The next three weeks I will do my best to help us find a new significance for;
This week, Messiah. I chose Messiah for the first of the three words for it was what the people were searching for. Messiah was a promise of what was to come.
Next week, Emmanuel/Immanuel. Who is the embodiment of the Messiah come to earth.
Week three, Savior. In a sense, Savior tells us what the Messiah came to do and be.
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The word Messiah is found only two times in the Old Testament and is validated by the New Testament. The word Messiah means, "the anointed one". It comes from Old Testament times when kings were anointed as they took the throne as king. We use the word to describe the person who has been anointed by God to take his rightful place as king at the ends of days.
In the Old Testament, there were three offices or positions that required anointing with oil. First was the position of Prophet who is one who delivered the words said by God to the people. Next, the position of Priest who mediated between God and mankind. Last, the position of the king who ruler and had complete authority over the kingdom. God promised to send His "anointed one" to fulfill all three position or officces. That person wold hold those positions for all time. There are scriptures that refer to Jesus as all three just as the expected anointed one would be.
When we speak of and use the word Messiah, we can see the person referred to as the Messiah would be sent by God as His anointed one and He would be the eternal and ultimate Prophet, Priest and King. There are 365 prophecies that point to that person and we as Christians believe the Bible clearly tells us that person is the one we call Jesus.
From my researching Bible scholars I have read there are over 360 prophesies that foretold about the coming Jewish Messiah. Those prophesies were given hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. Jesus came and fulfilled all 365 prophesies. ( for reference see http://bibleprobe/365messianicprophecies.htm ) Of those prophesies there are 109 that only Jesus could have fulfilled.
A side note: We hear so many words and names that it is easy to be confused. As I understand it; Jesus is the name of the Messiah used in Greek, Yehoshua is the name of the Messiah used in Hebrew and Yeshua is the name of the Messiah used in Aramaic.
All three refer to the same person but in different languages. As I researched, there is great debate over words and if they are translations one to the other and so on. I am not skilled in languages nor am I a translator so it is after reading several debates I have come to not say any word is a translation of any other but that the names used in different languages refer to the same Messiah we refer to as Jesus. Additionally I have read that Christ is Messiah in Greek. Again I am no language scholar and these debates go on at length and can confuse us to the point we might think we have no idea what we are talking about.
I am sure there is validity in using the proper words in the proper place and context We may be all confused, even incorrect to some degree in language and usage but I have got to believe, in the truth of our hearts, we are all talking about the same one who was born on Christmas Day to a virgin named Mary in a little town of Bethlehem. I have got to believe that our God who is full of mercy and grace knows our hearts and understands who we are worshipping including those who refer to that Messiah as Yeshua and those of us who refer to Him as Jesus.
My point is this, in a few days we will join with other followers of Christ and worship the birth of the promised Messiah who was born of the virgin Mary and was sent to earth as the anointed and ultimate Prophet, Priest and King for all time. He came as the Savior of all mankind and by faith in Him we can rejoice knowing the one we refer to as Jesus, brought with Him the forgiveness of all sins and the promise of life eternal.
That is some kind of reason to celebrate and be filled with great joy. As we can read in the Gospel of Luke chapter two verses 8-14 (NAS) ;
And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying an a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased."
Again, I am not a scholar and what I have attempted to do is to help us get a better understanding of what Messiah means and refers to and that the promised Messiah has come. And it is His coming that fulfills God's promise to all mankind. So in a few weeks we praise Almighty God for the birth of the one He anointed and His name is Jesus, the Christ.