Messianic Prophecy

.... The early church had existed for about thirty years before any of the New Testament was written. During that time they followed the doctrine of the apostles, and their only ‘Bible' was the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy. It was here that they proved and confirmed the apostle's words, and obtained the final verdict for defining who Jesus was:

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.... "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone."

(Ephesians 2:20; see also Acts 17:11)

.... The joint testimony of Jesus, between the prophetic and apostolic perspectives, became the foundation of our understanding in Christ, for He Himself was the chief cornerstone of all their meaning. In fact the prophecy and the fulfillment, taken together, were designed to match, balance, and enrich each other in pointing us to Him (Isaiah 34:16).

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.... As we have seen from our previous postings, seeking the subjectivity of Jesus will bring us to a deeper type of study -- but it will also open the door for a new dimension of ministry in our lives. For the Scriptures alone, when studied as an end in themselves, will produce death; but when they are used to seek the testimony of Jesus, they'll illuminate the spirit and the life:

.... ". . . For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

(Revelation 19:10)

.... So let's think about this whole puzzle, put the pieces together, and look at the overall ministry this brings. When we search the Scriptures for the heart and mind of Jesus, we break into the realm where He may be spiritually known and where His life may be ministered in our own hearts. This would be true from both the Old and New Testament perspectives (Revelation 19:10; 2 Corinthians 3:6,17). Therefore when both of these perspectives are weighed together – the prophecy and fulfillment – so that we are seeing the spiritual side of each passage in showing us Jesus, we may ‘compare spiritual things with spiritual' in our study of Him (1 Corinthians 2:13).

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.... Through these complementary comparisons we are given a fuller glimpse into Jesus' character and a better overall ‘feel' for His meaning and application. Meditating on both perspectives together will greatly help us in becoming acquainted with Him, as opposed to having only one of the two perspectives (see Acts 18:27-28). The benefit is like seeing Him with one eye only, which will give a clear enough picture, or with two eyes together, which will add depth perception.

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.... Furthermore, since God expressed His intentions through the prophecy, and Jesus acted on those intentions, there was a living connection between them, which will emerge through the comparisons:

.... "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!"

(Isaiah 42:1)

.... "I delight to do Your will, O My God, and Your law is within My heart!"

(Psalm 40:8)

.... Comparing the two perspectives allows us to appreciate this living connection, and even to share in it, as sons and joint heirs of God through Jesus. The entire approach of spiritual comparisons helps us define His character as the source of His words and deeds, making Jesus Himself the true lesson. And through this type of learning we are transformed, to become more and more ‘like our teacher' (Luke 6:40). We will discuss this further in our next posting.

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Daily Bible Reading: John 17