Chapter 4 -JESUS CHRIST THE KEY TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

EVIDENCE THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH

Jesus' lineage lays the first basis  for identifying him as the promised Messiah.  Jehovah had told His servant Abraham that the promised Seed would come from his family.  Abraham's son Isaac.  Isaac's son Jacob, and Jacob's son Judah each received a similar promise.  (Genesis 22:18; 26:2-5; 28:12-15; 49:10 ) The line of the Messiah's descent was narrowed down centuries later when King David was told that his family line would  produce this One.  (Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 11:1, 10)  The Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke confirm that Jesus came through that family line.  (Matthew 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-38)  Though Jesus had many bitter enemies,  none of them challenged his well-publicized line of descent.  (Matthew 21:9, 15)  Clearly, then, his lineage is beyond question.  However, the Jew's family records were destroyed when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 C.E. In late times, no one could ever prove a claim to be the promised Messiah.

Fulfilled prophecy   is a second line of evidence.  Scores of Hebrew Scripture prophecies describe various aspects of the Messiah's life course.  In the eighth century B.C.E., the prophet Micah foretold that this great  ruler would be born in the insignificant town of  Bethlehem, but this prophecy specified which one:  Bethlehem Ephrathah, where King David had been born.  (Micah 5:2) Jesus' parents, Joseph and Mary, lived in Nazareth, some  90 miles north of Bethlehem.  While Mary was pregnant,however, the Roman ruler Caesar Augustus ordered all the people to register in their home cities.  So Joseph had to take his pregnant wife to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. - Luke 2:1-7.

In the sixth century B.C.E., the prophet Daniel foretold that "Messiah the Leader" would appear 69  "weeks" after the order went forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.  (Daniel 9:24, 25)  Each one of these "weeks" was seven years long.  According to the Bible and secular history,the order to rebuild Jerusalem was issued in 455 B.C.E. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) So the Messiah was to appear 483 (69 times 7) years after the 455 B.C.E.   That brings us to 29 C.E., the very year that Jehovah anointed Jesus with holy spirit.  Jesus thus became "the Christ" (meaning "Anointed One"), or Messiah. -Luke 3:15, 16, 21, 22.


Of course, not everyone accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah, and the Scriptures had foretold this.  As recorded at Psalm 2:2. King David was divinely inspired to foretell:  "The kings of the earth take their stand and high officials themselves have massed together as one against Jehovah and his anointed one."  This prophecy suggested that leaders from more than one land would unite in order to attack Jehovah's Anointed One, or Messiah.  And so it was.  The Jewish religious leaders, King Herod, and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate all played a part in having Jesus put to death. Former enemies Herod and Pilate became fast friends from then on.  (Matthew 27:1, 2; Luke  23:10-12; Acts 4:25-28) 

Next time: Conclusion of EVIDENCE THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH

The Book - KNOWLEDGE That Leads To Everlasting Life, 1995