Anticipating Messiah -- His Practice Series

2nd Sunday of Advent

“The PRACTICE of Messiah”

What will He do?

INTRODUCTION

Advent means arrival, start, coming, beginning, dawn. Christmas commemorates the first advent; the first coming of Jesus Christ. Every Jew and many Gentiles anticipated the coming of the Messiah promised all through the Hebrew Scriptures. The prophecies provided pertinent clues in answer to the basic questions anyone asks. Who, What, Why, How, When, Where?

The prophecies began with a general announcement of a coming deliverer. As time progressed they became more specific as to who He would be and what He would do; why He was coming and even specified the where and when.

THE PERSON OF MESSIAH – Who will He be?

The prophecies predicted his connection to us. SON OF MAN - His humanity

These prophecies unfolded through history right up to the moment of the angel’s most amazing announcement to Mary a young teenager in Israel.

They also spelled out His relationship to God. SON OF GOD – His deity

The prophecies indicated some aspects of His character. PERFECT SON

Today we will focus on prophecies related to His practice. What will Messiah do? What difference will He make in our lives? What impact will He have on history? How will it affect me? We gain some idea of His practice by some of the titles connected to the coming Messiah.

I.Prophesy as the anointed Prophet

A prophet is authorized to speak to men on behalf of God. Prophets forth tell as well as foretell.

“Thus saith the Lord!” God anointed many individuals to speak for Him but Jesus was the ultimate spokesman.

A. Prophecy

’I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you (Moses), and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. ’It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. Deut 18:18-19

B. Fulfillment

Peter referred to this prophecy in one of his sermons calling for repentance.

"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. "Moses said, ’THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. ’And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. Acts 3:19-24

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Hebrews 1:1-2

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He (Jesus) had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." John 6:14

Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" Luke 7:16

"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. John 12:49

Jesus spoke for God. Hebrews warns us not to ignore Him. Since Jesus was God’s ultimate spokesman, Paul urges us to pay closer attention to what He said.

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Hebrews 2:1-4

Hear Jesus God’s anointed Prophet.

II.Intercede as God’s High Priest

A priest speaks on behalf of men to God. A priest intercedes to God for men. God appointed priests from the tribe of Levi. God appointed Jesus a priest under a different order (Melchizedek) the eternal priesthood) because He was not from the tribe of Levi but the tribe of Judah. In Christ a priest sits on the throne as prophesied.