Message 51 - By Leroy Surface
Expectancy!
And as
the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John,
whether he were the Christ, or not;
Luke
3:15
It was the year 26 A.D., according to our
modern Gregorian calendar, and expectancy filled the air in Jerusalem and
throughout all of Judea. The year the
nation had waited for so long had arrived, and the people of the land were
excited about the prospect that one whom the prophet Daniel had called “The
Christ,” would come. For almost
five hundred years the priests and scribes of Jerusalem had told of this
wonderful year. Almost certainly,
whether right or wrong, they believed that this “year,” 26 A.D., would be the “acceptable
year of the Lord” which was prophesied in Isaiah 61:2. Over four
hundred years before this time, the Spirit of God spoke through the prophet
Malachi to tell of the wonderful event that was about to take place; “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he
shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:1). Malachi spoke
of “the Lord whom ye seek…the messenger
of the covenant whom ye delight in, He shall come.” For over four hundred years the people
gathered to the synagogues on the Sabbath to hear about the wonderful “Messiah, The Christ” who was to come.
These four hundred years were years of great oppression to the people of
Israel, first at the hands of Antiochus of the Greek empire, and finally under
the rule of the Caesars of Rome. Even in
times of great suffering at the hands of their enemies, the Jews received
strength from the knowledge that God had not utterly forsaken them, but had
given them the promise of a “savior”
who would come to them. A little over
thirty years before this time, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist,
prophesied of the “savior,” saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people, And hath raised up an horn of
salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the
mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us” (Luke 1:68-71). This prophecy
was given at the birth of John the Baptist, six months before Jesus was born to
Mary.
The year 26 A.D. was pinpointed by the
angel Gabriel in his message to Daniel in Daniel
9:24-27. It is the words of this
most important of all prophecies of the Old Testament, that caused the
excitement in Judea. It was at the end
of the seventy years of captivity, which was prophesied by the prophet
Jeremiah, that Daniel diligently sought God in fasting and prayer for
understanding of the future for the children of Israel. God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel with the
answer, but it was not the answer Daniel had hoped for. Certainly Daniel and the people of the
captivity had hoped for a restoration to the former power and glory they had
experienced under the reign of David.
Having been sufficiently humiliated by the seventy years of captivity,
they would now become, once again, the dominant kingdom on earth, with the
restoration of the throne of David in Jerusalem. Such was not to be the case. Seventy years of captivity had indeed passed,
but seven times seventy years were to follow before full restoration would be
possible. Gabriel told Daniel of a four
hundred and ninety year period which was yet in their future; years in which
they would yet be oppressed by dominant powers of the world. It was in the last seven years of the four
hundred and ninety years that one called “The
Messiah (The Christ)” would
come. It is the promise of what He would
do that brought such wonderful expectation to the Jews.
Seventy
weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision
and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel
9:24
The prophecy is given in four verses. The first
verse gets straight to the point in words that clearly define the purpose
of the seventy weeks. It should be
understood that the “seventy weeks”
on the Jewish calendar was actually seventy weeks of years, which was another
way of saying “four hundred and ninety
years” in our reckoning of time.
Over a hundred and fifty years ago, President Lincoln did something
similar in his Gettysburg address, which begins with the words, “Four score and ten years ago,” which we
understand to be ninety years in our reckoning of time. Gabriel told Daniel about six things that
would be accomplished before the end of the “seventy
weeks,” or “four hundred and ninety
years.” He listed them as follows:
1. “Finish the transgression”
2. “Make an end of sins”
3. “Make reconciliation for iniquity”
4. “Bring in everlasting righteousness”
5.
“Seal up the vision and prophecy”
6.
“Anoint the most holy”
There is no hint as to how these things
would be accomplished in the first verse
of the prophecy. Is God saying that
they must stop sinning and make reconciliation for their sins during this
time? Are these a list of six things
they must accomplish for themselves before God will bless them once more? Certainly, there must be an end of sins. Reconciliation must be made for their
iniquity, and their “righteousness”
must be without end; but how can these things be accomplished in a people whose
heart has never been able to contain the laws of God. It is the second verse of the prophecy (Daniel
9:25) that gives the answers as to the “who”
and “when” of the prophecy.
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.
Daniel
9:25
The prophecy is divided into three time periods; the first is forty nine years, during which the street and the wall would be
rebuilt, “even in troublous times.”
The second time period is four hundred and thirty four years,
which would bring them to the appearing of one called “The Messiah the Prince.” The third
and last time period is seven years, during which “The
Messiah (The Christ)” would accomplish all the wonderful
things that were promised. Gabriel gave
Daniel a sign by which the people would know when the four hundred and ninety
years would begin, a sign that was fulfilled when King Artaxerxes of the Medes
gave a decree for the restoration of Jerusalem in 457 B.C. It was at this time that the prophecy of
seventy weeks really took on meaning for the Jews. They set about rebuilding the wall and street
of Jerusalem, and began counting down the years until the Messiah would come. The Messiah, “The Christ,” became the common
subject of Sabbath day teachings. We
know by the tradition of the Jews that mothers would sing songs to their little
children of how wonderful life would be “when Messiah comes.” It would be a time of great prosperity when
Messiah came. Israel would be restored
to its former glory. Jerusalem would
become the capital of the world. Evil
would be taken out of the world as all of Israel’s enemies were destroyed. Peace and righteousness would prevail in
every part of the earth, because the
Messiah, The Christ, would reign on the throne of his father David. These wonderful prophecies became known
worldwide among all those who believed the prophets. Gabriel had called the Messiah “The Prince,” which gives
understanding to the question of the wise men to King Herod, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). Herod was greatly troubled by this saying,
because he also knew of the prophecy. He
called on the chief priests and scribes of the people and “demanded of them where Christ
should be born” (Matthew 2:4). The priests and scribes were well aware of
the prophecies, for they answered, “In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is
written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda,
art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out
of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel” (Matthew 2:5-6).
At the end
of the first forty nine years of the prophecy, the Jews entered into a four
hundred year time period which has become known as “the silent years.” These
were years during which there was no message from heaven to the people. Malachi was the last of the Jewish prophets,
whose prophecy was a warning from God, sprinkled with promises of blessing upon
those who “fear the name of the LORD.” The last chapter of Malachi promises that “…the Sun of righteousness shall arise with
healing in his wings…” upon those who “fear
the LORD.” The chapter closes with
an insight into the ministry of “John the
Baptist (I will send you Elijah the prophet)” ending with the words, “And
he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the
children to their fathers, lest I come
and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi
4:6). With that ominous warning
began four hundred years of silence in the heavens.
The “silence”
was not broken until Gabriel, the same “Gabriel”
who told Daniel about the coming of “The Christ” hundreds of years before,
paid a visit to Zacharias, the priest.
His mission was to tell Zacharias that his wife Elizabeth would conceive
in her old age and bring forth a son, whom they would call John. “And
thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the
Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled
with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many
of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he
shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:14-17). It is worthy
of note that the silence in heaven began with the promise of John the Baptist
in the last two verses of Malachi, and ended with the announcement of his
upcoming birth.
Six months later, Gabriel made another
visit to earth. This time it was to a
young virgin in the city of Nazareth, whose name was Mary. His message was astounding, even unbelievable
at first. “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest: and 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 1:30-33). Mary was astonished. She questioned Gabriel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Gabriel answered, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke
1:35).
Gabriel would make two more visits to earth
before his mission was complete. The
first to Joseph the carpenter, the man that Mary was engaged to marry. Joseph saw that Mary was obviously with
child. Rather than make a public example
of her (Moses in the law said she should be stoned), he determined to “put her away privately.” Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell
him, “fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins” (Matthew
1:20-21). It must have been about
six months later that Gabriel made his final visit. His “mission”
was fulfilled when “The Christ” was born, and it was to shepherds who tended their
flocks by night on the hills outside of Bethlehem that Gabriel made the
announcement. Luke gives the record of
that night; “And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were
sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke
8-12).
“Good
tidings of great joy!” That is what the coming of “The
Christ” is to all who find Him. The
joy and rejoicing of the shepherds that night must be beyond description as
they made their way to find the child that was born. “And
they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this
child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which
were told them by the shepherds. But
Mary kept all these things, and pondered them
in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:16-20). The shepherds told everyone about the events
of that blessed night, and the scripture says, “All they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them
by the shepherds.” Can you imagine
the joy the shepherds had which they could not contain? “We
have found Him! We have seen The Christ!” Someone asks, “Where is he?” The shepherds answer, “He was born in a stable. We say
him lying in a manger with the sheep and oxen.” I recall the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Who hath believed our report? And to whom
is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he
shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him” (Isaiah 53:1-2). Who could believe the report of the
shepherds? The “son of David,” the “king of
the Jews,” born in a stable? The
shepherds must have seemed very foolish to those who heard their report, but
nevertheless, many would remember the night the shepherds claimed “The
Christ” was born.
Forty days later, at the end of Mary’s days
of purification according to the Law of Moses, the baby Jesus was brought into
the temple to be “presented to the LORD.” Moses had commanded that the firstborn child
of every family must be a “sacrifice”
to the LORD, but could be “redeemed”
by a substitute sacrifice, as Isaac had been almost two thousand years
before. The specified sacrifice was a
spotless firstborn lamb out of the flocks, with the exception that the very
poor could bring either two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons. Mary and Joseph brought two birds for an
offering, another indication of their low estate at the time.
There lived in Jerusalem an old man of God
named Simeon, to whom the Holy Ghost had revealed that he “…should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke
2:26). The scripture tells us that
Simeon “…came by the Spirit into the
temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after
the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and
said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy
word: For mine eyes have seen thy
salvation” (Luke 2:27-30).
The Fullness of “The Time”
But
when the fulness of the 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.
Galatians
4:4-55
“The
fullness of the time” is
not speaking of the birth of Jesus. It
isn’t the nine month gestation period of a woman that is spoken of in this
verse, as “the time.” This is rather a reference to the “Seventy Weeks” prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. The prophecy says in verse twenty five, “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.” This makes a total of sixty nine weeks or four
hundred and eighty three years “unto the Messiah the Prince.” When the “fullness of the time” came, “The
Christ” would be “made manifest”
for all to see. This was the purpose of
John the Baptist’s ministry. John said, “I knew him not: but that he should be made
manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:31). He continues in verse 32, saying, “I saw the
Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to
baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same
is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I
saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34). This day was “the fullness of the time.”
The Jews, wherever they were in the world
at that time, knew that this year was the “fullness
of the time.” It was the year the
angel Gabriel had promised that “The Messiah (The Christ)” would
come. Excitement about his appearing was
everywhere. Our text for this message
says, “And as the people were in
expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the
Christ, or not” (Luke 3:15). Speculation about John grew to the point that
the Jews sent emissaries of priests and Levites to question him, “Who art thou?” (John 1:19). Verse twenty tells us that John “…denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.” Scarcely with words could John convince them
that he was not “The Christ.” Yet, they continued questioning, “What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I
am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that
we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the
way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if
thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” (John 1:21-25).
The Jewish year began with the Passover
feast, which corresponds approximately with the Gentile “Easter,” which always comes in either March or April. Most certainly the appearing of “The Christ” must have been the number
one topic of conversation at Passover that year. Priests and rabbis proved by the scriptures
that “this is the year The Christ will
come.” Jews from every part of the
world heard the teachings, and returned to their homes with great excitement; “This is the appointed time for The Christ
to appear.” The expectancy only
increased as several months passed, and the attention of the people turned to
John the Baptist. Our text says, “all men mused in their hearts of John,
whether he were the Christ, or not.” It was about six months into the year that
the priests and Levites questioned John, and though he did not reveal Christ to
them at the time, there is an indication that Jesus must have received baptism
from John earlier that same day, because John told the priests and Levites, “there
standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is
preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose” (John 1:26-27).
The Day of His Appearing
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be
baptized of him. But John forbad him,
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest
thou to me? And Jesus answering said
unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh
us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he
suffered him. And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew
3:13-17
The scriptures give a day by day account of
the first four days after Jesus came to John’s baptism. There was a large crowd of people at the
river the day Jesus was baptized by John.
There must have been many eye witnesses who saw “the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him.” Luke said, “And the Holy Ghost descended in
a bodily shape like a dove upon him…” (Luke 3:22). It was a sight
the crowd could see with their own eyes, as well as “a voice from heaven,” which they could hear with their ears,
saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased.” Imagine the
effect upon Jerusalem and all of Judea as the news of that day spread
throughout the region by those who saw and heard the wonderful events of the
day. It was the next day that John the
Baptist saw Jesus and pointed Him out to all who could see and hear, saying “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “This
is the lamb that Abraham spoke of when he said, ‘God will provide Himself a Lamb” (Genesis 22:8, 14). This was “The
Christ,” whom the angel Gabriel had said would ‘make an end of sins” (Daniel 9:24-25). The “sin”
that entered “into the world” by the
disobedience of Adam (Romans 5:12),
would be “taken away” by this
wonderful “Lamb of God” which God has
provided. These things which I have
written are the essence of John’s words to his disciples on that second day.
On the third
day, while John stood with two of his disciples, he saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). Immediately, both of his disciples left John
and followed Jesus up the road. Jesus,
seeing them following Him, said, “What
seek ye?” They asked Him, “Where do you dwell,” to which He said, “Come and see.” The scripture says it was “about the tenth hour.” In Jewish reckoning of time, it would have
been about 4:00 in the afternoon, but the scripture also says, “They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day” (John 1:39). In the Roman reckoning of time, which is the
culture they lived in, it would have been about 10:00 o’clock in the morning,
which is more likely to be the truth of the matter, because they spent the day
with Jesus. One of the two disciples was
Peter’s brother, Andrew. When Andrew
departed from Jesus that evening, he went straight to Peter, saying, “We have found the Messiah,” which is to say…“The Christ” (John 1:41).
“He of whom Moses and the
Prophets did write”
On the fourth
day, Jesus determined to go into Galilee, and finding Phillip, He said, “Follow me.” When Phillip found Nathaniel, he said, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the
law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). He was not yet aware that Jesus was the “Son of God,” but he was certain that he
was “The
Christ,” whom Gabriel said would “make
an end of sins.” In fact, Phillip
went beyond others in that he believed Jesus was the one that Moses and the
prophets had written of in the ancient scriptures.
The day that sin entered into the world
through Adam’s disobedience was the same day that the serpent beguiled Eve to
eat the forbidden fruit, and gave it to Adam, who also ate of it. It was in
that same day that God gave the “promise”
of “the
seed of the woman,” which would “bruise
the head of the serpent” (Genesis
3:15). Phillip understood that he
had found “the seed of the woman.” Abraham had seen by the Spirit that “God would provide Himself a lamb for a
sacrifice.” He named the altar where
he had offered Isaac, “Jehovahjireh,”
which means “The LORD will provide.” Hundreds of years later, when Moses wrote of
these things, people still went to the place of Abraham’s sacrifice and said, “In the mount of the Lord, it shall be seen”
(Genesis 22:14). Perhaps Phillip heard the words of John the
Baptist when he said of Jesus, “Behold,
the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), but he knew that he had
found “the lamb” which Abraham had
foreseen; “the lamb that God provided to take away the sin of the world.”
Isaiah writes, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,” which means
“God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). Phillip had
found “Immanuel,” and had spent the
day walking with Him. His excitement
could not be concealed when he found Nathaniel to bring him to Jesus of
Nazareth.
Gabriel reveals in his words to Daniel that
“The
Christ” would “seal up the vision
and prophecy.” This means that every
prophecy of redemption and restoration that had been given during the four
thousand years from Adam to Jesus would be fulfilled by “The Christ.” Isaiah was the most prolific of all the prophets
concerning the redeemer who was to come.
He writes:
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace”
Isaiah
9:6
And there shall come
forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest
upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him
of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after
the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.
Isaiah
11:1-3
Break forth into joy,
sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his
people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the
eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the
salvation of our God.
Isaiah
52:9-10
Behold, my servant
shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied
at thee; his visage was so marred more
than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations.
Isaiah
52:13-15
Who hath believed our
report? and to whom is the arm of the
LORD revealed? For he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no
form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
Isaiah
53:1-5
I was not rebellious,
neither turned away (my) back. I gave my
back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that
plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isaiah
50:5-6
It is not possible in this short message to
show all the references, which all the prophets made of the redeemer that was
to come, but we may be certain that Phillip knew that he had “found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and
the prophets did write.” He “broke forth in joy” (Isaiah 52:9, because he had found
Him. Expectancy turned into reality for
Phillip, Andrew, Peter, and Nathaniel, as it did for many others in the weeks
and months that followed as they “made
the connection” that Jesus is “The Christ.”
The “Joy” of Finding “The
Christ”
Religion is a dreary thing. It is dead, and it is death to all who trust
in it. Those who “find Him” are rejoicing with “joy
unspeakable and full of glory” (I
Peter 1:8). Someone said to me
recently, “I walk by faith, and not by
sight.” I asked him what that meant
to him, and he told me that he seldom felt the presence of God. He continued to struggle with sinful thoughts
and things, but he believed, that he was saved because he had done all that was
required of him to be saved. The “faith” that he walks in is, “believing” that he is saved, even
though he doesn’t feel saved. It is
amazing how “spiritual” a person can
feel, who “feels nothing,” because
they think they “walk by faith.” Why do people believe that to “walk by faith” is to “walk in darkness?” The reality is that the person who truly “walks by faith” is the only one who
truly sees, because they are the one who “walks
in the light.” John says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him
and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (I John 1:6). John continues
in verse seven, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus (the) Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The person who “walks by faith” walks “in the
presence of God almighty,” and they “have
fellowship with Him.”
Another young man quoted Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” This is a very sincere young man who believes
that “faith” is the most important
thing. He said he is seeking to develop
a “relationship” with God through the
scriptures. Jesus told the Jews in John 5:39-40, “(You) Search the scriptures;
for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of
me. And ye will not come to me, that ye
might have life.” They continued to “search the scriptures” for a lifetime,
but they never found Jesus. The
scripture says, “…He is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek Him.” The “reward” of those who diligently seek Him is to “find
Him,” yet there are many who seek God daily, but have never found “The
Christ.”
I have been in the “church” all my life. Almost
all the preaching I have heard during my lifetime has been from the Old
Testament. I never understood that,
because my savior and salvation is in the New Testament; the “New Covenant.” I have heard hundreds of messages from the
book of Daniel, mostly about the “three
Hebrew children in the fiery furnace,” or “Daniel in the lion’s den,” but in all my years, I have never heard
one single preacher who has, in the book of Daniel, found “The Christ” whom God promised would come to “finish the transgression,” and “make
an end of sins.” Now that is
something to shout about. I have heard
of how David killed Goliath, and how Sampson killed a thousand philistines, but
who has found “the seed of the woman” who
“bruised the head of the serpent?” (Genesis 3:15). I know that Josiah, the child king, gave the
most wonderful Passover feast ever when he offered thirty thousand Lambs (II Chronicles 35:7), and that Solomon
offered a hundred and twenty thousand lambs in one day at the dedication of the
temple (I Kings 8:63), but how many
messages have we heard on “the Lamb,”
which Abraham said “God would provide”
(Genesis 22:8-14). John the Baptist saw Him when he cried, “Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The Jews searched the scriptures for a lifetime
and never found Jesus. They knew all
about “The Christ” and longed for
His appearing; but rejected Him when he came.
They refused to believe that the lowly Jesus of Nazareth could indeed
be, “The Christ” whom they
sought. Jesus said to them, “Ye shall seek me, and shall die in your
sins” (John 8:21). How sad, that someone could seek “The
Christ” all of their life and still die in their sins; but Jesus
explained this three verses later, saying, “I
said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not
that I am he (The
Christ), ye shall die
in your sins” (John 8:24). It is just as sad that “Christians” can “sing and
rejoice in Jesus,” and not comprehend that He is “The Christ” who God sent into the world to “make an end of sins.” They
do not, will not, and therefore cannot, see that He is “The Lamb” who God promised to “take
away the sin of the world.”
“…to them that believe on His
name.”
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John
1:12
The word “power” in this verse was translated from the Greek word “exousia,”
which means “privilege.” It has been
variously translated as “authority,
jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, and strength,” all of which accompany
the “privilege” of being the “sons of God.” John says this “privilege” is given to those who “believe on His name.”
Another simple word study reveals that the Greek word translated “name” is “onoma,” which means “authority and character.”
The “character” of an
individual tells what they are, and
their “authority” tells what they do.
Maybe it is only a play on words, but when Hebrews 1:3 calls Jesus the “express
image” of God, the Greek word is “charakter” (spelled with a “k).” To “believe on the name of Jesus,” is to believe who He is, and what He was sent into the world
to do. He is “The
Logos (The Word),” which means He
is “the divine expression” of
everything God is and/or does.
He is “The Word” which was “in the beginning with God” (John 1:1), and, John says, “All things were made by Him, and without
Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). He is “the seed of the woman” who came to “bruise the head of the serpent.” He is “Immanuel,”
which means “God with us.” He is “The
Son of God,” who was manifested to “destroy
the works of the devil” (I John 3:8). He is the mighty “arm of the LORD,” whom Isaiah saw, that was “made bare” before all the people as He suffered the death of the
cross to bring salvation to the “ends of
the earth” (Isaiah 52:10). He is “The
Lamb of God” of whom Abraham
said, “God will provide (Genesis 22:8)” to “take away the sin of
the world” (John 1:29). He is “the
redeemer,” of which, Isaiah said would “come
to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20), who
would “redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14). Finally, He is “The Christ,” whom God “sent
into the world (John 3:17)” to “make
an end of sins” (Daniel 9:24-25).
To believe upon the name (the character and
authority) of Jesus is to believe that He did what He was sent to do. The immediate “mission” of “The Christ,” when
He was born into the world, was to “finish
the transgression, make an end of sins,
make reconciliation for iniquity, and bring
in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel
9:24-25). The apostle John says, “He came unto His own, and His own received
Him not…” (John 1:12). This means that He came to the people that
God had chosen in Abraham, who became known as “the children of Israel,” or, “the
Jews.” The promise of “The Christ (The Messiah)” in Daniel 9:24-25 was to “…thy people (the Jew) and thy holy city (Jerusalem).”
These were the ones John speaks of when he says, “…and His own received Him not.”
The rejection of Jesus by the Jews and all Jerusalem was absolute,
demanding that He must be crucified.
Only a hundred and twenty of the followers of Christ remained, on the Day
of Pentecost, when God “poured out of His
Spirit” and “filled them all with the
Holy Ghost.” These were the, “as many as received Him.”
What Christ could not do for the city of Jerusalem and the land of Judea,
because they did not believe that He was
the Christ, He will yet do for those who will believe that He was and is the Christ. He was “The
Christ” when He died on the cross to “take
away our sin.” He is “The Christ” who lives in those who have
believed and received Him. In them, He
has “made an end of sins” and “brought in everlasting righteousness.” They are “privileged,”
to be “sons of God” because they have trusted in Christ. This “privilege”
is not a “process,” because they are “born of God.”
What must I do to be Saved?
This is the question of the Philippian jailer,
who, after he saw the mighty hand of God release Paul and Silas from the stocks
and chains which held them in bondage, asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Their answer, “Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Let’s consider their answer for a
moment. First, believe that He (the Lord Jesus Christ) is “The Lord,” and that He sits at the
right hand of God. David prophesied of
Him in Psalms 110:1, saying, “The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my
right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool.” Second,
believe that He is “Jesus, the savior.” The angel Gabriel told Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He
shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Third, believe that He is “The Christ,” whom God sent into the
world to “make an end of sins” (Daniel 9:24-25). The apostle John says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” It is not by your works or abilities that you
become a “son of God;” it is by a “new birth,” because you believe “who He is”
and “what He did.” The moment this
wonderful light of truth shines into your heart, you are “born of God.” You have “received Christ,” and everything that
He is and everything that He did, He is and does in you. Paul says, “I am crucified with Christ…” (Galatians
2:20). That is what Jesus “did”
when He died for us. Paul continues, “…nevertheless I live…,” and everyone
can see by his life that he is not the same old Saul of Tarsus they once
knew. Before he was “born of God,” Saul of Tarsus had a “disclaimer” for his sin; “…it
is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Romans 7:20). After he is “born of God,” he has another “disclaimer” for his righteousness,
which was, “…I live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me.” Do you find
yourself continually having to repent again for sin? Or, do you find yourself making excuses for
your “weaknesses,” which in honesty
would be called sin? Paul says, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth” (Romans
10:4). This is true because He is
also “the end of sin for everyone who
believeth.” Do you believe that
Jesus is “The Christ?”
Message 51 - By Leroy Surface - Expectancy!
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