FROM PASTOR TIM JOHNSON:
Merry Messiahmas to you all! May God be blessing you with time to dig into your Bibles, drop down in prayer and lift your eyes to see clearly the fields that are ready for the harvest. All believers are called to the harvest!
After church on Sunday one saint told me they had never heard why John the Baptist could not be the Messiah; namely, because his line was from Levi, not Judah. The Messiah was foretold to come from Judah.
The Messiah was prophesied by Jacob, the grandson of Abraham to come from the line of Judah (Genesis 49: 10). Then David with whom God made an everlasting covenant to put one from David’s line on the throne forever is also known to be from the line of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:1-15). And the author of Hebrews says in 7:14, “it is evident our Lord was descended from Judah.”
Then in Matthew 1:3 and 1: 6 Jesus is a descendant of both Judah and David thus fulfilling the prophecy going back to Genesis 49:10. But in Genesis 49:10 it is clear all the nations will come to Jesus, and that surely has not been fulfilled yet.
And then comes Revelation 5 where Jesus is portrayed as the only one worthy to open the scroll. In Revelation 5:6 the text reads:
“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Later in Revelation 5:11 John sees “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” crying out that Jesus is worthy. Thus Genesis 49:10 will be fulfilled.
God’s word will always lead us on straight paths, so drink in His word every day with confidence that our covenant-keeping God always honors and fulfills His promises.
Merry Messiahmas!
Pastor Tim