Is Christianity true? (the Bible)
This blog is part of my series titled “Is Christianity true?” The series addresses four common objections to the truthfulness of the Christian worldview, namely concerns about: (1) the trustworthiness of the Bible; (2) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection; (3) the compatibility of faith in God with modern science; and (4) the incompatibility of Christian truth claims with those of other worldviews.
IS THE BIBLE TRUSTWORTHY? NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY (PART 4)
THE EARTHLY MINISTRY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE MESSIAH
The various prophecies make it clear that the Messiah would be an extraordinary person. Not only would He have a kingly nature, but He would also have the ability to perform miracles.
For example, Isaiah describes some miraculous workings of the Messiah: “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer and the mute tongue shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:5–6 NIV) The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life provide many examples of Him healing the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute.
In addition to prophesying that the Messiah would perform miracles, Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would preach the good news to the poor. As it happens, Jesus announced His mission early on when He opened the scroll in the synagogue at Nazareth to these specific words of Isaiah and announced, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21 NIV).
THE JEWISH REACTION TO THE MESSIAH
Isaiah prophesied that the Jews would for the most part reject their Messiah, writing that they would be “ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving [and] the heart of this people [would be] calloused.” (Isaiah 6:9–10 NIV) While many Jews followed Jesus during His earthly ministry, many rejected Him (including even His own family prior to His resurrection). The leaders of the Jews ultimately rejected Him after they accused Him of committing blasphemy when He claimed to be equal with God, sentencing Him to death. The prophetic words of Psalm 118:22 were fulfilled: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”
It is interesting to compare and contrast the reaction of the Jewish authorities to Jesus during his three short years of ministry to the reaction of modern authorities to Jesus. The contrast is obvious. The Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their religious authority. On the other hand, moderns would see Christianity as a worldview or Jesus as a person as a threat to the new and improved world order based upon scientific advances and what they deem to be social progress.
The common denominator between the ancients and the moderns is the lust for power.
The common denominator between the ancients and the moderns is the lust for power. While the Jewish leaders and modern authorities would have us believe that their motive is the betterment of society, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the real motive is not service. Rather, it is the protection of their power and authority and, with it, the ability to mandate the beliefs and behaviors of others.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
