Jesus, The Messiah

As we journey through the Christmas season, while enduring the predictable cliché “Jesus is the reason for the season,” let’s take time to learn how important Jesus really is

Over the next 4 weeks, we are going to look at the Gospel accounts of the coming of Jesus, and examine 5 facts about who Jesus is:

Jesus, the Messiah

Jesus, the Word

Jesus, the Impossible Child

Jesus, the King

Jesus, the Savior

What is a Messiah?

Webster

A professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause

Dictionary.com

Any expected deliverer; a zealous leader of some project

Harper’s Bible Dictionary

from the Hebrew mashiaḥ, ‘anointed one’; a term that could be applied to any person ‘anointed’ and sent by God.

Strong’s lexicon

39 occurrences in the Old Testament

Means “anointed, anointed one”

AV translates as “anointed” 37 times, and “Messiah” twice.

of the Messiah, Messianic prince.

of the king of Israel.

of the high priest of Israel.

of Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1).

So, in what way is Jesus the Messiah? What exactly were the Jews looking for?

In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, we learn two things that must be true concerning the long-awaited Messiah

The Messiah Is The Son of Abraham (v. 2-5)

Abrahamic Covenant

Genesis 12 & 15

God made a covenant with Abraham, promising that he:

Would receive the land that God would show him (Promised Land)

Would have many descendants (even though he had no children)

Would be the vehicle through which the people of the earth will be blessed

Isaac was the one through whom the promise was made

Genesis 17:21

My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.

Abraham and Sarah tried to have children through one of the maids, Hagar, because they thought they were too old to have kids (in their 80’s).

However, God did not accept that child (Ishmael) to fulfill His covenant with Abraham

God used unsavory circumstances to carry out His plan

Judah and Tamar!

Genesis 38

Tamar was the widow of his son, and was to remain such til his youngest was old enough for her to marry

After a while, Judah’s wife died…Tamar disguised herself…Judah propositioned her as a temple prostitute…she becomes pregnant with Perez and Zerah

Rahab the Harlot!

Joshua 2

She housed the spies and was promised to be spared during the takeover

She married Salmon and had a son, Boaz, who is the great-grandfather of David (and husband of Ruth)

David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11

David committed adultery with Bathsheba, who then became pregnant

When he couldn’t cover it up, he had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle

The baby would end up dying, but another son through this relationship would be used by God to be king and keep the Messianic line going

The Messiah Is The Son of David (v. 6-16)

The Davidic Covenant

2 Samuel 7:12-13

2 Samuel 7:12–13 ESV

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

This promise made by God obtains fulfillment in a two-step process:

Solomon was the son of David, who built the first temple for the Lord. Which was destroyed in 586 BC when the Babylonians sacked the city of Jerusalem…and there has not been a king on the throne since

The throne of David will be established forever when the Messiah, who is a descendant of David, takes rule in Jerusalem.

Luke 1:31-33

Luke 1:31–33 ESV

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Matthew’s genealogy answered the important question a Jew would rightfully ask about anyone who claimed to be King of the Jews. Is He a descendant of David through the rightful line of succession? Matthew answered yes!

Luke’s account confirms it!

But there is more to come!

Jesus is the promised Messiah who will establish the throne of David forever…which is yet to come (Revelation 19 and following).

Jesus is the promised Messiah, which is how all the people of the earth are blessed in Abraham

The first coming of Christ, which we celebrate at Christmas time, was the coming where all the people are blessed

This blessing is in the form of God’s sacrificial concern for the world

John 3:16

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

CONCLUSION

Jesus is God’s anointed.

As such, He is the descendant of David who will reign on that throne…He is the descendant of Abraham, through whom the whole world will be blessed

If you have not experienced that blessing, it is not too late for you to come to Jesus and be saved