The Expected One

“Are you the Expected One?” — Matthew 11:3 NASB

Around the time of Jesus’ birth, there was what has been called “the Messianic Hope,” or “the Messianic Expectation.”  People in Israel were anticipating their Messiah.  They were crying out to be rescued.  They were awaiting their King.  People could look to the Scriptures — the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets — and see promises of a future redemption written all over the pages, and they longed for the realization of those promises to come to them in their day.  

Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.  One of the most amazing, remarkable, awe-inspiring things about Him is that during His earthly life, He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies.  He fulfilled prophecies that specifically predicted where He would be from, what He would be like, what would happen to him in the details of His life, and even the prophecies in Isaiah 53 that perfectly described His crucifixion hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented.  And not only did he fulfill prophecies, but He fulfilled types and shadows that pointed to Himself.  After all, He is the Word of God.  

If you were from outside of time, and wanted to prove that you were, how would you do it?  The only way you could do that would be to tell the future.  We can stand in awe of God, and His plan to inspire prophets to write about a coming Messiah, and then actually become the fulfillment of these prophetic promises.  He is Faithful and True.  He is the Yes and Amen.  He is the fulfillment of prophetic promises.  And if He fulfilled the prophetic promises that concerned His life, He will fulfill every promise He has made for your life.  Look to Jesus, the timeless, eternal Expected One.  

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This blog is an excerpt from Robert Presson’s devotional book, “Look to Jesus,” available for a donation of any amount at cityrevivalnola.com/give. Please indicate that you would like the book when you give.