Seeing is Not Always Believing

The early Jews believed that the coming of the Messiah would bring God's judgement against evil. They were correct. So right they couldn't see the truth of what was happening right before their very eyes.

The Jews of Jesus' time “knew” that anyone who was crucified, or “hung on a tree” was under God's curse. To be under God's curse AND to be the Messiah seemed an unresolvable conundrum.

In reality, Jesus came to our planet to bear the judgement and wrath of Creator God against evil and those on the side of evil. Jesus, our Messiah, our Saviour came to die in our place.

What kind of a person would push away, or reject that kind of an offer?

Jews and Prophecy

It's no news to say that, while many Jewish people have accepted the truth of Jesus as Messiah, as of yet most have not. Like atheists, these people can pour over the Torah and completely miss what's being said.

The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews as a whole was prophesied in Isaiah and in Daniel. The Jews’ preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do made it impossible for them to recognise Jesus as Messiah.

The problem is, they have ignored Old Testament prophecy which clearly explains that the Messiah will NOT accomplish what the Jews expected Him to accomplish. Many times I've heard Jewish people say, “The Messiah is supposed to bring peace. But when I look out my window I don't see peace.” The problem is not what they see. The problem is that they don't know Torah, which says clearly, 

"The Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler [Rome] will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple" (Daniel 9:26). (My insertion).

At the same time, thousands upon thousands of Jews DID accept Jesus as Messiah and all of the first missionary efforts took place in Jewish places of worship. From that time until now there has always been a remnant of Jews who know their Scriptures and recognise Jesus as their Messiah. 

1) Isaiah 52:13- 53:12: This tells us that the Messiah will be highly exalted BUT not before He suffers terribly. He would be beaten beyond recognition, lifted up (crucified) and would live again after being crucified. 
2) There have been two Temples in Jerusalem. 
a) In 2nd Chronicles 7:17-22 Israel was warned that if its sin reached a certain level the first Temple would be destroyed. Its sin did reach that level and the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, just as predicted. 
b) In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prophesied that a second Temple would be built and that Temple too would be destroyed. It did get built and it was destroyed by Rome, again as prophesied. 
According to prophecy, several things regarding Messiah were going to happen prior to the destruction of the second Temple. 
a) Haggai 2:6-9 - This prophecy tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than the first. That sounds like a “so what” kind of statement. Build a bigger Temple and you get your greater glory. Problem - the physical structure of the second Temple was pitiful in comparison with the first Temple that was built by Solomon. Yet, this passage tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be GREATER than the first. While the word for glory can sometimes mean “wealth” (was the Temple filled with coins?) for the passage to say - “I” will fill the [second] Temple with glory,” clearly implies the presence of God Himself. 
b) Malachi 3:1-5 - This prophecy tells us that prior to the destruction of the second Temple, the Messiah would come to the Temple. “The Lord you are seeking will come to His temple.” The Jews were looking for a human Messiah. However, since the word used for “Lord” always and only refers to God Himself, they COULD have known that Messiah would be God Himself. 
c) Daniel 9:24 - This prophecy tells us that before the second Temple is destroyed the Messiah would provide for an everlasting atoning sacrifice for all people. No more temporary sacrifices would need to be offered.
If prophecy is accurate then these things had to happen and in fact they did happen prior to the Temple being destroyed in 70AD.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago, religious Jews have had:
NO atonement system, 
NO functioning priesthood and 
NO functioning Temple. 
That is because all of the above found their fulfilment in Jesus. The Jews were expecting Messiah to come and rescue them. He did come, He did provide the means for spiritual rescue (the only kind that’s important), but they did not recognise Him.
Are you getting this? 
1. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, the Messiah would come to the second Temple before it was destroyed. 
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD. 
If Messiah didn’t come to the Temple prior to its destruction in 70AD, then Messiah isn’t coming at all. 
2. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, atonement for sins would be made by Messiah prior to the destruction of the second Temple. 
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD
If atonement for the sins of the world didn’t take place prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70AD it isn’t going to happen. 
But 
. One claiming and proving to be the Messiah - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD.
. One providing atonement for sins - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD
. Jesus visitation to the second Temple was the only visitation by Messiah to take place.
. Jesus glory, the very presence of God incarnate, was the only way that the second Temple’s glory was greater than the first. 
Because of a prior commitment to a different belief system, you may not like the idea of Jesus being Messiah, but if Jesus isn’t Messiah then nobody is Messiah.
If none of this took place prior to the destruction of the Temple which took place in 70AD then we may as well say that atheists are correct because the prophecies were not fulfilled and it’s all a lie. 
However:
All of this did take place in the person of Jesus. 
The prophecies were fulfilled. 
The Messiah did come right on schedule.
This is not speculation. This is historical fact!

Life Goes South In A Blink

“God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17)

That’s a nice sentiment but you’d never know it from Jesus’ last public sermon.

The people were finally convinced that the long awaited Messiah had arrived. A Saviour had come who would set up a Kingdom so powerful that it would toss off the shackles of Rome. Who better to do this than a miracle worker; someone with power over nature and demons and someone who could heal all their diseases and give them free food and good grief! someone who could bring people back from the dead?

No leader is perfect of course and this Messiah had some kinks to His delivery. For example, He seemed to say some decidedly unkind things to the people; just as though He didn't care what they thought of Him. He seemed more interested in tearing down their religious traditions than in confronting Rome. Jesus showed utter disdain for money, and He was down right rude, even aggressive toward the religious elite. In fact, Jesus treated the religious leaders like they were unsaved gentiles. Come to think about it, this Messiah spent a lot of time telling people they weren’t even close to being on the right track spiritually.

This Messiah seemed to come from a Kingdom that was completely counter-cultural to the one the people had created. This Messiah, if He was one, did all the right things with those society considers to be the wrong people, and He did all the wrong things with those society considers to be the right people.

He refused to keep the rules and in the end it got Him killed.

Jesus road into town as a soon to be King. By the end of the week, after hearing His last sermon, He was hanging from a Roman cross.

And wonder of wonders, that was exactly the plan.

Right From Day-One

Actually, before day-one came into existence God had a plan for those called according to His purpose.

Long before we first heard of Jesus and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.

Because of the sacrifice of Messiah, His blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans He took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
Ephesians 1:11, 7-10

One Thing

We find an interesting character in the Gospels, a woman by the name of Martha.
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Jesus, and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40


Pretty good lesson, don’t you think? ‘Martha,’ Jesus said, ‘there is nothing in this world more important than your relationship with Me. Mary’s found that, and I won’t take it away from her so she can focus on less important things.’

Lesson learned?

Not exactly.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John 12:1-4

Martha is still doing it! Jesus is just days from being physically out of her life forever and there she is, fussing in the kitchen. I wonder. Do we do the same? Aren’t we distracted by a 101 things that we put before our relationship with Jesus. Haven’t you spent all day at home on a day off and there Jesus is, waiting and waiting and waiting for you to seek His guidance, to tell Him about your day, your relationships, your fears, your hopes, and instead maybe He’ll get three minutes as you nod off to sleep.

“Only one thing is important.”

Hmm.

“By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”
Philippians 3:13-14

It seems to me that for many, the Christian life is one where Jesus is just an accessory to life. He most assuredly is not Lord and Master. It’s no accident that we’ve arrived at a point in history where “christians” divorce at a rate the same as or greater than their pagan neighbours. People are content to coast - to put value on how they feel rather than on obeying Jesus the Messiah.

I wonder if this happens because we don’t sense how desperate our situation is? For many, once they’re “saved” Jesus is placed in line, not at the head of the line but in line, to compete with all the other “important” things of the world. Yeats thought that “the worst are full of passionate intensity,” but I don’t think that’s true for very many of us - good or bad. I think that for most of us, sorting out what’s important from what’s merely a distraction requires too much effort. That means that those who want to distract us from the “One Thing” have a much easier time than they deserve. And that’s true for both the secular and the religious leaders of our day.

My concern is that the secular world seems to be convincing us that how we feel, in marriage and other relationships is more important than doing the right thing. I find it so sad - so tragic - it breaks my heart. Entertainers like Katie Perry sing songs with lines that go, “Let’s go all the way tonight. No regrets. Just love.” O God how stupid can these people be? Oh, and she tells Rolling Stone Mag that she prays in tongues (((sigh)))

“Just one thing is important,” says Jesus. For millennia those who ignore that One inevitably turn to their bodies for the sole source of pleasure, value and power. With nothing else of value to offer, our children are encouraged by entertainers to offer their bodies first as enticement for relationship. Literally, morally bankrupt, there is nothing else to offer.

Pagan entertainers call what they’re peddling “Freedom.” Slaves to their bodies, these sheeple march willingly into prisons of corrupted self-love. And so we have a world where concepts of right and wrong, good and bad are anchored to the ebb and flow of human desire. Freedom - ya they’re free alright. Free like a ship on the ocean with no means of finding location or direction. These pagans consider it freeing to be able to go in any direction they feel like going - completely incapable of finding safe harbour for their soul.

Only one thing is important and that is a healed, and forgiven relationship with our Lord and Saviour. And in case this sounds too dismal? Check out the IHOP web page for the ad that announces an event the draws 20,000 young adults to a One Thing weekend of worship Dec. 28-31 in Kansas City. Several people from the Soup Kitchen where I volunteer are heading down - again.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

The Atheist Challenge

“God, I know surely that You do not exist. But if perchance You exist, which I contest, it is not my duty to believe in You; it is Your duty to reveal Yourself to me.”
The then Jewish atheist Richard Wurmbrand
Mr. Wurmbrand went on to become one of the world’s greatest evangelists and founder of Voice of the Martyrs which is currently active in 80 restricted countries. His books promoting Jesus as Messiah have been translated into more than 50 languages.

“I’m Not Finished Yet!”

Just as though it’s supposed to mean something important, atheists often point out that the Jewish people as a whole rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Well, most of the world rejects Him as their Lord but one day every everyone will confess Him as their King; it will either happen voluntarily now or then as a conquered enemy.

Regardless, this rejection by the Jews arose because Jesus was not at all the type of King they were expecting.

One example is this.
Zechariah 9:9 - said that the Messiah would come to His people “lowly and riding on a donkey.”

On the other hand -

Daniel 7:13 - said that Messiah would arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and glory bringing peace to all the earth.

So which is it? Does He come humbly or in power?

We know from historical accounts that Jesus did come to Jerusalem in a Coronation of sorts, lowly and riding on a donkey. But what about power and bringing peace to earth?

From a record of His trial we have this exchange:
“The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

“Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.” Matthew 26:63-65

This Priest knew the prophecy of Daniel.
This Priest knew exactly Who Jesus was claiming to be.

To those who say that Jesus didn’t fulfill all of the Messianic prophecy Jesus would reply, “I’m not done with you yet. You’re mistaken in thinking that is has to be Daniel OR Zechariah.

IT’S BOTH!

Just as in Revelation chapter 5, your preconceived ideas of what a conquering King looks like causes you to miss identifying Messiah.

. I did come to provide atonement and forgiveness for all AND I will come to bring peace on earth.

. I did come as a priest AND I will come as a king

. I did suffer and die AND I will be exalted in glory for all to see

. I did come lowly and riding on a donkey AND I will come in the clouds for all to see.

. I did come to be rejected AND I am being accepted by people from around the globe as Messiah

. I did come to the Temple before its destruction

. I did provide atonement before the Temple’s destruction

Because I have done the former you can count on Me doing the latter as well.

I have fulfilled and will continue to fulfil all the Messianic prophecies that have been written about Messiah.”

The fact is, no one but Jesus has, could or will fulfill these prophecies.

The Temple

Over at John Loftus’ blog I’d mentioned that according to prophecy, the Messiah must come to the Temple. Obviously this means He would come to the Temple before its destruction, which took place in 70AD.

To save time and space I’ll just touch on the main points.
1) Isaiah 52:13- 53:12: This tells us that the Messiah will be highly exalted BUT not before He suffers terribly. He would be beaten beyond recognition, lifted up (crucified) and would live again after being crucified.

Only a prior commitment to a world-view that is hostile to Jesus could prevent someone from recognising the life of Jesus in this passage.

The rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews as a whole was also prophesied in this very same Isaiah passage. The Jews’ preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do (see tomorrow’s post) made it possible for them to not recognise Him as Messiah. At the same time, thousands upon thousands of Jews DID accept Jesus as Messiah and all of the first missionary efforts took place in Jewish places of worship. From that time until now there has always been a remnant of Jews who recognise Jesus as their Messiah.

2) Now to the question of the Jerusalem Temple.
There have been two Temples in Jerusalem.
a) In 2nd Chronicles 7:17-22 Israel was warned that if its sin reached a certain level the first Temple would be destroyed. Its sin did reach that level and the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, just as predicted.
b) In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prophesied that a second Temple would be built and that Temple too would be destroyed. It did get built and it was destroyed by Rome, again as prophesied.

According to prophecy, several things regarding Messiah were going to happen prior to the destruction of the second Temple.
a) Haggai 2:6-9 - This prophecy tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be greater than the first. That sounds like a “so what” kind of statement. Build a bigger Temple and you get your greater glory. Problem - the physical structure of the second Temple was pitiful in comparison with the first Temple that was built by Solomon. Yet, this passage tells us that the glory of the second Temple would be GREATER than the first. While the word for glory can sometimes mean “wealth” (was the Temple filled with coins?) for the passage to say - “I” will fill the [second] Temple with glory,” clearly implies the presence of God Himself.

b) Malachi 3:1-5 - This prophecy tells us that prior to the destruction of the second Temple, the Messiah would come to the Temple. “The Lord you are seeking will come to His temple.” The Jews were looking for a human Messiah. However, since the word used for “Lord” always and only refers to God Himself, they COULD have known that Messiah would be God Himself.

c) Daniel 9:24 - This prophecy tells us that before the second Temple is destroyed the Messiah would provide for an everlasting atoning sacrifice for all people. No more temporary sacrifices would need to be offered.

If prophecy is accurate then these things had to happen and in fact they did happen prior to the Temple being destroyed in 70AD.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus 2,000 years ago, religious Jews have had:
NO atonement system,
NO functioning priesthood and
NO functioning Temple.
That is because all of the above found their fulfilment in Jesus. The Jews were expecting Messiah to come and rescue them. He did come, He did provide the means for spiritual rescue (the only kind that’s important), but they did not recognise Him.

Are you getting this?

1. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, the Messiah would come to the second Temple before it was destroyed.
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD.
If Messiah didn’t come to the Temple prior to its destruction then Messiah isn’t coming at all.

2. According to prophecy of the Jewish Scripture, atonement for sins would be made by Messiah prior to the destruction of the second Temple.
The second Temple was destroyed in 70AD
If atonement for the sins of the world didn’t take place prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70AD it isn’t going to happen.

But
. One claiming and proving to be the Messiah - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD.
. One providing atonement for sins - Jesus - did appear prior to the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD
. Jesus visitation to the second Temple was the only visitation by Messiah to take place.
. Jesus glory, the very presence of God incarnate, was the only way that the second Temple’s glory was greater than the first.

Because of a prior commitment to a different belief system, you may not like the idea of Jesus being Messiah, but if Jesus isn’t Messiah then nobody is Messiah.

If none of this took place prior to the destruction of the Temple which took place in 70AD then we may as well say that atheists are correct because the prophecies were not fulfilled and it’s all a lie.

However:
All of this did take place in the person of Jesus.
The prophecies were fulfilled.
The Messiah did come right on schedule.
This is not speculation. This is historical fact!
Once again atheists are wrong on all counts.