The Mysterious Jesus B

If Jesus had been born of the seed Joseph.

He never taken the throne because Joseph was not his physical father. He was not cursed because he was his legal father.

He inherited the right to the throne without the subject and I offending on the royal blood from her badge and you were in because you went to church each year at Christmas hearing. Time and again the account of Christ's birth, but even if you think you know everything about the Christmas story on the birth of Jesus, you might be surprised by what you learned today on grace to you.

John MacArthur will turn your attention to the mysterious Jesus. That's the title of today's lesson. It's part of his study titled the Jesus of Christmas and now here's John MacArthur. Let's meet the mysterious Jesus of the Old Testament to give you the idea that we want to have as we flow through these thoughts. The reason there is mystery attached to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is because of the apparent conflict in regard to prophecies. For example, in one place. He is said to be the coming King.

In another place he is seen as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief in one place he is seen with all the saints in another place he is presented as lonely in one place is presented as worship and adore and honored and revered another place he is lonely and rejected, and how can it be how can all of these confusing, contradictory things ever come to pass. Little wonder that John was confused.

Little wonder the disciples were mystified little wonder the people could make up their mind about who this man really was mystery. You and I have the privilege we are able to understand what they couldn't understand we are able to see resolved what they could never imagine could even be resolved.

The mysteries but see if we can get some help. Micah chapter 5 backup about 1/2 a dozen books from the end of the Old Testament you find Micah Micah tells us where the Messiah would be born marvelous. Verse two Micah 5 without Bethlehem Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, though you're really a very insignificant village. Yeah, these shall he come forth on the me that is to be ruler in Israel, the ruler is coming from you, what ruler all this is marvelous. The one whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. This is incredible here your back to the God man paradox. Micah must've been doing 360s on his tiptoes when he heard this, how in the world can you have a child born in Bethlehem who's been around since eternity past, but the attorney one will be born in this obscure inconsequential village of Bethlehem that I daresay would not of been on the map except for this one great event. Bethlehem silhouettes easy will know that came to pass, but what is so mystifying about it is that you go back to Hosea chapter 11 and Israel is presented here, and bound up in the loins of the nation was the Messiah that would come from that nation and as Israel was truly a son of God, so was Jesus Christ the son, and so the comparison is obvious. In Hosea 11 one. When Israel was a child, then I left it and called my son out of Egypt that has very profound messianic implications. But as Israel was called out of Egypt in her infancy. So will the Messiah that is the way the New Testament writers see the passage we don't know all that they may have understood at that point in time, but it says here that the sun would be called out of Egypt. So in one prophecies coming to Bethlehem and another one is Egypt. And if that isn't bad enough, look at Isaiah chapter 11 and this one tells us something yet about him.

It says there shall come forth a shoot or a sprout out of the stem of Jesse, a branch growing out of his roots. Now, here you have shoot hauteur branch Nazir and this is a messianic prediction again verse to the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, and it describes the kingdom and the in the millennium.

So for that he will bring. So it says that when he comes, he will be a Nazir a Nazir sprout. The first significance of this prophecy is the title of a branch given to Messiah, but the second one and the one that apparently the New Testament writer sees in this as well. We can assume other side suggests that Jesus would be Nazir and that may be suggesting his boyhood residents of Nazareth so that he is a sprout from sprout down.

So on the one hand you have Bethlehem and then you have Egypt and you have sprout town Nazareth. How can he be all these things and you can understand the profitable searching the Scriptures diligently wondering where is he going to be coming from.

Is it Bethlehem is it Nazareth is it Egypt. The complexity of all of these prophecies make it impossible that they should be counterfeited. Go to Matthew chapter 2, and again I say Blessed are your eyes for they see in your ears, for they hear what those could not see or hear verse one of Matthew to now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king there is the first one verse five and they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet and I'll Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of the show, governor, that shall rule my people Israel, and there of course is a an allusion to the very prophecy in Micah Bethlehem is the place in Bethlehem was the place. But there's more. Look at verse 13 and when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord approached to Joseph in appearance in a dream, saying, arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring the word for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him. Jesus became a refugee go to Egypt when he rose to the young child, his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord to the prophet, saying out of Egypt. Have I called my son and he fulfills that element prophecy you into Egypt and then the third part, verse 23 and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet shall be called a sprout root branch, the Nazarene someone despised nothing very spectacular. Why did he settle in Judah.

Why did he settle in Jerusalem. Why Nazareth because that's what the prophet said in a fit of anger. Shortly before his death, King Herod to change his will which you done very often and he put Archelaus was the worst of his living sons to rule in Judea in the place of antipasti was assigned to Galilee and Berea that was one good reason for going up there. Joseph was afraid to settle under Archelaus because Archelaus once killed 3000 Jews of Jerusalem.

He was cruel beyond belief and he was finally, by the way, disposed of and replaced by the Romans themselves. All of Herod had changed as well.

Maybe Jesus never would've gone Nazareth, but he did. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy. How can one person be all these things, he is meeting of the prophecy. I think a very interesting turn to Jeremiah chapter 22 and I want you to notice a further conflict, a mystery difficult to understand. Looking at the Old Testament in Jeremiah 22 verse 29 or 1/3 earth earth. Hear the word of the Lord God can speak and he speaks a speaking to Jack Anaya, Jack Anaya, the king right this man, childless man that shall not prosper in his day, for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David ruling anymore and Judah. A messianic line from Judah to David flows from David to Jack Anaya sometimes called Cole Anaya and he was evil unfaithful and got Kirsten and he said right. The manchild was not as many never had any children. We know we had some children first Chronicles chapter 3, I think it is, tells us about them, but he goes on the verse to say no man of his seed will prosper and sit on the throne of David ruling, Jude listening.

I want you to know that the skies in the messianic line. So here's the prophet, and he saying I know that the Messiah is coming to the line of Judah, but how can he do that when the lion of Judah is corrupted at the point of team are talking that Mia pure line and its purified content generation with David and his back on track. Yes, you come out of the loins of David and you flow out of David you come to Jack Anaya and all of a sudden God says one thing about this guy. Nobody ever coming out of his loins will be a king in Israel and you say that is the end of it. It's over. Messiah was to be king. He was to inherit the throne he was to follow the royal line but when you come to Jack Anaya. It's all over and would you like to know some using. There haven't been any king since you cannot minute is the last one that many kings in his room. Susan prophecy came to pass there and never will be come out of his loins never look at Matthew chapter 1 of his choice of the absolutely fascinating that we saw down in verse six we came to David and then her Solomon, Rehoboam by Jason Jehoshaphat goes down to these kings comes all the way down to verse 11 and just I have begot Jack Anaya and his brother and about the time they were carried away to Babylon was the end of the monarchy. It was the last king and no king never came out of his loins because of his evil so all the guys it followed after GL deals Zerubbabel albuterol Akeem Azor Sadat Carlos and every note from but had the right, but they never rate because of the curse was there and you come to verse 16 and Jacob begot Joseph. You know something about Joseph. If there hadn't been a curse to Jack Anaya and Palestine had been occupied by the Romans. Guess it would've been the king of Israel, who would've been just it would've been the king, but he couldn't be the king.

He could be the king because he was Kirsten that sense I can see the dilemma catch, so there's no king but the right to rule was there the legal right to rule was there. It's just that if you come out of the loins of Jack and I you can't take your scepter how we going to get a king of this to Octavio, Luke, chapter 3 and see how the New Testament resolves this Mr. McKinley line came from David through his son Solomon right, we just saw this line 331 Melia Mena with Tessa Luke 331, who was the son of Nathan, who was the son of David, this is a genealogy of Mary Ellis. David had more than one child, the royal line came through Solomon the right to the throne the royal blood also came to his other son Nathan. Mary was a descendent of Nathan.

Thus she carried royal blood, but not the right to the throne. Joseph had the right to the throne.

The couldn't take it because his seed was curse how you can resolve this back to Matthew chapter 1 Alexis verse 16 and Jacob begot Joseph was the husband of Mary, not the father. Jesus right, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus called Christ was now the mystery is solved if Jesus had been born of the seed Joseph. He never taken the throne because Joseph was not his physical father.

He was not cursed, but because he was his legal father. He inherited the right to the throne without the curse of Jack Anaya and he got the royal blood from her, but we can figure that out with God was or will I don't know the virgin birth is important than your full because you believe the Bible would mysteries it can't be solved. You know, Daniel chapter 2 verse 34 Daniel sees a vision of all the world empires, and in the middle of this vision. It all of a sudden does a great event in verse 34. A stone cut out without hands smote the image on its feet that were of iron and clay broken to pieces then were the iron, the clay, the bronze us over the goal broken to pieces together became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them in the stone at smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole or know what Daniel sees is this great image of all the world empires and when they are standing there in their all their glory comes the stone cut out without hands. That is not a human being not made from human sources in terms of this event, but this is a stone cut out without hands.

No man has anything to do with this. This is representative of Jesus Christ. He comes in his glory smashes the image that it destroys the kingdoms of men is person fills the earth becomes a whole mountain. This is a picture of the second coming of Jesus Christ. He comes as a glorious conquering stone, a stone of triumph, a stone of victory is smiting stone a crushing stone, a devastating stone. The stone of judgment. So when they look for Messiah they saw a crushing stone so what Isaiah said in chapter 8 verse 14 and he shall be for a sanctuary before a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, both to the houses of Israel for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken, and snared in be taken in here you get a further picture of this stone is a stone of stumbling it as a stone of offense, a rock of offense of stumbling stone, a crushing smiting stone of judgment. But then we get further on Isaiah's prophecy, chapter 28 verse 16 this and what he says, behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone attested stone precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.

He that believe it shall not be ashamed or confused. Now all of a sudden, it is in the stumbling stone, a rock of offense and crushing smiting stone of judgment.

It's a precious stone or cornerstone attested stone, a sure foundation mystery in Psalm 118 22, it says it's a rejected stone stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner the one that they throw away so were not putting out in our building. It's not right became the foundation for everything in the mystery in the mind of the reader must be will.

How can one person be all these kinds of stones, a precious stone, a cornerstone, the cherished stone attested stone, a sure foundation at the same time at the smiting stone, a smashing stone a crushing stone, a rock of offense in the stumbling stone.

How can all this be again. Blessed are your ears, for they hear in your eyes, for they see Peter resolves. At first Peter chapter 2, and it can only be resolved in Jesus Christ. He says in verse six behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone elected precious and he that believes on him shall not be confounded." The profitable unto you, therefore, who believe he is precious, but out of them who are disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed. The same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling in a rock of offense, and you just pull together all those prophecies with the exception of Daniels and he says if you believe he is a precious cornerstone of the rejected as a crushing smiting stumbling stone in the mystery is resolved. It's not easy to understand Jesus Christ. If you do on your own is why you can't reveal test without the new or to be mystified. That's why you can't read either without the instructing mind of the Spirit of God is a human mind cannot perceive the reality of Christ, can I bring you just one other and I just allude to in Genesis 49, nine said Judah was a lion and of the Messiah would come out of Judah, and thus the Messiah would be a lion.

Fierce, powerful, deadly. The last prophet of the Old Testament was John the Baptist.

Even though it writes about them in the New Testament is really the last of the Old Testament prophets, and when he came he didn't say the Messiah was a lion he pointed to the Messiah and said he's what is a lamp. John 136 behold the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. How can you be a lion and Lamb actually be a tearing, fierce, ferocious, dangerous line the other hand away.

Well, he is revelation season that way.

Chapter 5 it says sweep not the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David that prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals. And I beheld in low in the midst of the throne of the four living creatures in the midst of the elder stood a Lamb. They call for line to get a lamp set will how can this be respected for those who reject Jesus Christ is a lion but also accepted me as a lamb Christmas doesn't need to be mysterious.

We don't have to follow something unimaginable hoax about Jesus.

Jesus put it this way search the Scriptures right.

John 539 for in them you realize you have eternal life, and there they would speak of me all mystery in the Old Testament is on gravel and revealed in the living Lord Jesus Christ, and love that I really believe that one of the greatest validating proofs of Christianity is the harmonization of contradictory paradoxical prophecies in the Old Testament that find total resolution in Jesus Christ. They could never be counterfeit and he is who he said he was the Christ of God, the Savior of the world was praying our father. We acknowledge that our minds so are unable to resolve even the truth you've given us. Except that we take both Testaments and be taught by the Spirit of God. Thank you father that you lay down such prophecies to mystify even the saints so that even the well-meaning could never counterfeit. The let alone the critics and unbelievers. Thank you. The credentials of the Messiah are so divine, so otherworldly, so supernatural that every event and circumstance and element so totally controlled by your sovereignty that there is no other explanation than that Jesus Christ is all know everything promised the suffering Savior and the glorious King and when we understand how it all harmonizes in him and his birth, sinless life, his death, his resurrection and his ascension is intercession and his soon return. We know we hold in our hands. The very word of God father. It's our prayer that each of us would bow the knee to Jesus Christ the living Christ was born in fulfillment of all the words of the prophets, and will in his own time. Bring all things to pass and fulfill every word spoken of him. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary showing you the mysterious Jesus. Today's message is part of John's current study on grace to you titled the Jesus of Christmas. It's a series designed to help you focus your worship of Christ this holiday season well bringing verse by verse Bible teaching to you, that is John MacArthur's main passion, that's what drives his ministry. That's why grace to you exists and it really makes our day to hear how what were doing is intersecting with people's lives. So John, you have two letters from listeners that you want to pass along go ahead and read these. I love this loser so encouraging. This is from Michael, he writes. I grew up in Asmara, Eritrea which is north of Ethiopia where Christian persecution and arrest is rampant.

I had limited opportunity for fellowship, grace to you and your sermons have been a treasure for myself and my friends. I fled Eritrea and am currently staying in Ethiopia as a refugee. Still your YouTube channel continues to be a fabulous source of information and conviction.

I'm forever grateful for your ministry.

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Again, you can download the entire series, the Jesus of Christmas for free at TTY.now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson thank you for tuning in today and you'd find a friend to listen with you tomorrow when John looks at miracles surrounding Jesus birth and how they can energize your worship be here for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you