This week we look at some of the titles of Jesus that were prophesied in the Old Testament and how they were fulfilled. 

But first, let's look at this word: Messiah. It means "the anointed one" and to be anointed is to have oil poured over you. This wasn't motor oil, but oil with a good scent, oil that smelled good. This anointing would signify a transition of power in some circumstances, such as when David was anointed by Samuel. 

1. The Messiah will be a king descended from David (2 Samuel 7:11-16). This family tree will be cut down, but a branch will grow from the stump (Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). Fulfillment: Matthew 1:1, 17… David wanted to build a house for God, but God said no, I'm going to build you a house, one that would last forever. There would be a time period where that house isn't sitting on a throne, but that eventually a Son of David would rise up to be king forever. Jesus is that king as shown by His genealogy and His life. 

2. The Messiah will be David’s lord (Psalm 110:1-2). Fulfillment: Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:33-36… David recognizes that God will send a Messiah in the future and that the Messiah would be his better. The Messiah would be more than David could even dream of being. Jesus is a descendant of David, but he was also before David. How? He was in Heaven with the Father before David was even a thought in his parente' minds. 

3. The Messiah will be a priest forever (Psalm 110:4) Fulfillment: Hebrews 7:14-17…. Wait. Don't priests come from the tribe of Levi? Well, yes, but before that, there was Melchizedek. Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. 

4. The Messiah will be the divine son of God (Psalm 2:1-9). Fulfillment: Matthew 3:17; 17:5… Some prophecies have dual meanings. Psalm 2 is one of those. It was used for kings of their time. It's a royal psalm. But it also prophecies about the future Messiah, which we now know is Jesus. When Jesus was baptized and when he was transfigured on the mountain, the voice of God came down and said "this is my son." 

John 1:41 gives us one more title for Jesus. He is the Christ. Christ is the Greek translation of Messiah. We often say His name is Jesus Christ, but Christ is a title, not a name. It’s also where the word Christian comes from. A Christian is someone who submits to the Christ. Christ is Lord of the Christian life.

This is the first in a seven week series where we will look at forty prophecies from the Old Testament about Jesus and how they were fulfilled. There's more than forty, but we only have so much time in each sermon. 

Jesus told his disciples: “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44).... It's clear that Jesus considered this important, important enough to remind the disciples about it and to teach them about it (Luke 24:45). Why are we going over these prophecies? 1) it's a good introduction to Christianity and as we approach Christmas we'll see more visitors in church. 2) knowing the prophecies and how they are fulfilled is one way to defend your faith. 3) it's a great way to worship, seeing how amazing it is that these prophecies were fulfilled. 

Four prophecies about Jesus in the Law of Moses:

1. Genesis 3:15: The Messiah will be a human, a man, who will be wounded by the devil but will crush the devil’s head. See Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 16:20…. So, that's why we don't like snakes! But there's more to it than just that. This prophecy of bruising his heel while crushing the serpent's skull was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross and was raised three days later. 

2. Genesis 22:18: The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham. See Matthew 1:1; John 8:56…. Ever wonder why the New Testament starts with a genealogy? This is why, to show the fulfillment of this prophecy. 

3. Genesis 49:8-12: The Messiah will be a ruler from the tribe of Judah. See Matthew 1:2; Revelation 5:5…. The genealogy from the second prophecy confirms Jesus is of the tribe of Judah. We haven't seen the fulfillment on Earth yet, but Revelation tells us it is coming. 

4. Deuteronomy 18:14-19: The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses. See John 6:14; Acts 3:22-23… Moses wrote that the Messiah would be a great prophet like himself, and Jesus certainly fits that description. 

These and the rest of the prophecies we'll look at are clues in the Old Testament to point us towards Jesus. Seeing just one of them doesn't show us much, but when we put them all together, like a stained glass window, we get a full picture showing us that Jesus is the Messiah.

Gospel Centered Forgiveness Series week 3: Forgiving Others

#1) Forgiven people forgive people according to the words of Jesus! Matthew  18:21-35… Peter asks this question thinking he's being generous, but Jesus gives an answer that shows we really shouldn't be keeping count of how many times we forgive others. Then he tells a parable that illustrates why we should forgive others. This servant owed an unfathomable amount to his master and begged for it to be forgiven. His master forgave him. Then the servant goes to another servant who owes him a more manageable amount but refuses to forgive him. The master hears of the incident and withdraws his forgiveness of the debt because the servant didn't forgive the much smaller debt…. We can't pay back the debt we owe to God

#2) Forgiven people forgive people living out the will of Jesus! Matthew 6:9-15… The Lord's Prayer shows us that not only do we rely on God for our daily needs, but also for forgiveness of our sins, and it links that forgiveness to our forgiveness of others. 1 John 1:5-6 also shows that we should be reflecting the character of Jesus. Part of that character is forgiveness. We should desire to be like Jesus. Paul also tells the churches in Ephesus and Colossae. 

#3) Forgiven people forgive people to show the love of Christ ! 1 Peter 2:9-10… As Christians, we represent Christ on Earth. We are to show His love to others. Part of that is showing mercy and forgiveness. Just as Christ has shown that same mercy and forgiveness, we should show it to others. By doing so, we also show them His love.