The Case For Christ - No. 2
The genealogy of Christ is another proof of His deity. It naturally begins with Eve. At the time that Adam and Eve transgressed God's law, which was very early in the morning of time, God spoke even then of Him who would come as the seed of woman. To the serpent God said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15) Notice, He was to be the seed of woman, not man. And such He was as He was born of a virgin. Jesus was of the seed of Abraham, being a Jew. Long before His birth Jesus said to Abraham, "And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 3:15) The genealogy of Christ is traced through Jesse, father of David, and so Isaiah had prophesied, "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit." (Isaiah 11:1) Notice Matthew 1:6 where Jesse is mentioned in the lineage of Christ. Judah likewise was to be in the lineage of Christ. As Jacob, the father of the Israelite nation, called his sons together for their blessings, he spoke concerning Judah and said, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the obedience of the people be." (Genesis 49:10) Certainly, Christ holds the sceptre as He reigns in His kingdom. This is fulfilled. But He came of Judah just as Jacob spoke "For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests." (Hebrews 7:14) We all know that Jesus was the seed of David, but do the scriptures prophesy this fact? "Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5) Can so much weight with regard to the genealogy of Christ be altogether discounted? How can one reject Him as the Son of God — a deity!
Even the manner of teaching of Christ Was fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus taught in parables. His was no mediocre ability. He is called by many "the Master parabolic." David wrote, "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old." (Psalms 78:2) Matthew tells us that His manner of teaching was in parables. "All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation." (Matthew 13: 34,35) Bear in mind that these things were said of Jesus of Nazareth who today is rejected as the only begotten Son of God. We are persuaded that a strong case can be built in defense of Christ — indeed, it does not need to be built, it already stands for your honest investigation.
The suffering and death of the Lord are graphically pictured in prophetic strokes of vivid color. Isaiah wrote, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed... He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?" (Isaiah 53:4,5,7,8) Were these things fulfilled? Need we present the proof? "And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him." (Matthew 27:29-31) After they had suspended Him on the cross between two thieves, "They that passed by railed on hint, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyeth the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself; if thou art the Son of God come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:39,40) Every conceivable insult was heaped upon the Lord. Even those who were crucified with Him ridiculed Hint "And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us." The Jews, while crucifying God's Son, were very careful not to violate God's Sabbath law, so they "asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." The shock of breaking their legs was used to hasten their deaths. It may have been done with a large mallet. "The soldiers therefore came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him: but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water." (Matthew 19:31-34) The scriptures pictured Christ's suffering long before it came to pass. An even more vivid description of His suffering is seen in Psalms 22. Many points in it can be clearly seen as fulfilled in the death of Christ. Turn and read this full chapter (Psalms 22) and marvel at its accuracy. The very people who rejected God's only begotten Son were responsible for the fulfillment of the prophecies which pointed to His suffering and death. In the face of all this evidence, how can one reject Christ as Gods' Son? Have you rejected Christ? Then, when you stand before your Saviour in judgment it will be a sad day indeed!