf people (John 9:1-41, Matt 9:18-35)

·         He raised people from the dead (John 11:40-46, Luke 7:11-17, 8:49-56)

·         He walked on water and fed 5000 people with a few loaves and fish (Matt 14:15-32)

·         He made prophecies of future events with pinpoint accuracy (Matt 17:22, 24:2, Luke 21:24)

When you combine these claims and works of Jesus, along with the amazing story of His birth, and His Passion and resurrection from the dead, He is an amazing person indeed.

Acts 10:37-41 – 38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. 39 “And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 “God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, NASB

One does not have to think real hard to realize that no one person who has ever lived even resembles the person of Jesus Christ. He is in fact the most amazing person of wonder, power and wisdom. Even those who embrace His message today, some 2000 years later, claim to have their lives completely transformed in a supernatural way that brings inner peace, joy and a desire to love and do good like no other thing that has ever happened to them. Consider that if all of this be true about this man Jesus Christ, His person and His message is one that we should give close scrutiny to. Jesus answers all the great concerns about our lives and our world. He claims to hold the keys of death, promises immortality and has manifested God to us in most profound manner. Upon close examination, we are left in awe and wonder, proclaiming with doubting Thomas…..

            John 20:28 – 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” NASB

One Being Two Natures

Being both the Son of God and the son of man is unprecedented in the world. When Jesus the Christ came into the wre6xyorld, born of a virgin, having been conceived by God Himself, the eternal Son of God manifested Himself as a man.

Luke 1:35 – 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. NASB

Here we have an idea, or a concept which the human mind can hardly grasp, God in the flesh of a man. In the passages below, we will examine the Deity and the Humanity of Jesus Christ in the Bible. But here we will give a brief definition of what it means that Jesus Christ had two natures. In the 5th Century, the Church finally resolved a long struggle to understand this unique idea that Jesus possessed two natures. This happened when a large church council convened for this very purpose in Chalcedon in 451 A.D. The statement on Christ’s two natures that was produced is very comprehensive and is referred to as the Chalcedonian Definition. It reads as follows…“We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us.”

This definition sought to correct several false teachings about the nature of Jesus Christ, which it did, and has been accepted by orthodox churches ever since its inception. Wayne Grudem comments on this…. “When the Chalcedonian Definition says that the two natures of Christ occur together “in one Person and one Subsistence,“ the Greek word translated as “Subsistence” is the word hypostasis, ὑπόστασις (G5712) “being.” Hence the union of Christ’s human and divine natures in one person is sometimes called the hypostatic union. This phrase simply means the union of Christ’s human and divine natures in one being.”

The Bible makes very clear statements about the fact that Jesus was both human and divine, and this miracle is a precious treasure for us to embrace as we worship our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:3-4 – concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, NASB

Galatians 4:4 – 4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, NASB

Many times as we read through the Bible, we will encounter various passages which may stress one or the other nature of Jesus. When this happens we must remember that we understand the verses in the Bible in their larger context of the passage, chapter, book, and even in the context of the whole Bible. Therefore we must understand these difficulties in the light of what the entire Bible teaches about each one. As we see Jesus revealed in the pages of Scripture, let us worship Him with reverence and awe, and with the hymn writer say “hail the incarnate Deity!” “Christ, by highest heav’n adored: – Christ, the everlasting Lord; Late in time behold him come, Offspring of the favored one. Veil’d in flesh, the Godhead see; Hail, th’incarnate Deity: Pleased, as man, with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel! Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

 
 

This teaching is a part of a 9 month series called “The Savior, The Cross, and The Gospel” ….

 

See the Outline here….. http://www.abqhcf.com/lessons/2007/handouts/dz/The_Savior_The_Cross_and_The_Gospel_Brochure.pdf

 

This teaching can be heard on audio here:

 

http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/2007/discovery/10-07-2007_SundaySchool.mp3

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and receive eternal life…..click here

 

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-348–5092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life
 
 

Heavens Light 12-09-07 The Savior – The PERSON of Jesus Christ – The Promised Messiah Part 3

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The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

The Promised Messiah – Part 3

Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest

on His shoulders; And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. NASB

 

Themes present in OT Messianic Prophecies

Before we look at the clear references of Jesus Christ the Savior in the Old Testament, let us consider that certain themes season these Messianic Prophecies in the Bible. These themes are present to show us the nature of true and acceptable worship to God.

·         Atonement for Sin/Sacrifice – Sin must be dealt with. OT types almost always stress the need for an “atoning sacrifice.” These show us the severe nature of sin and the desperate need we have to be reconciled to God (Example…Levitical Sacrificial system)

·         Substitution – There must be a replacement. Because of the consequences of sin, it becomes necessary for a replacement to be sacrificed “in the place of” the one who has sinned. Otherwise one would have to die and be separated from God. (Example…the scapegoat in Day of Atonement)

·         Faith Not Works – God’s Provision not man’s efforts. Even the Old Testament stresses God’s grace in providing the sacrifice needed for reconciliation. This is to show man’s utter inability to save himself and make himself right with God through works. (Example…Adam/Eve skins, or Abraham’s Moriah)

Therefore when we read the Old Testament narratives, let us open our eyes anew to see these Gospel themes and how God by His Holy Spirit has divinely placed them in the narrative to show us Christ the Savior! Consider the following examples…..

  

The Lord Shall Provide

In Genesis chapter 22 we read of the story of God testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Of course the background here is that Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren all her life until God came and promised them a son that Sarah would bear, and that he would be Abraham’s heir. This came after God had made a covenant with Abram and gave him a new name, Abraham, which means “father of many nations”, (Genesis 17:4-5).  

Genesis 22:1-2 – 22 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 23 And He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” NASB

Strange indeed that God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his son. Much could be said here as the story holds many treasures of Bible truth, but consider that in this brief chapter, Christ is foreseen in many ways. Notice here how Christ is pictured….

·         The Father is to make a costly sacrifice of His only son

·         The willing submission of the son

·         Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice even as Christ carried His cross

·         The name given of the place “Moriah” by Abraham, “The Lord will provide” (Gen 22:14)

·         God does provide the sacrifice, “a ram in a thicket caught by his horns” thus showing God’s gracious provision. This foreshadows the truths of faith not works, and substitutionary atonement.

·         The place a mountain in the region of “Moriah” is the very place of Christ’s Crucifixion 2000 yrs later, also the mountain on which the Temple was later built and God was worshipped  by the Jews (2 Chron 3:1)

In other words, the story of Abraham’s test is a type or “typical prophecy” of Christ the Messiah who would become the sacrifice that the Lord provides. Consider the profound words of Derek Tidball… “Glimpses of Calvary can be seen repeatedly in Genesis 22…. A constellation of clues bursts from the story like the shower of lights that explodes skyward from a splendid firework! Here the father gives. The son surrenders. The Lord provides. The ram dies, and the people profit. Here for sure the cross is anticipated.”

 

The Lamb’s Blood

In Exodus Chapter 12 we read of the Lord’s Passover (Ex 12:11). On this day Israel was to prepare a lamb for a meal, an unblemished male roasted with fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and the whole family is to eat the lamb. Here the death angel “passes over” those families who have the blood of the Lamb smeared over the doorpost of their home as he comes to slay the firstborn. This of course is the night before the Lord will lead His people out of the bondage of slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt. As they eat, the family is to eat it with their bags packed and ready to leave town. This becomes an annual celebration for Israel in the years to come as God commands them to reenact this Passover each year in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.

Exodus 12:11-14 – 11 ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste —  it is the Lord’s Passover. 12 ‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments —  I am the Lord. 13 ‘And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. NASB

Of course the whole narrative of the Exodus reveals many attributes of God and portrays His gracious dealings with His people, but the Passover specifically points to Christ. Now here again we see in the narrative of the Old Testament Christ the Messiah pictured in a mysterious “typical prophecy.” Consider here some of the ways Christ is pictured…..

·         A lamb is sacrificed and the blood is seen as a protection from God’s wrath in the plague of the firstborn. The destroying angel passes over all who have the blood applied.

·         The lamb is to be an “unblemished male.” This portrays the perfect righteousness of Christ the Messiah.

·         It is to be “roasted with fire, and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.” These portray the severe trial, bitter suffering and purity of Christ and His cross.

·         The whole family is to “eat the flesh” of the lamb and it is to be totally consumed. This portrays the union of the sacrificed Christ that He has with His people. Later Jesus says, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (John 6:56).

·         Through this feast the people are set free from a life of slavery, bondage and bitter oppression and led into the desert to be led and shepherded by God Himself.

So here again we see Christ the Messiah portrayed through the storyline of events that happened some 1500 years before He lived. Astounding! This is affirmed by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament when he says in 1 Corinthians 5:7 that “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.” It would be good to note that the whole Passover account portrays the faithfulness, compassion, justice, and power of God in many marvelous ways.

 

My God why have you forsaken Me?

In Psalm 22 we have an amazing text that foreshadows Christ’s crucifixion on the cross, even though the Psalm was penned by King David some 1000 years before Christ was born. The parallels between this Psalm 22 and the Cross are striking. In fact they are nothing less than supernatural!

 

                             Messianic Prophecies in Psalm 22

Description

OT Reference

NT Reference

The forsaken Christ

 Psalm 22:1

 Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34

Verbally abused by men

 Psalm 22:6-7

 Matthew 26:67-68, 27:27-31

Trust in God ridiculed

 Psalm 22:8

 Matthew 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35, 39

Surrounded by enemies

 Psalm 22:12

 Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20

Physically weakened

 Psalm 22:14-15

 Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26

Thirsty

 Psalm 22:15

 John 19:28

Surrounded by enemies

 Psalm 22:16

 Matthew 27:39-44

Hands and feet pierced

 Psalm 22:16

 John 20:20, 25

Bones not broken

 Psalm 22:17

 John 19:31-36

Stared at by the people

 Psalm 22:17

 Matthew 27:55-56, Luke 23:35, 48-49, John 19:20

Lots cast for His clothing

 Psalm 22:18

 Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24

God heard His prayers

 Psalm 22:21, 24

 Hebrews 5:7-8

 

It is apparent that this Psalm is a Messianic Prophecy, bright shining as the sun! One can hardly imagine how someone could see the fulfillment of these ancient cries of the Psalmist in the suffering of Christ and not be awed and amazed! More than this, it is the incarnate Son of God pictured here….a bleeding God…What wondrous love is this Oh my soul? How can words describe the profound nature of these events? Ineffable! Let us see here how both Old and New Testaments come together as a unified whole to point us to Christ!

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

In Isaiah chapter 53 we have a Messianic Prophecy which is unmatched for its clarity and detail about the suffering of Christ the Messiah. As the Ethiopian Eunuch was riding along and speaking to Phillip, reading from Isaiah 53, Phillip explained to him that he was reading about Jesus the Christ (Acts 8:26-39).

Acts 8:32-35 – 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. 33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who shall relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?” 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. NASB

Not only does the text describe in detail the suffering of Christ the Messiah, but even explains the benefits of the atonement to us in great detail. This text was written some 700 years before Christ was born. Truly the description here provided of Christ and His suffering is astonishing!

 

                             Messianic Prophecies in Isaiah 53

Description

OT Reference

NT Reference

Who has believed our report?

 Isaiah 53:1

 John 12:37-38, Romans 10:16

Despised and rejected

 Isaiah 53:3

 Mark 9:12, Luke 17:25, John 1:10-11, 1 Peter 2:4

He has borne our infirmities

 Isaiah 53:4

 Matthew 8:16-17

Considered smitten by God

 Isaiah 53:4

 Galatians 3:13, Matthew 27:38-44, Luke 23:35

Wounded for our transgressions

 Isaiah 53:5

 Romans 4:25

We are healed by his stripes

 Isaiah 53:5

 1 Peter 2:24

Jesus was flogged

 Isaiah 53:5

 Mark 15:15, Luke 22:63-65, John 19:1

Silent before His accusers

 Isaiah 53:7

 Matthew 26:62-63, 27:12-14, Mark 14:60-61, 15:3-15, John 19:9, Acts 8:32-35

Christ died for our sins

 Isaiah 53:8

 1 Corinthians 15:3

Died with the wicked

 Isaiah 53:9

 Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:32-33

Buried with the rich

 Isaiah 53:9

 Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:43-46, Luke 23:50-53, John 19:38-42

Lived a sinless life

 Isaiah 53:9

 1 Peter 2:22

Jesus was an offering for sin

 Isaiah 53:10

 1 Corinthians 15:3, Hebrews 10:12-14

He would justify many

 Isaiah 53:11

 Acts 13:38-39, Romans 5:17-19

He will be great

 Isaiah 53:12

 Matthew 28:18, Luke 24:27

Numbered with transgressors

 Isaiah 53:12

 Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:32-33

Made intercession for sinners

 Isaiah 53:12

 Luke 23:34, 39-43, Romans 8:34

 

The accuracy of these prophecies are clear evidence of the supernatural revelation of God in the Bible! If you cannot see it, cry out to God for a new set of eyes, for surely yours are failing. Again let us see here how both Old and New Testaments come together as a unified whole to point us to Christ! The volume of the book is written of Him!

 

This teaching is a part of a 9 month series called “The Savior, The Cross, and The Gospel” ….

 

See the Outline here….. http://www.abqhcf.com/lessons/2007/handouts/dz/The_Savior_The_Cross_and_The_Gospel_Brochure.pdf

 

This teaching can be heard on audio here:

 

http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/2007/discovery/09-23-2007_SundaySchool.mp3

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and receive eternal life…..click here

 

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 
If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
 
 
Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-348–5092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life
 
 

Heavens Light 12-3-07 The Savior – The PERSON of Jesus Christ – The Promised Messiah Part 2

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The Savior – The Person of Jesus Christ

The Promised Messiah – Part 2

Isaiah 9:6

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest

on His shoulders; And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. NASB

 

Christ the Messiah Promised in the Old Testament

As we go through the narrative of the Old Testament, we see this redemptive history showing up in many places. It is in fact a record of how God has worked out the Plan Redemption down through the ages of history, tracing the genealogy of the Savior all the way from Adam to Christ. (See Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1-9, Matthew 1:1-16). The Old Testament is filled with “types”, “shadows” and specific “Messianic Prophecies” of the Christ the Messiah. We see “types” (typical prophecies) or “shadows” of the Messiah in different stories of the Old Testament which reveal different aspects of the Gospel or the coming Messiah’s ministry. There are also many specific “Messianic Prophecies” of the Christ and His ministry in the Old Testament. According to the Old Testament, the coming Messiah would:

·         Be a descendant of Abraham (compare Gen. 22:18 with Gal. 3:16)

·         Be a descendant of Jacob (compare Num. 24:17 with Lk. 3:23, 34)

·         Be from the tribe of Judah (compare Gen. 49:10 with Lk. 3:23, 33)

·         Be from the family of Jesse (compare Is. 11:1 with Lk. 3:23, 32)

·         Be from the house of David (compare Jer. 23:5 with Lk. 3:23, 31)

·         Be born at Bethlehem (compare Micah 5:2 with Matt. 2:1)

·         Be the pre-existent one (compare Micah 5:2 with Col. 1:17)

·         Be the Lord (compare Psalm 110:1 with Matt. 22:43-45)

·         Be God with us (compare Isaiah 7:14 with Matt. 1:23)

·         Be a prophet (compare Deut. 18:18 with Matt. 21:11)

·         Be a priest (compare Psalm 110:4 with Heb. 3:1; 5-6)

·         Be a king (compare Psalm 2:6 with Matt. 27:37)

·         Be anointed by the Spirit (compare Is. 11:2 with Matt. 3:16, 17)

·         Be zealous for God (compare Ps. 69:9 with John 2:15, 16)

·         Have a forerunner (compare Is. 40:3; Mal. 3:1 with Matt. 3:1,2)

·         Begin His ministry in Galilee (compare Is. 9:1 with Matt. 4:12-17)

·         Have a ministry of miracles (compare Is. 35:5,6 with Matt. 9:35)

·         Bring healing and spiritual life (compare Is. 61:1-2 with Lk. 4:18).

·         Enter Jerusalem on a donkey (compare Zech. 9:9 with Lk. 19:35-37)

·         Be rejected by the Jews (compare Psalm 118:22 with 1 Pet. 2:7)

·         Be silent before His accusers (compare Is. 53:7 with Matt. 27:12)

·         Be wounded and bruised (compare Is. 53:5 with Matt. 27:26)

·         Be smitten and spit upon (compare Is. 50:6 with Matt. 26:67)

·         Be crucified with thieves (compare Is. 53:12 with Matt. 27:38)

·         Have His garments divided (compare Ps. 22:18 with John 19:23,24)

·         Have his side pierced (compare Zech. 12:10 with John 19:34)

·         Be buried in a rich man’s tomb (compare Is. 53:9 with Matt. 27:57ff)

·         Come before Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed (compare Dan. 9:26 with Matt. 24:2)

Even Jesus Himself spoke of the fact that the Old Testament Scriptures bore witness to His coming.

John 5:39 – 39 “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; NASB

Luke also describes how Jesus taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus from the Old Testament, including Moses and the Prophets, the “things concerning Himself.”

Luke 24:27 – 27 And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. NASB

The New Testament speaks in many places about the fact that the Old Testament pointed to Christ as the coming Redeemer and Savior.

Acts 4:10-12 –  10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead —  by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. 12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” NASB

1 Corinthians 10:1- 4 – For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. NASB

Hebrews 5:5-6 – 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee“; 6 just as He says also in another passage, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.“ NASB

So when we consider the storyline of the Old Testament, it is important that we see it as a unified whole, woven together with the New Testament and fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is the Old Testament Messiah who was promised by God to redeem His people and save them from death and suffering and usher in a Kingdom which shall never be shaken.

 

The Proto-Evangel

Throughout the Old Testament record, beginning at the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3, the promise of a coming Redeemer is woven into the biblical text. As soon as sin enters into the storyline, redemption becomes necessary as mankind is tragically separated from God by his sin and in a hopeless and desperate state. This was the fearful warning from God about eating from the tree….

Genesis 2:16-17 – 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” NASB

Upon temptation from that liar the cunning serpent, the woman and man were deceived and ate from the tree, and sin entered the world and all of the subsequent consequences and sufferings of mankind from that day followed.

Genesis 3:4-7 – 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. NASB

It was right at this point in the biblical record that God enters with a promise of redemption. The Gospel is first announced in Genesis 3:15 when God curses the serpent….

Genesis 3:15 – And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” NASB

This is referred to as the “Proto-Evangel” or the first announcement of the good news in the Bible. Here the woman’s “seed” is said to “bruise the head of the serpent.” This is actually a very profound thought as woman are not said to have “seed,” that is a male function. Many believe this is none other than a prophecy of the Virgin Birth of Christ! In any case here we have the temptation of man being avenged by Eve’s own child, and this we know for sure is carried out by Jesus Christ on the Cross.

 

 

 

This teaching is a part of a 9 month series called “The Savior, The Cross, and The Gospel” ….

 

See the Outline here….. http://www.abqhcf.com/lessons/2007/handouts/dz/The_Savior_The_Cross_and_The_Gospel_Brochure.pdf

 

This teaching can be heard on audio here:

 

http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/2007/discovery/09-16-2007_SundaySchool.mp3

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and receive eternal life…..click here

 

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 
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Shaan Sloan
Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ
505-348–5092
The Lord is the Strength of My Life