Messiah is Coming

(To download an MP3 file of this message, click on the title above.  To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player.)

This sermon is based on Isaiah 7:10-17 and Malachi 3:1-3.

Messiah Is Coming!

Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Introduction:

The well-known pastor and radio preacher, Chuck Swindoll, shares the following perspective:

Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births.

For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln.

If there had been [international] news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain these words would have been heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big news--when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior.

Certainly the birth of Christ was the greatest event at that time, even though not many people were aware of it, and not many understood the significance of His coming until years and even centuries later. The birth of the Messiah has changed the history of the world and more importantly, the destiny of mankind.

The season of Advent is the time when we anticipate the celebration of Christmas. During this time we try to imagine some of the details of events leading up to His birth. What does it mean to say, “Messiah is coming?”

To help us in our understanding I will endeavor to share some details about messianic theology in the OT, then I want take the remainder of our time to speak about some of the mistaken notions about the coming of Messiah and apply them to our contemporary Christian culture.

I. Messiah in the OT

Most of us have heard so many messages about Christmas and about the Messiah that we can usually quote at least portions of many OT prophecies and their fulfillment described in the NT.

It is sometimes hard for us to remember that the truths about the Messiah were revealed through the prophets over a period of many years. But even more than that, the full realization of their meanings was not understood until the NT authors rendered more complete explanations in light of who Jesus was and what He accomplished.

Let’s notice some of the information the OT reveals about the Messiah.

(International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The term most closely associated with the word Messiah is used in the Old Testament of kings and priests, who were consecrated to office by the ceremony of anointing. It is applied to the priests … and kings; …. Similarly in the Psalms the king is designated "mine," "thine," "his anointed." Thus also even Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1), as being chosen and commissioned by Yahweh to carry out His purpose with Israel.

It is to be noted that [the actual word] "Messiah" as a special title is never applied in the Old Testament to the unique king of the future, unless perhaps in Daniel 9:25f (māshīaḥ nāghīdh, "Messiah-Prince")….

Daniel 9:25 (NKJV) "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

The Messiah is the instrument by whom God's kingdom is to be established in Israel and in the world. … The Jews were a nation who lived in the future…. No nation ever cherished such strong expectations of a good time coming, or clung more tenaciously amid defeat and disaster to the certainty of final triumph over all enemies and of entrance upon a state of perfect peace and happiness….

1. The Messianic King:

The chief element in the conception of the Messiah in the Old Testament is that of the king.  Through him as head of the nation Yahweh could most readily work out His saving purposes…. The passage on which the idea of the Messianic king who would rule in righteousness and attain universal dominion was founded is Nathan's oracle to David in 2 Samuel 7:11ff.  

2 Samuel 7:11-16 (NKJV) ¹¹ ... Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house. ¹² "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom….¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." ' "

The immediate focus of Nathan’s prophecy centered on Solomon, but verse 16 indicates the permanent nature of this promise.

In contrast to Saul, from whom the kingdom had passed away, David would never want for a descendant to sit on the throne of Israel.  

(1) Isaiah.

Isaiah is the first of the prophets to refer to an extraordinary king of the future….  

Isaiah 7:10-17 The kings of Syria and Israel having entered into a league to dethrone Ahaz … Isaiah announces to the king of Judah that while, by the help of Assyria, he would survive the attack of the confederate kings, but for his disobedience, Yahweh would bring devastation upon his own land the same nation who helped him survive the attack from Syria and Israel.

Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

But the prophet's lofty vision, though limited … to his own time, reaches beyond Judah's distress to Judah's deliverance. To the spiritual mind of Isaiah the revelation is made of a true king, Immanuel, "God-with-us," who would arise out of the house of David…. [When taken with] Isaiah 9, would seem to point to the identity of Immanuel with the Prince of the four names, "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

A similar description of the Messianic king is given by Micah, Isaiah's younger contemporary, who emphasizes the humble origin of the extraordinary ruler of the future, who shall spring from the Davidic house…. (i.e. a ruler who comes forth from Bethlehem.)

(2) Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

….By Jeremiah the Messiah is called the "righteous Branch" who is to be raised unto David and to be called "Yahweh (is) our righteousness”…. In Ezekiel he is alluded to as the coming one "whose right it is" (Ezekiel 21:27), and as Yahweh's "servant David" who shall be "prince" or "king" forever over a reunited people (Ezek. 34:23f; Ezek. 37:24).  

(3) Later Prophets.

After Ezekiel's time, during the remaining years of the exile, the hope of a preeminent king of David's house naturally disappears.  But it is resuscitated …. In prophecies such as Zech. 9:9, who pictures the Messiah as coming not on a splendid charger like a warrior king, but upon the foal of a donkey, righteous and victorious, yet lowly and peaceful, strong by the power of God to help and save.  

There are many other aspects of the messianic hope that is expressed in the OT such as: “prophet” and “priest,” but we will move on to talk about a couple of spiritual lessons or applications that stood out to me as I recently read in the prophets.

II. Spiritual Lessons

A. Judgment rather than blessing and rescue.

See Is. 7:14-17

In the same context with the promise of a miracle birth, a reference to a coming King, the prophet announces judgment for the sins of Judah.

Malachi 3:5 (NKJV) And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien-- Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts.  

Somewhat similar truth is given by the prophet Amos to the nation of Israel (the northern kingdom).

Amos 5:18 (NKJV) Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light.

The “day of the Lord” is a different emphasis than the promises about Messiah, but the point is this…

The people of Israel and Judah longed for the rescue from their enemies and the sought God’s intervention, but they apparently weren’t willing to abandon their wickedness and idolatry. There was gross immorality and a multitude of ways that they had abandoned God’s will and His ways, yet they expected God to continue to pour out His blessings.

(See Amos 2:4-12)

We see the same kind of conditions in the church world today. People long and cry for the coming of Jesus. But far too many professing Christians have abandoned the principles of righteousness and biblical faith. They want God to intervene in this messy world, but they give the impression that they don’t want God to require them to change the way their living.

It astounds me at times how many people talk spiritual, and about how much they love God, but their life styles are full of cheating, lying, fornication, adultery, self-centeredness, etc., etc. God will answer our prayers, but it may not be in the way we expect.

B. God expects His people to act

Many of the prophets who gave glimpses of hope for the coming King, the Messiah, not only denounced the evil that was prevalent among them, but they admonished the people of God to start practicing the laws of God in a positive way.

Some weeks ago I remember pointing out that the law of God provided as a covenant with the people of God, demonstrated that God cared very much for the weak, the poor and the disadvantaged.

Listen to some of these verses:

Isaiah 56:1 (NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.

Jeremiah 21:12 (NKJV) O house of David! Thus says the LORD: "Execute judgment in the morning; And deliver him who is plundered Out of the hand of the oppressor….

Ezekiel 45:9-10 (NKJV) 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Enough, O princes of Israel! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people," says the Lord GOD. ¹⁰ "You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath. [not a tub for washing!]

Zechariah 7:9-10 (NKJV) "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. ¹⁰ Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.'

The point that I get from these messages is this:

Even though these prophets I’ve mentioned all had something to say about the coming Messiah, yet they all proclaimed the word of the Lord concerning the responsibility of the people to carry out the deeds of kindness, compassion and justice that God cares about. They were not expected to “wait until the Messiah comes to set everything straight.” They were expected to be actively involved in correcting the terrible abuses that had become common in the society.

I believe we can apply this same thought to our culture and our context today. There are plenty of people who claim the name of Christ that are longing and pining for Jesus to return to straighten out the mess we are in. Well, I certainly agree that our world and our society will never be perfect until the Prince of Peace does return and establishes His kingdom of righteousness. However, I also believe that God wants His people to be actively involved in changing the culture and having a positive influence everywhere we can until He does return!

Conclusion:

As we move closer and closer to the day we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, I trust that we will remember these spiritual truths we have talked about today.

Remember that the prophets not only held out the prospect of hope for the future when God’s Anointed One would come, but they also admonished the people of God to rid themselves of all the actions and behaviors that were clearly in violation of God’s standards of righteousness.

Remember that the prophets urged the people of God to be proactive in the reforms and renewals that the nation needed so much.

We too must live with these attitudes as we anticipate the return of the Messiah as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The song I’ve chosen to close with this morning is,

In His Time    

Jesus came the first time in God’s perfect timing, and He will come the 2^nd time at His time. While we wait, let us live righteous lives and follow His will.