The New Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Mentor's Guide, MG13

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T H E N E W T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

The Messiah Revealed

Welcome to the Mentor’s Guide for Lesson 3, The Messiah Revealed . The central focus of this lesson is to grapple with the character of Jesus’ works and words, and how they actually reveal concretely and definitively the legitimacy of his claim to Messiahship. It is hard to estimate the power of Jesus’ character, which is incomparable and magnificent, and its significance for making the case for his role as Messiah. Jesus is the Suffering Servant of the Old Testament, concealed there but revealed in the New Testament, and made plain to all who are interested in him. While our current study focuses on the New Testament Gospel’s witness to Jesus’ Messianic identity, the same majestic character is seen in the epistles. The term “servant of the Lord,” or the Hebraic expression ‘ebed yhwh , “servant of Jehovah,” was applied to worshipers of God such as Abraham (Ps. 105.6), or others fulfilling God’s purposes, like Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 25.9). The most important use of the term appears as the “servant of Jehovah” when Isaiah prophesies his encouragements and comforts while Sennacherib sought to ravage Israel around 701 B.C. The term, “servant of the Lord” is referred to some twenty times in Isaiah 40-53. While the identification of the servant tends to vary, it appears as if the name refers primarily to an individual to come, the Messiah of God. The reference to Israel, “Israel, my servant” (41.8) is present, but in Isaiah’s “servant songs” (42.1-7; 49.1-9; 50.4-9; 52.13-53; and probably 61.1-3), this terms refers to a person to come who would be the Lord’s own holy servant, who would bring Jacob back to the Lord (49.5). This personage is not Isaiah himself (42.1), and the majesty of his future work and sinless character suggest that this servant (53.9) is not merely an outstanding character of Israel to come (42.4). In the New Testament (John 12.38, 41; Acts 8.32-35), we see that Jesus of Nazareth meets the full criteria for being the Servant of the Lord, the one who embodies Israel and who himself will restore to God his own righteous remnant (Isa. 49.6). In a very real way, the contours of Jesus’ life demonstrate that he is the Servant of the Lord. Look at the various elements associated with the Servant. Jesus as the Servant of the LORD

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