“God be merciful to us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; Selah. (So) That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” Each week, we close out Sunday services with these two verses from Psalm 67:1, 2.
King David’s Chief Musician penned the six verses of Psalm 67, and it was a song/hymn to be played on stringed instruments called “Neginoth.” Neginoth is always in the plural, and all stringed instruments fell into this category. By way of comparison, today’s orchestras have a “Strings Section,” or Neginoth.
My point here is not the instruments, but that the Jews wanted the world to know of God’s goodness and His saving health that comes from living His way. This speaks of evangelism among the Jews. As God’s face shone on Moses, we are called to share that shining presence with others. And after having finished the Gospel of Matthew last week, I thought it appropriate that we look at the task the Apostles faced as Jesus directs their ministry efforts to share the Good News in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
In the 12th Century A.D., the famous Rabbi, Moses Ben Maimonides, scribed “THE THIRTEEN PRINCIPLES OF THE JEWISH FAITH.” One of these principles says, “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though He tarry, I will wait daily for His coming.” Waiting in faith is what Jews and Christians are both called to do, so we have something in common with those of the Jewish faith. And in evangelizing others, it must be the drawing power of God’s love for us all that must characterize the message.
To condemn another’s belief, rather than drawing from its similarities would turn our Gospel message to what Paul writes to the Corinthian Church: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.” ...nothing but harsh sounds.
So as we cover consider Maimonides’ principals, it is import to remind others, Jew or Gentile, of the Jewish scriptures, and their fulfillment, to help others see Christ Jesus as the one true Messiah for Who we all await.
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. - Hebrews 10:36, 37
Isaiah 11:1-5 & Others - "Sharing The Faith"
Summary/Notes:
All
four Gospels, in their records of the post-resurrection appearances
of Jesus, explain that Jesus did not return to heaven before giving
His followers a mission. Until His return, He told them, the church
is to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations, telling people
about Him, calling them to repentance and faith, and discipling them
in everything that He taught. This task remains unfinished, and all
Christians have a part to play in bringing the gospel to all
creation. Ultimately, conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Spreading the gospel is a way for us to partner with the Holy Spirit
in that work. Ultimately, conversion is the work of the
Holy Spirit. Spreading the gospel is a way for us to partner with the
Holy Spirit in that work.
Evangelizing means sharing the
gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know Him. It is an
overflow of the “hope that is within us.” It is an act of love,
and Christ’s love must be the defining characteristic of every
follower of Jesus. Those who walk in the Spirit bear His fruit. The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…, and we demonstrate His
love in dealing with people. We possess a great gift, it is good
news, the best news the world will ever hear. So while we share this
good news, we should share it in such a way that it is becoming of
His great love for us. (John 3:16).
The Scriptures tell us
that faith comes by hearing the Word of God (see Romans 10:17).
Whether you are witnessing to Jews or Gentiles, most are unfamiliar
with the scriptures. Many times we make the mistake of trying to use
reason and logic more than using God’s Word when sharing our faith
with others. The truth is that the Bible has self-authenticating
authority that can touch hearts: “So shall My word be that goes
forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall
accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which
I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). The Scriptures should be the key
benchmark of truth when sharing our faith.
While there are
literally hundreds of fulfilled messianic (Jesus-related) prophecies.
Jesus lived a miracle-filled and supernaturally empowered existence
from his conception to his ascension. Centuries before his birth he
was foretold by the prophets which can be clearly seen in the Old
Testament scriptures. The Old Testament, which was in existence
centuries before Christ, predicted the where (Micah 5:2), the when
(Daniel 9:26), and the how (Isaiah 7:14) of Christ’s entry into the
world. He would be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15) from the line of
Adam’s son Seth (Genesis 4:26), through Noah’s son Shem (Genesis
9:26-27, and Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 15:5). He would come through the
tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and would be the son of David (2
Samuel 7:12f.). The Old Testament predicted that Christ would die for
our sins ((Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10) and
would rise from the dead (Psalm 2:7; 16:10).
All of these
prophecies were uniquely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is not true
of any great religious leader or person who has ever lived.
Today’s
message will focus on thirteen basic prophecies that we should all be
familiar with when sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with others,
whether Jew or Gentile. These thirteen scriptures will help others understand that Jesus is truly the Messiah. We cannot assume that the people we share with know anything about the scriptures, or that the Messiah can literally be found in every single book of the Old Testament. The best representation of Jesus is found in the scriptures. While God uses many ways to draw people to Himself through His Holy Spirit – one of these ways is fulfilled
prophecy.
These prophecies are just a few brief examples of prophecies that can be useful evangelistic tools. They point to a God who is active in His universe and to a Messiah who fulfilled the words of the prophets.
Fulfilled prophecies serve as evidence for God’s working in human history. They testify that the Gospel message is true, and show that the Scriptures are accurate and reliable, and this results in increased openness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The following Scripture Chart is a perfect tool to use when sharing the gospel with others. Each prophecy from the Old Testament is followed by the New Testament fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.
Prophecies About Jesus
|
Old Testament Scriptures |
New Testament Fulfillment |
|
1. |
The Messiah would come from the line of David, and would be a righteous judge. |
Isaiah 11:1-5 |
Matthew 1:1,6; 5:3-5 |
2. |
The Messiah would have a unique birth, which n itself would be a sign from God. He would be called Immanuel. |
Isaiah 7:14 |
Luke 1:30,31-34,35 |
3. |
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet He would have a prior existence. |
Micah 5:2 |
Matthew 2:1 |
4. |
The Messiah would come as a male child, and would appear as a light of Galilee. Messiah would be heir to King David’s throne |
Isaiah 9:1,2,6,7 |
Matthew 4:13-16, 21:10-11 |
5. |
The Messiah is uniquely God's Son. |
Psalm 2:7 |
Matthew 3:17 |
6. |
The Messiah would be the Light of the world. He would regather Israel and will also be a light to the Gentiles. |
Isaiah 49:6 |
John 8:12 |
7. |
The Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. He would bring a message of forgiveness and hope to all people. |
Isaiah 61:1 |
Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 4:18 |
8. |
The Messiah would usher in a New Covenant with Israel and the Gentiles. |
Jeremiah 31:31,32 |
Luke 22:20 |
9. |
The Messiah the King will enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. |
Zechariah 9:9 |
Mark 11:7-9 |
10. |
Though innocent, the Messiah would suffer for the sins of the world. |
Isaiah 53:3-12 |
Matthew 26:67,68; 27:26, 28-31 |
11. |
Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed, forsaken and surrounded by enemies. They would take His garments. |
Psalm 22:1-22 |
Matthew 27:35 |
12. |
Messiah would be sacrificed as a Lamb. His sacrifice would be complete, once and for all. |
Isaiah 53:10 |
John 1:29; Hebrews 10:10 |
13. |
Messiah would be seated at God’s right hand until He returns to Earth to judge the wicked. |
Psalm 110:1, 4-5 |
Acts 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8 |
