The Christ
1John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:
John supposedly wrote between the years 98-117 (Trajan’s reign) according to Irenaeus (Against Heresies, ca 177).
Speaking to a worldwide church, comprised of more Gentiles than Jews, why is the Gospel still about "the Christ,"
The King of the Jews, Personal saviour to the rest of us?
Hebrew: Messiach; Greek: Xristos; Latin: Cristus; English: Christ,
"Anointed," as Priests (Lev. 4:3), Kings (1 Sam. 12.3, 24.10, 26.9) and Prophets (1 Chr. 16.22)
"the" Anointed, as in a specific and special anointed one, an expected one
Messiah as title: "his, thine, mine or the Lord's" anointed (1 Sam. 2:10,35, Ps 2:2, 18:50, 89:39,51)
Notice also not used that way again till Rev.
Revelation 11:15 the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ
Revelation 12:10 the kingdom of our God, and the power his Christ of:
Salvation depends upon our believing that Jesus is "the Christ"
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
1John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Corrollaries:
Sound doctrine is necessary for salvation
Belief is more than confessing
(not just repeating a phrase, or assenting to statement you never really consider)
Jesus still ought to be preached and accepted as "the Christ",
not just as a "personal saviour"
The gospel is not about our needs as much as it is about his person
The Christ was not promised to Israel alone, but to all men
He is "our Christ" as much as he is their Christ.
Jesus claimed to be the Christ
Matthew 16:20 tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 23:8 for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
Mark 9:41 in my name, because ye belong to Christ,
Mark 14:61 Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am:
Luke 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things,
John 4:25 I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
John 9.22 that if any man did confess that he was Christ
35 he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
John 10:24 If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not
John 17:3 know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Disciples distinguished him as the Christ
not just as a "personal saviour," but as the promised and (ought to be) expected deliverer from all evil, enemies, devil, sin, even ourselves
Matthew 1:16 born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Matthew 16:16 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 27:17 Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
John 1: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
John 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
John 7:41 Others said, This is the Christ.
John 11:27 I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Acts 2:30 he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,
Acts 2:36 Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 4:26 against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Acts 9:20 he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Acts 9:22 proving that this is very Christ.
Acts 17:3 that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Acts 26:23 That Christ should suffer,
Romans 9:5 of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came,
Luke 4:41Thou art Christ the Son of God. … for they knew that he was Christ.
Matthew 26:68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Mark 15:32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross,
Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, … saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Luke 23: He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luke 23:39 If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
John 7:26 Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
John 9.22 that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 10:24 If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
To know what it means to believe Jesus is the Christ we must know:
What it meant to John (the Jews of the first century)
What it means to God (what was actually prophesied, and fulfilled)
What it means to us now (as Gentiles and as individuals)
A. What it meant to first century Jews:
Some confusion as to who all they should be expecting, or how many:
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
John 1:25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
Mark 6:15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
Mark 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
Luke 9:19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
(Matthew 14:2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.)
John 7:40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
John 7:41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
And apparently Jews did not expect their Christ to suffer
Generally known among Christians that Jews did not expect their Christ to suffer, something Christ himself cleared up among them
Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things
Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Acts 17:3 that Christ must needs have suffered, and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
This is interesting in the light of Psalm 22, 69, Isa. 53, Zech 13.7, etc.
Yet much agreement as to what they were expecting:
Universal expectation (not universal as in “everyone” but encompassing all groups
Zealots, Pharisees, Saducees, Samaritans, even possibly Gentiles(?)
Mat. 3:1 came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Dan. 2:44 shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
Notice, John came preaching the "kingdom of Heaven", which is Daniel's prophecy of the Messianic reign. All Jews would understand what he was saying. "The Messiah is coming", "The time is now."
Mat. 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Pharisees: "separated," believed themselves righteous through observances, only reason to go to John was for their expectation of the Christ.
Saducees: Antigonus Sochaeus (260 BC) taught obedience for obedience sake, not for reward, combined with Greek "rationalism," denied the resurrection of the body. Why else would they go to John’s baptism?
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Samaritans: separated from Jews by Jeroboam I, after Solomon's reign. Turned to Idolatry, conquered by Assyria, forced integration with Gentiles ... Their Bible was just the five books of Moses. Mystery why they would call him "Messias" and "Christ", considering they were expecting the "teacher" (as foretold by Moses), and the "saviour of the world" as promised to Eve and Abraham. Messianic expectation was so universal among Jews it became assimilated into Samaritan expectations.
Mat. 2:1 there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews
3 Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
The Time was near
Luke 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
Luke 2:25 just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel:
26 revealed unto him that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Notice: Simeon was waiting for something.
Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Some Jews were looking for the Christ, seriously expecting him.
Jews before Christ expected him imminently:
The Theological Works of ... Henry More, p. 204
2. Which yet some do by appealing to the Judgment of their own Rabbins, if they themselves did not conclude that their Messiah was to come about that time we say he did. Nehemias, a Jewish Rabbin, that lived some fifty Years before Christ, did openly declare out of the Prophecy of Daniel, that the coming of their expected Messiah could not be prolonged above fifty Years; as appears out of Grotius, if he was not misinformed by Stcttoxus. But by what he answers to Sarravius, one would think that he saw the place with his own Eyes; Ostendit istum mihi locum olim Hagæ Stofioxus. And that this was not one Rabbin’s Opinion, but the apprehension of many of their wise Men, is manifest from what Josephus has written, De bello Judaico lib 7 cap 31.
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That which excited them most of all to the War, was a doubtful Prophecy found in the Holy Writings, as if about that time some one from their Country should be Emperor of the World. This the Jews took as properly belonging to them, and many of the wise Men were deceived in their Judgments about that matter.
Out of which words it plainly appears that the Learned of the Jews, and in a manner the whole Nation, was perswaded that their Messiah, whom they thought would be the Prince of the known World, was hard at Hand. In which perswasion they were so serious that they ventured their Lives, Liberty, Temple and City thereupon, that being the greatest thing that animated them to that infortunate War. Of their firmness in which Opinion a further argument is, that they were so ready to phansy this or the other their Messiah about those times. For there were many looked upon for a while as such, as Herod, Judas Gaulonites, Jonathas, Barchochab and others.
...
4. But what Jofephus records concerning the Opinion of his Nation, that they thought the coming of their Messiah to be about that time, is got into the History of the Pagan Writers also. Cornelius Tacitus writes so like to what Jofephus has set down, that it seems something like a transtation of him, as in his speaking of the Prodigies that did fore-run the destruction of the City; Vise per cælum concurrere actes rutilantia arm a & fubito nubium igne collucere templum Expaff repent e delubri fores & audit a major human vox Excedere Deos fimul ingens motus excedentium That is, Armies were seen skirmishing in the Heavens, weapons glittering, and the Temple filled with Light from the sudden flashing of the Clouds. The Door also of the Temple instantly flung open, and a Voice was heard bigger than the Voice of any Man, That the Gods go out, and withal a mighty bustle of them as going out together. After this presently he adds, Quœ pauci in metum trahebant pluribus persuafio inerat ant i qui s facer dotum lit er is contineri eo ipfo tempore ut valefceret Oriens profeSlique Judæa rerum potirentur qua ambages Vespasi anum & Titum prædixermt i.e. Which some few interpreted as a dangerous Presage: Most were perswaded that it was contained in the ancient Books of their Priests, that at that very time the East should grow potent, and that those come from Judæa should obtain the Empire: which ambages prefignified Vespasian and Titus. In which he plainly intimates that the Opinion of the near approach of their Meffiah was so strong, that it bore against all the ill Prodigies, nay made them interpret them to a good Sense, as if this excedere deos was but their hastning out to take possession of the Nations; which was true in no other Sense than in that Christ, who was the peculiar Guardian Angel, as I may so speak, of the Jews before, became afterward the worship of the whole Empire. Or if you will, God, who was in a manner Topical before, restrained to Judæa, became the known and acknowledged God of the whole Earth.
5. Suetonius in the Life of Vespasian (Cap. 4) in express terms calls this Expectation of the Jews, veterem & constantem opinionem. Percrebuerat, saith he, Oriente toto vetus & constans opinio effe in satis ut eo tempore Judata prof eel i rerum potirentur Id de Jmperatore Romano quantum eventu postea prœdiftum patuit Judæi ad fe trahentes rebel larunt &c. An ancient and constant Opinion had grown very common over all the East, that the fates had so destined, that at that time those that came from Judæa should become Masters of all. Which fate, as appeared by the event, foretold of the Roman Emperor, the Jews interpreting in favour of themselves, rebelled, &c. By which expressions of Suetonius we may understand how assured the Jews were, that that was the time of the coming of their Messiah, and that the fame of it was not contained within their own Precincts, but had spread over all the East, and that the whole World was at a gaze in expectation of the Great Prince of the Jews.
http://books.google.com/books?id=9CBEAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA204
Mat. 9:27 Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mat. 12:23 people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Mat. 15:22 Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David
Mat. 20:30 Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Mat. 21:9 Hosanna to the Son of David:
Mat. 22:42 Christ? whose son is he? They say, The Son of David.
Luke 1:32 God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luke 1:69 salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Rom. 1:3 Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
2 Tim 2:8 Jesus Christ of the seed of David
Son of God
As a synonym of the Christ:
John 6:69 sure thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat. 26:63 whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Luke 4:41 Thou art Christ the Son of God.
John 11:27 I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God,
John 20:31 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
As an expectation
Mat. 4:3,6 If thou be the Son of God,
Mat 8.29 What with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?
Mat 14:33 worshipped him, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Mat. 27:40 If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Mat. 27:43 for he said, I am the Son of God.
Mat 27:54 feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Luke 22.70 Art thou then the Son of God?
John 1:34 bare record that this is the Son of God.
Acts 8:37 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Act 9:20 preached Christ, that he is the Son of God.
Rom 1:4 declared to be the Son of God with power
1 John 4.15 Whosoever confess that Jesus is the Son of God
1 John 5:20 we know that the Son of God is come
Mark 14:61,62 ye shall see the Son of coming in the clouds of heaven.
Dan. 7:9 one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven
Psalm 80:17 the man of thy right hand, the son of man thou madest strong for thyself.
Mat. 9:6 the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins
Mat. 16:27 Son of man shall come in glory of his Father with his angels
28 till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Mat 19.28 Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory,
Mat. 24:30 shall see Son of man coming in clouds of heaven with power
John 3:13 came down from heaven, Son of man which is in heaven.
John 5:27 authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man.
John 12:34 Christ abideth for ever…Son of man lifted up? who is this Son of man?
Acts 7:56 heavens opened, Son of man standing on right hand of God.
Rev. 14:14 and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man
King of Israel, or King of the Jews
As a distinction of the Christ:
John 1:49 thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Mat. 2:2 Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
4 where Christ should be born.
Mark 15:32 Let Christ the King of Israel
Luke 23:2 saying that he himself is Christ a King.
As an expectation
Mat. 5:35 Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat. 27.11 Art thou the King of the Jews?
29 Hail, King of the Jews!
37 HE KING OF THE JEWS.
42 If he be the King of Israel,
Mark 15.12 whom ye call the King of the Jews?
Mat. 21:5 Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
Luke 19:38 Blessed be the King that cometh in name of the Lord
John 12:13 Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel
Acts 1:6 at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Acts 17:7 saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
1 Tim 6:15 the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings
Saviour - Redeemer
John 4:42 the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
1 John 4:14 Son to be the Saviour of the world.
From enemies
Luke 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies,
74 being delivered out of hand of our enemies
73 oath which he sware to our father Abraham
Gen. 22.16 By myself have I sworn
17 thy seed shall possess gate of his enemies;
Deu. 7:8 sworn to fathers, LORD redeemed bondmen
Luke 1:77 salvation unto his people by remission of sins,
Acts 5:21 Saviour, repentance Israel, forgiveness sins.
Acts 13.23 according to promise unto Israel a Saviour
Redeemer (deliverance by purchase of one under penalty or contract,
“ransom” is deliverance by purchase of one under threat)
Luke 2:38 spake of him to all them that looked for redemption
Luke 1:68 for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luke 24.12 we trusted he should have redeemed Israel:
Holy One (sinless)
Luke 1:35 that holy thing shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 4:34 I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
Acts 3:14 ye denied the Holy One and the Just,
Acts 4:27 against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
John 8:7 He that is without sin, let him first cast a stone at her.
John 8:46 convinceth me of sin? why do ye not believe me?
Psalm 9:8 judge the world in righteousness
Psalm 16:10 suffer thy holy one to see corruption
Psalm 22:31 declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born
Psalm 89:18 Holy One of Israel is our king
Teacher
John 4.25 when he is come, he will tell us all things.
John 3:2 Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:
Deu. 18:15 raise up a Prophet like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
18 will put my words in his mouth; speak all that I shall command
Isa 2:3 and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
Isa. 11:2 the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
9 earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
Jer. 31.34 for they shall all know me
Miraculous
Matthew 11:3 Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Mat. 26:68 Saying, Prophesy, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
John 6:14 seen miracle, This is that prophet should come into the world.
15 they would come and take him by force, to make him a king
John 7:31 When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these?
Mat. 12:22 insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
23 And all the people were amazed, Is not this the son of David?
John 3:2 no man can do these miracles except God be with him.
Isa 35:5 eyes of blind opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 in wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Mic 7:15 According to coming out of Egypt will I shew marvellous things.
Summary:
What they were all waiting for:
A supernatural man to come in clouds,
Restore David’s throne and glory,
Deliver the nation from its enemies,
Establish an everlasting kingdom of peace and prosperity,
Teach the full knowledge of God and truth,
Forgive our sins and cause us to be righteous.
What they should also have been waiting for:
One singular Messiah embodying all the promises,
not multiple generational messiahs nor random prophets)
A humble man submitting to suffering and death
Jehovah God living among us
Why Jews resisted Jesus as Christ?
He didn’t identify with their beloved traditions.
He was non-commital, not endorsing any group’s agenda,
Hence uncontrollable, not even influenceable.
He seemed all too human, not supernatural in his appearance.
He seemed too weak to accomplish what they were expecting.
B. What it means to God
Progressive Revelation
A mystery revealed by tantalizing clues,
a consistent focus by believers,
a constant expansion of understanding by simply believing the clues
In the following revelations notice the:
Singular (“his” heel, etc., in Isaac,)
Election (narrowing down the promises to certain descendants)
Enmity (enemies, war)
Passion (bruise heel)
Universality (seed of woman, “all nations blessed,”)
Royalty (sceptre)
Last days (gathering)
Salvation (Shiloh-rest)
Patriarchal revelation (up to Moses)
“seed”
Gen 3:15 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.
Gen. 12:7 Unto thy seed will I give this land (sing/plural)
Gen. 13:15 To thy seed forever
16 thy seed as the dust of the earth (plural)
Gen. 15:5 able to number them, so shall thy seed be
Gen. 16:10 multiply thy seed exceedingly
Gal 3.16 He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
(no one says “seeds” to indicate a plural progeny, they always say “seed” even when they mean it to be plural, so what is Paul’s logic?
It is not to prove Jesus is the Christ,
Nor is it to prove the mentioned “seed” always refers to Christ, (many times it refers to Israel as a nation or plural, even among the 12 times in Gen it uses Paul’s exact quotation “to thy seed”)
Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land…; and I will be their God.
The point however is that the seed sometimes is not plural, but singular, which to any believer familiar with Genesis requires no supportive argument (to these Jews it is a big “duh”)
His argument makes perfect sense when we acknowledge the universally messianic interpretation of Genesis in his day. They all accepted the focus on the singular “seed” promised since Eve, and Paul is using this focus to prove the promise was the object of the Old Testament, rather than the law. And the law, coming well after the promise, 1) was not the promise, 2) could not take the place of the promise, 3) was not intended to weaken the promise, and 4) should never have overshadowed or eclipsed the promise as it did among them.
Gen. 21:12 In Isaac shall thy seed be called (sing, prophetic, narrowing)
Gen. 22:18 thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies (sing, proph)
Gen 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
10 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.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
Sceptre not depart, (no kingdom exists, so it means the promise of a king is given to Judah, and shall not be taken away from him)
Shiloh means “tranquility” or “rest” (peace and prosperity), spoken of as a “him” then means “rest-giver.”
(Notice the new tantalizing hints, the foal, the vine, washing garments in wine, “blood” of grapes, etc.)
Covenant (theocracy)
Num. 23:21 the shout of a king is among them
24:7-9 “seed”, “king”, “kingdom exalted (victorious)
familiar with Genesis
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? (Gen 49:9, see Num 23:24 also) Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. (Gen. 12:3)
Num. 24:17 shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
( “war” “enemies”
Deu. 18:15 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;
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Notice, Moses was a prophet like no other (Num. 12:6, Deu. 34:10), “face to face” with God, so a prophet “like” him would be one like no other
Hannah
1 Sam 2:10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
Notice: war, coming from heaven, Jehovah God on earth, first mention of the “anointed”
1 Sam. 2:35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest (Samuel), that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
Anointed appears to be a common designation
People who took the promises seriously, developed terminology to designate the coming one, being a coming king, logically considered then an “anointed” one.
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
7 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Personal saviour, last day, resurrection
(Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation)
(Job 33:24 I have found a ransom.)
Monarchy (especially since David)
1 Chr 17:11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:
14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
David’s psalms
Psalm 22:27,28 Lord – Governor
Psalm 24:7,8 Who is this King of Glory, (Jehovah)
Psalm 45:6,7 Thy throne, O God
9-16 Gentile queen, converted
Psalm 110:1 My lord
2 Zion, rule, enemies
3 Holiness, youth
4 priest, Melchisedek (like Moses)
5 battle
Psalm 2:2 his anointed
2 last battle
6 God’s king on Zion
7 His son (begotten)
8 whole earth
9 great battle
10 trust in the son
Psalm 89:3 my chosen (David)
14 Jehovah’s throne
15 light of thy countenance (God’s presence on earth)
18 Holy one of Israel our king
19-20 chosen-David
26 God his father
27 my firstborn
38-45 the passion
46-51 Christ’s prayer
Prophets
Isa. 9:6 a child born (begotten ps.2)
(Isa. 7.14, virgin birth)
Isa. 35:4 God cometh
Isa. 50-53 suffering servant
52:7 thy God reigneth in Zion
52:13 my servant
52:14 marred
52:15 many nations
53:1 “arm of the Lord” (extension of Jehovah=Christ)
Isa. 55:3 David’s sure mercies
4 witness, leader, commander
Isa. 61:1 anointed to…
Zech. 2:10,11 Lord dwell in the midst
Zeph. 3:16,17 Lord dwell in the midst
Dan. 9:24-27 seventy weeks determined
25 Messiah the Prince
26 Messiah cut off (not for himself)
New Testament (incomplete)
Apostolic revelations
Satan overthrown
Recovery of all things
God among men
Glory
C. What it means to us (as Gentiles and as individuals)
Salvation is:
Even though salvation is a “new birth” and gentiles received the Spirit instantly, what doctrine you believe, what persuasion you are of matters in your personal salvation. (it is both spiritual and doctrinal, not an exclusively doctrinal matter, but inseparable from doctrine)
Salvation is NOT
An incantation (magic words, repeated prayer)
A feeling (not a “sense of peace”)
A general repentance (getting religion, new leaf, interest in God)
A sovereign act of God (salvation comes through persuasion of doctrine)
–2 John 9,10 the doctrine of Christ
God in the flesh (what “begotten son of God” means)
Sinlessness of Christ (virgin birth)
Expiatory death (lamb of God)
Second coming (all history anticipating the Christ … God’s drum roll)
– Acts 9:2, 22:4 “this way” –Rom. 6:17 “that form of doctrine”
Inspiration of the Bible
Comprehensive revelation (the record of his son 1John 5)
Literalism (in prophecies, geneologies)
The main evidence of salvation (as compared to righteousness and love)
Salvation is essentially the same in all dispensations, (both testaments)
Faith in God’s promise, provision, person (inseparable)
(means what he says)
No room for competitors –
(Mary, saints, priests, Vicars, Mohammad, Buddha)
No room for compromise –
Jesus either IS or IS NOT the Christ
If he is, no hesitation, no indifference, no truce
If he were not, no acceptance of him at all (not a good teacher)
Conclusion – A number of things confirmed to me
The Bible itself is confirmed – true (“God’s word,” God’s mind, God’s will)
comprehensively true – true in detail
Christ makes sense out of the whole Bible
Evidence is overwhelming – No more evidence is needed.
(I don’t need to see a miracle, the revelation is miracle enough)
Unbelief is inexcusable – in anyone – Jew or gentile
Salvation is in him – He died for our sins
Jesus is the fulfillment of all messianic
Promises
Prophecies (plan foretold)
Predictions (identifications)
Jesus is the full and final revelation of messianic doctrine
Messianism in OT is not understood fully till him
No one else is even feasable to consider
No new revelation since him
Therefore: Jesus is the Christ