In John chapter 5 Jesus gave a response to the Jews ganging up on Him for not having a witness to confirm His words. He said in verse 39— “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
We have a lot to learn about the one whom we say we love the most. With His names alone, we find in scripture, 343 individual names and designations. There is a significance to each one of those names and titles. It is an interesting study indeed. God gave us this list tucked into the pages of scripture, so that we could know Him in a more intimate way. A names means a great deal in scripture you see. In fact, nearly every charter had a name change or at least a designation changed to signify the change God had placed in or on them, respectfully. I often wonder if that practice did not die with that culture but should be reinstated today. Too often I run into people who wish they could change their name. Its symbolism has merit, but the life change we produce should be evidence enough.
I would like to center us on John 9 for this study. Here we find the discourse between Jesus and the ‘woman at the well’. When Jesus is conversing with the women, she mentioned a couple of titles that are significant. “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” (25).There are only 3 references of the name “Messiah” in all of the Bible. She said the Messiah coming is “called Christ”. This is the name associated with the title. The One who is to save the people from their captivity of sin and set up a theocracy is The Christ. That brings us to the Christmas story and Jesus. In Matthew 1.16, Matthew said— And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Again the name associates with the title: Christ. Whichactually means— “The chosen or anointed one.” The title connects Him with the entire Old Testament overview of the coming Messiah, beginning in Genesis in the garden. Genesis 3.14-15 says— “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”This is the entire story of the Old Testament, isn’t it?
This same name/title is mentioned more significantly in:Zechariah 12.8— “In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.” This verse references the Messiah Himself as— “the angel of the Lord”. Again, the text ties all of the Old Testament promises to the One Messiah and His kingdom. From these texts we discover the qualifications of the coming kingdom, its King, and its characteristics. First, the future restoration of a Theocratic kingdom. Secondly, it will be Davidic (leadership/authorship from house of David and promised of his throne). Third, it will be a kingdom of heavenly origin. Forth, it will be established first over regathered, restored, and converted Israel; then universal. Fifth, the moral characteristics of the kingdom are to be righteousness and peace. Sixth, the kingdom is to be established by power, not persuasion, and is to follow divine judgement from the scripture alone. Seventh, the restoration of Israel and the establishment of the kingdom are connected with the advent (appearance/manifestation) of the Lord. Finally, eighth, the chastisement is to be reserved for the house of David.
Here is where the confusion originates in the Gospels. They believed this to be physical in nature and happen all at once. It didn’t. The kingdom is to be spiritual in nature (super-natural) and in view of 2 advents (comings) so not all at once. Predicating why Jesus taught most on the kingdom, and related almost every issue and circumstance back to “The Kingdom of Heaven and God”. Even the Apostles didn’t get it until after He was ascended. In Acts 1.4-9 the final questions they had from Jesus and His answers reveal this confusion—“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
Look again at the qualifications of the coming kingdom and its characteristics:
- The future restoration of a Theocratic kingdom. It was and is theocratic in nature. No boards, no dictators, He is our Great High King, and He did His best to explain this to the Apostles. It will also be a theocracy during the Millennial reign and the eternal kingdom.
- It will be Davidic (leadership/authorship from house of David and promised of his throne). Jesus was in the line of King David, descendent of His family. And in the 2nd coming sit on the physical throne of David.
- It will be a kingdom of heavenly origin. Jesus referenced his work as from the “kingdom of heaven”. He will return with His saints (us) on horseback from Heaven to this Earth and everyone will see.
- It will be established first over regathered, restored, and converted Israel; then universal. This is precisely what Jesus did. (woman at well). The process of 7 years tribulation leading up to the Millennial reign.
- The moral characteristics of the kingdom are to be righteousness and peace. This is the subject of the so-called “sermon on the mount”. And is how Jesus’ judgement as righteous judge in the Millennial reign and the perfect peace of those 1000 years.
- The kingdom is to be established by power, not persuasion, and is to follow divine judgement from the scripture alone. Again, exactly how Jesus instructed his disciples to operate while here. And is why there is a 7 year tribulation and 1000 year reign.
- The restoration of Israel and the establishment of the kingdom are connected with the advent (appearance/manifestation) of the Lord. This was His desire while praying over Israel in the Gospels. It is also what will happen at the end of the 7 years of tribulation leading into his second coming and mass national salvation of Israel.
- The chastisement is to be reserved for the house of David. Jesus, as his descendent, took all the chastisement (wrath) of God for sin upon Himself on the cross. And, therefore the chastisement for killing the Christ is laid upon all of Israel (both of Peter’s sermons in Acts).
Additionally, the Christ is to be, a coming Prophet according to Deuteronomy 18.15-19; a coming Priest according to Psalm 110.4; and a coming King according to 2 Samuel 7.12-13. Didn’t He fulfill all of those things while here the 1st time? These were also all anointed with oil. Signifying a chosen or anointed status. The definition of “The Christ”. Jesus was all of these and anointed with the Holy Spirit thus becoming officially identified as the Christ. (Luke 3.21-22—“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”)
Back to Matthew 1.16— “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” The name JESUS is the greek form of the Hebrew Jehoshua meaning Jehovah is salvation. Notice in Matthew 1.21, 25— “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” There are 942 usages of the name “Jesus” in the New Testament. The most used for the Messiah in all of the Scripture. There are 537 usages of the title “Christ” in the New Testament. This is the second most used for the Messiah in all of the Scripture.
Jesus is the one and only undisputed Messiah! “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5.39). We have a lot to learn about the one we love the most… to be confident in our doubting times.
We are in a fallen age. An age that has no respect for truth. An age where these items do not matter, therefore doubted by the generation we are living in now. It seems we are living in the time Paul warned Timothy of, in 2 Timothy 4.3-4–“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
We are living through this prophecy. That is our age! Get to know the One you love the most… better.