Good News

In I Timothy 2:5 the scriptures declare plainly, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” And again scripture declares “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.¹” This applies to the Jew as well as the Gentile. He was foretold by the prophets and when he came it was in the precise manner prophesied. “He came unto his own but His own received Him not.²”

There was no outstanding feature in him that should draw attention to Him; but, it was in his bearing, particularly His face. His eyes held men speechless and His speech revealed a fire burning within Him that drew attention³. Even as a child He was able to reason beyond his years; it was a wisdom which resided in him that was beyond humankind⁴. His followers were commanded to “be filled with the Spirit [of God]; but, He was always filled with that same Spirit which he gave liberally to all that came to Him for sustenance. He came first to the Jews; but, then also to the Gentiles⁵.

The Son of man did not come into the world to strike terror in the hearts of men, but to drive them to the cross. In the words of the prophet Isaiah “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

Jesus is the Mediator between God and men as revealed in the book of Job, chapter 9, verse 33. Job is recognized by most scholars as the most ancient writing in the Bible. This is the first mention of a mediator (daysman). The first historical mention in the books of the Christian Bible as well as the Tanakh is Genesis 3:15.

He came to save the world from sin,⁶ He came to destroy the sin nature introduced into the world through Adam. His sacrifice on the cross was for the whole world but is only effectual for those that will surrender themselves to the Holy Spirit in submission and submit in subjection to the Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords⁷.

In the words of the beloved Apostle John, “We love him, because he first loved us.” – I John 4:19

The prophet Samuel said; “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” – I Samuel 15:22 The Christ’s sacrifice only had meaning because of the obedience of the Savior. He lived a sinless life and didn’t deserve to die, yet, he gave Himself up for us in obedience; “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” – Matthew 26:39

“Those that come to Him in awe and wonder not fear and terror will not be turned away ⁸” “…go ye and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:13

How beautiful upon the mountains⁹ are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigns! ¹⁰ Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people,¹¹ he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.¹²

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her;¹³ be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward [rear guard].

Behold, my servant [Messiah] shall deal prudently,¹⁴ he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied [astonished] at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man,¹⁵ and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. – Isaiah 52: 7-15

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?¹⁶ For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground [virgin birth]: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him;¹⁷ he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.¹⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?¹⁹ for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. – Isaiah 53: 1-12

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” – Isaiah 54:17

“He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king [(Messiah) David’s heir;²⁰ Jesus Christ; Psalm 2: 7-8] is among them.” – Numbers 23:21

“He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” – II Corinthians 5:21

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” – John 15:13 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” – John 11:25 Jesus said, “and you are my friends.”

1. Acts 4:12
2. John 1:11
3. See Luke 24:32
4. See Luke 2:46
5. See Mark 7:25-29
6. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life… God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” – I John 4: 19 See also John 3:16,17
7. See Romans 12:1-2
8. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise(Psalms 51:17)
9. Matthew Chapters 5-7 “Sermon on the Mount”
10. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns”(Revelations 19:6)
11. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God” (Isaiah 40:1).
12. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19).
13. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Corinthians 6:17)
14. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11: 1-4)
15. Jesus had a crown of thorns forced down upon his head and blood ran down his face. He was flogged with a roman whip (similar to a “cat of nine tails”) that had torn his back to shreds.
16. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? (Isaiah 53:1). “That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? (John 12:38)
17. The Jewish council rejected him as their Messiah; He was judged entirely contrary to the Law of Moses and taken out to be crucified. Crucifixion was reserved for the lowest of criminals that made His death more despicable and their sin greater. The Son of God hanged as a common criminal. Yet from the cross Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)
18. “The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth” (Acts 8:32).
19. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth” (Isaiah 42:3).
20. Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ parents, are both descendants of King David the son of Jesse through Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess. Joseph through Solomon and Mary through Nathan, one of David’s sons born in Jerusalem. Joseph was Jesus’ legal father but Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit other wise the “sins of his father” (he would have inherited Adam’s sin) would have passed on to him.