Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020908.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part VI: Christ's Predicted Right To Rule Though First Rejected
(Psalm 2:7 with Acts 13:33-34)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

We Christian who believe Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh hold to the claim that He is God even if He was rejected and crucified!

However, a number of religious parties cannot accept a rejected and slain party as a Messiah or King from God:

(1) The Reverend Sun Myung Moon, head of the Unification Church, believes Jesus Christ failed to redeem man physically though He did redeem man spiritually in His coming to earth and dying on the cross. Accordingly, Reverend Moon teaches salvation will come only when another Messiah comes to marry and have perfect offspring, cf. Moody Monthly, July-August, 1977, "A Catalogue of Cults: Where They Stand On The Deity Of Christ."

(2) Islam, founded by Mohammed, holds Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet as was Moses, but that Jesus was in turn superseded by Mohammed who has greater authority than He, Ibid.

(3) Jehovah's Witnesses teach Jesus is less than God the Father as Jesus is believed to have been created by God as Michael the archangel, Ibid.

(4) Then Mormonism holds Jesus is one of many gods, that He is the preexisting spirit that resulted from the union of Adam and Mary so that all men can become gods like Jesus, Ibid.

(5) Tyler Roberts, lecturer and head tutor of religion at Harvard University, responded to the question, "Who was Jesus" by saying: "I asked my class, Who was Jesus?' Most said he was a religious figure. Some said philosopher, comparing him to Socrates. Then there was Jesus as political leader, with one student comparing Him to Mao and Stalin." (Josh Simon, "Who Was Jesus?" 12/94 issue of Life, p. 67-82)



Well, was Jesus FULLY God AND MAN though He was REJECTED and CRUCIFIED, or is the New Testament an errant explanation of Jesus to "cover" for His being rejected and crucified as an impotent, less-than-Creator-God Being?

Is there any OLD Testament verification for God's Messiah having to experience REJECTION BEFORE having a COMEBACK as KING?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though Jesus claimed to be the Old Testament Messiah (Mtt. 16:16-17), He was REJECTED by Israel! As a REJECTED Messiah is foreign to the Hebrew hope, is there any OLD Testament validation for a Messianic COMEBACK after his REJECTION?!"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's exposition of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. The prophecy of Christ's being declared to be the SON of God in Psalm 2:7 is shown in Acts 13:33-34 to be fulfilled in His RETURN from the GRAVE (Romans 1:4) to be the coming Messiah KING!
    1. Psalm 2 is an enthronement psalm used in the coronations of kings in the line of David to call others to submit to the new king rather than oppose him, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 791.
    2. Yet, the psalm speaks of God's Anointed One facing rejection from pagans as well as from subjects in ISRAEL as did CHRIST:
      1. Though Gentiles are named as thronging against the Davidic king in Psalm 2:1a, "peoples" also oppose him in Palm 2:1b NIV!
      2. The Hebrew word for "peoples," umah, meaning "tribe, people" is a derivative of aym which means "mother," cf. Kittell, ed., Bib. Heb., p. 977; Harris, Archer & Waltke, T.W.O.T., p. 50. It refers to people viewed as having blood ties versus government order.
      3. Well, in Christ's rejection, both the Gentiles under Rome's order opposed Christ along with the blood-related Hebrew people's leaders who plotted to deliver Him to the Romans, John 11:47, 53.
      4. Also, the rest of Psalm 2 describes events on CHRIST'S rejection:
        1. In Psalm 2:2a, the kings of the earth, representing the Gentile rulers who condemned Jesus to die are seen setting themselves in official seating arrangements. This was fulfilled in John 19:13 and Luke 23:6-9 where Pilate and Herod Antipas took their seats in an official capacity to pass judgment upon Jesus!
        2. Then, in Psalm 2:2b NIV, the "rulers" gather together against Messiah, and, in keeping with the identity of the "peoples" of 2:1b, we discern these to be Israel's religious leaders, Matt. 27:1
        3. The call to "break off their chains" and "throw off their fetters" in Psa. 2:3 NIV represents the efforts of these leaders to rebel against Christ in His trials (seen in Matt. 26:64-65; Jn. 19:10ff): (a) When Caiaphas, Israel's high priest charged Jesus to tell him if He was the Messiah, and Jesus replied not only that He was, but that Caiaphas would see Him sitting enthroned on the Father's right hand and coming in the clouds of heaven to judge in accord with Daniel 7:13 with 7:9, in rebellion against Jesus' authority, Caiaphas tore his clothes, Matthew 26:64-65. (b) When Pilate told Jesus he had the power to crucify Him, and Jesus replied Pilate's authority was given to him so that those who had delivered Jesus to him would be more accountable for sin than Pilate, Pilate feared divine reprisals, but decided not to release Jesus for fear of the people, John 19:10-16!
    3. Yet, regardless of this rejection, CHRIST arose from the dead in the Father's plan to enthrone Him in accord with Ps. 2:7 (Acts 13:33-34).
    4. In fact, Psalm 2:4-6 predicts the establishment of the RETURNING, formerly rejected CHRIST as God's King at His Second Coming:
      1. During the Tribulation, antichrist's forces empowered by Satan will attempt to establish a kingdom opposed to Christ, Rev. 13.
      2. However, the Father in His wrath will forcibly overthrow Satan's antichrist to place Jesus on Zion's throne regardless of antichrist's rebellion, Psalm 2:4-9 with Revelation 19:11-21.
  4. Thus, all men must SUBMIT to Messiah, JESUS CHRIST to escape God the Father's wrath and gain his blessing, Psalm 2:10-12:
    1. We must each submit to "kiss the Son" in God the Father's culturally typified requirement for us to pay Christ homage as King (1 Sam. 10:1); we must accept the Son as the Father's King over us or incur God the Father's wrath in hell, cf. Psa. 2:10-12a in light of Jn. 3:16!
    2. However, trusting in Messiah, CHRIST as Psalm 2:12b reveals will bring great eternal blessing, John 3:16 with Revelation 20:15-22:5!
Application: To gain eternal life, (1) we must believe the crucified Jesus is the true Messiah as He died on the cross for our sins and rose again in keeping with the precedent predicted in Psalm 2 of the OLD Testament, Acts 13:33-34 with Psalm 2:7; John 3:16. (2) In view of His SECOND COMING, may we SUBMIT to His rule in our lives for blessing, cf. Psalm 2:12a,b!

Lesson: Though Jesus was REJECTED by Israel, He yet IS God's TRUE MESSIAH (CHRIST) as was PREDICTED by the OLD Testament's Psalm 2 on the COMEBACK of a REJECTED Anointed One of God! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Not only do we have evidence from the Old Testament that the Messiah was to be rejected and suffer before His exaltation, there is mounting evidence that God the Holy Spirit is currently convicting people of that very fact in spite of strong reservations to the contrary.

The July-August 1989 issue of SIM NOW, a publication of the mission, SIM International, reports on page 11 in an article entitled, "The Sword of Love" on the conversion of a highly educated Muslim teacher to Christianity. This teacher graduated with honors M. A. from the Islamic University of Al Azhar in Cairo with a major in Islamic Law, and was appointed preaching sheik in mosques in Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon in Lebanon. He taught Islam in schools in Lebanon and on the Island of Bahrein before his death in a military conflict.

He testified: "When I was serving my [Islamic] religion in its many duties, I honestly believed that I was serving God. But so many difficulties and problems came into my life, I began to think perhaps that was not the way God wanted me to serve Him. I became increasingly dissatisfied, and asked God that if this were not the way, would He please show me the right way.

After that I kept having a dream in which I was walking along a path that always ended at a church. Every time I had this dream I asked God if it had come from Him. And another thing -- I kept thinking of Christ. The picture of Him on the cross, with blood flowing from His wounds, kept imposing itself on my mind. This was even against my will, because I had been taught that Christ was not crucified. In spite of my continued rejection of Christ, this picture came to my mind more and more, and every time it happened I felt a great happiness. It seemed that Christ was ordering me to follow Him.

After a long time I finally decided that I wanted to accept Christ . . . the heart drew the sword of love, and the battle ended with complete surrender to Christ.'"