Confirmation of Jesus Being the King – the Messiah by Prophecies

GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH


TEXT: Matthew 2:5-6, 13-23
THEME: Confirmation of Jesus Being the King – the Messiah by Prophecies
TITLE: Prophesy Fulfilled
PROPOSTIONAL STATEMENT: Why Did God Give Prophesy About His Son Jesus?


I. INTRODUCTION
A. Review
• The Book of Matthew presents to us the confirmation that Jesus Christ is the King whom the Jews had rejected and despised.
• In this series there 7 confirmations that Jesus is truly the promised King. The Messiah. The most long awaited person in human history. And we had finished the first four
• Confirmation by Royal Lineage (geneology), Birth (Virgin Birth), King Makers (Magi), Hatred of a King (Herod)
• And now we are now on the fifth confirmation and it is by the Fulfillment of the Prophecies

B. Prophesy
• Definition of Prophesy
o An inspired utterance of a prophet, viewed as a revelation of divine will.
o A prediction of the future, made under divine inspiration.
o Such an inspired message or prediction transmitted orally or in writing.
• Focus of Prophesies
o All prophesies are pointing to only one person – Jesus Christ
o There are 320 Old Testament prophesies that are pointing to Jesus who is the very focus of the prophesies
o Other prophesies like the prophesies about Israel, and events about last days are also focusing on Jesus. Particularly His second coming.
• The Four Prophesies
o Matthew chose four prophesies, enough to confirm Jesus as the King
o This four prophesies were not randomly chosen but chosen with a purpose
o These four prophesies are enough not to treat these as chance or coincidence
o If this is by chance it is 1 is to 256 which is less than 1 percent.

II. BODY
A. Giving Birth at Bethlehem
1) The Geographical Location – Bethlehem (Ephrathath)
• Village 5 miles south of Jerusalem
• 2,350 ft above sea level
• It is a high place because there are many hills
2) Significance of the Place
• Near burial place of Rachel (Genesis 35:16-19)
• Home of Boaz and Ruth
• Birthplace of Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:1-4)
3) The Prophesy
• Matthew just added this prophesy in respect with the reply of the chief priests and teachers of the law (v.5)
• King Herod called the chief priests and teachers of the law for inquiry about the place where the birthplace of the King
• The Prophet and the Prophesy
o Prophet Micah
o It was written
 Micah recorded this prophesy (Micah 5:2)
• The Book of Micah
o Israel suffered from having a blind leaders (ch. 2 and 3)
o They were under oppression by their leaders
o God comforted the Israel with a promise that a ruler over Israel
• The Census
o In Luke chapter 2 Augustus Ceasar issued a decree for census
o Every country must submit to the decree for registration so every person must go to his own town to register
o Joseph and Mary went down to Bethlehem to register

B. Going Out of Egypt
1) History – God Prepared Egypt for His Son
• Macabean Period
o Between Old and New Testament there is a period called intertestamental period
o After the Medo-Persian Empire, the Greek Empire prevailed.
o Alexander the Great was the leader
o Greek invaded Israel and that was the beginning of Macabbean Revolt
o Many of the Jews escaped to Egypt
o Alexander established the City of Alexandria the haven for the Jews because they populated the area
o They were allowed to build their temples
o Qumran community also went to Egypt for refuge
o Egypt was a place of Refuge or Haven for the Jews

2) Scene
• Dream
o God uses dream to reveal His will (Josphe, Moses, Jacob, Pharao and even to the Magi (v.12)
o Joseph’s Dream – The purpose was not to encourage him to marry Mary like the first but it was to give warning
• Warning
o Get up. Take the Child and His Mother, Escape to Egypt – They are command with urgency
 They are very clear command with urgency
o Child and His Mother – it focuses on the Child not to the mother because this is all about the Child
o Stay there until I tell you – Joseph must wait for the signal of the angel before they will go back to Israel
 Verse 15 Tells how long they will stay at Egypt until the death of herod
o The reason was that, Herod will kill the baby (searching and killing)
• Response
o The Time they Escaped – Night time
 They were sleeping when the angel appeared to Josephs’s dream
 The reason why night time so that their escape will be very secret
 They still there until the angel appeared again and tell them that they can go back
 In verse 19 and 20 the angel appeared again after the death of Herod

3) Prophesy
• The Book of Hosea
o The Tragic Love Story
o Unfaithful Wife
o The Unconditional Love of the Husband
o Hosea felt what the Lord has felt because of unfaithfulness whom God loved
• The Initial Question – Is it really pertaining to Christ or Israel
o Many instances in the Bible are hard to distinguish whether it is pertaining to Israel or to Christ
• Type
o Definition
 It is a non-verbal prediction
 Prefigurement designed by God to foreshadow things to come
o Examples of Type
 1Peter 3:20-21 – Baptism and Water
 John 3:14 Jesus and Bronze Serpent
 Matthew 12:40 Jonah and Jesus
o Right Usage of Type
 Do not make everyting in the Bible as type
 To avoid multiples of meaning just consider the types that are clearly stated in New Testament

C. Weeping in Ramah
1) The Scene
• The Reason of Weeping
o Herod wanted to kill the baby who was the promised King of the Jews but he failed
o He was outwitted by the Magi and he became very angry
o What he did he sent his army and killed all the boys in Bethlehem and the immideate vicinities and one of these is Ramah
2) The Prophesy
• Book of Jeremiah 31:15
o The contex is al about the comfort, abundance and joy that Israel will receive
o The sad part is that there is a tragedy
• Ramah and Rachel
o It is the closest vicinity in Bethlehem
o It is the boundary of the two kingdoms of Israel
o This is where Rachel stood when she saw
 Her Ephaprath (Joseph) Northern Kingdom and Benjamin the Southern Kingdom
 Attacked by Assyria and Babylon that made Rachel wept
• Significance
o Rachel was always associated with Ramah
o She was the mother of Israel because she was the wife of Jacob (Is rael)
D. Living in Nazareth
1) The Land
A town in Galilee
This is where the relatives of Mary and Joseph live.
It is a fertile land
2) The Scene
• Returning to Israel
o The angel told them that Herod was already dead.
o They are commanded by angel to go back to Israel
• Reasons Why They Reside in Galilee
o To avoid Archelaus
 He was on of the sons of Great Herod
 He was the ruler of Judea
 He killed many Jews who revolt against Him like Mathathias and Judas
 He was hated by Jews and was replaced by Pontius Pilate
o But the main reason is the purpose of God to fulfill the Prophesy
3) The Prophesy
• The Oral Tradition
o This is the prophesy that cannot be found in Old Testament
o It was not recorded but passed from one person to another orally
o Even no record of it still it is considered as prophesy
o The plurality of prophets affirms this prophesy as valid prophesy

III. CONCLUSTION
Summary:
Human Purpose
1st Prophesy – To Register
2nd Prophesy – To be Safe
3rd Prophesy – To Eliminate the King
4th Prophesy - To Avoid the Wicked King
But God’s Purpose is only one to fulfill the Prophesies
Principle : Man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty are working together for the glory of God

Reasons Why God Give Us These Prophesies?

1) To Proclaim His Sovereingty
o God arranges the all the events to fulfill His will
2) To Present His Will to His Creation
o God wanted to reveal His will to His creation whether they are believers or not
3) To Provide Hope for His People
o In Old Testament people were looking foreward for the 1st coming of the Messiah their King
o In New Testament people were looking foreward for the 2nd coming of the Messiah



For God’s Glory
09/26/10