The Messiah in Scriputre
THE SACRIFICIAL MEANING OF THE MESSIAH’S DEAT
What's something exciting your business offers? Say it here.The coming of Jesus did not take place in isolation from the history of Israel. Centuries before His birth, the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets had already established identifying marks by which the Messiah could be recognized: a prophetic time window, a lineage, a place of origin, a Servant who would suffer, and the ancient image of a Lamb offered on behalf of others.
From Daniel to the Passover, from Isaiah to Psalm 22, these prophetic threads run throughout the Scriptures until they converge in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
In this study, follow step by step how the Bible builds this messianic expectation and why John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, could make such an extraordinary declaration:
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” — John 1:29
The Messianic Promises Before the Birth of Jesus
Before examining the work of the Messiah, it is necessary to understand how His identity began to be revealed in Scripture. Promises concerning His lineage, the house of David, the place of His birth, and the time of His manifestation form a framework that precedes the Gospels.
In this study: the principal Messianic promises given before the birth of Jesus and the identifying marks by which the Messiah could be recognized.
The God Who Forgives
Messianic expectation does not arise only from the promise of a King. It is also connected with the problem of sin and the need for reconciliation between God and humanity.
Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as the One who forgives, restores, and calls the sinner back to Himself. This truth prepares the way for understanding why the work of the Messiah would involve more than kingship: it would also involve redemption.
In this study: forgiveness throughout Scripture and its relationship to the redemptive work that would be accomplished by the Messiah.
The Messiah as High Priest and the Heavenly Sanctuary
The work of the Messiah does not end with His death, nor is it limited to the moment of His resurrection. Scripture also presents a priestly dimension connected with mediation, the sanctuary, and the presence of God.
This study traces the language of priesthood and sanctuary to its application to the work of Christ.
In this study: the Messiah as High Priest, His ministry of mediation, and the relationship between the earthly sanctuary and the heavenly reality.
The Wounded Messiah and the Prophecies of His Death
Scripture does not present only a Messiah who reigns. It also describes suffering, rejection, wounds, and death.
Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and other passages form a body of texts that allows the crucifixion to be understood not as an unexpected interruption of the Messiah’s mission, but as part of what had already been foretold.
In this study: the principal prophecies concerning the suffering and death of the Messiah and their correspondence with the Gospel narratives.
The Risen Messiah — Victory over Death
If the Messiah suffers and dies, an unavoidable question arises: how can the promises continue?
Scripture points to an answer that reaches beyond death itself. The hope of resurrection, the Holy One who would not remain in corruption, the Servant who continues beyond His suffering, and the apostolic testimony all converge in the proclamation that Jesus rose from the dead.
In this study: the resurrection of the Messiah, its roots in Scripture, and its significance for the ultimate victory over death.
The Kingdom of the Messiah
The resurrection naturally leads to the question of the Kingdom.
From the promise made to David to the visions of Daniel, Scripture speaks of a King whose dominion would outlast every human monarchy. His Kingdom involves justice, authority, restoration, and, ultimately, the defeat of the final enemy: death.
In this study: the Davidic promise, the Son of Man, the Kingdom given to the Messiah, the participation of the saints, and the restoration of all things.
The New Covenant — God’s Promise and Its Fulfillment in Christ
The work of the Messiah is also connected with the promise of a new covenant.
Jeremiah announced a Law written on the heart. Ezekiel spoke of a new heart and the Spirit. Isaiah presented the Servant who would bear the iniquities of many. In the Gospels, Jesus associates His own blood with the New Covenant.
In this study: the forgiveness of sins, the blood of the Lamb, the Law written on the heart, the work of the Spirit, and the extension of the promise to the nations.
The Messiah Who Will Return — The Promise of the Second Coming
The resurrection and exaltation of Jesus do not bring Messianic expectation to an end. The Gospels and the apostolic writings continue to point toward a future event: the return of the Messiah.
The One who came, died, and rose again is also the One who promised to return.
In this study: the promise of the Second Coming, the expectation of the disciples, and the future consummation of the work begun at the First Coming.