Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19950702.htm

THE DOCTRINE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Part V: Old Testament Vindication For The New Testament Account Of Christ's Earthly Life
  1. Introduction
    1. The Hebrew people expected their Messiah to set up His messianic kingdom when he first came to earth.
    2. However, though Jesus was announced as the Messiah, He did not set up His messianic kingdom when he came, but, according to the New Testament, postponed it due to His rejection by Israel, Luke 19:41-44.
    3. This apparent discrepancy between the Hebrew expectation of the Kingdom and the New Testament postponement of it has led to many doubting Jesus as being the expected Old Testament Messiah.
    4. Accordingly, we look to the Old Testament for vindication of this New Testament account of Christ's life.
  2. Old Testament Vindication For The New Testament Account Of Christ's Earthly Life:
    1. The New Testament account shows Christ offering a Kingdom, having it rejected and postponed:
      1. When Jesus first ministered, He came openly preaching the messianic kingdom, cf. Mark 1:14-15.
      2. However, stages in Christ's ministry appear that revolve around His rejections by Israel as follows:
        1. In John 2:13-25 during His early ministry to Judea, Christ cleansed the temple at Passover due to the sin that was in that place. Here also is the first prediction of His death for rejection by Israel.
        2. Then, Jesus had to withdraw from His hometown of Nazareth due to rejection by His townspeople, and He moved into Capernaum for ministry, Luke 4:16-30.
        3. During this 21 month ministry in Galilee, the leaders came to believe that Christ's authenticating miracles were done in demonic power, discrediting Christ's claims to be the Messiah, Mt. 12:24. The very same day they slandered Him, Jesus withdrew His offer of the Kingdom, giving out parables on a change in the messianic plan revealed to date, Mtt. 13:1ff!
        4. Along with this momentous event, Christ withdrew to northern Galilee before His final departure for Jerusalem to die on the cross, Mtt. 15:22-18:35.
        5. When He came into Jerusalem riding on a foal of a donkey to present Himself to Israel, He wept over the city, indicating that the kingdom was postponed due to Israel's rejecting Him, Lk. 19:41-44.
        6. Following His death and resurrection, Christ led His disciples into reaching the Gentiles with the Gospel, opening the Church era before instituting His promised Messianic Kingdom, Acts 1:1-9!
        7. The book of Acts through to the epistles and the Revelation are expansions of the Church era up to the time of the Messianic Kingdom and the eternal state to follow!
    2. We view the Old Testament accounts of Messiah's life to examine the credibility of this layout as follows:
      1. Isaiah 49:1-3 reveals Messiah being hidden by God because he is too sharp and convicting with His words. This shows why there are many (30) silent years in Christ's pre-ministry life; revealing Him prematurely to Israel would have led to a premature crucifixion as His words sparked quick rejection!
      2. Isaiah 49:4 records Messiah's awareness in His ministry that His work seemed in vain, but that He would look to God to make it effective anyway. We tie this into other passages as follows:
        1. Zechariah 11:7-8 reveals Messiah starting to feed Israel, His flock, only to run into conflict with "three shepherds." These shepherds correspond exactly to "the priests, the teachers of the law, and the civil magistrates" in the life of the New Testament Jesus! (Merril F. Unger, Zechariah, p. 195)
        2. Zechariah 11:9-11 shows Messiah withdrawing as Israel's shepherd, and the "poor of the flock" of Israel knowing that He did so "in that day," v. 11a. This is fulfilled in Matthew 12:24-13:1, the day Jesus withdrew and told parables upon being slanderously charged of doing miracles by demons.
        3. Zechariah 9:9 records His triumphal entry, and Zechariah 11:12-13 Judas' betrayal for money!
        4. Isaiah 53:1-12 and Psalm 22:1-21a predict the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Messiah that in numerous points precisely match the New Testament account of Christ's passion!
        5. Isaiah 49:6 again shows God promoting Messiah's glory as a light to the Gentiles now that Israel has rejected Him. Psalm 22:21b-31 does the same. Both match the New Testament record, Acts 1:1-9!
Lesson: The Old Testament fully vindicates the New Testament record of a postponed messianic kingdom of Messiah. There is thus no justification for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah simply because He did not institute the kingdom when He came the fir st time. See Luke 24:15-27, 45-48!