Prophetic Gifts
The Prophets and the Wise Men
Originally given December 2005 @ North Suburban Evangelical Free Church - Deerfield, IL
Sterling C. Franklin
The Prophets:
Who was the Messiah?
I. A Few Prophecies about IDENTITY
The Son of God (Psalm 2:7; 2:12)
2:7 - I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
2:12 - Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Date: About 1,000 BC
Human, Son of God, God, Eternal King (Isaiah 9:6-7)
(6) For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Date: About 740 BC
The Son of God (Proverbs 30:4)
Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son's name? Surely you know!
Date: About 720 BC (King Agur)
II. A Few Prophecies about LINEAGE
Who would the Messiah’s Human Ancestors be?
He would be a descendant of:
- Abraham (Genesis 22:18)
- Isaac (Genesis 21:12)
- Jacob (Numbers 24:17)
- Judah (Genesis 49:10)
- Jesse (Isaiah 11:1)
- David (Jeremiah 23:5)
See Matthew 1 for Jesus’ Lineage
Dates: Between 2100 BC and 620 BC
III. A Few Prophecies about BIRTH & MINISTRY
Concerning the Messiah’s Birth and Ministry…
- Born of a woman (Genesis 3:15)
- Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
- Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
- Threatened by Herod (Jeremiah 31:15)
- Preceded by a messenger (Malachi 3:1)
- Would teach first in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1)
- Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6)
Dates: Between the Fall and 480 BC
Who would Jesus be?
- Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18)
- Priest (Psalm 110:4)
- King (Psalm 2:6, Isaiah 9:7)
- God (Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14)
- Sacrifice (Isaiah 53)
- He would be presented with gifts (Psalm 72:10)
(10) The kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands will render him tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring gifts!
(11) All kings will fall down before him, all nations will serve him!
Dates: Between 1450 BC and about 740 BC
IV. Who was the Messiah? Jesus.
Jesus brought fulfillment to these prophecies and many more throughout the span of the Old Testament. Interestingly, many prophecies speak to a second return of Jesus, so there are still prophecies yet to be fulfilled that will come to pass! So there were men who came to bring three different gifts…
The Three Gifts of the Wise Men (Matthew 2:11):
(1) Gold (Jesus is our King)
Isaiah 6:1-3: Jesus is Majestic
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
- Exalted (high and lifted up)
- Extremely majestic (long train to his robe)
- Encompassing (filling the Temple)
- Ultimately holy (note: triple emphasis, 6:3)
- Ultimately glorious (filling the whole earth)
Philippians 2:5-11: Every knee will bow to Him
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- Jesus was humble
- Jesus even became a curse for us
- Jesus was ultimately exalted because of His ultimate humility
- Every knee will bow to Him
Revelation 17:14: Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords
14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
(2) Frankincense (Jesus is our High Priest, and note that He is also God!)
Part I: Jesus is our High Priest
Hebrews 4:14-16: Jesus is our Compassionate High Priest
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- Jesus has suffered, just as we have
- We can look to Him for inspiration in this Christian marathon (cf. Hebrews 12:2)
- Jesus was tempted in every way, yet did not fall into sin
- Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses!
- Jesus is our compassionate High Priest
- We can confidently approach Him when we need forgiveness and help (cf. 1 John 1:9, 2:1)
Hebrews 7:26-27: Jesus was our spotless Sacrifice, given once and for all
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
- Jesus was holy, innocent, unstained
- Jesus was set apart and exalted
- Jesus offered Himself as our spotless Sacrifice
- Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all
Hebrews 9:11-12: Jesus secured eternal redemption for us
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
- Jesus was the animal sacrifice made perfect
- Jesus secured eternal redemption for us through His shed Blood
Part II: Jesus was no ordinary High Priest -- Jesus is God
John 8:58: Jesus is the Great I AM
58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
- The same Name which God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3
- YHVH (Not pronounced in the Hebrew text since the Name is considered too Holy to be uttered – ‘Adonai’ (Master) is pronounced instead)
John 10:30: Jesus is One with the Father
30 "I and the Father are one."
- Jesus is the same in nature with the Father
- Jesus is in unity with the Father
- Jesus is one in purpose with the Father
John 14:5-6: Jesus is the only Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
- Jesus is the Way to God
- Jesus is Truth
- Jesus brings true Life
- Outside of Jesus, there is no way to reach God
(3) Myrrh (Jesus is our Sacrifice)
1 Peter 3:18a: Jesus is our Sacrifice once and for all, bringing us to God
18a For Christ suffered for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.
- He died for our sins once and for all
- Romans 5 parallel - the godly for the ungodly; the unrighteous as enemies of God
1 Corinthians 5:7b: Jesus was our Passover Lamb
7b For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
- The Passover Lamb - slaughtered; the blood of the lamb smeared on the doorpost, which led to salvation.
- Jesus was the Lamb of God without blemish.
Isaiah 53: Jesus suffered and died in our place
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
- He died for us, yet He was rejected of men (Isaiah 53:3)
- He was rejected of His own (John 1:11)
- He took our grief, sorrows, chastisement, and brought us healing and peace (Isaiah 53:4-5)
- Though we have gone astray, Jesus can bring us back.
List some things that you can do in response to who Jesus is:
- Repent of sin and turn to Him (Matthew 4:17, 1 John 1:8-2:2)
- Freshly commit your life to Him (Romans 10:9-10; Psalm 15, Psalm 24)
- Worship Him for who He is (entire lesson)
- Trust in Him and love Him more each day (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 22:37-39)
- Walk in obedience to His Ways (John 14:21-24)
- Tell others about Him (cf. Matthew 28:19-20)
