The Life of Christ

He is Buried with the Rich

2009-05-07T02:40:00.001-07:00

The death of the Messiah was a very painful death in order to pay the penalty for our sins. Despite the loneliness and His disciples and the Father forsaking Him in the time of His burial, He “was given an honorable burial after his dishonorable death because of his perfect innocence.” The Lord Jesus was worthy to receive such honor. In fact prophet Isaiah had recorded through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ would be buried by a rich man after His death (Is. 53:9).

Who was this rich man? Matthew answered that he was a rich man of Arimathaea whose name was Joseph (Matt. 27:57). “He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed” (Matt. 27:57-60). Joseph, being a rich man, provided all the necessary things for the burial of the Christ, so that Christ would be buried in a proper way and even according to Jewish tradition. He was not just thrown as the two thieves crucified with Him were.

Joseph together with Nicodemus prepared for the burial of Jesus Christ within a short time. These two disciples of God had shown their love for Christ. They were not one of the twelve disciples, but ordinary people who believed the Lord Jesus to be the Messiah sent by God the Father to fulfill what was written in the Scriptures concerning Him. On the other hand, His own chosen disciples did not come back to see the dead body of Christ, except “Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher” (Matt 27:61). God had allowed events to happen in such a way that the prophecy might be fulfilled as it was written.

His Side is Pierced

2009-05-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

Having seen that the Lord Jesus Christ was dead, the soldiers did not break his legs or any bone as prophesied by the Psalmist. On the other hand, the prophet Zechariah prophesied about this same occasion describing the action taken by the soldiers toward Jesus Christ. He said, “. . . and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness of his firstborn” (Zech. 12:10). The context of the verse explains the promise of God concerning the repentance of the Jews despite the long time they had been provoking God. This same verse prophesies the piercing of their Messiah.

When the apostle John wrote his gospel, he did see that the incident of the piercing of the Lord Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Old Testament. John recorded, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34). This soldier was not content just to know that Jesus Christ was dead, he nevertheless pierced Him with a spear.

The crucifixion of Christ was a terrible mode of death. The great pain and torture that He experienced had caused Him to die sooner than the two criminals. As Lockyer commented, "Not only was it punctured by the soldier’s sword thrust, but the extreme mental and spiritual torture was so great that His heart was ruptured before the point of the sword pierced it. Appearance of blood and water indicated that the lymphatic fluid apparently had separated from the red blood, producing “blood and water."

He Has No Bones Broken

2009-05-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

After six hours hanging on the cross suffering intense agonies, the time had come when Jesus Christ must die. He died a terrible death. He had finished His work and accomplished perfectly what His Father had commanded Him then when Jesus said, “it is finished.”

It was on a Friday afternoon when the Lord Jesus Christ finished His work of Salvation. Since then, every believer in Him has direct access to the Father. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of man and for this reason He came to this world to accomplish what God the Father had planned for His people. Because Friday was a day of preparation for the Sabbath, the soldiers must remove the body of Christ from the cross. And when they saw Jesus had died they did not break His legs whereas the two persons crucified together with Him had their legs broken by the soldiers (John 19:32-33,36). The explanation is that if the person has not died yet, his legs must be broken to ensure death so that they could bury him before the Sabbath comes. It was the custom of the Jews that nobody can do works, including burial on the Sabbath.

Why didn’t the soldiers break the legs of Jesus Christ? The answer was that God the Father kept His word. The prophecy that says, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken” (Ps. 34:20) must be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. The intense agonies that He suffered were much worse than the two criminals hung together with Him. Nevertheless what was written in the Scriptures must be fulfilled. As Lockyer said, "While it is true that onlookers saw His bones protruding from His naked and emaciated body- “I may tell all my bones; they look and stare upon me”- yet in a miraculous way not a bone of the suffering Messiah was broken, even although some were out of joint. God kept His word, no bone of His Son was broken. But His bones waxed old through His roaring all the day long. It was a miracle of divine providence that Jesus was already dead when the soldiers came to club Him and thus hasten His death and the sooner remove His body from the cross."

He is Forsaken by God

2009-05-01T02:34:00.000-07:00

It was in the dark hour when the Messiah bore the sins of the world. In His last three hours of crucifixion the world was coved with darkness, and Jesus was facing the darkest situation as He bore all the sins of this world. He was sinless and yet was made sin for us that man might be reconciled with God and that man might have direct access to God. Truly the suffering Jesus bore on our behalf was indescribable agony.

When Jesus Christ was being hung on the cross, He felt the loneliness. He was alone bearing the sins of the world. The multitudes that had seen the miracles He performed, the sick that had received healing from Him and His own disciples, had all forsaken Him, and left Him alone to be spat upon and smitten. The agonies of Jesus were great and indescribable when His own Father forsook Him. As Lockyer said, “It was heart-rending enough for Jesus to have disciples forsake Him and flee; but to be forsaken by His own Father was surely the crown of His anguish.” God the Father forsook Him not in the sense that He stopped loving His Son but rather because He was the sin-bearer. Lockyer again commented, "The face of God was turned, not so much from His Son in whom He always delighted, but from what His Son was bearing, namely, the sin of a lost world, for He was of purer eyes than to look upon iniquity. “God made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin.” Thus, it was more from Christ as the sin-bearer than from His actual Son that the Father hid His face. The strange enigma of God-forsakenness can only be understood in the light of Christ’s mediatorial office."

Matthew knew that God the Father forsaking His Son (Matt. 27:46) was surely the fulfillment of what the Psalmist had prophesied when He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Ps. 22:1). It was the cry of Jesus Christ on the cross when He bore all the sins of the world.

Soldiers Gambled for His garment

2009-04-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

When the Messiah was being crucified on the cross, the women who followed Jesus were watching from afar with tears and lamentation while the Jewish leaders were rejoicing on seeing the Messiah on the cross, and the soldiers gambling for His garments. These people did not realize that what they were doing was actually fulfilling what the Scriptures said in the Old Testament books. How perfect the plan of God was, as can be seen from all these events being fulfilled and recorded for us!

The Psalmist ten centuries before Christ came in the form of a servant was able to note down the events that will occur during the crucifixion of Christ on Calvary. He said, “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Ps. 22:18). The Omniscience God revealed this truth through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost given the Psalmist and through the Omnipotence of God fulfilled this prophecy as recorded in the four gospels. In particular Matthew recorded the account of the crucifixion of Christ in Matthew 27:35 “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” Thus, the gambling for the garments of Jesus was no doubt a fulfillment of the prophecy of David in the book of Psalm.

David expressed the condition of the Messiah in His first coming as the poor Servant of God. His last garment of earthly possession was gambled for the soldiers. Thus, when He came to this world He was absolutely poor in order that those who believed in Him might be rich. As Lockyer rightly added, “The clothes Jesus wore were His only possession in the world, yet even these were taken from Him. Those coarse, heartless soldiers might have had the decency to leave His seamless robe to hide His emaciated body.”

His Prayer for His Enemies

2009-04-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

The love of God toward sinners is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. What the Lord had required of man had been accomplished and fulfilled by Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners. He kept all the commandments of God and led a holy life despite the sinful world which surrounded Him. Whichever commandment the first Adam had failed to keep, had been perfectly kept by the Messiah even unto death on the cross. He was obedient and faithful to finish His course and mission as His Father commended Him. This act of obedience is often called the Active and Passive obedience of Christ.

One proof that shows the endurance of Jesus Christ to finish His course is seen clearly while He was still hung on the cross. Despite the excruciating pain He bore on the cross, He gave Himself unto prayer for those enemies that were still waiting for His death. There was not a thought of revenge in His heart, but rather He saw the sinfulness and the sorrow of those enemies, living without God and obeying God. He prayed to His Father saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). As Lockyer rightly said, "For the pains Jesus received, He responded with prayers for those who ill-treated Him; He met indignities with intercession, suffering with supplication. He had taught His disciples to pray for those who would despitefully treat them: and at the Cross, He practiced what He had preached. What incomparable magnanimity! . . . He never paid people back in their own coin. He overcame evil with good. It takes much grace to kiss the hand that wounds. Retaliation was not in our Lord’s vocabulary."

How great the love of God toward sinners is! The intercessional prayer He offered to His father revealed that He had a very earnest longing for His persecutors to have another chance to repent of their sins. Jesus knew without this opportunity, His enemies would never taste victorious living and have eternal life. They will be lost in their sins and die without knowing their Messiah. This act of offering intercessional prayer was clearly predicted by the Psalmist when he said “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer” (Ps. 109:4).

He is given Vinegar and Gall

2009-04-25T02:25:00.000-07:00

When the Lord Jesus Christ was hung on the cross, hatred and mockery toward Him never ceased. His enemies were not satisfied spiting and smiting Him while He was in their hands, they continued expressing their hatred even when He was on the cross.

For six hours Christ was hanging on the cross with His wounded body facing the heart of the sun. How terrible the pain that He bore must have been to pay the penalty for our sins! It was at this time that He spoke His last words in a loud voice saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” (Mark 15:35), as an expression of the great pain He experienced. When the soldiers heard Him crying, one of them gave Him a sponge full of vinegar to drink (Mark 15:36; Matt 27:34). How painful it must have been when the vinegar flowed from His mouth onto His wounded body for He could not drink. Nonetheless soon after this event, Jesus “cried with the loud voice and gave up the ghost” (v.37). He died a very terrible death.

Again, nothing is accidental in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalmist records this terrible real event saying, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:21). Based on this study, it is important to take note what John the apostle said concerning the prophecy about this event. Calvin put it in another way, "But still the Apostle John justly declares that this Scripture was fulfilled when the soldiers gave Christ vinegar to drink upon the cross (John xix:28-30;) for it was requisite that whatever cruelty the reprobate exercise towards the members of Christ, should by a visible sign be represented in Christ himself."

He is Scorned and Mocked

2009-04-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

Another prophecy of the Old Testament concerning the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross reveals that the Messiah was scorned and mocked by the people. It was during the crucifixion, His enemies mocked Him saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35), “If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself” (v. 37), “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” (v.39). Nevertheless the mockeries that Jesus heard while He was hung on the cross did not cause Him to hate or think about revenge. His love toward them never changed.

The pain, suffering and mockery borne by Jesus caused some to have sympathy toward Him. Luke records that a great company of people including women that followed Christ on His way to Calvary, bewailed and lamented Jesus (Luke 23:27). But Jesus knew that it was not necessary for them to lament for Him but rather for themselves and their children (Luke 23:28). The Lord Jesus was prepared by the Father to bear all pains, mockeries and insults in order to fulfill the prophecies given in the scriptures.

The book of Psalm records the prophecy of what happened to the Messiah while He was hung on the cross. “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him” (Ps. 22:7-8). The fulfillment of this prophecy could be seen in the life of Jesus as recorded in the four gospels. Hundreds of years before Christ came to this world, the Lord had recorded the things that He would do and undergo during His short life in this world.

Jesus Is Preceded By A Forerunner and Elijah

2008-11-01T01:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-08-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-10T03:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-10T03:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T03:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

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 Abraham

2008-07-20T22:28:00.001-07:00

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.

Christ's First Coming: The Seed of Isaac

2008-07-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

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 a woman

2008-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

When God created Adam and Eve, the relationship of God with man was perfect. God placed the man in the most wonderful and beautiful garden. Adam and Eve were placed in that garden to live and preserve it (Gen. 2:15). Man had enjoyed communion with God. Nevertheless it was in this same garden, the Lord had given a test to mankind in order to affirm their permanent holiness. What was the test? The Test is found in Gen. 2:16-17, “the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” God gave them the freewill, the freedom to obey or reject God’s will. In other words, before the fall of man, man could obtain salvation through his obedience to the commandments of the Lord. This is commonly called the covenant of works. Man must work in order to obtain salvation. Thus it was with this purpose God gave this test.

The condition of man as being a perfect man did not last long. Shortly after he was put into the garden, Satan tempted Eve to disobey the commandment of the Lord. The subtlety of the serpent used by Satan to tempt our first parents had caused to doubt on the Word and promise of God. God forbade them to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge good and evil. Adam and Eve must have understood that, as Shaw said, "Their abstaining from the tree of knowledge was the criterion, by which their fidelity was to be tried, and their eating of the fruit of that tree was a violation of the whole law; for it was rebellion against the Lawgiver, and a renunciation of his authority."

This implied that when God gave the test to our first parents, it required the absolute obedience to Him. Adam and Eve must have clearly understood the consequences of disobedience to the Lord. Nevertheless, when Satan cast doubt on the Word of God given to Adam and Eve, Eve took the first action to respond the serpent (Gen. 3:1-3).

As a result of this confrontation, Eve was seduced by the subtlety of the serpent. When Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen. 3:6). The freedom God gave to man was abused. They did not have the perfect rectitude anymore. The promise of Satan was fulfilled. Their eyes had opened to know good and evil (Gen. 3:5) from their own wicked perspective. Thus the moment they had eaten the fruit of the tree of knowledge good and evil they realised their wickedness and fear entered their hearts (Gen. 3:8).

When Adam fell into sin, the whole human race fell at the same time because Adam was the representative of all men (Rom. 5:12). As a result of Adam’s disobedience “the serpent was cursed, the earth was cursed, and man likewise came under the curse.” The relationship of man with God was not as in the Garden of Eden. Nevertheless it was during the annunciation of the curse to the serpent, God gave the promise of the coming Messiah (Gen. 3:15). As Hengstenberg rightly remarked, "The promise of the Messiah, given immediately after the fall, as it is the first, so is it also the most indefinite. Opposed to the fearful threatening stands the consoling promise, that the reign of sin and its consequent evils should not last forever; that posterity of the woman should one day gain the victory over their dreaded conqueror."

Gen. 3:15 says, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This verse is commonly called “Protevangelium.” Bible-believing scholars agree to this statement because God had given the promise to our first parents the coming Saviour who would save the sinners from their sins (cf. Rom. 5:19). Although God condemned mankind for that terrible sin they had done, the Lord still showed His mercy. As Kligerman said, “In the darkest hour of human history, God’s promise of ultimate victory brought comfort and cheer. This, then, the first Messianic promise, the promise of the utter destruction of the serpent who is responsible for the ruination of mankind.”

At this juncture, it is necessary to ask this question, how is it that Gen. 3:15 becomes the first gospel preached by God? Looking at Gen. 3:15 closely, it is clear that this verse is part of the pronouncing of the curse given to the serpent. The Lord said to the serpent “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed” (Gen. 3:15a). The serpent was the representative of Satan. Thus when God cursed the serpent before Adam and Eve, God actually was cursing Satan. Clowney said, “The serpent was judged…. Though Eve had made herself the friend of Satan and the enemy of God, God would reverse the situation. He would put the enmity not between God and man but between man and Satan.”

It is important to understand that the context of this verse tells us that the enmity is not between the seed of Satan and the seed of the man, but between the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman. In the Scripture, the word “seed” is used to describe the offspring of posterity. In the case of Gen. 3:15, the phrase “her seed” denotes her posterity, including the Messiah, the greatest of all her descendants. He is the Seed (Gal. 3:19), who came with the purpose to destroy totally the works of the Devil (Heb. 2:14). According to Kligerman, the coming of the greatest Seed of the woman involves, “(1) restore to man the Creator’s moral image, (2) restore communion and fellowship with God, (3) remove the curse from man’s heritage, (4) conquer death in behalf of all mankind.”

We notice that the word ‘seed’ in Gen. 3:15 is in the singular form. This implies that the seed of Satan is referring to Satan himself and the seed of the woman is referring to the coming Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Nevertheless there is no doubt, in the light of the New Testament Scriptures that the seed can be understood in the spiritual sense. The seed of Satan consists of unbelievers and the seed of the woman refers to the spiritual seeds namely those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But the context of this verse demands only one meaning, that the seed of the woman that the Lord had promise, only refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

The second part of Gen. 3:15 says, “it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.” Who shall bruise the head of Satan? Can the descendants of Adam crush the head of Satan? Definitely not, only Christ can. Though this prophecy was given to our first parents thousands of years before Christ came to this world, the Lord had already shown His mercy toward mankind. He knew that after the fall, no one could please God with his own merit, but merely by the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ through His death on the cross. However, the Scriptures recorded that in the process of crushing the head of Satan, Satan himself was permitted to crush the heel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This refers to the death of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, Christ would crush the head of Satan through His resurrection from death. Satan was “destroyed and ruined at last by the great Redeemer, signified by the bruising of his head; his subtle politics shall be all baffled, his usurped power entirely crushed.” Furthermore, Clarke said, "… and this alone, is what is implied in the promise of the seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent. Jesus Christ died to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and to destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Thus he bruises his head destroys his power and lordship over mankind, turning them from the power of Satan unto God (Acts 26:18). And Satan bruises his heel God so ordered it, that the salvation of man could only be brought about by the death of Christ; and even the spiritual seed of our blessed Lord have the heel often bruised, as they suffer persecution, temptation etc., which may be all that is intended by this part of the prophecy."

Adam understood clearly the meaning of this prophecy. He knew that through the seed of Eve, He would come to bruise the head of Satan. For this reason, Adam honoured Eve by calling her the mother of all living, because through her seed the Saviour would come to save sinners (Gen. 3:20). Thus, Gen. 3:15 is absolutely a prophecy of the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. Paul understood that the fulfilment of this prophecy was according to the appointed time given by the Lord. As he said in Gal. 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, To redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Satan was crushed at Calvary and defeated when Christ rose again from the dead. In Rev. 20:1-5 is recorded that when Christ returns, Satan will be in submission to Him.

Introduction to the Life of Chrsit from the Old Testament

2008-07-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem is most prominent. Many people think it as the beginning of the story of Christ. Actually, the story of Jesus did not begin in the manger of a Bethlehem stable. The story began far earlier. In fact it began shortly after the fall of Adam and Eve. God Himself had declared to our first parents the coming Saviour whom was called in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of all stories concerning Jesus the Saviour.

Although the Bible consists of two testaments, the Lord does not provide two redemptive plans for salvation. The Lord has given only one Saviour to the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the two testaments of the Bible have only one theme, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour of the world both in the Old and the New Testament.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Saviour that God has sent to save sinners. Apart from Him, nobody can be saved. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Furthermore Luke also recorded in Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”

Based on these two verses, it is clear that in both the Old and the New Testament Christ is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. Although He had not come in the flesh in the Old Testament time, God the Father had appointed Him as the only Saviour of the world. The redemptive plan of God for His people is the same even till today. God did not provide one way of salvation in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament. God has only one plan from the Old Testament till today. Salvation can be found only in Jesus Christ.

Thus, Jesus Christ did not become the Saviour of the world after He was born in Bethlehem. He is the Saviour both in Old and New Testament. However, it is reasonable to admit that the knowledge concerning the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament has not been known fully by those believers as those who believe in the New Testament. But this does not mean that the Old Testament believers did not know anything about the Saviour. Jesus again gave the most wonderful statement concerning one of the believers in the Old Testament when He said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56).

Problem

If we say that Jesus Christ is the Saviour both in the Old and the New Testament, one may ask how was Jesus Christ become the Saviour in the Old Testament time? Did those believers really know Jesus Christ? If Jesus Christ could be known in the Old Testament as the Saviour of the world, why did not the Jews believe in Him? These are some of the questions that can be anticipated in this study.

Thus, in order to answer these questions, let us see the comparison of believers both in the Old and the New Testament. Those who believe in Jesus Christ after His ascension are right to say that they never saw the Lord Jesus Christ personally. But, through the scriptures, they believe and look back through the account of life, ministry, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. In the same way, the believers in the Old Testament, they did not see what would happen during the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they believed and looked forward to the promised Coming Saviour of the world. If the people in this generation can be saved through the record of scriptures, why was it impossible for those who lived in the Old Testament time, who looked forward for the coming of the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ?

Purpose

It is the writer’s intention in this thesis to present the life of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Old Testament perspective. Through this presentation, one might be convinced that the life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ could be seen in the Old Testament Scriptures.

The writer would cover all the scriptural promises concerning the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, from the book of Genesis to Malachi. The outline of this thesis would follow the order and sequence of the life of Jesus Christ as seen in the New Testament Scriptures.

Presupposition

The writer believes that the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament are the only books inspired by God which are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). In addition, the writer believes that God provides the same redemptive plan for salvation both in the Old and New Testament namely through the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is Pierced through Hands and Feet (Ps. 22:16; ref. John 20:27)

2009-04-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

The hatred of the enemies of Christ was so terrible and cruel. Their own Messiah sent by God to bring victory of salvation in their midst and they put him to death on the cross. They reckoned Him as one of the malefactors who deserve to be crucified. Nonetheless, the love of God toward His chosen people did not diminish. Despite their wickedness and rejection of their Master and King, God still has a special plan for the nation of Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in His last words, asked His Father to forgive them for their wrong doings toward Him (Luke 34:34). His love never changed. He knew His mission was to fulfill what was written in the scriptures.

The prophecy given by God to the Psalmist must be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. His hands and feet must be pierced as the Psalmist had said, “For dogs have compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps. 22:16). All these were done when the unbelieving Jews crucified Jesus Christ. They nailed His hands and feet to the cross and He died there with all the wounds, pain and suffering. Jesus endured all these things because of the love he had for sinners.

However it is important to take note that the death of Jesus is not an eternal death. Three days after His death, He was resurrected as often taught to His disciples concerning His resurrection. The power of death could not overcome Him. He defeated death with victory. He resurrected and revealed Himself to the people and His disciples.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is real and not fictitious. Thomas, who did not believe in His resurrection, was convinced after the Lord Jesus Christ showed Himself to him. Jesus said, “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). The scars on His hands and feet were proof of His suffering and death but He had resurrected from the dead.

He is Crucified with Malefactors (Is. 53:12; ref. Mark 15:27-28)

2009-04-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Another event prophesied in the Old Testament is the crucifixion of the Messiah together with the two malefactors. The prophet Isaiah saw once again the full suffering of Christ on the cross when he wrote in Isaiah 53:12 saying, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” The Messiah, despite His holiness, living without sins and doing no wrong, was nailed on the cross. The Jews considered the punishment which Christ received to be of the same magnitude as those malefactors. Lockyer rightly opines, "The word Isaiah used for transgressors among whom Christ was numbered does not refer to the usual run of sinners, but to criminals, or those who were open transgressors of the law of God and man. Voluntarily He permitted Himself to be reckoned with male factors, and to all appearances as far as the mob was concerned, Jesus was a felon like His companions in death - perhaps considered a shade worse than the other two, as He was given the middle place."

How terrible His suffering was! He was so holy, living in this world, helping the weak and showing mercy to those who were distressed and oppressed. He taught the multitude to live according to the truth and the Law, but His enemies nailed Him on the cross. Nevertheless, it was done perfectly according to the prophecies given concerning Him in the Old Testament. Whatever the Lord had said concerning Him must be fulfilled. As Mark recorded, “And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors” (Mark 15:27-28).