The Gospel Of Jesus: B.c. To A.d. Series

The Gospel of Jesus – B.C. to A.D.

Matthew 1:1-17

Matthew 1:1-3

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. [2] Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; [3] And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

The Old Testament is all about the promised coming of Christ to the earth. All of history is ‘His Story’! Jesus is the theme of the entire Bible…He is the focus, and should be ours as well, and so we have begun this new series. People in the OT were saved just as we are today, by looking to Jesus. [Look and live!] Those in the OT were looking FORWARD to Jesus…we today look back to see Jesus…and all the saints of all the ages look FORWARD to His soon return!

Abraham believed God’s promise of a coming Messiah and it was counted for righteousness…and his great grandson, Judah, mentioned above, was to be part of the line of Christ. And here he is again in the OT:

[Tamar is carrying Judah’s baby…]

Genesis 38:27-30

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. [28] And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first, [29] And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. [30] And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

v. 4-17 Just 42 generations bring us from Abraham all the way to Jesus! And all the OT points to Him!

John 1:45

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

John 5:39

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Isaiah 40:3

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Matthew 3:3

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Jesus was with the Israelites in the wilderness:

1 Cor. 10:4

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Jesus was “the angel of the Lord” in many OT appearances, such as in Judges 13 where a man named Manoah meets this “angel of the Lord,” and declares that he has seen God. The angel accepts worship from Manoah and his wife as no mere angel, and refers to himself as "Wonderful," the same term applied to the coming deliverer in Isaiah 9:6 [Wonderful Counsellor].

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3:2

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

The Pillar of Fire

Exodus 13:21

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

The Bread of Heaven

Exodus 16:4

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

The OT speaks of Jesus often, and then the NT confirms it…

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

And in the NT it is fulfilled:

Luke 4:18-21

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.