ADVENT SEASON
(ANTICIPATING THE BIRTH OF JESUS)
28 NAMES OF JESUS
DECEMBER 9, 2020
NAME #9: Prophet (Luke 24:19; Deuteronomy 18:15 – 19)
“And he said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to him, ‘Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.’” (Luke 24:19)
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:15 – 19).
Do you like riddles and mysteries? I used to really enjoy watching mysteries while growing up, whether it was Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, or Columbo. I would try so hard to deduce all of the clues and watched intently how each character acted to try to figure out who was guilty before the end of the show. I was rarely correct, but as the show was ending and all of the actual clues were revealed, I was always like, “How did I miss that?” This does not just happen with TV shows — it also happens with prophecies in the Bible.
Back in Deuteronomy 18, Moses was talking to the Jews and he let them know that God was going to raise up another prophet like him who would only speak the words that God commanded Him. We know now that Moses was talking about Jesus Christ. Moses also mentioned that there would be consequences for those who would refuse to listen. The Jews, for several generations, had clues as to who this prophet would be. They knew what tribe He would come from, what town He would be born in, and many more things. Well, just like me, they studied the evidence that was given to them, and yet they still did not recognize Jesus when they were face-to-face!
If I could have participated in and recorded any part of Scripture, being with the 2 men while on their way to Emmaus would definitely make it to the top of my list. This conversation is recorded in Luke 24. Why would I want to have this whole conversation recorded? Because these two men were having a conversation with one another when Jesus joined them as they traveled. They did not recognize Him while He began explaining the Old Testament to them about all the Scriptures that concerned Him. Scholars have noted that there were over 350 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during His lifetime. That’s over 350 clues to prove He is who He said He was! That is simply amazing. I wonder if maybe there are even more clues than that, that we do not even notice. If I had been a part of that conversation, I would have thoroughly enjoyed writing them all down and then going back and studying those passages.
Jesus, the Messiah, the Prophet, is not a mystery to us at all today. God promised that He would send a Savior to redeem mankind, and God always keeps His promises. Even though it amazes me that those who studied the Scriptures during the time of Christ missed the obvious, I realize that I too can be guilty of missing the obvious. I believe His second coming will be similar to His first in that we do not know when He will return, but as soon as He does, those who are left behind and who have studied the Bible will say, “How did I miss that?” Do not be that person. Trust in the Lord today.
Pastor David Guenin