Week 2 – PROPHECIES ABOUT A SAVIOR Page 1

Week 2: Mon, Jan 18th – Sun, Jan 24th

Scripture: Jeremiah 23:1-8*; Micah 5:1-5; Zechariah 9:9-17;

Isaiah 7:1-25; Isaiah 61:1-11 *NOTE: *Denotes sermon passage for January 17

th.

(Excerpted, with some edits, from “The Essential Jesus: 100 Readings Through the Bible’s Greatest

Story”, by Whitney T. Kuniholm.)

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A Closer Look at Prophecy and How to Handle This Section I wanted to add an extra section in this aid, since I think this particular week will be unique. Rather

than focusing on one passage, it might be advantageous to look at them together, focus on the prophecies

concerning the Messiah in each of the Scriptures, and identify what each passage says about the Messiah.

Here they are in a nutshell. (The notes from the study aid should also help.):

*Jeremiah 23:5-6: Righteous Branch, do what is just and right, The Lord our Righteous Savior

*Micah 5:2, 4: Origin of the Messiah, Shepherd, Peace

*Zechariah 9:9, 10: Victorious King entering the city, peace, rule over all the earth

*Isaiah 7:14: Virgin/Young Woman will give birth to a son.

*Isaiah 61:1-3: Mission Statement of the Messiah

Who will the Messiah will be? What will the Messiah do? Which prophecy stands out the most because of

what it says He will do? How are these prophecies counter to what a “great leader and king” would have

been thought to be? What do these prophecies mean for us as believers? How do these prophecies speak

to us in the way we should conduct ourselves as leaders? This would be helpful if you have a more

general discussion about what prophecy is. It is not about predicting the end times. It’s about signaling a

future reality, but not in specific historical dates.

Here are some characteristics of Prophetic Literature in the Bible that bring perspective to the passages

we read this week:

1 – God as Creator. Because God cares about creation, He intends to redeem it, not destroy it.

God will not abandon the work of His hands, but will bring it to completion.

2 – God as Covenant Maker. The prophets were convinced that a covenant making God works in

and through His people to accomplish His purposes. Through a lineage of failed kings and rulers, God

will bring forth His Messiah. From the leftovers of the exile, God will raise up a righteous remnant.

Salvation does not come swooping down from the outside; it arrives as God becomes flesh and blood. God

works from within history and humanity.

3 – A new Israel/a people of God. The prophets celebrated God’s resolve to create for himself a

people who worshipped Him in spirit and truth.

4 – An ideal king/Messiah. God would establish a ruler to lead His people. He would be righteous

and holy. The Spirit of the Lord would rest on Him in wisdom and in power.

5 – A rebuilt temple. The prophets looked forward to a return to Israel (from exile) and a

rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple.

6 – The end of evil. The prophets imagined a day when evil would no longer exist. They looked for

the end of evil within history.

(This section of characteristics taken from “Answers for Chicken Little” by Dan Boone.)

The prophetic books of the Old Testament include the five major prophets (Isaiah – Daniel) and the 12

minor prophets (Hosea – Malachi). (The distinction between them comes from the length of their book.)

But the origins of prophecy go back to Moses, Aaron, & Miriam in Exodus. God’s moral demands did not

begin with the major and minor prophets. There were grounded in the 10 Commandments, given at Mt.

Sinai though Moses. The role of the prophet was to listen to the word of God and then speak that word to

the people. God called Aaron to be Moses’ prophet in Exodus 3, because Moses did not feel he was

eloquent enough to do the job for which God called him. As the task of Aaron was to listen to what Moses

said and pass it on to Pharaoh, so the task for the prophet of God was to receive the words of God and to

speak these same words to men. Prophets felt a powerful call to do this, which compelled them to speak

and to act. They did this primarily through public speaking – on the streets, in the squares, at the gates

of the city, in the temple. There words were preserved mostly by others (in many cases, their disciples),

and eventually written down, much like the rest of the Old Testament.

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There is an assumption out there that prophecy is simply to predict – that prophets were entrusted by

God with a mysterious knowledge of the future, and were then able to tell in advance exactly what was

going to happen. Some believe, in some shape or form, that the Bible tells of the events of the future in a

way that a skilled interpreter can unlock the secrets of history that are predetermined and yet to unfold.

But the prophets were primarily concerned with the declaration of the word of God to their

contemporaries, and not with the prediction of future events.

The past history of their people informed them. The dealings of God with the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac,

etc.), the Exodus from Egypt, the covenant at Mt. Sinai, the wanderings in the wilderness, and the

conquest of Canaan were important to them. God had disclosed His own righteousness, holiness, and

love, and in doing so, had made known the corresponding quality of life required by His people. These

events were preserved throughout Old Testament times, recited in homes and at temples, and during

annual festivals.

The past motivated the prophets’ concern for the present. They called on the people to be faithful to the

covenant established with their God. The threat of empires like Assyria, Babylon, and Persia signaled to

the prophets how these powers might be the means of consequence and judgment for the people’s sin. As

they looked to the future, it was not so much that they knew WHAT was coming, but they knew WHO

was coming. They were able to predict what the Lord of history would do in the future, because they

already knew Him and His people from the past and the present.

They were concerned for the future, because it would be the outcome of the present, specifically the

consequence of the peoples’ sin. The coming events they spoke of would be the response of God to the

situation the prophet found himself in. To them, the future was not so much predetermined, but set for a

certain course based on the present and how God would be faithful to act because of the present. So, they

believed that if the people would respond to their message in repentance and faith (and why deliver it,

otherwise?), God might also modify and change what He planned to do.

Ultimately, there would be a central point in history, when judgment and salvation would take place.

This was called, by some prophets, the “Day of the Lord”. And, in some cases, it was associated with a

King, God’s anointed One, the Messiah – a new David in a coming kingdom. The prophecies in this

section give more definition on who the prophets saw the Messiah to be, as they heard from the Lord. The

prophets did not speak these words to prove Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but to declare that day is

coming when God’s anointed one would appear. It was also to remind their people (and us) that God is

always working for our future. The gospel writers will show us how the words of the prophets have

indeed been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

(The book, “A Guide to the Prophets” by Stephen F. Winward, was used heavily in the above section.)

Jeremiah 23:1-8 Like with many of the prophets in the Old Testament, we don’t have a lot of biographical information

about Jeremiah. He was likely in a family line of priests, and was set apart to be a priest, perhaps before

he was even born. He functioned as a prophet during a difficult time for Judah, the Southern Kingdom

(compared to the Northern Kingdom of Israel). He was a kind of “enemy of the state” who spoke against

the kings of his day, and foretold that the consequence of their sin would be conquest by the Babylonians

and eventual exile. However, he was also a prophet of hope, and saw a day in the future when his

country would be restored. His prophecies point even further out into the future, and speak of the coming

Messiah. This passage is an example of this.

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The vocation of shepherd is dominant in this passage. At the beginning, the kings of Judah are the

shepherds who are destroying and scattering. God uses ‘covenant” language as He describes what the

shepherd are doing… MY pasture, MY sheep, MY flock. This is important because, even in the midst of

the people’s sin and breaking of covenant under the leadership of their “shepherds”, God is remembering

His promise and seeking to bring His people back. However, the kings have not shepherded properly, and

judgment and punishment are coming. Indeed, during Jeremiah’s time as a prophet, Babylon conquers

Judah in 586 BC. Many Jews are killed, and many are taken back to Babylon as exiles. The first

promise/prophecy in this passage is that God will gather the remnant (those who are left) and bring them

back, and new shepherds will lead the people in the right way. This likely refers to the literal historical

event, when the Jews came out of exile in Babylon years later.

In verse 5, God says He will raise up a “Righteous Branch”. This is a term used here and in other places

in the prophetical books to refer to the coming Messiah. This Messiah is a part of the family tree of King

David, whose sons were kings up until the exile. This title is a reminder to the people of Israel that God

keeps His promises. He told David He would rule His people through his family line. More importantly,

this Messiah would be righteous (in contrast to the bad shepherds, or kings, mentioned above). Unlike

those kings, the Messiah will act wisely and perform justice and righteousness in the land. He will be the

true shepherd of Yahweh’s flock.

Verses 7-8 really punctuate the importance of God’s deliverance through the Messiah. The event which

all of Israel looked back on was the Exodus event, when God led them out of Egypt and freed them from

their bonds of slavery. But now Jeremiah is saying God will do something that will cause people to stop

talking about that because this deliverance will be so much better. God is giving His people a fresh, new

beginning. He is not just the God who saved back then when they were in Egypt. He is also the God who

continues to save, and He is doing a new thing. This caused me to think about what Jesus said when he

passed the cup around during the Last Supper, that His blood represented a new covenant. (Luke 22:20)

God is doing a new thing. He makes all things new. This is the hope Jeremiah desires to point his nation

to!

Before we move on from this passage, let’s think one more time about the image of shepherd. Because of

the failure of the kings to be the shepherds there were supposed to be, God says He will do it Himself. In

John 10, Jesus utters one of His “I am” statements and declares that He is the Good Shepherd. This

image becomes more powerful when you match it up with a passage like this one in Jeremiah. Jesus, the

Messiah and Savior is the Shepherd of God’s people In that 10th chapter of John, Jesus talks about

gathering His sheep, calling them by name, and leading them. He talks of laying down His life for the

sheep. In another Gospel, Jesus speaks of God as the shepherd who will leave the 99 sheep to go find the

one lost sheep. This is the picture of the Messiah we are getting from this passage and is reinforced in

the gospels. When we think of Jesus as this kind of shepherd, what does it mean for us today?

Micah 5:1-5 Like Jeremiah, Micah witnessed the great challenges, transformations, and defeats in the life of God’s

people. His words were mostly for the Southern Kingdom, or Judah, likely spoken during the time when

Jerusalem was under siege from the Assyrian empire. His speaks in particular for people who experience

oppression by the powerful, denouncing the sin especially of those who are wealthy and powerful. Micah

looked beyond his current situation to a time far in the future when God would send a Savior whose rule

would extend “to the ends of the earth”. (Italicized portion from “The Essential Jesus”.)

Micah speaks of a new ruler who would rise up and not face the humiliation of the current king who is

watching his capital city being taken through a siege. Ironically, the new ruler would come out of a small,

seemingly insignificant place – Bethlehem. This prophecy in verse 2 is one of the most well-known

prophecies pointing to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, quoted in Matthew 2:6. At first glance, it would seem

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to be an unlikely place, since it is so small, in the shadow of the capital city of Jerusalem, about 6 miles

away. However, this is in keeping with God’s style to use what seems to be small and powerless to

accomplish His purposes. (See I Corinthians 1:27-29). Plus, Bethlehem was the birthplace of David, and

the location of his anointing as king of Israel. The Messiah, as the “anointed one”, was the one to once

again establish the throne of David over Israel. The last time a king from the line of David would be on

the throne would be during this exile around 586 BC. The Messiah was God’s promise to Judah/Israel

that He would build a house (make a nation of people) through David. Not only do the genealogies in

Matthew & Luke show Jesus was from the line of David, the location where he was born would reinforce

this, plus it is prophesied in advance and fulfilled.

But Israel will have to go through a time where they will feel abandoned. Micah likens it to a period of

labor. This is to help them understand that their present reality of suffering and loss will only be for a

time. Deliverance and salvation will triumph in the end. Suffering in labor ultimately brings forth life.

The shrill scream of pain begets the cry of a new creation. In the writhing agony of labor, new life awaits.

For our ancestors, the hopelessness of exile anticipated return and restoration. This is played out in the

Beatitudes of Matthew 5: to be poor is to inherit the kingdom of God; to hunger is to be satisfied; to weep

is to laugh; to be hated and rejected is to be blessed. Many times we ask ourselves why we have to suffer.

There is consolation that God is always working towards our future, and we can have hope in this,

especially when we are going through hard times. (Some material quoted from New Beacon Bible

Commentary, by Tim Green.)

This new ruler is to be their source of peace. He not only brings peace. He IS peace. Peace here is more

than about freedom from an invading enemy. It’s more than about a kind of inner tranquility. It refers to

SHALOM, or wholeness. In other words, peace means there is healing for brokenness. Also, this peace is

about reconciliation. Micah envisioned a peace that is discussed in Ephesians 2, where walls between

groups of people are torn down. In the case of Ephesians, it is the wall between Jews and Gentiles. But

this can be applied to any hostility that exists between groups, when they should be working towards

peace and reconciliation. Jesus Christ tore down the wall between us and God because of sin. As

believers, we are called to examine our relationships with others and make sure we are showing the peace

of Jesus Christ to others within our community.

Zechariah 9:9-17 Many Old Testament prophets warned of a coming day of judgment, which finally arrived with the fall of

Jerusalem and Israel’s exile into Babylon in 586 B.C. Zechariah lives after these terrible events at a time

when the Israelites had been allowed to return to their land. In the first part of his prophesy Zechariah

encourages the people to continue rebuilding the temple and to avoid falling into the sin patterns of the

past (Zechariah 1-8). In the second part he looks forward to the coming of a very special king (Zechariah 9-

14). The question is, what kind of king will he be?

The first few verses of chapter 9 that set-up the passage that we read talks of the defeat of Israel’s

enemies. In verse 9, we see the entrance of the king into Jerusalem who is victorious in battle. He brings

universal peace, and a uniting of the Northern & Southern Kingdoms, bringing together the people of God

of the Old Testament as one nation once again. But this King that Zechariah prophecies will be different

that the king of conquest the people have in mind.

First, he would be humble (9:9), not proud or arrogant. Second, he would establish genuine peace

throughout the world (vs. 10), not just the protection of Israel. And finally, he would institute a new kind

of freedom, one based on “the blood of my covenant with you”. This king engages in battle, is victorious,

and marches into the city, like a champion would have done back then. Except this is no normal march.

He rides in on a donkey, not a warhorse. He displays a humility that does not come with a military

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victory. He is bringing a peace that is meant for everyone, and it is a victory of spiritual proportions, not

of military.

It’s not hard to see how these prophecies were fulfilled, starting about five centuries later. Jesus was

HUMBLE – He entered Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; he was the epitome of a servant leader

(John 13:1-17). Jesus brought FREEDOM – by dying on a cross, He freed people from the prison of sin and

enabled them to have a relationship with God once again. When we put all the pieces together, the picture

becomes clear: Jesus Christ was and is the Savior King that God promised through Zechariah so many

years ago. (Italicized portions quoted from “The Essential Jesus” by Whitney Kuniholm)

Isaiah 7:1-25 The historical context of Isaiah 7 is important to fully understand the prophecy of the Messiah given here,

another one which is well known. Under the threat of the Assyrian empire, two kings north of Judah,

Syria and Israel (the Northern Kingdom) have formed an alliance and want Judah (under King Ahaz) to

join them. When he does not accept their proposal, they join forces to attack Judah and replace Ahaz

with a king who will do what they want. Jerusalem is under siege, and Isaiah likely meets the king at an

aqueduct that supplied water to the city, a supply that would be very important during a siege. Ahaz was

mulling seeking the help of Assyria against the newly formed alliance. Isaiah was opposed to this, and

was sent by God to reassure Ahaz that it would be okay – God would protect Judah. Isaiah brought his

son with him, whose name meant “only the remnant will return”. The name was symbolic because it

pointed to the consequence if Ahaz relying on Assyria, as opposed to God. Indeed, in the verses that

follow the prophecy, vs. 18-25, the prophet tells of the day when Assyria will lay waste to the land of

Judah, even disgracing the king by shaving him.

Ahaz is challenged to have faith, and God offers a sign to Ahaz that they will be okay, without the help of

Assyria. In a hypocritical show of piety, Ahaz says he will not put the Lord to the test. It was not

uncommon in the Old Testament for kings to ask God for a sign to reassure them as they headed into

battle. Ahaz’s reluctance to receive the sign reflects his lack of faith in God protection, and his inclination

to seek out the king of Assyria for help. When Ahaz refused to receive the sign, Isaiah gives it anyway.

It is a prophecy meant for that present time, and it will also point to a future event as well, with the

arrival of the Messiah. The prophecy was that a young woman who is pregnant will give birth to a child.

The son will be called Immanuel, “God with us”, a name that embodies the promise of God’s saving

presence. In the present context, Isaiah tells Ahaz that before that child is able to know right from

wrong, before he is even able to eat solid food, the countries to the north that seek to dethrone him will be

laid to waste.

This prophecy had a more immediate fulfillment, but its meaning is not exhausted in the present - it also

points to a future reality. Centuries earlier, God has assured David through Nathan the prophet of the

permanence of his dynasty. “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your

throne shall be established forever: (II Samuel 7:8-16). The promise was a source of confidence and hope,

especially during times of upheaval and danger. It was because Ahaz did not believe this divine promise

concerning the permanence of the Davidic dynasty, that he was terrified by the threat of [the kings to the

North] to depose him. [Instead of affirming] his faith in the king that was to be born from David’s line,

(likely his own son!), Ahaz looked to another king for deliverance. (Italicized portion from “A Guide to the

Prophets” by Steven Winward). The current events the prophecy foretold, as well as the future event of

the birth of Jesus Christ it also pointed to, should remind God’s people that He keeps His promise to lead

His people and to redeem Him. Matthew understands this promise when He quotes from this passage in

Matthew 1:18-25, when the angel visits Mary and tells her she will give birth to a son who will be the

ultimate expression of “God With Us”.

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Trusting God when the pressure is on can be tough. Even when Ahaz was offered a confirming sign, he

hesitated. Instead, he wanted to take things into his own hands. He wanted to do it his way. This is the

essence of sin – to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. In that present time, God’s sign

of the woman who would give birth to a young child was a reminder that God’s presence will make the

difference in the present conflict for Ahaz, if he will have faith. Even more in the prophecy’s future

fulfillment - the birth of Jesus Christ – we understand what He will do to free us from the sentence and

power of sin, if we will have faith and believe and turn to Him.

Isaiah 61:1-11 After all the gloom, doom, and suffering described by the prophets so far, it’s nice to read about freedom,

comfort, and a time of “the Lord’s favor” (vs. 2). This chapter gives us a vision for the restoration of God’s

people. The really good news is in these verses is that God never abandons His people. As we’ve

discovered, the Israelites have been attacked and taken captive by powerful nations around them. Their

key city and temple have been destroyed. And all of it happened because they had sinned against God. But

here, Isaiah describes a time when everything would be put right and the Israelites’ despair would be

turned to praise (vs. 3).

This underscores two aspects of God’s character. First, He is a God of HOPE. Regardless of what we’ve

done, and regardless of what messes we make of our lives, with God we can have a fresh start and a new

future. That doesn’t mean all our trials will magically go away; some problems take years to be resolved,

some never completely disappear. But, even so, God is always at work for our ultimate good (Jeremiah

29:11-13; Romans 8:28), as He was for the Israelites. A second aspect of God’s character is that He

passionately LOVES JUSTICE AND HATES SIN (vs. 8). The surest way to experience God’s blessing is to

be passionate about His priorities.

This passage has special significance for Jesus; He used it as the mission statement for His life on earth.

Near the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus stood and read this passage in the temple, boldly

claiming that He had fulfilled its words (Luke 4:14-21). Jesus understood that He came to offer God’s

forgiveness and hope to those held captive to sin and to bring God’s justice to the poor and oppressed.

Verse 1 begins the mission statement with common themes in other prophetic scriptures: being filled

with the Spirit, anointed by God, and the bearer of good news. His mission is directly related to His

people; the mission is to redeem… comforting and even giving joy to those who mourn, beauty instead of

ashes, and praise over despair (vs. 2-3). Back in Isaiah 40:2, the prophet told the people they were

receiving double for their sins. Now, they receive a double portion of His grace (vs. 7) God is in the

creation business again here, planting a people who will bear the fruit of righteousness (vs. 3). When the

people of God are faithful, they are a light to those around them, as God intended it when he told

Abraham his descendants would be a light to all nations (vs. 9).

General Questions

*What is your view of prophecy? How would you describe it in your own words?

*Do you think people today make too much or too little of biblical prophecy? Why, and does it make a

difference?

*For you, which of the prophecies in this section is the most significant proof that Jesus was the Messiah?

Why?

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*Which of the prophecies are the most encouraging for believers today? Which are the most challenging

in the way we should live as believers?

*Do you think there are genuine prophets in the world today – people who are forth-tellers or foretellers

on behalf of God? Who are they, and why do you think so?

*The prophecies we looked at told of a “suffering” and “humble” Messiah and King. Does this make sense

to you? To most people you know?

*How important is it that these prophecies about the Messiah were literally fulfilled by Jesus? Why?

Jeremiah 23:1-8

*What is the wonderful prophecy here? Who is or are your “shepherd(s)’? What do you expect them to be

like? What difference does a good (or a bad) shepherd make?

*What great things has God done in your life? Do you believe that God can do even greater things in your

future? Is it easy as a Christian to live in the past and not be ready for the future? How can it help us ,

when we are discouraged, to remember that God is not finished with us, that His greatest work in our life

is yet to come?

* Read John 10:1-18. Note how Jesus describes the various characteristics of Himself as the good

shepherd. Which characteristic stands out to you? How does this help you? When we think of Jesus as a

shepherd, what does it mean for us today?

*Is there a situation in your life where you sense God is “nudging you” to speak out for Him? How could

you do this?

Micah 5:1-5

*What does it mean to be at peace with God? With others?

*How important is it that there are prophecies about Jesus that have come true? What would you think if

they hadn’t?

*Do the words about suffering in these verses give you hope? Do they challenge you? If so, in what ways?

*Do the words about peace in these verses give you hope? Do they challenge you? If so, in what ways?

*In what ways do you see God working against the logic and tendencies of humankind with these

prophecies?

Zechariah 9:9-19

*Have you ever tried to get back at someone who wronged you, or wish bad things for someone you don’t

believe is a good person? How does the picture of the King to come in this passage (and His humility)

affect the way you treat others, even those who are “enemies”?

*Note how this prophecy was fulfilled in gospel accounts when Jesus entered Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11;

Luke 19:28-38) The people cheered Him just like a victorious general. Was Jesus really entering

Jerusalem in victory? How would you describe the difference between the way the people saw the event,

and what it really was about. Can we misinterpret what God is doing today like the people waving palm

branches did back then?

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Isaiah 7:1-25

*The “sign” given here was a child named Immanuel (meaning “God with us”). What does it mean to you

that God actually came in the person of Jesus?

*What does it mean to have faith in God’s presence and provision, especially when you are facing a

challenging situation? Are we tempted to take things into our own hands? If so, why?

*Are you facing any difficult situations at home, or work, or any other place in your life? How could you

be more faithful to God in the midst of the pressure?

Isaiah 61:1-11

*What “mission” was this person anointed by the Lord to accomplish? What does this tell you about God?

Has God called you to share in this “mission” in any way? How?

*How would you describe the mission statement of your life? How do the words in this passage about

Jesus’ mission influence it?

*How can we, as individuals and as the church, display the righteousness of God today?

Answer the following questions as a way to sum up the message for the week, and to help tie

things off for your small group time.

-What do we learn about God?

-What do we learn about ourselves?

-How might God be working or we be acting in a similar way today?

-How might we act on this passage?

What did you learn about Jesus in these prophecies? Make a list of the specific names and

characteristics of the Messiah given in them. Note how Jesus fulfilled them all and then

thank him. Pray about how you can show these characteristics in your life as a believer.

“The Essential Jesus” (Whitney T. Kuniholm) & “The Essential Jesus Challenge Guide” from

Scripture Union .

“The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Volumes VI & VII”

“New Beacon Bible Commentary: Hosea/Joel/Amos/Obadiah/Johah/Micah” by Timothy M.

Green.

“A Guide to the Prophets”, by Stephen F. Winward.

“Answers to Chicken Little”, by Dan Boone.