People in Jesus’ day thought the Messiah would deliver them from the oppressive rule of world powers, that He would come as their King. Though the Old Testament Scripture does point to two different events of the Messiah coming into this world, they didn’t acknowledge that God’s Anointed would first come as their suffering Savior. Consequently, we read,
Jesus asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’ (Mk. 8:27-29)
Many people were confused about Jesus’ identity because He came in a way they didn’t expect. They overlooked the prophecies of the Messiah first coming as a humble servant who would sacrifice His life to spiritually deliver us from the penalty and power of sin.
The angel, however, made it clear to the shepherds that the babe in the manger was the Messiah.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Lk. 2:11)
Why it Matters that we Believe Jesus is the Messiah
When the angel told the shepherds the Messiah was born “in the town of David” (Bethlehem), it let them know where to find Him. But, it undoubtedly also served as a reference to the prophetic words of Micah 5:2, helping to cement in their minds that this was the promised Messiah.
To deny Jesus as the Messiah is to doubt the veracity of God Himself. We find many prophetic promises about this Christ, the name given in the New Testament for the Messiah, that were fulfilled in this Person who already came. Some related to His second coming are yet to be fulfilled. It’s too much of a coincidence for all these prophecies to be fulfilled in one person and yet not be the Messiah. Either we believe God or we don’t.
We can’t look at all these prophecies in this post so the following links, which take you to our affiliate sites, will provide resources to help with that.
Why We Celebrate the Messiah as Good News, a Cause for Great Joy
Before Jesus came people looked forward to the coming Messiah. He was a long awaited hope fulfilled. Today we look back and celebrate His coming.
As the Son of God, only Christ, the Messiah, qualified to take on our sin, to be our Savior. To know we have a blessed, eternal home in heaven because of Jesus should excite us. To be able to have a relationship with the Almighty God, the Holy One, because our sin is forgiven due to the Messiah’s coming truly is good news.
Further, as prophesied, the Messiah will come to earth again, abolishing death and defeating the devil who is the enemy of our souls once and for all. Of that time, we read in the book of Revelation:
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15)
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Rev. 12:10)
How can we not celebrate, with great joy, what the Messiah has done and is yet to do!