This morning our message is about the question “Is Jesus the Messiah?” The is a very important question, for what a person thinks of Jesus influences their entire life and their eternity. Christianity is a completely unique faith, unlike any other religion. What makes Christianity unique is its founder, Jesus Christ. The word Christ means Messiah, which means anointed. Kings were anointed for their offices in the Old Testament.
The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied in the Old Testament for thousands of years. The first prophesy of a coming Messiah is found in the first book of the Bible. In this verse, God is speaking to the serpent, Satan, who had just tempted Adam and Eve into sin.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV) 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.”
God is saying that an offspring of Eve will crush the head of Satan and destroy him at some future time. We learn that the Messiah would be human and would come to destroy Satan and his works.
1 John 3:8b (ESV) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, fulfilling the prophesy of Genesis 3. The Old Testament is filled with over 300 prophesies about the coming Messiah. Most have been fulfilled in Jesus’ earthly ministry and some are to be fulfilled at His second coming. Not only would the Messiah destroy Satan, He would also usher in the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) 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.
The Messiah would be human, yet He would also be God. The Messiah would be King, ruling and reigning through the government or kingdom of God. What was Jesus’ message? It was the message that the prophets said the Messiah would teach.
Luke 4:43 (ESV) but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Jesus’ message was of the kingdom of God that was breaking into our world through His ministry. Is Jesus the Messiah? We know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God because He: Fulfilled over 300 prophesies of the coming Messiah. He claimed to be the Messiah He revealed Himself as having the glory of the Messiah as we’ll see today. And after dying on the cross, He rose from the dead three days later.
Since Jesus is the Messiah, the only wise choice is to worship and serve Him as the Messiah. That is the only way to have a relationship with God in this life and for eternity. So, let’s look more closely at the question “Is Jesus the Messiah” as we continue our study of chapter 9 of the gospel of Luke.