Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The Christ of Scripture and Christmas

Our current Sunday AM series on "THE Christ of Scripture and Christmas" has been a rich study for me personally. The following resources have been most helpful: 1) Walt Kaiser, "The Messiah in the O.T." 2) William Varner, "The Messiah." 3) Michael Rydelnik, "The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic?" 4) T.D. Alexander, "The Servant King." 5) Richard Belcher "Prophet, Priest, and King." 6) Begg and Ferguson, "Name Above All Names." 7) Leon Morris' chapter in "Jesus is the Christ." 8) Alfred Edersheim's appendix 9 in "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah." Other study helps: A) John MacArthur sermons on the subject of the Messiahship of Jesus. B) James Hamilton article, "The Skull Crushing Seed of the Woman," SBJT 10 (2006). C) John Sailhamer, "The Messiah in the Hebrew Bible," JETS 44(2001). D) Walt Kaiser's review of "The Lord's Anointed" in JETS 42 (1999). E) T. D. Alexander, "Messianic Ideology in the book of Genesis."  F) G.E. Ladd's A Theology of the N.T.: Messiah in the O.T. and Gospels (pp. 134-142).  More to come.

Luke 24:13-34, And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.