Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). The name
“Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua,” meaning “Jehovah—saved.” So
the name Jesus infers that He is the Savior. “Christ” means “the Anointed One,”
from the Hebrew “Messiah.” (Daniel 9:25,26).
In Old Testament times, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed
with oil when they were appointed to office. Jesus is the Prophet that God
promised would come (Deut. 18:18; see Luke 13:33; John 6:14). A prophet
proclaims the word of God. Jesus is our Priest (see Hebrews 7:21). As our
priest, Jesus intercedes between God the Father and mankind. He is the advocate
for believers. Priests in the Old Testament offered sacrifices to reconcile sinners
with God. Jesus came as the one perfect sacrifice to reconcile us with the
Lord.
Priests blessed the people, and Jesus blesses us—he offers us
eternal life. Jesus will come again to judge the world ( see Matthew 25:31-33),
and he will reign as King ( see Revelation 11:15). In the First Advent (or
first coming of Christ), Jesus introduced the Kingdom of Heaven ( see Matthew 4:17). In the Second Advent, Jesus
will reign as King in the Kingdom of God ( see Rev. 12:10; 19:16).
Before the creation of the universe, Jesus existed with the
Father. So it is not surprising that Jesus was active during Old Testament
times. In the Old Testament Jesus is called “the angel of the Lord” (see
Genesis 22:8,11,12,15,16) or “the angel of his presence” (see Isaiah 63:9).
When the definite article appears before “angel,” that Scriptural passage probably
refers to Jesus. Jesus created the cosmos (see Col. 1:15,16).
Messianic Prophecy foretold of Christ’s incarnation (his appearing
in bodily form on earth). Old Testament types of Christ prefigured his life on
earth. The training module on Messianic Prophecy shows that such an extensive
body of fulfilled prophecy and types is unique to the Christian faith. Prophecy and types reveal the truth
of Scripture and point the way to the Savior.
Jesus became incarnate—visible in bodily form—so that we can know
what God is like (seeJohn 1:14,18; 14:9). Jesus came to seek and save the lost
(see Luke 19:10). Christ saved or redeemed sinners by offering himself as a
sacrifice (see Hebrews 10:10). Redemption is a theme in Scripture (see
Leviticus 25:47-53). In the Book of Ruth, Boaz redeemed Ruth (see Ruth 4:9-10).
Boaz was a type of Christ, our Redeemer. Christ offered himself as a ransom to
redeem or free people from the bondage of sin (see Col. 1:13,14).
The first man—Adam—sinned, and all humanity inherited the tendency
to sin. God told Adam that if he disobeyed, he would die. Adam disobeyed and
died. God does not lie. Every person sins, and every person dies. No one has
anything to offer God to prevent death. But God loves people so he gave his only Son as a ransom to
purchase life for those who believe in Jesus. Jesus always obeyed the Father,
so he had something to offer the Father as payment for the sin of humanity.
Jesus offered a sinless life (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). Since Jesus did not sin,
he was not obligated to die. But Jesus—the second Adam—voluntarily died as a
substitute for sinful humanity. Through the first Adam came death, and through
Christ came life (see 1 Corinthians 15:22).
In the incarnation, Jesus was both God and man ( see Colossians
2:9; Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus was God in flesh, and he performed miracles that
showed he had the power of God ( see John 20:30,31). Jesus was human, so he
experienced temptation ( see Matthew 4:1),hunger ( see Matthew 4:2), thirst (
see John 19:28), and death ( see John 19:33).Jesus was the Son of God (see Luke
1:32) and the Son of a woman. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and was
conceived by the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:34,35). Old Testament prophecy
foretells the virgin birth (see Isaiah 7:14).
Old Testament prophecy points to the death of Jesus by crucifixion
and to his resurrection (see Psalm 22:1-18; Isaiah 53). When David wrote the
prophetic words in Psalm 22 describing the crucifixion of Jesus, the Hebrew
people did not practice crucifixion.
Crucifixion came later as a cruel Roman practice. God put the
prophetic words in the mind of David.
On the cross, Jesus willingly “gave up his spirit” in death (see
Matthew 27:50). Jesus was placed in a tomb, and on the third day, he arose from
the grave (see Matthew 27:57— Matthew 28:10). Jesus arose in the body (see
Matthew 28:6). The resurrection of Christ is the key truth in the Gospel (see 1 Corinthians 15:14). If
Christ did not arise, there is no point in preaching. But if Christ arose, it
is essential that we spread the Good News.We know that Christ arose, so we are
compelled to share this message with the world, so that some will arise from the grave to live with Christ. After
the resurrection, Christ appeared to the apostles over a period of forty days
(see Acts 1:1-3). He then ascended to heaven (see Acts 1:9), where he is
glorified with the Father (see Acts 7:55). He is our intercessor or mediator
between the Holy Father and sinful man, so we pray to God the Father in the
name of Jesus (John 14:13,14). (For details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)
