Jesus was Silent to Accusations (Is. 53:7; ref. Mark 15:4-5)

After those false witnesses had testified against the teachings of the Lord Jesus before the members of the council, Jesus remained silent. Jesus saw no reason to defend His situation for He knew that He had done nothing wrong concerning His teachings and works. In fact members of the council had heard the teachings of Jesus Christ because He was teaching in open places and the temple. Jesus knew that the council was just trying to find ways of putting Him to death.

After having heard all the testimonies of those witnesses, Pilate and the high priest expected to hear Jesus’ defense, but He was silent concerning all the accusations. On the other hand, the Jews knew that they needed to make definite charges against the Lord Jesus Christ, so the high priest asked Jesus for His response concerning those accusations (Mark 14:60). And again Pilate asked the same thing in Mark 15:4-5, but Jesus remained silent. Lockyer commented, “When falsely accused, He did not try to defend Himself, but endured the contradictions of sinners.” The only question that Christ answered during His trial was the question whether He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. Then Jesus answered that He is (Mark 14:62).

The false accusations against Jesus Christ are recorded in the gospels in order to reveal the sufferings that He bore to save sinners. In other words both the Old and New Testament people were able to see the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross. As prophet Isaiah said, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Is. 53:7). Jesus was silent during all the trials that He underwent as fulfillment of the prophecy given in the Old Testament.

Jesus was Accused by False Witnesses (Ps. 35:11; ref. Mark 14:57-58)

The ministry of the Messiah was well planned by God the Father even before He sent His Son to this world. Everything that would happen to Christ had been pre-ordained by the Lord. Thus when Jesus Christ came to this world, He was obliged to do what His father had commanded Him. His mission was to please His Father in the things He had planned for the redemption of the wretched man.

The life and death of Jesus had been programmed by God. Everything Jesus did must be acceptable and according to the Father’s wish and nothing could happen to His Son without the foreknowledge of God the Father. In fact when the New Testament books record the life of Jesus Christ, they give strong support to the fact that even the false witnesses against the ministry and works of Jesus was recorded. Mark 14:57-58 said, “And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and with three days I will build another made without hands.”

The content of this verse is not contrary to what Jesus proclaimed during His preaching and teaching sessions. It is true that Jesus did say, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Nevertheless, what Jesus said here refers to His body and not to the temple building or the sanctuary. Jesus never said that He would destroy the Sanctuary. But the unbelieving Jews were blind and could not understand what Jesus had said. To them what Jesus meant was that Jesus would truly destroy the sanctuary and in three days He would rebuild it. However, Mark emphasized in his gospel that what these people had claimed were actually false witnesses against the Messiah.

Although Jesus Christ did nothing wrong, the chief priest and all the members of the council looked for witnesses against Jesus to put him to death (Mark 14:54). After all, they could not find any fault in Him; in fact those false witnesses did not agree with each other (Mark 14:55). The Psalmist said in Ps. 35:11, “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.” Everything that had been predicted concerning the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, must be fulfilled as seen in this passage.

Jesus was Betrayed for Thirty Pieces of Silver (Zech. 11:12; ref. Matt. 26:14-15)

For the second time, the scripture records how the Messiah would be betrayed in His first coming. In Psalm 41:9, He was betrayed by His close friend or disciple, while the prophet Zechariah gave details of how His disciple would betray Him. Both the Psalmist and Zechariah were referring to the same person. And these passages were given to the Old Testament believers that they might anticipate and know what would happen to the Messiah in His first coming.

What did the prophet Zechariah prophesy concerning the betrayal of the Messiah? He said, “And I said unto them, if ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zech. 11:12). This verse is talking about the value of the Messiah sold by his disciple to those who had been appointed by the Lord to fulfill what was recorded in the scriptures. The prophet Zechariah was chosen by God to be one of prophets to reveal the truth to the Old Testament believers concerning both the first and second coming of the Messiah.

The first coming of the Messiah was not to set up His kingdom but rather He was appointed to be a servant, who would bear the sufferings, and the sins of the world and redeem man by His death at the cross. His forth-coming crucifixion was very clearly proclaimed in His preachings before the multitudes and in particular among His disciples. In fact Jesus Christ said that one of the disciples would betray Him. This implied that the Lord Jesus Christ prepared the hearts of His disciples to accept what would happen to Him as recorded in the scriptures.

The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ would not be fulfilled except being preceded by the betrayal of His own disciples. Matthew recorded the account of how Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ. “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” (Matt. 26:14, 15). Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest, the main enemies of Jesus, asking how much they would give him for betraying his own Master. What Judas Iscariot had done here is proof of his avarice, even selling His own Master for thirty pieces of silver. Lockyer said, “What an illustration of false values we have in this bargain Judas struck with those who wanted to murder his Master! What a measly sum to pay for Him Who declared that all the silver and the gold belonged to Him, and whose price is above rubies!”

Whatever reason Judas had for betraying his own Master, the scripture recorded that it was prophesied in the Old Testament that everything that had been written must be fulfilled for the glory of the Lord.

Jesus was Betrayed by a Close Friend (Ps. 41:9; ref. Luke 22:47-48)

The prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the first coming of the Messiah not only related the lineage, birth, life and ministry of the Messiah, but also provided clear descriptions of the death and crucifixion of Christ. This implies that the life which Christ led in this world was not accidental but was well planned by God the Father. Even the Old Testament believers were able to see what Christ would do and undergo when He came to this world.

Psalm 41:9 is one of the passages in the Old Testament that gives an account of who would betray the Messiah. The Psalmist wrote, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” In other words, it was not only those who were in His own household who would reject Him but also the person who was with him, having meal and drink with Him at His table who would betray Him. And the Psalmist emphasized the idea in this verse that the person who would lift up his heel against Him would be the one whom he called His close friend and who lived with Him.

Although David was speaking of himself in this Psalm, nonetheless, he presented the person of Christ. What was begun in David would be fully accomplished in Christ. The prophecy given to those chosen of God in the Old Testament would be fully fulfilled in the appointed time of the Lord.

Who was the betrayer mentioned in Psalm 41:9? The Old Testament believers absolutely did not know the name of the person, but it was known that he was one of the Messiah’s close friends. The New Testament books record that the person who was prophesied to betray the Lord Jesus Christ was Judas Iscariot. He was truly a very close friend of Jesus for he was His own disciple, one who heard all the teachings and saw all the miracles of Christ. He was chosen to play the role of the betrayer as a fulfillment of scripture. John the apostle recorded in his gospel, “I know whom I have chosen; but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me” (John 13:18).

Although Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve Disciples of Christ and was always with Him and even served together with other apostles, he never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. His heart was hardened and he was used as an instrument of the Devil to betray the Lord Jesus Christ. Lockyer rightly said, “Although chosen as an apostle, Judas could never have had a deep love in his heart for Jesus; otherwise he would never have heartlessly betrayed Him as he did. No wonder that, after he realized the enormity of his foul deed, he committed suicide.” With the help of Judas Iscariot, the Jews nailed the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. But Jesus Christ knew all these things happened to fulfill what was recorded in the Scripture.

Jesus was Adored by the Children (Ps. 8:2; ref. Matt. 21:15-16)

Every detail of the first coming of the Messiah is well recorded in the Old Testament books. The prophecy given by the Psalmist concerning the ministry of the Messiah in Psalm 8:2 is indeed for the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Psalmist wrote “Out of the mouth of the babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger,” shows that the Lord can do anything in order to glorify His Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord can open the mouth of babes and the suckling to proclaim the truth and speak against the unbelieving leaders of the Jews.

There is no doubt that what the Psalmist prophesied here has been truly fulfilled during the ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew wrote, “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never heard, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise” (Matt. 21:15-16). When the chief priests and scribes heard the shouting of the children, they considered it as blasphemy against God, for in the temple they called Jesus the Son of David. They tried to stop the children but the Lord Jesus allowed them to continue by quoting what the Psalmist had written concerning this event.

The shouting of the children, “Hosanna to the Son of David” was apparently an echo of the crowds who shouted “Hosannas” when Christ entered Jerusalem. Nevertheless, in all probability the Hosannas of the children were far more pure in Spirit than those of the older people. Thus it is absolutely right to say that God is also using the shouting of the children for His own glory.

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ

Again and again, the Old Testament prophets had prophesied about the things that the Messiah would do when He would come in His first coming. Now the prophet Zechariah prophesied concerning the ministry of the Messiah and in particular about His triumphal entry to the city of Jerusalem. Zechariah gave a word of comfort to the Jews who were waiting for their King. He said, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, o daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech. 9:9).

With regard to this verse, there are three important things which we should take note of. Calvin rightly commented, "The sum of the whole is, that the prediction by which God gave to his chosen people a hope of redemption were not vain or void; for at length in due time Christ, the son of David, would come forth, - Secondly, that this king would be just, and saved or preserved; for he would restore things into order which were in a disgraceful state of confusion, - and thirdly, he adds, that this king would be poor; for he would ride on an ass, and would not appear in great eminence, nor be distinguished for arms, or for riches, or for splendour, or for number of soldiers, or even for royal trappings which dazzle the eyes of the vulgar: he shall ride on an ass."
This is to say that the prophecy of Zechariah reveals that the Messiah would be a King when He enters Jerusalem. Nevertheless the last part of Zech. 9:9 shows that when the King comes He would be poor and riding on an ass.

When Mark recorded the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, he emphasised that Jesus was sitting upon a colt (Mark 11:7). Therefore when the people saw Jesus, they shouted, “Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:9). They knew that Jesus was the one prophesied by Zechariah. Nevertheless soon after this event, the Jews were waiting for Jesus to bring victory and liberty to the nation of Israel as a King appointed by God. When they realised that Jesus did not do as they wished, they rejected Him. Nonetheless, those who believed in Him knew that in His first coming, the Messiah would come as a poor and a servant. But in the Second Coming of Christ, He would come as a King who would fulfil what the Scripture said concerning Him.

Jesus Is The Priest After The Order Of Melchizedec

The prophecy of the second function of the threefold titles of the Lord Jesus Christ is expounded in a very distinctive way. Earlier on He was described as a Prophet (Deut. 18:15), and here as a Priest. The Old Testament priesthood is disputable for as a priest, he must be from the line of Aaron, the Levite. This is an absolute truth given to the nation of Israel. It is the commandment of the Lord.

A careful study of the Old Testament will show that the coming Messiah is definitely not from the line of Levite. The Messiah is from the line of Judah, the line of kingship for Israel. Old Testament history records that there has never occurred in the history of Israel a priest from the line of Judah. It was from only the line of Aaron, the Levite appointed by God, that the line of priesthood came. Anyone who tried to take the position of priesthood other than those from the line of Aaron was an abomination to the Lord.

However, a study of Ps. 110:4 that says, “The Lord hat sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek,” shows a special characteristic of the coming priest. First, He is “a priest for ever.” There was never such a priest from the line of Aaron. Every priest in the Old Testament was limited by time and none was forever. And second, He is a priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” In the whole of scripture, the name of Melchizedek is mentioned only on three occasions namely in Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4 and Heb. 5:5-10, 6:19-7:28. Apart from these passages, the scripture says nothing about him. And it is important to take note that Aaronic priesthood was never referred to as after the order of Melchizedek.

Long before Aaron was appointed High Priest, Melchizedek was. Gen. 14:18-20 records that Abraham acknowledged Melchizedek as a high priest to whom he offered a tithe. His priesthood was most special and the Scriptures do not record from which line he had come. Nevertheless, the Psalmist shows that the coming Priest was from the order of Melchizedek.

In addition, Gen. 14:18-20 explains that Melchizedek was the only priest who had ever lived that held a position of both priest and King. He was a unique priest and king. Thus, when the Psalmist said, “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,” truly, the coming Priest, the Messiah would follow the order of Melchizedek, for Melchizedek was a type of Christ.

When the writer of the book of Hebrews in Heb. 5:5-6 quoted the prophecy of the Psalmist, he added the idea of Sonship to the priesthood. In other words, he did see that the Christ who is the Son of God would be called also a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. As Barnes rightly opines, "To say that he was of the same order of Melchicedec was to say that he was of the same rank or station. He was like him in his designation to the office. In what respect he was like him the apostle shows more fully in [Hebrews] chapter vii. One particular in which there was a striking resemblance, which did not exist between Christ and any other high-priest, was, that Melchisedec was both a priest and a king. None of the kings of the Jews were priest, nor were any of the priests ever elevated to the office of king. But in Melchisedec these offices were united, and this fact constituted a striking resemblance between him and the Lord Jesus. . . . The meaning, is that Melchisedec was of a peculiar rank or order, that he was not numbered with the Levitical priests, and that there were important features in his office which differed from theirs. In those features it was distinctly predicted that the Messiah would resemble him."

Jesus was Rejected By His Own People, The Jews

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ were well documented and prophesied in the Old Testament. Various books of the Old Testament give indisputable information on the first coming of the Messiah, beginning from the book of Genesis right through to the book of Malachi. Prophet Isaiah in particular provides an excellent account of the first coming of the Messiah. He begins with the birth of the Messiah (Is. 7:14) and continues right through with the suffering that the Messiah would bear in His first coming (Is. 53).

The Jews were overwhelmed by the idea of the coming of the Messiah. They knew that “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever” (Is. 9:6-7). This prophecy occupied the minds of the Jews to the extent that they could not differentiate the first coming from the second coming of the Messiah. What Isaiah said in Is. 9:6-7 would certainly be fulfilled by the Messiah, but would not be a hundred percent so in His first coming. The Jews did not have any idea of the Messiah coming in two great periods. What they knew was that Christ would come as a King to bring victory and liberty to the nation of Israel. But the Jews made a great mistake on this issue, for they did not realize that the Messiah would come first in the form of a servant. He was a suffering servant.

The prophet Isaiah in his writings in Is. 53:3 said, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as if were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” The Jews could not understand or accept this verse. Whatever reason these may be, prophet Isaiah prophesied the suffering of the Messiah in His first coming.

This prophecy was fulfilled during the life of Christ. When He came to this world to bring victory of salvation, He was despised, mocked and rejected by His people. The Jews were supposed to know this truth beforehand, for they had been chosen by God to be the nation from which the Messiah would come. But the Jews could not see the real function of the Messiah in His first coming. They were blinded by their sins. John the apostle recorded that when Jesus Christ came unto His own, they reject Him (John 1:11). Calvin rightly said, “Christ therefore first offered Himself to them as if they were His own household and belonged to His kingdom in their own right.” Nevertheless the Jews could not see the light and rejected their Saviour.” As Keil added, "The nation, which acknowledges with penitence how shamefully it has mistaken its own Saviour, laments that it has put no faith in the tidings of the lofty and glorious calling of the servant of God. . . . The heathen receives with tidings of things which had never been heard of before; whereas Israel has to lament that it put no faith in the tidings which it had heard long, long before, not only with reference to the person and work of the servant of God, but with regard to His lowly origin and glorious end."

Thus, when the Jews nailed the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, it was the final proof of their rejection of Him to be their Saviour. He was despised during His ministry and the last hours of His life on the cross. Nonetheless, Isaiah the prophet had prophesied the things that would be undergone by the Messiah before His death in His first coming.

Jesus Heals The Broken-Hearted

The writings of the prophet Isaiah in one of the Old Testament books provide a clear prophecy of the first coming of the Messiah. He did not only prophesy the birth of Jesus Christ (Is. 7:14) but also the life (Is. 53:1-12) and His ministry (Is. 61:1-3). The writings of Isaiah were chosen to be the light for Old Testament believers in order that they might know the coming Messiah who would bear the iniquities of the world.

What did Isaiah prophesy concerning the ministry of the coming Messiah? Isaiah recorded in Is. 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” This verse emphasizes the ministry of the prophet who has the Spirit of God toward those who are destitute, the poor and the brokenhearted. People who were in these situations were often oppressed by the rulers and the authorities. People who were financially poor were cheated and those who were poor in Spirit, were never fed with the truth. Corruption was rampant in the lives of the chosen people of God.

A close study of Is. 61:1 will show clearly that what the prophet Isaiah prophesied did not concern those who were merely financially poor but rather spiritually poor. Barnes rightly commented on this issue, "By the poor are meant all those who are destitute of comfort of this life, and who therefore may be more readily disposed to seek treasures in heaven; all those are sensible of their sins, or are poor in Spirit (Matt 5:3); and all the miserable and the afflicted (Is 58:7). . . . The Pharisees and Sadducees despised the poor, ancient philosophers neglected them; but the gospel seeks to bless them – to give comfort where it is felt to be needed, and where it will be received with gratitude."

Nevertheless the question remains: Who would do this ministry for God’s people? The people of Israel before and after the captivity were still the same and remained so in the New Testament time. Prophet after prophet had come and gone, yet the broken-hearted were never healed. Sorrow upon sorrow remained in the midst of the people and none there showed any mercy.

Luke 4:18-19 quotes from Isaiah 61:1. Jesus Christ quoted this when He was asked to read a portion of Scripture in one of the Synagogues in Nazareth. God the Father showed Him the verse from Is. 61:1 to be read in public. The hearers agreed with what Jesus had read, for they knew it would be fulfilled when the Messiah came. However the situation was changed when Jesus Himself declared, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). The Jews realized that Jesus was referring to Himself. Soon, the worshipers shouted and mocked at Him for they knew that He was the son of Joseph.

The fulfillment of this prophecy given was not declared by other prophets or apostles, but rather Jesus Himself. The claim that Jesus made in Nazareth was truly proven during the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. As Geldenhuys said, "God had sent Him to heal those who were broken-hearted and found themselves in spiritual distress; to proclaim deliverance to those who were captive in the power of sin and in spiritual wretchedness; to give back to the spiritually blind the power of sight; to cause those who were downcast and inwardly bruised to go forward in triumph; and thus to ‘proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, i.e. to announce the Messiah age – the period ushered in by His appearance, in which God will grant His salvation to His people."

Jesus Is The Prophet Like Moses

The Old Testament books provide every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ wonderful information on promises and prophecies. They were given to God’s people with the purpose that they might be able to search the truth from the plain writings given in the Scriptures. Various names, titles and identities of the coming Saviour had been provided in order that they might know who the Messiah would be.

The prophet Moses prophesied the coming Prophet before the Israelites were to enter the Promised Land. He said to them, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deut. 18:15). When Moses gave this prophecy the Israelites might not have been aware of the Prophet Messiah. They might be thinking that it would be one of the prophets that would come immediately after the death of Moses. But a study of the lives of those prophets after Moses will convince us that none was like Moses.

The prophet Moses was a unique prophet. He was so different from other prophets. The Lord Himself said in Num. 12:6-8 “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches: and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.” In addition, the ministry of Moses was specially characterized by the miracles he performed before the Egyptians and the children of Israel (Ex. 7-12). Above all, Moses was given the special privilege to receive the Law from the Lord for the people of Israel. As Kaiser rightly remarks, “Yet Moses, the prophet, was unique in his miracles, his direct access to God’s revelation, his giving of the Law, his actions as deliverer, and his office as judge over the people.”

Then, who was the Prophet mentioned by Moses in Deut. 18:15? A study of the books of the New Testament would show that the prophet here was the Messiah. The office of prophet was one of the three functions that the Messiah would fulfill in His first coming. Others were as priest and king. The prophetship of Jesus Christ was unique, just as Moses’ was. The life and ministry of Jesus Christ shows similarity to Moses’. However, Jesus’ ministry was far excellent, for He is the Deliverer of our salvation.

It is important to take note that the preaching of Peter in Acts 3:20,22 confirms what Moses said in Deut. 18:15. Peter said, “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you at your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.” Peter knew that the prophet whom Moses meant here was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Messiah. Thus, it was for this reason Peter quoted Deut. 18:15 in his preaching recorded in Acts 3:22. Nevertheless when the priest, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees heard Peter’s preaching, they were grieved (Acts 4:1-3).

In addition, the apostle John recorded that when the people saw the Lord Jesus Christ perform the miracle of feeding five thousand people, they exclaimed, “This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world” (John 6:14). On another occasion, when Philip believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, he proclaimed to Nathanael saying, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, did write” (John 1:45). The same thing happened when the Samaritan woman met Jesus, she concluded that Jesus was that prophet (John 4:19,29). Nothing can be said against this truth. We have to admit that the Old Testament books had described the coming Messiah to be a Prophet like Moses. It is a fact that this can only be applied to the Lord Jesus Christ, for Moses was a type of Christ.

Jesus Speaks In Parables

The ministry of Jesus Christ was often characterized by the miracles He performed. These miracles were performed to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Such wonders done by Jesus had never happened before in the midst of the Israelites. The prophets and the high priests had never done such great miracles. No one can do such works accept the Lord is with Him (ref. John 3:2).

The ministry of Jesus Christ was not only known for His miracles but also for the parables that He uttered in His teaching. In the four gospels, Jesus spoke in parables frequently to convey the message that He received from the Father. Parables were the most effective way for Him to declare the truth. Some of the parables might be easy to understand but some might not. Nevertheless such ministry was not accidental but had been planned by God the Father.

In the Old Testament there is a prophecy given to the people of Israel concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ. Asaph recorded in Ps. 78:2-4 saying, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our father have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praise of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.” When Matthew recorded the ministry of Jesus Christ, he did emphasize that the parables spoken by Christ to the multitudes were the fulfillment of the prophecy given by Asaph. Although many scholars might not agree to this truth, Matthew did. He showed the prophecy of Asaph as the absolute truth that Christ spoke parables. “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” (Matt. 13:35). Lenski rightly said, “Aside from inspiration, the honest assumption would be that Matthew made no mistake such as this: and another equally strong assumption would be that; if he had, those about him would have detected and at once corrected it.” Hendriksen further said, “by the inspiration of the Spirit, Matthew sees in this use of parables as fulfillment of prophecy, once focusing the attention upon Jesus as being indeed the Messiah who was to come.” In other words, Asaph was a type of Christ.

The parables spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ would remain unsolved riddles to those who do not believe in Him but are “highly illuminating illustrations for those having or receiving the solution (believers).” The ministry of Jesus Christ is well recorded in the Old Testament that He would speak in parables to the multitudes. To them who believe in Him, His parables would be a light, on the other hand it would be unsolved riddles or mysteries to those who reject Him.

The Galilian Ministry Of Jesus Christ

The ministry of Jesus Christ was not only revealed to the people whom the Lord had chosen during the last three and half years, but just as His birth had been proclaimed in the Bible hundreds of years before His actual birth to this world, it had been prophesied: what He would do and where He would serve. One of the prophets who prophesied about this ministry is the prophet Isaiah. He said that Jesus Christ would be fulfilling His ministry in the province of Galilee to be known as the Galilean ministry. The four gospels record that in this region of Galilee, Jesus Christ had done a great work to show the people that He is the Messiah whom the Lord had promised to their forefathers.

The context of Isaiah chapter 9 tells us about the condition of the nation of Israel at that time, particularly the Northern Kingdom which rejected God’s Word through the prophet Isaiah. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali because of their disobedience and unbelief were the first targets of the Assyrians to hold captive. Nevertheless, the prophecies informs that these lands would also be the first to see the new and great light that God would focus on Israel (cf. Isaiah 60:1-3). When the Lord gave His word to the prophet Isaiah in chapter 9:1-2, the Lord, despite their rejection of His Word, continued to give graciously the light again. In Matt. 4:13-16, Matthew wrote of the fulfillment of the prophecy given by Isaiah. As Grogan said, “Matthew rightly saw the fulfillment of this in the ministry of Jesus in Galilee (Matt. 4:15-16; cf. Luke 1:79; John 8:12; cf. John 7:52 with its reference to Galilee.”

Based on this study, the light that would come to the nation of Israel would not rise upon the land of Judah first, though Christ was from the line of Judah, but rather upon other parts of the land, the region of Galilee. During the invasion of the Assyrians the land of Zebulun and Naphtali suffered the most. Nevertheless Keil said, “these countries would be the very first that would be remembered when that morning dawn of glory should break. Matthew informs us (ch. Iv.13 sqq) in what way this was fulfilled at the commencement of the Christian times.” A study of the ministry of the Messiah in the four gospels will show that the Lord had enlightened the people of God in the region of Galilee by spending more time in this region and performing more miracles. In fact Jesus spent most of His time together with His disciples in the region of Galilee.

Looking at the chronological order of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, it will be noted that soon after the early Judean and Samarian ministries of Christ, His ministry was focused on the land of Galilee. There were three periods of great ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in Galilee during which miracle after miracle were performed in the midst of the people. In addition, it was during these ministries that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself as the Messiah through His teachings and miracles performed in the midst of the people.

Jesus Is Declared The Son Of God

Many people think that the Sonship of God was given to the Lord Jesus Christ only after He was manifested in the flesh. Traditionally, Old Testament believers had never thought of the Messiah being the Son of God. On the other hand, the New Testament books have recorded the account of how the Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God. It is important to take note that the declaration of Jesus Christ as the Son of God was not proclaimed only by His disciples such as Peter and Paul, but also God the Father Himself who testified on two occasions. He testified firstly, during the baptism of Jesus Christ (Matt. 3:16) and secondly, while Jesus Christ was praying on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark. 9:7). God the father knew His Son and declared Him to the people that they might believe in Him.

The only passage in the Old Testament that testifies the Sonship of God is found in the book of Psalm. However, although the revelation of the Sonship of God appeared only once in the Old Testament, various books have frequently recorded the appearance of the second person of the Trinity, often called “theophany” or pre-incarnation of Christ which testified His existence and deity.

The declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God did not occur only after He was manifested in the flesh. In the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came to this world, God the father had declared that the Messiah was His Son. This is an absolute truth. Before the Messiah appeared as the Son of God in the New Testament, the Old Testament believers had seen the Lord’s theophany, or pre-incarnation which testified His existence and deity.

Ps. 2:7 says, “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath saith unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.” What did David mean by this verse? Theologians may have different interpretations. However, it is a fact that the second person of the Trinity would no longer be in the form of a spirit as are the first and third person but He would be a visible person.

In addition, this verse declared to the Old Testament believers that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, is called the Son of God long before His manifestation in the flesh. Perhaps, it was hard for Old Testament believers to understand such a truth although God did not reveal His truth and revelation in just a single verse. God the Father had declared this in various parts of the Old Testament books concerning the first coming of His Son. It was their duty to search the Scripture in order to know this truth that the Son of God who was ‘in the form of God’ transformed into ‘the form of a servant and made in the likeness of men’ (Phil 2:6-7). Thus, Psalm 2:7 is one of the passages that tells us the second person of the Trinity would come as the Son of God in the human flesh. Christ is the only begotten and the well-beloved Son of the Father – “a relationship unshared by any other, and absolutely unique – a revelation of which was given to Peter by the Father leading him to exclaim, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Although Jesus Christ himself did not claim to be the Son of God, but rather the Son of man, it does not mean that He rejects the idea of being the Son of God. Jesus proved that He was the Son of God who came to bear the iniquity of all men through the life He lived, the truth He taught and the work He wrought. In fact Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews, “If you do not believe in me, believe the works I have done” (John. 10:37-38).

The writers of the New Testament books such as Luke did acknowledge in their writings, for example in Acts 13:33 that “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.” Paul here explains to the people in Antioch that Jesus Christ is the One whom God the Father has promised to come to this world, and whom He declares to be His Son. Through this promised Messiah, those who believe in Him will be justified from all things (Acts 13:39). As Pounds rightly said, "Where is the evidence that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this passage? On three different occasions, the Gospel writers recorded the words from heaven, "this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." It is not "one of my sons, but "My Son, My only one."

On another occasion, the Apostle Paul, a Jewish scholar, shows no doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to fulfill what His Father had commanded Him to do. Paul said in Rom. 1:3-4 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The writer of Hebrews said, “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son” (Heb. 1:5).

Jesus Is Preceded By A Forerunner and Elijah

The verse in Mal. 3:1 is actually related to what has been studied in Is. 40:3-5. Both passages refer to the same person, namely the herald of the Messiah, John the Baptist. Nevertheless details in Mal. 3:1 describe John the Baptist as a forerunner of the coming Messiah. In this sense, John the Baptist was the person appointed by the Lord to hold several responsibilities before the Messiah revealed Himself to the people as the Prophet and the Saviour of the world. In preparation of the coming of the Messiah in the midst of the Jews, He first sent His messenger to do the necessary things to stir the hearts of the people so that they would ponder over the nearness of the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist needed to prepare the hearts of the people morally and spiritually for the coming of the Messiah.

In this regard, John the Baptist as the context of Malachi 3 demanded, displayed his function as an intercessor, “by whom God’s wrath might be mitigated, which the Jews had extremely provoked. This office John the Baptist undertook, who prepared the Jews to hear the voice of Christ.” It was the Lord Himself who prepared John the Baptist to be the way-preparer and furerunner for the coming of Jesus Christ. It was probably because the Lord Himself knew the heart of every man that when His Son came to this world, they would not welcome Him. This was clear at the time of His birth in Bethlehem. None of the Jews realised the coming of the Messiah. In fact, when the news came to them, they did not accept the birth of the Messiah as that of the true Messiah. For this reason, there was a real psychological need among the Jews for one such as John the Baptist to be the forerunner of the Messiah so that the message the Messiah would bring would be welcomed by those who have heard the preaching of John the Baptist.

Mal. 3:1 says, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to this temple, even my messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” The first phrase “I will send my messenger” is actually referring to John the Baptist himself as a way-preparer. In this same verse there is clear indication that another messenger would come suddenly to the temple. He is the messenger of the covenant, namely the Messiah. Thus, what John the Baptist had done as recorded in the gospel was not deleted by the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, He continued and improved upon what John the Baptist had done among the Jews. As Calvin said, "He called John the Baptist at the beginning of this verse a messenger, the messenger of Jehovah; and now he calls Christ a messenger, but he is the messenger of the covenant, for it was necessary that the covenant should be confirmed by him."

It is important to note that when the way-preparer or the forerunner was preparing the way for the messenger of the covenant, the Messiah was in the world. He knew what John the Baptist was doing and confirmed what John had taught to the people. But as a herald and forerunner, John the Baptist must clear a way, “the self-satisfaction which prevents them from feeling the need of salvation and the impenitence which keeps them from acknowledging this need.”

The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ was truly predicted in the Old Testament. His herald must precede Him to prepare a way for Him in order that His coming would become a blessing to His people. The ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was testified by all the gospels (Matthew 3:2, 7-12; Mark 1:4-8; Luke 3:7-18; John 1:6-8, 19-36; 3:22-36).

In another occasion, the prophet Malachi also depicted that John the Baptist was not only as the way-preparer, forerunner but also Elijah. These three names were granted to John the Baptist to indicate that his ministry was so important to usher the coming of the Messiah that the Jews might know the Messiah was in their midst. This truth declared how near the coming of Jesus Christ and His manifestation in the midst of the Jews was. When a Jew saw these three functions of a herald in the person of John the Baptist, he should know that the Messiah was nigh. This truth declared how near the coming of Jesus Christ and His manifestation in the midst of the Jews was. When a Jew saw these three functions of a herald in the person of John the Baptist, he should know that the Messiah was nigh. Nevertheless, having been proclaimed this message and informed that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Jews persisted in their wickedness.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself had declared during His ministry, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11). When one reads this verse, he can only say that the Lord Jesus Christ acknowledged the ministry of John the Baptist as His herald to usher His coming. In fact He did mention that John the Baptist was the one whom the Lord had promised in the Old Testament to be the Elijah (Mal. 4:5). It is confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He said in Matt. 11:14 “This is Elias, which was for to come.” This verse is clearly referring to John the Baptist himself. As Calvin confidently put it in another way, “But Christ himself took away all doubt on this point, when he said, that John the Baptist was the Elijah, who had been promised; (Matt. 11:10) and the thing itself proves this, had not Christ spoken on the subject.”

The Lord Jesus confirmed that what the prophet Malachi had said in Mal. 4:5 referred to John the Baptist himself. However, in the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry, the Jews asked him whether he was Elijah, and John actually denied it in the literal sense of the word “prophet.” Elijah need not necessarily come literally to this world in order to fulfill this prophecy. When the Lord Jesus said that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come, He did not mean that John would come as a literal reincarnation of Elijah or a literal reappearance of Elijah. Instead, he came, “in the spirit and power of Elijah, and it is in this sense that we are to understand the second coming of Elijah.

The ministry of John the Baptist was more excellent than a prophet, because through John himself God reminded the Jews to “turn the hearts of men and restore them to a holy unity of faith.” God intended to raise up John the Baptist for the purpose of restoring the worship toward the True and the Living God for in the time of John, the truth was corrupted and the worship of God vitiated though the Jews did not worship idols, but their hearts were far from the Lord.

Based on this study, it can be summarized that it was prophesied that John the Baptist would come in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah. His purpose must first be to turn the hearts of the Jews so that when the Messiah comes within their midst, their hearts would be well-prepared to welcome their only Saviour who would save them from their sins. It had been promised to their forefathers that John the Baptist would be sent to precede the coming of the Messiah. The coming of Elijah in the person of John the Baptist would truly be a real sign for the Jews. However what they were supposed to know hindered them. Instead, they killed him who testified the coming of the Messiah.

The Way Prepared

When the Lord gave His words to the prophet Isaiah in Is. 40:3-5, in the literal sense it meant the anticipation of the return of the exiles from Babylon. It was a prophecy given by Isaiah to the Israelites who hardened their hearts and disobeyed the Lord. The Lord had to punish the Israelites for their wickedness and disobedience by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the city of Jerusalem and to bring them into captivity for seventy years. And Isaiah wrote this prophecy almost two hundreds years before the real event happened.

It is true that there was a need to prepare a way for the returnees from Babylon in the Syrian Desert, between Babylonia and Palestine. However, the prophet Isaiah exaggerated when he said, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God, every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain” (Is. 40:3-4). What Isaiah described here never occurred during the return of the exiles from Babylon.

Although Is. 40:3-5 seems to have been fulfilled when the returnees came back to their land, in reality it has not. God had seen and prepared this event as a picture or symbol for the coming of the Messiah. Lenski said, “The desert is, being used figuratively by Isaiah to denote the hindrances and obstacles which separate the people from Jehovah. Hence a road must be prepared through them, on which Jehovah was to come to His people in order to deliver them.” Thus, Is. 40:3-5 is the heart of the message heralding the coming of the Messiah.

Since references were made to Is. 40:3-5 in Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3 and Luke 3:4-6, there is no doubt that Is. 40:3-5 was fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist. John himself said deliberately to those who desired to know who he was, “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord as said the prophet Esaias” (John 1:23). John the Baptist was a herald who shouted in the wilderness, preaching baptism for the remission of sins. In other words the deliverance of the Israelites from Babylon was only a type for our redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord had prepared John the Baptist to be a herald for the coming of Jesus Christ. He must prepare the way for Him so that when He comes to bring the message of salvation, the people would receive it with gladness and recognize Him as the Messiah. The world that is full of wickedness and depravity must know the Lord Jesus Christ that they may have eternal life. For apart from knowing Him as their Lord and Saviour, they will be lost in sins. John the Baptist knew and saw crisis in the ruined lives of those who lived in the time of Jesus Christ. The fact was that though he had proclaimed what the Lord had commanded him to do as a herald, few people responded to his calling. The hardening of the hearts of the people had caused them to continue living in their sins.

Thus, John the Baptist had a great responsibility during his ministry as a herald of the Messiah. He did not exalt himself as a Prophet as he realized that he was the way-preparer. As Hendriksen rightly opines, "He was to be the Lord's "voice" to the people, all of that but not more than that (cf. John 3:22-30). As such he must not only announce Christ's approach and presence but also urge the people to prepare the way of the Lord, that is, by God's grace and power to effect a complete change of mind and heart. This applies that they must make straight his paths, meaning that they must provide the Lord with a ready access into their hearts and lives. They must make straight whatever was crooked, not in line with God's holy will. They must clear away all the obstacles which they had thrown into his path; such obstructions as self-righteousness and smug complacency ("We have Abraham as our father," Matt. 3:9), greed, cruelty, slander, etc. (Luke 3:13,14)."

It is clearly seen in the Old Testament that a herald of Christ had been foretold in order that His people might accept and realize the truth that the Messiah, the Christ, was the Lord Jesus. Everyone who believes in Him will see Him in the glorious day when He returns in His second Coming.

Flight to Egypt (Hos 11:1; cf. Matt 2:14-15

The prophecy of the childhood of Jesus Christ found in Hos. 11:1 is disputable. The writer of the gospel of Matthew has taken this truth to be applied absolutely to Jesus Himself. Matthew indeed knew Jesus to be the Messiah. “He saw the parallels between Israel and Jesus. Both are spoken of as a son of God, a chosen servant, and a light to the Gentiles. Both are given roles of prophet, priest, and king." Nevertheless Matthew, in quoting the writings of prophet Hosea, understood the differences between Israel and Jesus. So when Matthew wrote his gospel, he believed that Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of Hos. 11:1. “Jesus is therefore the ideal “Israel,” who experienced in principle some of Israel’s experiences in coming out of Egypt, being tested in the wilderness, and then showing the power of God to a watching world.”

The context of the book of Hosea indicates that God was speaking to the nation of Israel. The phrase “when Israel was a child, then I loved him” shows that Jehovah is talking about the childhood period of Israel when the young nation was growing up in Egypt. Matthew reads Hos. 11:1 in exactly that sense and changes nothing. He says that this statement of the prophet found its fulfillment when the child Jesus dwelt in Egypt. Matthew saw that what was written in Hos.11:1 was fulfilled in the early life of Jesus. As Lenski puts it, "[It] was more than a mere coincident resemblance between the childhood of Israel as Jehovah’s son or chosen nation and the childhood of Jesus, the divine Son, both spending their early days in Egypt and thus being called back from Egypt into the Holy Land. Mere accidental coincidences amount to little. Matthew sees far more here. Mere escape from Herod was not nearly all that God had in mind for Jesus. . . . What Matthew points out is an inner and divinely intended connection between the two sojourns in Egypt. God brought about the first sojourn and made that first sojourn a factual prophecy of the second, which he also brought about. The first is thus a divinely intended type of the second."

The writings of Matthew leaves no doubt that what the prophet Hosea said has been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew emphasized this truth when he said, “it might be fulfilled” (Matt. 2:15). In other words, Matthew saw that Israel was a type of the Messiah because Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The cruelty of Pharaoh toward the Israelites is pictured as having an equal in king Herod who attempted to destroy the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God had protected His people in their exodus from the wrath of Pharaoh, in the same way God had protected His Only Begotten Son, on His way to Egypt and during His temporary residence there and even on His way back to His home town. This is to say that the Lord had shown to His people what His Son would do when He came into this world. The truth was given to the Old Testament believers so that they might know what God had planned for His people.

The Slaughter of the Innocent (Jer. 31:15; cf. Matt 2:16-18)

It was a great joy for the shepherds and the Magi to see the birth of the Saviour. They praised and glorified the Almighty God for the fulfilment of the prophecy before their eyes. Nevertheless, Matthew recorded that soon after the birth of Jesus Christ, there was great sorrow in Bethlehem. Every family had to weep for their baby boy two years old and under.

What was happening in the city of Bethlehem? Matthew recorded that Herod slaughtered the innocent (every baby boy two years old and under) (Matt 2:16). Herod did this foolish act because he realised that he had been deceived. The Magi who had promised that they would come back to him after their visit to the newborn King, never appeared. He was kept waiting like a fool for news from the magi, while they had gone another way as “being warned of God in a dream that they should not returned to Herod (Matt. 2:12). As a result, he “judged them by his own standard.” He slaughtered every baby boy in Bethlehem in order to make sure that the newborn King would die. This was the jealousy of Herod, for he knew that he was the only king that reigned in Israel. His hatred grew when he knew that the writings of the prophet Micah had prophesied that there would be a king born in Bethlehem who would lead His people (Matt. 2:6). Christ will be the only king who will lead His people to victory and prosperity. He was chosen by the Father to be the King for Israel before the foundation of the world.

The Old Testament book shows that the slaughtering of the innocent in Bethlehem had been predicted by the prophet Jeremiah hundreds of years before. In other words, it was the fulfilment of the prophesy given in Jer. 31:15 that says, “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” Although the context of the book of Jeremiah is talking about the calamities that would happen to Israel for her unbelief and wickedness, it was also a prophecy that would be fulfilled as recorded in the gospel of Matthew. Many people might not agree on this truth and claim that Matthew had made a mistake in this issue but the truth is he did not. One may rightly say that “the idea is not merely superficial; inconsolable weeping in Bethlehem. The inner cause of the two weepings is identical, and thus the one is poured into the other make the vessel full.”

Matthew understood the context of the book of Jeremiah and saw its fulfilment in the early life of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The name Rachel was mentioned by Jeremiah to show how eager she was to have children, but in Jer. 31:15 she is figuratively pictured as being alive, watching the wretched multitude gathering in Ramah, listening to their weeping and seeing how some of them are being killed. Matthew saw an identical event happening in Bethlehem as he quoted from the book of Jeremiah.

Therefore the prophecy in Jer. 31:15 clearly shows what would happen during the early life of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The slaughter of the innocent by king Herod was predicted in the Old Testament long before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly Rachel is pictured as being alive once again to weep for the slaughtering of those infants, because during her lifetime, she desired so much to have children.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Born in Bethlehem

Five hundred years before the birth of the Messiah, prophet Micah had prophesied the place of His birth. Probably only few people realised the Messiah would be born in a place called Bethlehem. Though the city of Bethlehem was a very small city, the Lord had chosen it to be the place of birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Messiah. Truly this is “another instance of the perfect planning of God is seen in the way the place of our Lord’s Birth, as well as its time, are pinpointed in prophecy. How precise He is in His arrangements! He never leaves anything to chance.” The priests and scribes who studied the Scriptures must have known what the Scriptures said about the birth of the Messiah. Nevertheless the New Testament writers tell us that in the time of the birth of Jesus, there was none that knew about His birth. One may ask, what was the reason for the priests and the scribes neglecting the city of Bethlehem as a possible place for the birth of the Messiah? The answer probably is because in their minds the Messiah would come from Jerusalem and not Bethlehem, the small city.

When the priests and scribes failed to believe that Bethlehem was the place of birth of the Messiah, they actually failed to know that the city of David was Bethlehem. They did not know that David was not originally from the city of Jerusalem but from Bethlehem, the smallest city in Judea. Nevertheless, the Lord had kept His promise. Prophet Micah on this matter had recorded for us precisely that He would be born in the Bethlehem Ephratah. It was necessary for this name to be written in this way in order to distinguish it from the Bethlehem which was in Zebulon. The Lord had told us what would happen hundreds of years before hand. This city of Bethlehem had also been called the city of David. As Calvin said, "There is indeed a reason, according to the perception of the flesh, why the faithful should despond; for whence does their confidence arise, except from the kingdom of David? And from what place is David to arise? Even from Bethlehem; for Bethlehem has been called the city of David; and yet it is an obscure and a small town, and can hardly be considered a common province. Since it is so, the minds of the faithful may be depressed; but this smallness shall be no hindrance to the Lord, that he should not bring forth from thence a new king."

The writers of the gospels of Luke and Matthew clearly declared that Bethlehem was the city of David. Bethlehem was not the place where Joseph and Mary were living but it was because of the census conducted in Judea that every family must go back to their own city. Thus Joseph and Mary went back to Bethlehem because they were of the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:4). It was during this time that the new King, who is called Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. Thus, the believers in the Old Testament time, knew and believed what had been written in the Scriptures about the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were looking forward for the coming of Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

The life of the Lord Jesus Christ could be seen in the Old Testament through the prophecy given to the chosen people of God. New Testament believers in our generation look back at all the events related to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and look forward for the events leading to the Second Coming of the Messiah. In conclusion, the Old Testament believers did not only know the promise of the first coming of Christ and His lineage and position but were also able to know the manner and the place of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Birth of Jesus Christ: The Time for His Birth

The birth of Jesus Christ was preordained by God before the world began. However, the salvation plan of God for human beings was revealed to Adam and his generation only after the fall of man. The Lord was the One who had promised to send the Saviour of the world in order to redeem sinners and to reconcile them with God. For this reason, from the time God had promised Adam the coming Saviour (Gen. 3:15), the Lord had shown progressive revelation to mankind through His holy people, the prophets. The Lord gave His Word to them so that they could preach to the people what the Lord had planned for mankind.

As the Lord had revealed Himself through His Word from generation to generation, the promise of the coming Saviour was not forgotten. On the contrary, He had revealed to His chosen people step by step things concerning the Saviour that they might believe in Him. Although the Old Testament Scriptures do not provide clear details of God’s plan of salvation as in the New Testament, they do provide several types that point to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In no way the Old Testament believers could miss the point of what they believed. If Abraham who was chosen by the Lord and through whom the nation of Israel existed, believed and rejoiced looking forward to the day of Jesus Christ, then the generations after him would have believed in the same way, for the Lord Himself had revealed His plan more clearly to them.

One aspect of the promised coming of the Saviour given in the Old Testament is the time of His birth, when He would take the form of a human being to save mankind. The time of the Messiah’s birth was given to Prophet Daniel while he was still in captivity, in Babylon. The Lord gave His word when Daniel “was having devotion on the recent writings of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2) when he realises that God said that Judah must go into captivity for seventy years. Now, that time has almost expired, Daniel turns to God in prayer and fasting, “confessing [his] sin and the sin of [his] people Israel and making [his] request to the Lord [his] God for his holy will” (v.20).” When Daniel realised God’s plan for Judah, the Lord Himself instructed Daniel by giving him the right answer to what he had prayed and thought about (Dan. 9:23-24).

Nevertheless the climax of the prophecy given to Daniel in this time is in Dan. 9:25-27 which says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” This passage tells us that there will be sixty-nine weeks of prophetic weeks before the Messiah will be cut off and the temple of God will be destroyed. This is to say that there will be a 483-year gap between the time of the decree for rebuilding the city and wall of Jerusalem in 444 B.C to the death of the Messiah. The common belief is that Jesus Christ began His ministry at the age of thirty in A.D 26 and he ended His ministry on His crucifixion in A.D 30.

Thus, the study of this subject shows that the Old Testament people must have known when the Messiah would be born. Although they might not be able to pinpoint the exact date of His birth, they were able to know the approximate time period of last few weeks of the 69 weeks. In reality, when the Messiah was born in Bethlehem there was not even one from the midst of Israel who knew the exact time of His birth. King Herod, the priest and scribes thought about the issue only after the Magi had come from the east to Jerusalem seeking to worship the newborn King.

Under the command of King Herod, the chief priests and scribes searched the Scriptures, and finally realised that the promised new King would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Nevertheless the response of these people was rather cold. They had no interest in this new King. On the contrary, King Herod tried to kill the Messiah through the massacre of babies (Matt. 2:16).

The Birth of Jesus Christ: Born of a Virgin

Having seen the prophecies of the lineage and position of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Old Testament scriptures, this chapter would discuss the details of the birth of Jesus Christ. Truly the Old Testament Scriptures have provided for our learning what the Lord has promised concerning His begotten Son. The plan of salvation the Lord has promised for mankind, beginning in the Garden of Eden, would surely come to pass. However, no matter how firm the Scriptures may be, there will be some that reject this truth. In fact among the evangelical theologians many have rejected this truth which will be discussed in this chapter. Nevertheless, they still claim to be defenders of faith and Christianity.

Is. 7:14 is well known as the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This prophecy actually refers to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ as clearly seen in the words of the angel Gabriel who was sent to Mary to declare that she would conceive in her womb and bring forth a son, who would be called Jesus (Luke 1:31). In the same way, the angel Gabriel also appeared and spoke to Joseph concerning the conception of Mary, his spouse. She would bear a son and his name would be called, Jesus (Matthew 1:21). In this regard, Matthew with the help of the Holy Spirit understood that the prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of Is. 7:14. Matthew wrote, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

A careful study of Is. 7:14 gives us the true fulfilment of this verse. It says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign” (v. 14a). The sign mentioned here was true. The Lord kept His promise. The sign was both heavenly and earthly. “A sign both in heaven and earth, namely, the promised Messiah; who being the Lord from heaven, would take flesh of a virgin on earth; and who as man, being buried in the heart of the earth, would be raised from thence, and ascend up to heaven.” The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was truly a sign to the whole world because He was born of a virgin.

On the other hand, many have considered Is. 7:14 as not referring to Jesus Himself but Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz. This interpretation is common among the Jewish writers, but sadly it is also among the evangelical theologians. The question asked is: How valid is this interpretation? Sion answers that the promised Son mentioned in Is. 7:14 can only be interpreted as referring to Jesus Himself. Pounds said, "This son is not to be understood of Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, by his wife, as some Jewish writers interpret it. Jarchi refutes interpretation, by observing that Hezekiah was nine years old when his father began to reign. Since this being was, as he says, the fourth year of his reign, he must be at this time thirteen years of age…. Besides, his mother could not be called a “virgin.” For the same reason it cannot be understood of any other son of his either by his wife…or by some young woman. Moreover, no other son of his was ever lord of Judea, as this Immanuel is represented to be, in Isaiah 8:8, ‘the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.’"

The birth of a son from a virgin is truly a great sign. That is why Isaiah wrote that it is worthy to behold as it has no precedent. As Pounds said, “For a virgin to conceive would fulfil the necessary meaning of the sign in the context of chapter seven. This sign would be a tremendous encouragement to the faith of the remnant of Israel. It would also bring judgment and condemnation to the unfaithful in David’s household. Thus, judgment and salvation are evident in the promised sign.” However the enemies of the gospel have tried their level best to destroy this truth by giving a wrong meaning to the word ‘virgin.’ They claim that a virgin here is not necessarily a woman who has never slept with a man. They consider a virgin here to be a young woman. On the other hand, Sion has observed, "To this may be added, that not only the Evangelist Matthew renders the word by parqeno", “a virgin”; but the Septuagint interpreters, who were Jews, so rendered the word hundreds of years before him. And this best agrees with the Hebrew word, which comes from the root alam, which signifies to “hide” or “cover.” For virgins are covered and unknown to men. In the eastern country virgins were usually kept recluse, and were shut up from the public company and conversation of men. And now this was the sign that was to be given, and a miraculous one it was, that the Messiah should be born of a pure and incorrupt virgin. Therefore a “behold” is prefixed to it, as a note of admiration. And what else could be this sign or wonder? Not surely that a young married woman, either Ahaz’s or Isaiah’s wife, should be with a child, which is nothing surprising, and of which there are repeated instances every day."

When Mary heard the message from the angel concerning her conception, she felt upset knowing that she was a virgin and knew no man (Luke 1:34). Nevertheless the angel convinced her that the Son that she would bear would be great for He is the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:31-33). Based on the writings of Matthew, Matthew did not have any problem accepting the prophecy given by God to the prophet Isaiah, but rather Matthew understood what the prophet had written. He had seen its fulfilment before his eyes. Truly Jesus Christ is the Immanuel promised by God to His people. He is the Saviour of the world that will save sinners. Christians should not have any problem resolving the issue of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is worth remembering what Pounds wrote, "If you have a problem with the “virgin” conceiving and bearing a child that should be nothing in comparison to the thought of Immanuel—God with us in the flesh. That is the greatest feat. How else could the “Word become flesh and dwell among us” than by means of a virgin becoming pregnant and bearing a son? God in the flesh means “God with us.” The child to be born will be called Immanuel; therefore, the translation “virgin” is demanded in the sentence. It is nothing short of a miracle, and that is exactly where the problem lies with those who want to reject “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14."

The Lineage and Position of Jesus Christ: The Anointed and Eternal One

The prophecies of the lineage and position of the Messiah are indisputable. The Old Testament scriptures lay out the foundation of such prophecies which were completely fulfilled in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Several passages such as Ps. 45:6-7; Ps. 102:25-27 are referring to Christ alone as the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 1:8-12). In this passage, Christ is described as King Messiah whose throne is distinguished from the throne of this world because the duration of His reign is endless. There was no king or throne that ever existed as the Messiah’s. King Solomon was the most victorious king that ever existed in the history of this world, nevertheless his kingdom was incomparable to the Messiah’s kingdom.

Ps. 45:6-7 depicts not only the duration of the kingdom of the Messiah but also the manner in which He will reign over the world. The characteristics of His reign are fully spelled out in this passage, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness.” Who has ever reigned this world with these characteristics? It is only to be found in the One who will rule the world forever and ever. The throne had been promised to Him, and it would come to pass because He is the anointed One. Calvin said that the coming king is not any common or ordinary king “but of that illustrious sovereign, whose throne God had promised should endure as long as the sun and moon continued to shine in the heavens.”

In addition, the Psalmist in Ps. 102:25-27 continues to expound the greatness of the King Messiah. The personality of the King is incomparable with all those kings that had ever reigned in this world. He says, “Of old hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” In the same way, the writer of Hebrews describes the unchanging personality of Christ when he says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). The apostle with the help of the Holy Spirit as the Revealer of the truth, rightly understood and explained that Heb. 1:8-12 was referring to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is indisputable. Thus Clarke rightly remarks, “On this I shall make a very short remark, but it shall be conclusive: If the apostle did not believe Jesus Christ to be the true and eternal God, he has utterly misapplied this Scripture.” Therefore this study proves that the Lord Jesus Christ is the anointed King that will reign the world forever, for He is eternal.

The Lineage and Position of Jesus Christ: The Heir of the Throne of David

The promise of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament began in Gen. 3:15 and up to this point, the Spirit of God had revealed progressively that the Messiah would come from the seed of Jacob, the tribe of Judah. At this juncture, Is. 9:7 provides the lineage and position of the Messiah when He comes to this earth. Is. 9:7 says, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” The Messiah will be heir to the throne of David.

In the history of the kingdom of Judah, king David was known to be the best king and was recognised by the Lord as a man after His own heart. King David was the model to all kings that arose after him. He was the greatest king of Judah although the kingdom of David did not last long. However, despite the shortness of his reign, the Lord during David’s reign had given numerous Davidic promises and prophecies which were not fulfilled during his reign or kings after him. Such promises and prophecies can be seen as following, "Thy throne shall be established for ever” (II Sam 7:16). “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne” (Ps. 132:11). “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David” (Amos 9:11). “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David” (Is 9:7). “Thou Bethlehem [city of David]…out of thee shall he come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel….For now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:2, 4). “I will raise unto David…a King” (Jer 23:5). “In that day…the house of David shall be as God” (Zech 12:8; cf. 13:1). Over a period of 500 years, the prophecy of an eternal King, to arise from David is repeated over and over-by David himself, especially in his Psalms; by his son Solomon; and by several of the prophets."

The manner of reign of the heir to the throne of David that is described in Is. 9:7, has no precedent. For this reason the fulfilment of this prophecy can be seen only in the reign of the King Messiah when He establishes His Kingdom. The Lord had promised David that the kingdom of the Messiah would stand forever as will be fulfilled during the millennial kingdom. Walvoord rightly remarks, “this kingdom will be distinguished as one of justice and righteousness (cf. 11:3-5). The kingdom will be realised by the power of God–‘The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this’ (9:7).”

In addition, Is. 9:6 provides the names which are worthy to be given only to the Messiah, the everlasting King. Prophet Isaiah said that the name of the Messiah would be called “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty god, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” In the gospel of Luke, the angel who appeared to Mary said that Jesus who would be born would be called the Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32). Furthermore the angel said, “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32b-3). In the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, this promise was not fulfilled. However, what the Lord had promised would surely come to pass when Jesus Christ comes again. He will rule from the throne of David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:13, 16). In fact every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will rule together with Him in the millennial kingdom.

The Leanage and Position of Jesus Christ: From the Tribe of Judah

Having seen the personality of the Promised Seed and “a sceptre” given to the Patriarchs, it is important to consider the Lord’s description of the sceptre which would come only from the tribe of Judah as the seed of Jacob. This implies that henceforth the line of Jacob will be the main focus from which Christ will be revealed. Gen. 49:10 tells us the lineage of the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. This prophecy was pronounced by Jacob to his son Judah before all his children towards the end of his career. This is the blessing of the father to his sons.

One may ask, why must it be Judah? The reason is because the first three children of Jacob had failed and brought shame to his father. Traditionally, this blessing was supposed to be given to Reuben, his first born, as a double blessing but he defiled his father’s bed (Gen. 35:22). The second and third sons of Jacob had also failed and were unworthy to receive this blessing. Thus the blessing was passed to the fourth son of Jacob, Judah, who was a worthy son before the Lord (Gen. 34:25-29). Despite the wickedness of Judah in defiling his daughter-in-law (Gen. 38:13-26), God still chose him to be in the lineage through which the Messiah would come.

Gen. 49:10 says, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” This verse tells us that Judah will be superior among his brethren. In fact, before Jacob pronounced this prophecy, Gen. 49:8 tells us that his brethren will praise Judah because “the sceptre shall not depart from Judah.” The sceptre here means “the tribal identity” because “every tribe of Israel has its own rod or staff as an ensign of authority upon which was inscribed the name of the tribe.” In other words, the tribe of Judah will be superior in the history of Israel.

Another key word that needs to be considered is the word “Shiloh.” During the time of the Patriarch, there was no place or name called “Shiloh.” The word “Shiloh” appears in the Bible as what the name of a place in Josh. 18:1, after the Israelites were in the Promised Land. Thus, ‘what is this Shiloh’? In order to understand this word, see also Eze. 21:27. In the Hebrew Bible these two verses come from the same root words “until he comes to whom it rightfully belongs.” The context of this passage shows prophet Ezekiel was referring to the coming Messiah. Therefore, based on this analogy, Shiloh is the name given by God to Jacob as an identity of the Messiah.

In conclusion, the meaning of Gen. 49:10 is “the tribe of Judah will not cease to exist as a people, and Judah will have a government of its own until the Messiah appears on the scene.” For this reason, there is no doubt that the passage is a messianic prediction that the Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah. The writer of the gospel according to Luke, clearly identified that Judah was in the lineage of Christ (Luke 3:33). There will be the greatest King from the tribe of Judah. He will not rule only the nation of Israel but the whole world when He comes back to this earth in His second coming and all the promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled in the Millennial kingdom. In that time, Christ will be the King of kings and Lord of lords and “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

Christ's First Coming: The Seed of Jacob

The Promised Seed given to Adam, Abraham, and Isaac was not fully realised, but the Lord still continued to reveal progressively who would be the real Seed. In the time of Isaac, the Lord gave His word to his descendants that Jacob was chosen through whom the Messiah would come.

How was the promised Seed seen in the line of Jacob? The answer is found in Num. 24:17. In this passage, a prophecy came out from the lips of a heathen prophet, Balaam. Balak the king of Moab attempted to hire Balaam to curse the chosen nation of God, Israel. So Balaam was persuaded to prophesy curses on Israel but “he was kept from doing so and instead, prophesied blessing upon them as recorded in 23:7-10; 23:18-24; 24:3-9, 15-19; 20-24.” However, though it was from the lips of the heathen, it is marvellous to note that the Messiah is denoted here as from the seed of Jacob. This is indeed the progressive revelation of God to make clear what He has said in Gen. 3:15.

In the climactic prophecy of Num. 24:17, Balaam saw the greatness of the nation of Israel “there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.” What do the Star and Sceptre signify here? Keil said, “The sceptre, which was introduced, as a symbol of dominion even in Jacob’s blessing (Gen. Xlix. 10), is employed here as the figurative representation and symbol of the future ruler in Israel.” In other words, the content of this oracle of God is that Balaam saw a man who would come sometime in the future from the tribe of Israel (Jacob) as a king who would triumph. The Star and the Sceptre were the symbols of His reign.

In addition, the greatness of “a Star and a Sceptre” indicates that the coming King will be the future Deliverer for Israel. He will bring victory upon the nation of Israel over the enemies of His people. The biblical record shows that there had never been found in the history of the nation of Israel such a King. Thus this is the prophecy that has not been fulfilled yet but one day it will come to pass. The “Star” and “Sceptre” speak of the promise of a king like David who will bring victory over the enemies of Israel. As Reich rightly observed, "There is a remarkable combination of the earthly and the heavenly natures of the Coming One in Balaam’s vision. He saw in Him One who would be both Star and Sceptre. Our Lord clearly refers to this prophecy when He says of Himself: “I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star” (Rev 22:16). The language used by Balaam was that concerning earthly things, but the intention was to show the heavenly and spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God administered by the Divine-Human Christ."

Thus, Num 24:17 speaks unmistakably of the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah is the Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre that shall rise out of Israel. The writer of the gospel of Matthew understood it clearly when he wrote the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ, he listed Jacob as belonging to the Messianic line (Matt. 1:2). In other words, the Messiah would come from the Seed of Jacob.

Christ's First Coming: The Seed of Isaac

Twenty-four years had passed when the Lord gave a promise to Abraham to be a great nation. Nevertheless the Lord never forgot His promise. He reiterated the same promise to Abraham with the clearer details in Gen. 17:19. He reaffirmed that the promise given to him was not only for him alone but also for the descendants of his seeds.

We need to understand that when the Lord gave the first promise to Abraham, He did not inform Abraham that the seed would come from Sarah. This is important because, during the gap of twenty-four years, somehow Sarah his wife was impatient to wait upon the Lord. As a result she asked Abraham to take Hagar her maiden in order to bear a child for Sarah. But, Gen. 17:19 gives us the clear plan of God that what Sarah did was not according to what God desired. The promised seed that would come from the line of Abraham was not through Hagar but Sarah, his legitimate wife.

The birth of Isaac was indeed the fulfilment of the promise of God to Abraham. From now onwards, the promise of God would shine brighter on Abraham because what the Lord promised would continue through the descendants of his son, Isaac. Isaac was the chosen son through whom all the nations would be blessed. Davis aptly said, “The recipient of His covenant blessings, God said unequivocally, would be a son name Isaac born to Sarah (v. 19).” The Lord did not make a new covenant with his descendants but it was a continuity of what the Lord had made with Abraham because God’s covenant was the everlasting covenant. Thus, the covenant of God with Abraham involves Isaac the son of Sarah. As Salihamer remarks, "Isaac was not to be one of the anonymous “offsprings” who was to receive the benefits of the covenant. He is here brought to the level of a participant in the original covenant: “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him” (v. 9b). Thus the identification of the covenant “offspring” of Abraham is made more specific. The descendants of Abraham who are heirs of the covenant are those through Sarah, that is, the “offspring” of Isaac."

The fact is that God said to Abraham, “I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” (v. 19). There was no doubt that this was the anticipation of reiteration of the covenant made by God with Isaac in Gen. 26:3-5.

Thus, Gen. 17:19 was the key verse of the continuity of the covenant grace to the descendent of Abraham. This verse provides the very significant distinction to the rest of the descendants of Abraham. It is clearly stated that Isaac was the promised son to Abraham, and the covenant given by God to Abraham would continue to Isaac. In this regard, it gives the clear division that Ishmael and his descendants, and the descendants of Abraham from the sons of Keturah (25:20) will not be partakers in this covenant grace but Isaac and his descendants alone. Isaac would be the chosen line in which the Messiah would come. Henceforth the Lord would reveal it progressively through the particular tribe of Isaac’s descendants through whom the Messiah would come and be known. Luke 3:34 declares that Isaac was truly the line in which God used to fulfil His plan of salvation to save sinners from their sins.

Christ's First Coming: The Seed of Abraham

As a result of the disobedience of our first parents, there is a separation of man from God. This separation can be seen not only as a spiritual separation but also a separation in which God did not speak to mankind for a period of time after the fall. During this period the descendants of Adam had done terrible sins before the Lord. The Bible said that there was only one man who was just and perfect in that generation namely Noah (Gen. 6:9). The sins of those people were so great in the eyes of the Lord. For this reason, the Lord had to show His wrath to this world through the universal flood (Gen. 7-8). All things in this world died except Noah and his family and the things which were in the Ark. Nevertheless, from the time of Adam to Noah, hundreds of years had passed, God did not give further description of the promise of the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15).

However the Bible tells us that after the flood the descendants of Noah began to repopulate the world. From the three sons of Noah, Shem was the one whom God chose from which the line of the coming Messiah would come (Gen. 9:26). It can be clearly seen the genealogy of Abraham in Gen. 11:10-30, that Abraham was from the line of Shem. Henceforth, Abraham was the main character whom God had chosen that through his descendants, the Messiah would come. The clear affirmation of this truth is seen in Gen. 12:1-3 in the time God called Abraham. This is the reaffirmation of the promise of the first coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, it is right to say that it is an enlargement of the protoevangelion of Gen. 3:15. Reich rightly opines that this verse is “The prophecy concerning of the Seed of woman, becomes the promise of the Seed of Abraham.” Kligerman furthermore said, "This is more then the promise of ‘The Hope of a Prosperous.’ It is a promise of the coming of a ‘Personal Messiah,’ and it distinctly refers to Christ, if we take the word of such men as Paul and Peter, and this we gladly do, because these men, like the Old Testament prophets, were inspired by God and therefore are true prophets of the true God (see Acts 3:25,26; Gal. 3:8,9,14,16,19)."

When God gave this great promise to Abraham to be a great nation (Gen. 12:3), he did not have any child. The fact was, that the Lord would give him a child and through him, his descendants would grow and become a great nation. One may ask, who is the seed of Abraham mentioned in Gen. 13:1-3? The natural understanding of this passage is that the seed of Abraham is interpreted into three divisions namely the national seed of Abraham, the spiritual seed of Abraham and the Messianic Seed of Abraham. Nevertheless the question still remains, which one of these three as the primary meaning of the seed of Abraham? Kligerman gave the right answer when he said, “The primary meaning of this passage unquestionably is that of an individual, “The Seed” of Abraham, who shall bring this universal blessing to a world under the curse of sin.” Parks continues to say, "The seed of Abraham through which God promised to bless all the nation is his Messianic Seed, not his national or spiritual seeds. This point is stressed by Paul the apostle in Galatians 3:16: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. [God] does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” God therefore, in Genesis 12:3 (also 22:18; 26:4; 18:18), promised to bless the nations through Christ."

But this is not to deny that the nation of Israel has been a blessing to many nations. In fact the nation of Israel will be the main attention of this world especially during the seven years Great Tribulation.

Looking at the fulfilment of this promise, Matt. 1:1 clearly tells us that Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham. When Matthew wrote this gospel, he understood what he was writing because his writing was intended for the Jewish people. Clearly this verse denotes that the promise seed given by the Lord to Abraham referring to the Messiah which Matthew directly declares that He is the Christ. In fact Jesus Christ said to a group of teachers of the Law, that Abraham rejoiced to see His day (John 8:56). As Pounds said, “Abraham was overjoyed to see the fullness of time when the Messiah would indeed be a spiritual blessing.” This spiritual blessing comes to everyone who believes in the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross.