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 Jews family records were destroyed when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 C.E. In later 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 significant town of 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 build Jerusalem.  (Daniel 9:24, 25)  Each one of these "weeks" was seven years long. According to the Bible and secular history, the order to build Jerusalem was issued in 455 B.C.E. (Nehemiah 2:1-8) So the Messiah was to appear 483 (69 times 7) years after 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. 

Next time:JESUS CHRIST THE KEY TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD/CONCLUSION OF EVIDENCE THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH

From the book: KNOWLEDGE That Leads to Everlasting Life