-
They Waited for the MessiahThe Watchtower—2011 | August 15
-
-
They Waited for the Messiah
“The people were waiting, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether he were not the Messiah.”—LUKE 3:15, THE EMPHATIC DIAGLOTT.
1. Certain shepherds heard what angelic announcement?
NIGHT has fallen. Shepherds are out-of-doors, keeping watch over their flocks. How startled they are when Jehovah’s angel stands nearby and God’s glory gleams around them! Listen! The angel makes this dramatic proclamation: “Have no fear, for, look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have, because there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” the one who would prove to be the Messiah. The shepherds can find this infant lying in a manger in a nearby town. Suddenly, “a multitude of the heavenly army” begin praising Jehovah, saying: “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.”—Luke 2:8-14.
2. What does “Messiah” mean, and how can he be identified?
2 Of course, the Jewish shepherds know that “Messiah,” or “Christ,” refers to God’s “Anointed One.” (Ex. 29:5-7) But how can they learn more and convince others that the baby mentioned by the angel will be Jehovah’s appointed Messiah? By examining prophecies found in the Hebrew Scriptures and comparing these with the activities and life course of this child.
Why Were People in Expectation?
3, 4. How do we understand Daniel 9:24, 25?
3 When John the Baptizer came on the scene years later, his words and deeds led some to wonder if the Messiah had arrived. (Read Luke 3:15.) It is possible that some correctly understood a Messianic prophecy involving “seventy weeks.” If so, they could have determined when the Messiah would appear. In part, the prophecy stated: “From the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.” (Dan. 9:24, 25) Various scholars agree that these are weeks of years. For instance, the Revised Standard Version says: “Seventy weeks of years are decreed.”
4 Today, Jehovah’s servants are aware that the 69 weeks, or 483 years, of Daniel 9:25 began in 455 B.C.E. when Persian King Artaxerxes authorized Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. (Neh. 2:1-8) Those weeks ended 483 years later, in 29 C.E., when Jesus of Nazareth was baptized and anointed with holy spirit, thus becoming the Messiah.—Matt. 3:13-17.a
5. What prophecies will we now consider?
5 Let us now consider a few of many other prophecies regarding the Messiah that found fulfillment in Jesus’ birth, early life, and ministry. This will undoubtedly strengthen our faith in God’s prophetic word. It will also provide clear evidence that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah.
His Early Life Foretold
6. Explain how Genesis 49:10 was fulfilled.
6 The Messiah was to be born of Israel’s tribe of Judah. In his deathbed blessing of his sons, the patriarch Jacob foretold: “The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the peoples will belong.” (Gen. 49:10) Many Jewish scholars of the past associated those words with the Messiah. Starting with the rule of Judean King David, the scepter (royal sovereignty) and the commander’s staff (power to command) resided with the tribe of Judah. “Shiloh” signifies “He Whose It Is; He to Whom It Belongs.” The regal line of Judah would end in “Shiloh” as the permanent kingly Heir, for God told Zedekiah, the last Judean king, that rulership would be given to one having the legal right to it. (Ezek. 21:26, 27) After Zedekiah, Jesus was the only descendant of David to whom kingship was promised. Before Jesus’ birth, the angel Gabriel told Mary: “Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom.” (Luke 1:32, 33) Shiloh must be Jesus Christ, who was a descendant of Judah and David.—Matt. 1:1-3, 6; Luke 3:23, 31-34.
7. Where was the Messiah born, and why is this significant?
7 The Messiah’s birth would take place in Bethlehem. “You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, the one too little to get to be among the thousands of Judah,” wrote the prophet Micah, “from you there will come out to me the one who is to become ruler in Israel, whose origin is from early times, from the days of time indefinite.” (Mic. 5:2) The Messiah was to be born in the Judean town of Bethlehem, evidently once named Ephrathah. Although Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his adoptive father, Joseph, lived in Nazareth, a Roman registration decree had taken them to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in 2 B.C.E. (Matt. 2:1, 5, 6) What a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy!
8, 9. What was foretold about the Messiah’s birth and the events that followed it?
8 The Messiah would be born of a virgin. (Read Isaiah 7:14.) The Hebrew word bethu·lahʹ means “virgin,” but another term (ʽal·mahʹ) appears at Isaiah 7:14. There it was prophesied that “the maiden [ha·ʽal·mahʹ]” would give birth to a son. The word ʽal·mahʹ is applied to the maiden Rebekah before her marriage. (Gen. 24:16, 43) Under inspiration, Matthew used the Greek word for “virgin” (par·theʹnos) when showing that Isaiah 7:14 was fulfilled in connection with the birth of Jesus. The Gospel writers Matthew and Luke state that Mary was a virgin who became pregnant through the operation of God’s spirit.—Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35.
9 Young children would be killed after the Messiah’s birth. Something similar happened centuries earlier when Egypt’s Pharaoh decreed that Hebrew male babies be cast into the Nile River. (Ex. 1:22) But especially noteworthy is Jeremiah 31:15, 16, where Rachel is depicted as weeping over her sons who were taken to “the land of the enemy.” Her lamentation was heard in distant Ramah, in the territory of Benjamin, north of Jerusalem. Matthew shows that Jeremiah’s words were fulfilled when King Herod ordered the slaughter of young male children in Bethlehem and its surrounding territory. (Read Matthew 2:16-18.) Imagine the grief in that area!
10. Explain how Hosea 11:1 was fulfilled in Jesus.
10 Like the Israelites, the Messiah would be called out of Egypt. (Hos. 11:1) Before Herod’s death-dealing decree, an angel directed that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus go to Egypt. There they remained “until the decease of Herod, for that to be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet [Hosea], saying: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matt. 2:13-15) Of course, Jesus himself could not have orchestrated any of the foretold events associated with his birth and early life.
The Messiah Goes Into Action!
11. How was the way prepared before Jehovah’s Anointed One?
11 The way was to be prepared before God’s Anointed One. Malachi foretold that “Elijah the prophet” would do this work, preparing the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah. (Read Malachi 4:5, 6.) Jesus himself identified this “Elijah” as John the Baptizer. (Matt. 11:12-14) And Mark pointed out that the ministry of John fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah. (Isa. 40:3; Mark 1:1-4) Jesus did not arrange for John to do an Elijahlike work as His forerunner. The activity of this foretold “Elijah” was done in harmony with God’s will as a means of identifying the Messiah.
12. What commission helps to identify the Messiah?
12 A God-given commission helps to identify the Messiah. In the synagogue at Nazareth, the town where he had been reared, Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah and applied to himself the words: “Jehovah’s spirit is upon me, because he anointed me to declare good news to the poor, he sent me forth to preach a release to the captives and a recovery of sight to the blind, to send the crushed ones away with a release, to preach Jehovah’s acceptable year.” Because he truly was the Messiah, Jesus could rightly say: “Today this scripture that you just heard is fulfilled.”—Luke 4:16-21.
13. How was Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee foretold?
13 The Messiah’s public ministry in Galilee was foretold. Concerning “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali . . . Galilee of the nations,” Isaiah wrote: “The people that were walking in the darkness have seen a great light. As for those dwelling in the land of deep shadow, light itself has shone upon them.” (Isa. 9:1, 2) Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee, residing at Capernaum, where many residents of Zebulun and Naphtali enjoyed the benefits of the spiritual light he brought them. (Matt. 4:12-16) In Galilee, Jesus gave his thought-provoking Sermon on the Mount, chose his apostles, performed his first miracle, and likely appeared to some 500 disciples after his resurrection. (Matt. 5:1–7:27; 28:16-20; Mark 3:13, 14; John 2:8-11; 1 Cor. 15:6) He thus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy by preaching in “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.” Of course, Jesus went on to preach the Kingdom message elsewhere in Israel.
The Messiah’s Other Activities Foretold
14. In what way was Psalm 78:2 fulfilled by Jesus?
14 The Messiah would speak in parables, or illustrations. The psalmist Asaph sang: “In a proverbial saying I will open my mouth.” (Ps. 78:2) How do we know that this prophetically applied to Jesus? Matthew tells us so. After relating illustrations in which Jesus likened the Kingdom to a developing mustard grain and to leaven, Matthew states: “Without an illustration [Jesus] would not speak to them; that there might be fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet who said: ‘I will open my mouth with illustrations, I will publish things hidden since the founding.’” (Matt. 13:31-35) Proverbial sayings, or parables, were among Jesus’ effective means of teaching.
15. Point out how Isaiah 53:4 found fulfillment.
15 Our infirmities were to be borne by the Messiah. Isaiah foretold: “Truly our sicknesses were what he himself carried; and as for our pains, he bore them.” (Isa. 53:4) Matthew pointed out that after curing Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus healed others so that “there might be fulfilled what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He himself took our sicknesses and carried our diseases.’” (Matt. 8:14-17) And this is but one of many recorded instances when Jesus cured the ailing.
16. How did the apostle John show that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:1?
16 Despite all the good done by the Messiah, many people would not believe in him. (Read Isaiah 53:1.) Showing that this prophecy was fulfilled, the apostle John wrote: “Although [Jesus] had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled which he said: ‘Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard by us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?’” (John 12:37, 38) Also, few put faith in the good news about Jesus, the Messiah, during the ministry of the apostle Paul.—Rom. 10:16, 17.
17. John made what application of Psalm 69:4?
17 The Messiah would be hated without cause. (Ps. 69:4) The apostle John quotes Jesus as saying: “If I had not done among [the people] the works that no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have both seen and hated me as well as my Father. But it is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’” (John 15:24, 25) Often the “Law” means the whole body of Scripture. (John 10:34; 12:34) The Gospel accounts prove that Jesus was hated, especially by the Jewish religious leaders. Moreover, Christ said: “The world has no reason to hate you, but it hates me, because I bear witness concerning it that its works are wicked.”—John 7:7.
18. What further examination should strengthen our conviction that Jesus is the Messiah?
18 Jesus’ first-century followers were certain that Jesus was the Messiah, for he did indeed fulfill the Messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew Scriptures. (Matt. 16:16) As we have seen, some of these underwent fulfillment during the early life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Additional Messianic prophecies will be examined in the next article. Our prayerful reflection on them will surely strengthen our conviction that Jesus Christ truly is the Messiah who was appointed by our heavenly Father, Jehovah.
[Footnote]
a For a detailed discussion of the “seventy weeks,” see chapter 11 of the book Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy!
-
-
They Found the Messiah!The Watchtower—2011 | August 15
-
-
They Found the Messiah!
“We have found the Messiah.”—JOHN 1:41.
1. What led up to the statement: “We have found the Messiah”?
JOHN THE BAPTIZER is standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus approaches, John exclaims: “See, the Lamb of God!” Andrew and the other disciple promptly follow Jesus and spend the day with him. Later, Andrew finds his brother, Simon Peter, and leads him to Jesus after making the dramatic announcement: “We have found the Messiah.”—John 1:35-41.
2. How will we benefit from further examination of Messianic prophecies?
2 As time passes, Andrew, Peter, and others will have ample opportunity to delve into the Scriptures and will unreservedly declare that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah. Our own faith in God’s Word and his Anointed One will be bolstered as we now continue our examination of Messianic prophecies.
“Look! Your King Is Coming”
3. What prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem?
3 The Messiah would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Zechariah’s prophecy stated: “Be very joyful, O daughter of Zion. Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem. Look! Your king himself comes to you. He is righteous, yes, saved; humble, and riding upon an ass, even upon a full-grown animal the son of a she-ass.” (Zech. 9:9) The psalmist wrote: “Blessed be the One coming in the name of Jehovah.” (Ps. 118:26) Jesus could not have manipulated the crowd’s actions. However, in fulfillment of prophecy, that throng spontaneously cried out with boundless joy. As you read the account, visualize the scene and hear the happy voices.—Read Matthew 21:4-9.
4. Explain what happened in fulfillment of Psalm 118:22, 23.
4 Although many would reject Jesus despite his Messianic credentials, he is precious to God. As foretold, Jesus ‘was despised and considered to be of no account’ by those who refused to believe the evidence. (Isa. 53:3; Mark 9:12) However, God had inspired the psalmist to say: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This has come to be from Jehovah himself.” (Ps. 118:22, 23) Jesus drew this passage to the attention of his religious opposers, and Peter said that it was fulfilled in Christ. (Mark 12:10, 11; Acts 4:8-11) Jesus did become the “foundation cornerstone” of the Christian congregation. Rejected by godless men, he is “chosen, precious, with God.”—1 Pet. 2:4-6.
Betrayed and Abandoned!
5, 6. What was foretold and fulfilled regarding the Messiah’s betrayal?
5 It was foretold that the Messiah would be betrayed by a treacherous associate. David prophesied: “The man at peace with me, in whom I trusted, who was eating my bread, has magnified his heel against me.” (Ps. 41:9) A person who ate bread with someone was thought to be his friend. (Gen. 31:54) So the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot was treachery of the worst sort. Jesus called attention to the fulfillment of David’s prophetic words when He referred to his betrayer and told his apostles: “I am not talking about all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But it is in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘He that used to feed on my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’”—John 13:18.
6 The Messiah’s betrayer would receive 30 pieces of silver—the price of a slave! Drawing on Zechariah 11:12, 13, Matthew showed that Jesus was betrayed for such a paltry sum. But why did Matthew say that this had been foretold “through Jeremiah the prophet”? In Matthew’s day, Jeremiah may have been placed first in a group of Bible books that included Zechariah. (Compare Luke 24:44.) Judas never spent his ill-gotten sum, for he threw the money into the temple and went off and committed suicide.—Matt. 26:14-16; 27:3-10.
7. How did Zechariah 13:7 undergo fulfillment?
7 Even the Messiah’s disciples would scatter. “Strike the shepherd,” wrote Zechariah, “and let those of the flock be scattered.” (Zech. 13:7) On Nisan 14, 33 C.E., Jesus told his disciples: “All of you will be stumbled in connection with me on this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered about.’” And that is exactly what happened, for Matthew reported that “all the disciples abandoned [Jesus] and fled.”—Matt. 26:31, 56.
Accused and Smitten
8. Under what circumstances was Isaiah 53:8 fulfilled?
8 The Messiah would be tried and condemned. (Read Isaiah 53:8.) At dawn on Nisan 14, the entire Sanhedrin met, had Jesus bound, and handed him over to Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. He questioned Jesus and found him guilty of nothing at all. When Pilate offered to release Jesus, however, the crowd shouted: “Impale him!” and called for the freeing of the criminal Barabbas. Wishing to satisfy the throng, Pilate released Barabbas, had Jesus whipped, and handed him over to be impaled.—Mark 15:1-15.
9. What happened in Jesus’ time as was foretold at Psalm 35:11?
9 False witnesses would testify against the Messiah. “Violent witnesses rise up,” said the psalmist David. “What I have not known they ask me.” (Ps. 35:11) True to prophecy, “the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin were looking for false witness against Jesus in order to put him to death.” (Matt. 26:59) In fact, “many, indeed, were giving false witness against him, but their testimonies were not in agreement.” (Mark 14:56) Lying testimony mattered little to Jesus’ rabid enemies, who sought his death.
10. Explain how Isaiah 53:7 was fulfilled.
10 The Messiah would be silent before his accusers. Isaiah prophesied: “He was hard pressed, and he was letting himself be afflicted; yet he would not open his mouth. He was being brought just like a sheep to the slaughtering; and like a ewe that before her shearers has become mute, he also would not open his mouth.” (Isa. 53:7) While Jesus “was being accused by the chief priests and older men, he made no answer.” Pilate asked: “Do you not hear how many things they are testifying against you?” Nevertheless, Jesus “did not answer him, no, not a word, so that the governor wondered very much.” (Matt. 27:12-14) Jesus did not revile his accusers.—Rom. 12:17-21; 1 Pet. 2:23.
11. What took place in fulfillment of Isaiah 50:6 and Micah 5:1?
11 Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be smitten. “My back I gave to the strikers, and my cheeks to those plucking off the hair,” wrote the prophet. “My face I did not conceal from humiliating things and spit.” (Isa. 50:6) Micah foretold: “With the rod they will strike upon the cheek the judge of Israel.” (Mic. 5:1) Confirming the fulfillment of these prophecies, the Gospel writer Mark said: “Some started to spit on [Jesus] and to cover his whole face and hit him with their fists and say to him: ‘Prophesy!’ And, slapping him in the face, the court attendants took him.” Mark states that soldiers “would hit him on the head with a reed and spit upon him and, bending their knees [in mockery], they would do obeisance to him.” (Mark 14:65; 15:19) Of course, Jesus did nothing to provoke such abuse.
Faithful to Death
12. How did Psalm 22:16 and Isaiah 53:12 apply to Jesus?
12 Aspects of the Messiah’s impalement were foretold. “The assembly of evildoers themselves have enclosed me,” said the psalmist David. “Like a lion they are at my hands and my feet.” (Ps. 22:16) Reporting an event well-known to Bible readers, the Gospel writer Mark states: “It was now the third hour [about nine o’clock in the morning], and they impaled him.” (Mark 15:25) It had also been foretold that the Messiah would be numbered with sinners. “He poured out his soul to the very death,” wrote Isaiah, “and it was with the transgressors that he was counted in.” (Isa. 53:12) So it was that “two robbers were impaled with [Jesus], one on his right and one on his left.”—Matt. 27:38.
13. In what way was Psalm 22:7, 8 fulfilled in Jesus?
13 David prophesied that the Messiah would be reviled. (Read Psalm 22:7, 8.) Jesus was reviled while suffering on the torture stake, for Matthew reports: “The passersby began speaking abusively of him, wagging their heads and saying: ‘O you would-be thrower-down of the temple and builder of it in three days, save yourself! If you are a son of God, come down off the torture stake!’” Similarly, the chief priests, scribes, and older men made fun of him and said: “Others he saved; himself he cannot save! He is King of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake and we will believe on him. He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” (Matt. 27:39-43) Yet, Jesus bore all of this with dignity. What a fine example for us!
14, 15. Show how specific prophecies were fulfilled regarding the Messiah’s clothing and his being given vinegar.
14 Lots were to be cast for the Messiah’s clothing. “They apportion my garments among themselves,” wrote the psalmist, “and upon my clothing they cast lots.” (Ps. 22:18) That is what occurred, for “when [the Roman soldiers] had impaled [Jesus] they distributed his outer garments by casting lots.”—Matt. 27:35; read John 19:23, 24.
15 The Messiah would be given vinegar and gall. “For food they gave me a poisonous plant,” said the psalmist, “and for my thirst they tried to make me drink vinegar.” (Ps. 69:21) Matthew tells us: “They gave [Jesus] wine mixed with gall to drink; but, after tasting it, he refused to drink.” Later, “one of them ran and took a sponge and soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed and went giving him a drink.”—Matt. 27:34, 48.
16. Explain how the prophetic words of Psalm 22:1 were fulfilled.
16 The Messiah would seem forsaken by God. (Read Psalm 22:1.) In accord with prophecy, “at the ninth hour [about three o’clock in the afternoon] Jesus called out with a loud voice: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ which means, when translated: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34) Jesus had not lost faith in his heavenly Father. God abandoned Jesus to his enemies by taking away His protection so that Christ’s integrity might be fully tested. And by crying out as he did, Jesus fulfilled Psalm 22:1.
17. How were Zechariah 12:10 and Psalm 34:20 fulfilled?
17 The Messiah would be pierced, but his bones would not be broken. Inhabitants of Jerusalem would “look to the One whom they pierced through.” (Zech. 12:10) And Psalm 34:20 states: “[God] is guarding all the bones of that one; not one of them has been broken.” Confirming these points, the apostle John wrote: “One of the soldiers jabbed his [Jesus’] side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he that has seen it [John] has borne witness, and his witness is true . . . These things took place in order for the scripture to be fulfilled: ‘Not a bone of his will be crushed.’ And, again, a different scripture says: ‘They will look to the One whom they pierced.’”—John 19:33-37.
18. How did Jesus come to be buried with the rich?
18 The Messiah would be buried with the rich. (Read Isaiah 53:5, 8, 9.) Late in the afternoon of Nisan 14, “a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph,” asked Pilate for Jesus’ body, and the request was granted. Matthew’s account adds: “Joseph took the body, wrapped it up in clean fine linen, and laid it in his new memorial tomb, which he had quarried in the rock-mass. And, after rolling a big stone to the door of the memorial tomb, he left.”—Matt. 27:57-60.
Hail the Messianic King!
19. What happened in keeping with the prophetic words of Psalm 16:10?
19 The Messiah would be resurrected. David wrote: “You [Jehovah] will not leave my soul in Sheol.” (Ps. 16:10) Imagine the surprise of the women who came to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. There they encountered a materialized angel, who told them: “Stop being stunned. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was impaled. He was raised up, he is not here. See! The place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6) To the crowd present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter declared: “[David] saw beforehand and spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he forsaken in Hades nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:29-31) God did not allow the physical body of his beloved Son to decay. Moreover, Jesus was miraculously raised to life in the spirit!—1 Pet. 3:18.
20. How was the foretold rulership of the Messiah fulfilled?
20 As foretold, God declared that Jesus is his Son. (Read Psalm 2:7; Matthew 3:17.) Also, crowds hailed Jesus and the coming Kingdom, and we joyfully speak about him and his blessed rule. (Mark 11:7-10) Christ will soon destroy his foes as he ‘rides in the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness.’ (Ps. 2:8, 9; 45:1-6) His kingship will then bring about earth-wide peace and prosperity. (Ps. 72:1, 3, 12, 16; Isa. 9:6, 7) How privileged we are to proclaim these truths as Witnesses of Jehovah, whose beloved Son already reigns in heaven as the Messianic King!
-