The Crucified Messiah

The theme of fulfillment is prominent in Matthew’s gospel. In Jesus of Nazareth, the promises of God found their fulfillment and intended applications. He was the Son of God sent to redeem Israel and rule the nations. Peter, for example, confirmed that he was the “ Messiah .” Nevertheless, he failed to understand that he would undertake that role as the suffering “ Servant of Yahweh ” who came to “ bear the sins of many .” His true identity was revealed in his sacrificial act.

Jesus started proclaiming the Kingdom of God after the arrest of John the Baptist, an incident that foreshadowed the opposition that would characterize his own ministry. Palestine consisted of three territories - Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and the latter included a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles. His ministry commenced in the villages of Galilee. Unlike the prophets of Ancient Israel, his mission did NOT begin or center in Jerusalem, though it certainly ended there - (Matthew 4:13).

After his baptism, the Spirit “ drove Jesus into the wilderness… for forty days and nights .” Like Moses on Mount Sinai, the Messiah of Israel found himself alone in the Judean wilderness where he was confronted by the Devil. His only guide was the Word of God. Like Israel, he was “ tested .” Unlike that nation, he overcame every challenge and emerged victorious from the experience “ FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ,” and he then began to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom in the villages of Galilee.

In the  Gospel of Mark , Jesus first appears when he is baptized by John the Baptist. He is identified with his hometown of Nazareth, a village of no consequence, though its very insignificance plays an important role in the story. He is the “ Servant of the LORD ” anointed by the Spirit who does not conform to popular expectations about the Messiah,  BOTH THEN AND NOW .

All four gospel accounts apply the passage in the  Book of Isaiah  to John the Baptist, the messenger who called men to repent “ for the remission of sins ” in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. The passage identifies John as the forerunner who was expected before the “ Day of Yahweh ” to summon the faithful - “ The voice of one crying, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD ” - (Isaiah 40:3-5).

The  Gospel of Mark  opens with a declaration based on passages in the Hebrew Bible, providing the scriptural basis for the ministry of John the Baptist. It sets the stage for the Messianic mission of Jesus and his proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Thus, Mark’s account begins on a note of fulfillment. The Man from Nazareth is the Messiah and Savior promised by the God of Israel in the Scriptures.

The introduction to  Matthew  states that Jesus is the “ Son of Abraham .” He is nothing less than the heir of the covenant promises made by the God of Israel to the Patriarch, the  “ Seed of Abraham . ”  His identification as the descendant of the Patriarch points to the theme of fulfillment that dominates the  Gospel of Matthew . In this man from Nazareth, all the ancient promises of God find their “ Yea, and Amen ”!

The Incommunicable Name of God, its meaning and significance, according to Joseph Bryant Rotherham .  The following article is from the Introduction to the 1902 edition of the  Emphasized Bible  by Joseph Bryant Rotherham ( Public Domain ). It explains the background and meaning of the Hebrew name of God, Yahweh, and the key reasons why it has been lost to a great many Christians over the centuries.

In the first chapter of  Matthew , an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ begotten of the Holy Spirit ,” and he instructed him to name the child ‘Jesus’ - “ Call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins .” This name pointed to the saving act of God for His people which He was about to reveal. In the Nazarene, the salvation promised to Israel and the nations had arrived. “ Good News ” indeed!