1. Genesis 3:15
2. Deuteronomy 18:15
3. Psalm 132:11
4. Isaiah 9:6

Christmas is less than a week away. It’s the time when we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This morning, I want for us to think about the "Christ." Jesus was his earthly name. Christ was his title.

Fundamentally, the word, “Christ,” means “the anointed.” This is where we get the word, “christened.” Dedicated, set apart, The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives several uses of this word, “christened.” Sometimes, this word is used to describe a name given to a baby at a baptismal ceremony, “they christened the baby Anne.” Sometimes, this word is used to describe the dedication of a ship. often at a ceremony in which a bottle of champagne is broken on its bow, “they christened the ship.” Sometimes, the word is used simply to give an honorable title, “they christened her as the Queen of Tennis.”^[1]

In some sense, this is the meaning of Jesus as “the Christ.” Jesus was one identified as being “set apart” and “dedicated.” Yet, in the Bible, the word, “Christ” means “the anointed one,” the one who is set apart, the one who is anointed for a task.

One imagery that comes to mind is the ceremony of the anointing of high priest with oil. Perhaps you remember the consecration of Aaron, the high priest, who was clothed in a robe, with a turban on his head, and the breast piece on his chest. A bull and a ram were sacrificed, the blood being poured out upon the altar. Then, Aaron was doused in oil upon his head, so much so that it dribbled down upon his beard, even to the edge of his robes (Psalm 133). And Aaron was commanded to stay in the tent for seven days, until his ordination was completed. The picture there is that of setting Aaron apart, and “christening” him the high priest. That’s the Biblical meaning for word, “Christ.”

Often, this word was used to describe the “Messiah,” the one who would come to establish the kingdom of God. This morning, I want for us to think about the “Messiah.” And I want for us to go back in time. I want for us to go back in our minds to those times in which Jesus was born. I want for us to think about what it was like in those days. I want for us to think about the Jews, who were being oppressed by the Romans. longing for deliverance. I want for us to think about their hopes and expectations and dreams. Most all of them hinged upon a Messiah, who would come to deliver them.

The Jews in those days, longed for the Messiah, they longed for the Messiah greater than any child has ever longed for gifts to be placed under the Christmas tree.

Perhaps the best Biblical insight that we have about their mindset in those days is what the followers of Jesus said on the Road to Emmaus. These disciples had come to believe in Jesus. They had set their hope on him. and yet, he was crucified upon the cross. dashing their hopes of him being the Messiah. Their words of disappointment show their Messianic hope that they had in Jesus. They said, "we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21).

These men on the Road to Emmaus, were looking for a political Messiah. They were looking for one who would come as a king, and would overthrow the political domination of the Romans. and would end the high taxation. and would lead them to freedom, They envisioned the Jewish state, free and clear to worship the Lord under the law of Moses.

They envisioned another Moses, who would redeem them from the slavery they were experiencing. Thus, their words, "we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." Their words show that these disciples were seeking a political Messiah. This was the hope and expectation of many of the Pharisees. that a political Messiah would come to change the circumstances surrounding Israel for the better.

But not every Jew was looking for a political Messiah. There was a group of Jews called the “Essenes.” They were an ascetic group of people “who rejected the corrupt Temple leadership” and “withdrew to the wilderness.”^[2] Many have thought that John the Baptist was an Essene, living a life of self-denial in the desert.

Most scholars believe that the settlement at Qumran was made up of Essenes. Do you know their story? They hated the establishment, so they moved to the wilderness, down by the dead sea, away from the religious authorities, away from the Roman authorities. In that community, they focused their effort on studying and preserving the Scriptures. They wrote them out by hand onto scrolls. They hid these scrolls in the caves in that region, lest the Romans come and destroy all of their work. Because of the dry climate, these scrolls did not decay for centuries. In the 1940’s their scrolls were discovered. They have come to be known as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” They had been hidden for almost 2000 years! Their discovery has been a crucial testimony to the trustworthiness of the Scripture! I could talk a lot about the scrolls. But this morning, we are talking about the Messiah.

And the Essenes looked forward to a Messiah wasn’t merely a political reformer, as much as a spiritual Messiah, one who would lead them in the ways of God, more like a teacher than a governor. In fact, the Essenes looked for three Messiahs. One would be a prophet, who would declare the ways of the Lord. One would be a priest, who would bring the people to God. One would be a prince, who would govern the people of God. They simply didn't realize that these three functions would be fulfilled in on person!^[3]

But not every Jew sought this sort of Messiah. There was another group in the days of Jesus. They were the Zealots. These were more like “freedom fighters,” who were looking for a military Messiah. They were not only looking for one, they were zealously trying to bring it about. Some say that Barabbas was a Zealot. Remember, he was set to die for insurrection and for murder (Luke 23:25), but was released by Pontius Pilate as he sought to gain favor with the Jews. Jesus died in his place.

Though the views of exactly what the Messiah would be like was a bit different, the Jews were all looking for and hoping for and waiting for the Messiah to come. The reason for this is simple: this is what the Old Testament taught, over and over and over again. The Scripture taught of one who would come to redeem and rescue and help and lead the people of Israel into better days.

And this morning, for out time in the Scripture, I want for us to look at four of the passages that prophesy of a coming Messiah. to place ourselves in the mindsets of the Jews, who were looking for the Messiah. My hope is that it will help us to understand the impact of the coming of Christ that we celebrate at Christmas time.

Certainly, I could have chosen any number of passages. One reputable Jewish scholar has given more than 450 references to Old Testament passages that refer to the Messiah or the times of the Messiah.^[4] It would be impossible to take you to all of them! But if we focus specifically upon the direct messianic prophesies, our number of Old Testament passages are more like 65.^[5] Even this is impossible to address in a single message. So I leave it to your own study. This morning, we will simply look at four Messianic prophesies from the Old Testament. Further, we will look at passages from different genre of the Old Testament, from the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.^[6]

The title of my message this morning is “Messiah Is Coming.” I want for us to focus here this morning, because Christmas is coming. Christmas isn’t here yet. We haven’t yet celebrated the arrival of the Messiah this year. Jesus is coming.

Now, we know what is coming. We know that next Saturday, December 25, is the day that we celebrate the coming of Jesus. it’s the day when Walmart closes! it’s the day when most people across our land will be gathering with their families. But the Jews didn’t know the day when their Messiah was coming. But they were awaiting his coming. And rightly so, because the Old Testament constantly foretold of the day that their Messiah would come.

The first reference to the Messiah in the Old Testament comes in Genesis, chapter 3, right as soon as the need for a Messiah is established:

1. Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3 tells the story of the sin of Adam and Eve, that plunged the human race into sin. It’s often referred to as “The Fall.” That is, “The Fall of Mankind.” I trust that you know the story. God had created the world, and the plants and the animals and Adam and Eve. And he placed them in the garden of Eden, a perfect place. God gave Adam the task of working and keeping the garden (Genesis 2:15). God said, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. And Mankind fell from a state of innocence to a state of sin. With the fall, came a need for a Messiah! Someone to save them! Indeed, this is what we see in verse 15. The promise of a Messiah comes in the context of a curse. Verse 14 contains the curse. Verse 15 contains the first Messianic promise.

Genesis 3:14-15
The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The serpent was cursed to dwell on his belly (verse 14). The serpent was cursed to ultimate defeat (verse 15). But the one who would defeat the serpent was the Messiah! Serpent would bruise the heal of the Messiah. But the Messiah would bruise the head of the serpent. delivering the death-blow to Satan, himself. This is the promise that Paul trusted in Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." This was the hope of all the Jews! That the Messiah would come and defeat the devil! and lead them into prosperity and joy!

Now, I trust that you notice here that verse 15 doesn’t use the word, “Messiah.” In fact, the word, “Messiah” is rare in the Old Testament. In many English translations, the word doesn’t even appear in the Old Testament at all! (with the exception of Daniel 9:26, which prophesies of the “anointed one” who comes to deliver Israel). But the concept is all over the Old Testament, which prophesies of the coming one who will make all things right. That’s what we see here in Genesis 3:15. We see “the offspring” of the woman, who rises up to defeat the serpent. That is, a human, who will come and destroy the works of Satan.

This hope of a deliverer was on the mind on Adam and Eve. If you turn over to Genesis 4, you can see what Eve said after she gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord” (Genesis 4:1). Of this quote, one commentator said, “Her acknowledging God’s help makes it look as though she were hopeful that the promise of a ‘seed’ to crush the head of the serpent (3:15) might find its fulfillment in this son.”^[7] In other words, Eve thought that Cain may well be the Messiah! the one to defeat Satan!

Now, obviously, that didn’t happen with Cain. He turned out to a curse, rather than a blessing, for he killed his brother Abel. But that doesn’t negate the first Messianic promise that one would come in the future to destroy the works of the devil.

Of course, this came true in Jesus. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). This is what we celebrate this Christmas season, the appearing of the Son of God, who came and reversed the curse. No longer do we need to die in our sins, but we can look to Jesus, and find life in him! Genesis 3:15 the first of many messianic prophesies, that put this hope of a coming Messiah in the hearts and minds of many Jews of the first century. Let’s look at another passage. 

2. Deuteronomy 18:15

This verse comes in the context of Moses giving his last sermons to the people of Israel. God raised Moses up to deliver the nation of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. God was with him in a mighty way! It was through him, that God brought the great and terrible plagues upon the people of Israel. It was through him, that the plagues began and ended.

After leaving Egypt, God spoke to Moses, unlike any other man. He spoke with him face to face! So much so that the glory of God came to impact the face of Moses. And was able to be seen by the Israelites when Moses came down from the mountain. In this way, he became the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. He spoke face to face with God and brought to Israel the word of God.

In fact, of all the Old Testament writers, none wrote more than Moses. He wrote the entire Pentateuch! The first five books of the Bible! His words came to be the law of the land! There was no greater prophet than Moses. Yet, here in Deuteronomy 18, Moses promises of another prophet. He says, ...

Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

As great as Moses was. He knew of one coming that was greater! This is why the Essenes were looking for a Messiah to be a prophet! Because Moses told them to look for an anticipate such a one! One who will lead like a prophet leads!

Moses said that you shall listen to him. A few verses later, Moses says, ...

Deuteronomy 18:17-19
And the LORD said to me, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him."

In other words, when the prophet arises of whom Moses speaks, you had better listen to him! Because, he is going to speak all that God commands him to speak!

This is what the Jews were looking for in the Messiah that was coming! They were looking for a Messiah to come and lead them and guide them in truth! Now, of course, this was Jesus. Listen to his last public words to all who would hear.

John 12:44-46, 49-50
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ... For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had anticipated to come! He spoke what God commanded him to speak! He spoke words of eternal life. that eternal life comes through faith in him! This is our hope this Christmas season! That Jesus brought words of eternal life! That we may believe in him! And know the joy of rest in him!

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you trust in his words? Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah?

If you don’t, know that there are consequences. Jesus said, ...

John 12:47-48
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Jesus is the coming Messiah! He is the one in whom we must hope!

Well, let’s look at another Messianic promise. This time from the Psalms. 

3. Psalm 132:11

This is “A song of Ascents” (Psalm 132:11). This is one of those great Psalms that Israel would sing as they went up to Jerusalem to worship. It’s the longest of the songs of Ascent. It centers on David.

Though we will focus on verse 11, it will be good for us to consider the Psalm from the beginning.

Psalm 132:1-7
Remember, O LORD, in David's favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
how he swore to the LORD
  and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
“I will not enter my house
  or get into my bed,
I will not give sleep to my eyes
  or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
  a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
  we found it in the fields of Jaar.
“Let us go to his dwelling place;
  let us worship at his footstool!”

How appropriate are these words for the traveling pilgrims up to Jerusalem to worship! Jerusalem, the city of David, where David desired to establish a permanent place of worship for the people of Israel. (You can read about this is 2 Samuel 7). It is the place that Israel went to worship the LORD! It is the place where they all would go to meet with God!

And then, in verse 8 comes the invitation for the LORD to meet with his people in joy and gladness:

Psalm 132:8-10
Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
  you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
  and let your saints shout for joy.
For the sake of your servant David,
  do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

In these verses, we see the Jews asking for the LORD to come and meet with the worshipers in Jerusalem. Further, they ask for God's work among them, giving the priests righteousness, that they might truly enter into God's presence. They asked for joy, that the worship of the LORD would be enjoyable. Further, they mention the “anointed one” in verse 10. This is a reference to the Messiah! The Jews were pleading for God to accept and receive him! He is further described in verse 11 (which is the focus of our attention).

Psalm 132:11
The LORD swore to David a sure oath
  from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
  I will set on your throne."

This is why the Zealots sought a military Messiah! Because the throne of David is the throne of a king! The king is the sovereign power of the land! The Zealots thought that the Messiah would come with military might. So, they looked for a military leader! They anticipated such a one to come!

Now, it’s not that they were wrong. It’s simply that their timing was off. They didn’t realize that Jesus would come the first time to suffer and die. But the second time, Jesus will come to rule and reign! Psalm 110:1 speaks about the Messiah sitting at God's right hand until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet. The rest of the Psalm describes the conquering activity of the Messiah.

He came the first time as the Lamb. But he will come the second time as the Lion!

But he will come! That’s the promise of verse 11, "The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne." God will not change his mind. The Jews were looking for the day when this son of David would come to rule on David’s throne! It would be a glorious time.

The Psalm concluded with the following words:

Psalm 132:12
If your sons keep my covenant
  and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
  shall sit on your throne.”

The book of Revelation speaks about this, that we will be priests to our God, that we will forever reign. Anyone who believes and trusts in Christ will be fellow inheritors of the kingdom with Jesus Christ. There's a sense where we will reign with him, seated with him. Ephesians 2 says just as Christ has been seated, we also are seated with him. That's what's alluded to here, if we're obedient, if we keep the covenant, if we're trusting in the Lord.

And then he continues about God's heart for this place.

Psalm 132:13-18
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
  he has desired it for his dwelling place:
"This is my resting place forever;
  here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provisions;
  I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
  and her saints will shout for joy.
There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
  I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
  but on him his crown will shine."

This is like the second coming of Jesus. He is coming a second time to rule and to reign. All these things will be true as Christ will come and reign in the new Jerusalem, the chosen Zion, which God has loved.

Finally, we come to our last passage that shows the coming of the Messiah in the Old Testament. 

4. Isaiah 9:6

Notice how I have taken verses from all across the Old Testament. I have pulled from the Pentateuch. I have pulled from the Psalms. And now, I have pulled from the Prophets. This is because prophecies of the coming of the Messiah are all over the Old Testament. I have brought us to consider but a few. There is no way in a single message that I could be exhaustive, because there are many verses in the Old Testament that anticipate the coming of the Messiah.

I have simply taken some verses in the Old Testament to put in your mind the Jewish hope and expectation of the coming of the Messiah, with hopes that we too would have an expectation of the coming of the Messiah.

Our last verse is Isaiah 9:6. Perhaps this verse is the most familiar of all of the Messianic verses we are looking at this morning, as Handel used this verse in his "Messiah." Further, this verse ties together the coming of the Messiah with how he will come as a child that is born.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

This verse talks about the humanity of the Messiah. There's going to be this child that's born. The Jews anticipated this Messiah. They didn't expect an angel to come down. They were expecting this son to be born, a Jew, born of the line of David, born of kingly descent. In fact, he's going to rule and reign. "The government shall be upon his shoulder." The Pharisees were right in expecting this political leader to come. The increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end. He's going to be on the throne of David, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

This Messiah is going to come. He's going to be born as a son to us, and will rule and reign someday. There will be this government with Jesus on the throne that we can look forward to. This government is going to increase and increase, and there's going to be peace. It's going to be a wonderful time.

Did you notice his names?

Wonderful Counselor

He is the one that you can go to with any of your counseling needs, with any questions, any desires, any confusions. He is the one to whom we go. That's why we pray when confused. Even James says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach" (James 1:5). The great counselor who is Jesus will give to us wisdom.

Mighty God

Here's a son who's born, he's human, and yet he is divine. This is the incarnation, God becoming flesh, both those things together. A child is going to be born to us, and he's going to be the mighty God. It's the incarnation right there.

Everlasting Father

Here is this son becoming an everlasting father of many, but also perhaps even allusions to the Trinity. He's the Father who's been Father and always Father, and yet he's Jesus. God in three persons, blessed Trinity. The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Spirit. But the Father is God and the Son is God and the Spirit is God. How that all mixes together, I don't know. But here we see even the Son being called the Everlasting Father.

Prince of Peace

Finally and ultimately and best of all, perhaps he is the Prince of Peace. This is what Jesus does when he comes. He's going to bring peace to the world when all is well. That's what we can ultimately look forward to. The fact that Messiah is coming and he's bringing peace to the world, bringing peace particularly to those who are believing and trusting in him. This is just talking about the birth of Messiah coming. But eventually he's going to come and he's going to suffer and he's going to die. But it's by his death that we are healed today.

We can read about that in Isaiah 53, about how he bore our sins in his body on the cross. That's how he brings peace, by bearing our sins for us and breaking down hostility between us and God and smoothing that road between God and between others as well. That's what we look for. We look for the Prince of Peace.

So as you think about Christmastime, especially as you think about Christmas coming Saturday, think about the Jews who were anticipating this time in which the Messiah would come and be all these things to all the people. Yes, he would come and he would reverse the curse that came upon Adam and Eve. He would be the prophet of prophets that we need to look to, to listen to. He would be of the line of David set upon his throne forever to bring this government that will be peaceful with no end.

In my message this morning, I picked just four verses to give you a flavor of what the Jews hoped for regarding the coming Messiah. We could have pulled many more, but we just pulled four, and I trust that they've been edifying to you and to your hearts.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on December 19, 2021 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/christen.

[2] Will Varner, The Messiah: Revealed, Rejected, Received (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2004), 126.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Peabody, MA: Hendrikson Publishers, 1993), 980-1010.
 
[5] Varner, 7.

[6] This broad representation is quite appropriate in light of what Jesus said to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).

[7] John Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 111.