Key Verse:
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
A. Introduction
Part 1 of this article surveys the Complementary Nature of the Scriptures in general. Part 2 and 3 continue to study the same topic with the focus on the central theme of the Scriptures: God is the origin of all creations and He is holy, faithful, full of justice and love as revealed and demonstrated in Jesus the Messiah such that even sinners may be redeemed by the blood of the Messiah, renewed by the Holy Spirit and come to the Father. If we carefully study the Bible we will realize that significant portion of the Old Testament is about the Messiah hundreds of years before His coming, His ministry, death, resurrection and return to heaven (John 5:39). The messages about the Messiah were written, of course, as prophetic messages in the Old Testament addressing to different aspects of His life and earthly ministry. These messages were written by different authors in different times but are complementary to each other presenting the whole picture about the Messiah whom God reveals to mankind. The actual fulfillment of the coming of the Messiah were witnessed by God the Father Himself, John the Baptist, the apostles and many other witnesses (John 5:37; John 1:29; John 1:14). The works Jesus performed serve also as infallible proof that He is the Messiah and His earthly ministry events were written down as the major portion of the New Testament (John 5:36). We must understand that the Old Testament writings about the Messiah were written before the birth of the Messiah such that they have to be prophetic by nature and therefore subject to the stringent test of history. If the authors were mere charlatans, they would not be foolish enough to write prophetic messages only to disclose their falsehood later. If these authors were honest people but were not inspired by God then their prophecies would not come true because false gods would neither tell the truth nor being capable to control the future events against the will of the only One True God (Exodus 18:11). Only God always tells the truth (John 17:17) and only He is able to control the outcomes of the future for He is the owner and creator of all things (John 1:3). Therefore, the Biblical authors must have been inspired by God who is the ultimate author of the Old Testament which is full of prophetic messages about the Messiah and also the New Testament which records the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies with additional prophecies concerning the future events leading to the end of this world and the eternal Kingdom of God. Let us study the Scriptures about the Messiah to see if they are indeed authored by the Only One God Himself.
B. The Great Picture Revealed in Scriptures: The Salvation Plan of God
The need of salvation began upon the fall of Adam and Eve when they were tempted by Satan in the garden of Eden to eat the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God declared enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan. The final result is that the seed of the woman would suffer a painful but not fatal blow afflicted by Satan while the seed of the woman would strike a fatal blow on Satan (Genesis 3:15). In this single verse, God reveals the victor over Satan is a male descendant of the woman Eve. With the writings of the New Testament, we know that the prophecy is fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and given birth by virgin Mary. Through the grace of salvation, believers are also adopted to Jesus' family as the children of God (Galatians 3:26). Therefore, we should not be surprised by the constant struggle between the dark and evil forces in the world and Christians. To fight this spiritual warfare, Christians are provided with a full armor of God (Ephesians 6:12-17). Children of God also act as the light of the world helping those who still live in darkness to be free following Jesus' example during His earthly ministry such that the gospel of salvation continues to be effective and grow around the world after Jesus returned to heaven (Acts 10:38; John 9:5; Matthew 5:14).
This big picture of salvation is revealed to us in different times and in various ways. Moses wrote about the bronze snake story. During the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites became impatient along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. They complained against Moses and God for bringing them out from Egypt. They forgot God's mercy and miraculous acts to set them free from the bondage of slavery, slaughtering of their infants and other sufferings in the hands of the Egyptians. They should have responded with gratitude and looked up to God for guidance to lead them through challenges they faced during the journey instead of complains and mistrusts. God then sent venomous snakes among them to kill many. When they confessed their sin, God asked Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole such that whoever bitten by a snake could simply look at the snake on the pole and lived. This event was recorded by Moses in the book of Numbers (Numbers 21:9). Notice that this event revealed that sin results in judgment that leads to death. Forgiveness and salvation from sin required our response in faith. But, we also see the mercy of God and He provides grace of salvation. Sinners need not perform works but to respond in faith to the promise of God. The faith of those bitten by a snake was evidenced by their believing in what the prophet Moses told them such that they came to the pole and looked at the hosted snake. There was no work to be done by the sinners in order to receive this grace of salvation. Salvation was further elaborated by prophet Isaiah who wrote that the good news of salvation would be accomplished by God Himself. For Isaiah wrote figuratively that the "arm" of God would be in display and in action to accomplish salvation such that the whole world would see (Isaiah 52:10). In the same context, prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 53 that salvation was accomplished by substitutionary sufferings paid for by a person whom we thought was being punished by God. But, in reality this person was suffering for the sin that we incurred. A hint of crucifixion was also revealed with the word "pierced" (Isaiah 53:5). The revelation of redemption of sinners by this person was clearly indicated (Isaiah 53:4-6). Also we read that this person did not come as a dignitary welcomed and respected according to the world view. In fact, he grew up in a humble manner, despised and rejected by many (Isaiah 53: 2-3). But, this was exactly the message and the work of salvation the Lord chose to provide. Clearly, this person or the "arm" of salvation as written by the prophet was Jesus the Son of God. Unfortunately, many rejected this good news of salvation (Isaiah 53:1; Matthew 7:13).
Therefore, even in these few snapshots of the scriptures, we clearly see the complementary nature of the revelations of God. For there is no way for prophet Isaiah to come up with the elaborative writings about the salvation work of the Messiah just by reading the book of Genesis written by Moses. Moreover, Isaiah could not by his human power guarantee such salvation details to be fulfilled by the person he wrote about. First of all, this "person" who could be qualified to take up the sin of mankind would not even exist. For Isaiah wrote in the same context that "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;" asserting the fact that all humans are sinful. In other words, there is none among us who could be qualified to take up the punishment for other fellow humans by sacrificing oneself as a redemptive price. This "person" could only suffer for his or her own sin. Therefore, this "person" of sinless credential could only be fulfilled by the Messiah Himself who has more than a mere human credential. The Messiah did come to save people from sin and the coming and the ministry of the Messiah were recorded by the gospel writers, As apostle John wrote that Jesus the Messiah was Word became flesh dwelling among mankind full of grace and truth (John 1:14). In fact, Jesus came and fulfilled the plan of salvation and He confirmed that the event as lifting of the bronze snake points to His suffering by crucifixion (John 3:14-15).
Based on these few examples, we already see that this plan of salvation was conceived, authored and accomplished by a single entity namely the almighty God who is perfect with holiness, justice and love. In the following passages, we will study more in details how God reveals and accomplish His plan of salvation with the Messiah as the key into His blessings (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
C. Messiah: the Way of Salvation
Prophet Isaiah wrote about the birth of the Messiah as a miracle given by God to mankind that a son would be conceived and given birth by a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). This is a miracle because all humans have a father genetically. Only the Messiah is an exception. This miraculous promise was fulfilled when Angel Gabriel brought the good news to virgin Mary who was then conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Prophet Nathan communicated to king David the prophecy that his throne would be established forever through his offspring. It is clear that this offspring that will carry the throne forever was not Solomon although he is in the genealogy line of the Messiah. We know from History that David's kingdom was broken and conquered by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C. and his people were dispersed around the world until 1948 when the nation of Israel was re-established and recognized by the United Nations.
We will discuss that this offspring unequivocally refers to Jesus the Messiah and He will sit on the throne of David forever which is a prophecy to be fulfilled when the resurrected Jesus returns to the world (2 Samuel 7:16). This dual nature of the Messiah as the Son of God (Psalm 2:7) and human as the son of David was also written down by king David when inspired by the Holy Spirit who addressed the Messiah as his Lord (Psalm 110:1). This is made clear by Jesus Himself when He asked this thought provoking question: since the Messiah is the son of David, why would David call his own son Lord (Mark 12:36-37) ? The answer is that the Messiah is both God and human just as prophet Isaiah called the Son as "Immanuel" meaning "God with us". On the other hand, prophet Micah wrote that the Messiah was the ruler of Israel whose origin was from everlasting clearly indicating the divine nature of the Messiah.
Prophet Daniel wrote about the plan of God to save Israel and the Gentiles in a summary fashion (Daniel 9:24). A time frame of 70 weeks of years or 490 years was determined. According to the research of Harold Hoehner written in his book entitled "Chronological Aspects of The Life of Christ", the time frame starts on March 5th, 444 B.C. which was the day king Artaxerxes of Medo-Persia gave order to rebuild Jerusalem. But, there is an unspecified time gap between the 69th week and the 70th week known as the church age when the gospel of salvation is being preached around the world and churches are established. The end of the 69th week which is a Monday on March 30th, 33 A.D. marks the coming of the Messiah as recorded in the New Testament when a large crowd of people in Jerusalem welcome the Messiah shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Matthew 21:8-9). To verify the prophecy, we understand that there are 360 days in a prophetic year. Sixty-nine weeks of prophetic years gives 69 * 7 * 360 = 173,880. The period between March 5th, 444 B.C. to March 30th, 33 A.D. in Gregorian calendar is also equal to 173,880 days. Note that 1 B.C. is followed by 1 A.D. in Gregorian calendar (i.e. there is no year zero in the timeline). Therefore, there is 444 + 33 - 1 = 476 solar years between March 5, 444 B.C. to March 5th, 33 A.D. Adding 25 days to advance to March 30, the number of days in solar years is given by 476 * 365.242 + 25 = 173,880.19 days which can be rounded to 173,880 days proving the accuracy of the prophecy. Just four days later on April 3rd, 33 A.D., the Messiah was cut off which we know is the death of Jesus on the cross.
One comment on the start date of the sixty-ninth week is relevant in our study. The Bible does not state the exact day in the month but only the month of Nisan when King Artaxerxes decreed to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1). The first day of the month of Nisan is only a good guess and it does produce a good interpretation and verification of the start date of the sixty nine weeks in Daniel's prophecy. Nisan 1 of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes spans the sunset of March 4th to March 5th, 444 B.C.. Hoehner uses March 5th, 444 B.C. instead of March 4th, 444 B.C. with the reason that "the crescent of the new moon would have been first visible so late at night on March 4 and could easily have been missed." Personally, I think the reason given is somewhat arbitrary. However, if we use March 4th, 444 B.C. as the start date, then the end of the sixty-ninth week falls on March 29th, 33 A.D. which is a Sunday. This is consistent to the traditional and popular celebration of Jesus' Triumphal entry, namely the Palm Sunday. Most importantly, by straightforward reading of John 12, the event of a large crowd of Jews who came to see Jesus and Lazarus who was previously raised by Jesus from the dead happened at the dinner reception given by the sisters Martha and Mary. But, Hoehner assigned the event of visitation by the large crowd to the next day following the reception which was a Sunday without a good supporting reason (except by quoting another author). In fact, apostle John expressly used the words "The next day" after the event of visitation by the large crowd to mark the transition to another day which was the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and this event is recognized as the Messiah presented in public (John 12:12-13). No such words for day transition is used between the reception and the event of visitation of the large crowd to see Jesus and Lazarus. Therefore, I would argue that the end of the sixty-ninth weeks falls on Sunday, March 29th, 33 A.D. instead of Monday, March 30th, 33 A.D.. However, in either case of a Sunday Triumphal entry or Monday Triumphal entry, the crucifixion day of Jesus on Friday April 3rd, 33 A.D. is well supported by objective astronomical data when a blood moon was visible when the moon rose on Nisan 14th which was April 3rd, 33 A.D. (see NASA lunar eclipse historical records). You may also refer to an article written by Colin Humphreys and Graeme Waddington on the Date of Crucifixion. But, one caveat is that the article does not include the best explanation resolving the difficulty of determining whether the last supper dined by Jesus and His disciples was also a Passover meal (Mark 14:12). The best explanation is given in Hoehner's "Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ" which states that there were two customs to reckon a day in Jesus' time: namely sunrise-to-sunrise (Galilean method practised by the Galileans and Pharisees) and sunset-to-sunset (Judean method practised by the Sadducees). The last supper was therefore a Passover meal because it was on Thursday evening Nisan 14 according to sunrise-to-sunrise reckoning. Jesus was then arrested on Thursday late evening and was crucified the next day and died at 3:00 p.m. on Nisan 14, Passover Day for the Judeans and Sadducees according to the sunset-to-sunset reckoning. Therefore the Messiah celebrated the Passover with His disciples and He Himself became the passover lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world the next day (1 Corinthians 5:7).
With the advance in computer technologies, it is possible to do massive calculations based on Kepler's laws of planetary motion such that celestial objects can be simulated and displayed at any point of time. With strong interest and motivation to investigate the star mentioned in the New Testament the magi saw at the birth of Jesus, Frederick Larson cleverly applied a software application called the Starry Night to reproduce the night sky view in Jerusalem at the birth of Jesus. With the software simulation, Larson proposed a convincing explanation of the star of Bethlehem that the magi saw. In addition, he also reproduced the lunar eclipse using the Starry Night software that when the moon rose on April 3rd, 33 A.D., the day the Messiah was crucified, was already a blood moon visible to people in Jerusalem. The appearance of the blood moon on the day of crucifixion gives support to the interpretation that Peter's quote of prophet Joel's prophecy applies to the time when Jesus was crucified and resurrected ushering the beginning of church age (Acts 2:15-21). Firstly, the Holy Spirit comes to the church in general from the day of Pentecost onwards such that all who receive Jesus will receive the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). Secondly, on the day of crucifixion of the Messiah, the sun turned to darkness for three hours (Matthew 27:45). Thirdly, there was earth shaking earthquake (Matthew 27:51). Fourthly, astronomical data and historical writings support that a blood moon occurred on that day. Fifthly, the Messiah rose in glory the third day after crucifixion. Fifthly, this wonderful grace of the Lord has already effective since the coming of the Messiah such that anyone who call on the name of the Messiah, namely Jesus, will be saved (Romans 10:12-13). Sixthly, apostle Peter quotes this prophecy in his sermon to present the power and fulfillment of the plan of salvation through the Messiah. As a note to those who hold the opinion that Joel's prophecy is yet to be fulfilled, we should understand that Israel as a nation has not fully accepted the Messiah. There is nothing to stop that the same prophecy to be fulfilled one more time to the nation of Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation when the Israelites repent and call on the name of the Messiah and be saved (Romans 11:25-27). Some theologians aptly describe this prophecy as an example of prophecies characterized by the Law of Double Reference.
D. Identification of the Messiah
Jesus claimed that He was the Messiah during His earthly ministry. He introduced Himself as the Messiah during a conversation with a Samaritan woman (John 4:25-26). Jesus also claimed that He was the only way, and the truth and the life (John 14:6). Since the Messiah is central to the salvation and the restoration of the broken relationship of mankind and God, it is vital for us to know who the Messiah is. Indeed, God meticulously identifies who the Messiah is such that we will not be mistaken and may come to Him for salvation and have life. In addition to the writings of the prophets, God sent a messenger who was contemporary to the Messiah to identify who the Messiah was. Even the coming of this messenger was prophesied by prophet Isaiah who wrote that a voice would be calling to prepare the way of the Lord who was about to appear (Isaiah 40:3-5). Prophet Malachi also wrote about the messenger who would prepare the way of the Lord (Malachi 3:1). The fulfillment of the prophecy of the coming of John the Baptist was nothing short of a miracle by itself. For the parents of John the Baptist, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were of old age and childless (Luke 1:7). Zechariah was a Jewish priest and was informed by an angel while that Elizabeth would bear him a son (Luke 1:13). The event occurred when Zechariah was chosen as a representative to burn incense inside the temple. Due to his doubt of the message angel told, Zachariah was made dumb until John the Baptist was born. This event was a very publicized event for there were many worshippers serving as the eyewitnesses in the temple (Luke 1:21-22). Moreover, Zechariah was a priest and together with Elizabeth were of good reputation among the people (Luke 1:6). All these factors contributed to the natural acceptance of John the Baptist as a popular prophet who preached the baptism of repentance, preparing the way of the Messiah (Luke 3:3; John 1:23; Mark 1:7-8). These facts are recorded in the gospel of Luke which was written in about 60 A.D. and circulated among early Christians who should have heard of these spectacular events (Luke 1:65-66). Some who were in the ages of 70's, 80's or 90's could even serve as eyewitnesses. Therefore, the credibility of the gospel writing is well established based merely on the fact that the book was scrutinized by many contemporary readers. But, there are even more evidence to substantiate the truth. Let us look at some of the evidence identifying Jesus is the Messiah.
D.1 The Genealogy of Jesus
To record the fulfillment of the prophecy that the the Messiah is the son of David, there are two different genealogies written in the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke. Both gospels mention that Jesus is the son of Joseph. But, Joseph is mentioned as the son of two different fathers which account for the difference of two different lines of genealogy though they both point to king David as the ancestor of Jesus. Matthew gospel mentions that Jacob begat Joseph (Matthew 1:16) while Luke gospel mentions that the father of Joseph is Heli (Luke 3:23). It is understood by reading the same context of Luke and Matthew that the grandfather of Jesus is Heli. Jesus is called the son of Joseph simply because of the marriage of Joseph and Mary as stated in Matthew 1:16. The only human genetic relationship that Jesus may inherit is through His mother Mary. Luke gospel shows that Jesus inherits His genetic relationship with king David through Heli. Therefore, these are the four facts recorded in the gospels: 1) Jesus inherits human genetics from virgin Mary. 2) Jesus inherits human genetics from king David through His grandfather Heli. 3) Joseph is called the son of Heli who could not have genetic relationship with Joseph because his begetting father is Jacob. 4) Mary and Joseph are married. Note that it is of Jewish tradition that the daughter's name is not recorded in a genealogy but rather the son-in-law's name when the daughter has no brother. Therefore, the gospels logically imply that Mary had no brother and her father was Heli and Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli. The most important point is that both the gospel of Luke and the gospel of Matthew positively states that Jesus is the son of David. However, Matthew shows that Jesus has no genetic relationship to Jeconiah whose descendants were disqualified by prophecy to reign in the throne of David (Jeremiah 22:28-30). On the other hand, Luke points out that Jesus is the descendant of Nathan, a son of David, who is qualified to carry the throne of king David by the prophecy. With all the prophetic messages put together and their fulfillment recorded in the gospels, the picture is crystal clear that Jesus is the Messiah. He is both divine and human and was born of virgin Mary who is a descendant of David. Again we need to understand that no individual author of these books wrote all the information about the Messiah and none could make the coming of the Messiah come true. The New Testament authors could not write according to their imagination either but according to historical facts about the coming and works of the Messiah for their writings were scrutinized by contemporary people (we may study the evidence of the reliability of the New Testament in another article). The only reasonable explanation is that these books are authored by a single author namely God Himself who inspired the authors to write down His plan and implements the plan by His power.
D.2 Identification by John the Baptist
The son of Zechariah and Elizabeth grew up and he fulfilled the prophetic mission God sent him to carry out: to prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist was well respected as a prophet in the Jewish community as we see that king Herod considered politically incorrect to kill John when he criticised the king (Matthew 14:5). The lifelong objective of the mission of John the Baptist was to preach the message of repentance of sin (Mark 1:4) and point people to the Messiah for salvation (John 1:29-30). We can see that John did fulfill his mission in testifying Jesus was the Messiah in Israel. Once the chief priests and the elders challenged and questioned Jesus' authority on His teaching, and driving out those who were buying and selling in the temple courts. Jesus did not answer them directly but asked whether John's ministry was based on human origin or from God. They did not answer the question because they knew that John was a respected prophet who testified that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 21:24-26). Unfortunately, the chief priests and the elders chose to reject the Messiah in their hearts.
D.3 Identification by God the Holy Spirit
When Jesus the Messiah came to John the Baptist to be baptized, John witnessed the Holy Spirit manifested as a dove descending on Jesus such that John knew for sure Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 3:16). Moreover, the Holy Spirit will dwell in people who accepts Jesus as the Lord and Savior as a deposit by God guaranteeing even more blessings to come. The gift of the Holy Spirit is consistent to the fact that Jesus invites people who are spiritually thirsty to come to Him and He will gives them Living Water which refers to the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). This wonderful blessing was prophesied by prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 44:3-4). The Holy Spirit will identify the Messiah to the believers in two ways. First, the Holy Spirit always acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3;John 1:1-2). Therefore, people who consider themselves religious but found themselves without the indwelling Holy Spirit or having a spirit that denies that Jesus came in the flesh are not saved. Second, the Holy Spirit will remind the teachings of the Messiah to the believers (John 14:26). Of course, when we truly call Jesus Lord, we should put His words into practice (Luke 6:46-49). By our old sinful nature, it is impossible for us to listen and carry out the words of God in our life. Only by the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit that we can be a new creation of God (Titus 3:5). Therefore the inherent quality of true faith implies four integral entities which identify each other: the Father, the Son as the Messiah, the Holy Spirit and the believer. True faith cannot be disguised by practitioners of religions or traditions who place the trust in empty rituals, teachings, idols or false gods. The true worshippers put their trust in one true God such that they have the power to become the light of the world and glorify God (Matthew 5:14, 16).
D.4 Identification by God the Father
When Jesus went up out of the water at His baptism by John the Baptist, a voice from the heavenly Father says that Jesus was His Son identifying the Messiah to John the Baptist (Matthew 3:17). Jesus once led the apostles Peter, James and John up a high mountain and transfigured before them in power and glory. They also saw the prophets Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus (Mark 9:3-4). Then a cloud appeared and covered them and they heard the voice of God the Father saying that Jesus was His beloved Son and they should listen to Him (Mark 9:7). Being one of the three eyewitnesses, apostle John is qualified to testify in the gospel of John that they have seen the glory of one and only Son who came from the Father (John 1:14).
D.5 Identification by Simeon and Anna
Simeon was a man in Jerusalem known to be righteous and devout testified that the baby Jesus was the promised salvation to the world (Luke 2:28-32). Another senior citizen who was a prophetess named Anna also testified that Jesus would bring redemption to Jerusalem to all who were looking forward to the salvation of God (Luke 2:36-38). The facts that they well both advanced in age and known to be living devout and godly lives are significant for their testimonies were likely to be respected and trustworthy. They both testify independently while their testimonies were basically identical in pointing out that the young Jesus was the promised Messiah and the hope of redemption of Israel and the Gentiles. The fact that their testimonies are independent rather than collaborative is the evidence that they were both inspired by the Holy Spirit.
D.6 Identification by the Shepherds and the Magi
At the birth of the Messiah, a team of angels appeared to the shepherds watching their flocks (Luke 2:8-12). They were the first group of people witnessing the birth of the Messiah (Luke 2:16-18). Although not recorded in the gospels, it is likely that the Messiah, Mary and Joseph were well respected and received in Bethlehem because of the witnessing by the angels, such that someone in Bethlehem arranged a house for the extended stay by the Messiah and His parents. They stayed in Bethlehem for 41 days or more in order for Mary to recuperate and to fulfil the requirement of the laws of Moses regarding consecration of the firstborn and purification after Childbirth (Exodus 13:2; Leviticus 12:1-4). God also used the stars to communicate to the world the coming of the Messiah. It was understood by the magi such that they came to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem to worship the Messiah (Matthew 2:1-2). The magi witnessed the birth of the Messiah to king Herod but he seeked to kill rather than worship the Messiah. The magi were finally led by a special star to the house where the young Messiah stayed and they worshipped Him (Matthew 2:9-11).
Bible References
John 5:39
39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
John 5:37
37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 5:36
36 "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish-the very works that I am doing-testify that the Father has sent me.
Exodus 18:11
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly."
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 1:3
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
Galatians 3:26
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
Ephesians 6:12-17
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Acts 10:38
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
John 9:5
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Matthew 5:14
14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Numbers 21:9
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Isaiah 52:10
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:2-3
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Isaiah 53:1
53 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Matthew 7:13
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 3:14-15
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Luke 2:28-32
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel."
Luke 2:36-38
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Luke 2:8-12
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Luke 2:16-18
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Exodus 13:2
2 "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal."
Leviticus 12:1-4
Purification After Childbirth
12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
Matthew 2:1-2
The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2:9-11
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Luke 1:35
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
2 Samuel 7:16
16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
Psalm 2:7
7 I will proclaim the Lord's decree:
He said to me, "You are my son;
today I have become your father.
Psalm 110:1
1 The Lord says to my lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."
Mark 12:36-37
36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
"'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet."'
37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Daniel 9:24
24 "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
Matthew 21:8-9
8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Nehemiah 2:1
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,
John 12:12-13
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the king of Israel!"
Mark 14:12
The Last Supper
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
1 Corinthians 5:7
7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch-as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Acts 2:15-21
15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 "'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
John 7:38-39
38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Matthew 27:45
The Death of Jesus
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
Matthew 27:51
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
Romans 10:12-13
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 11:25-27
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."
John 4:25-26
25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you-I am he."
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Isaiah 40:3-5
3 A voice of one calling:
"In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Malachi 3:1
3 "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.
Luke 1:7
7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
Luke 1:13
13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
Luke 1:21-22
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
Luke 1:6
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly.
Luke 3:3
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John 1:23
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"
Mark 1:7-8
7 And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Luke 1:65-66
65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him.
Matthew 1:16
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
Luke 3:23
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
Jeremiah 22:28-30
28 Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot,
an object no one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled out,
cast into a land they do not know?
29 O land, land, land,
hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
"Record this man as if childless,
a man who will not prosper in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring will prosper,
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule anymore in Judah."
Matthew 14:5
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
Mark 1:4
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John 1:29-30
John Testifies About Jesus
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'
Matthew 21:24-26
24 Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John's baptism-where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'Of human origin'-we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."
Matthew 3:16
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
John 7:37-39
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Isaiah 44:3-4
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
1 John 4:2-3
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
John 1:1-2
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
John 14:26
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Luke 6:46-49
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Titus 3:5
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 5:14
14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:16
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 3:17
17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Mark 9:3-4
3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Mark 9:7
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"