A CONQUERING ONE COMING
OR
LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TO COME
SUNDAY SEPT. 29, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Then the disciples of John reported to him [John the Baptist] concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’”
“When the men had come to Jesus, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”’ And that very hour Jesus cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.”
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he [or she] who is not offended because of Me.’” Luke 7.18-23
Something To Consider:
John the Baptist had been shut up in prison by Herod because of Herod’s wicked wife. John’s being in the solitude of imprisonment could possibly have caused him to begin to ask questions concerning Jesus. Evidently John, as so many others thought the Messiah was to lead the Jewish nation to throw off the Roman rule. Meanwhile, Jesus took no steps in that direction.
And so, the questions came, and without answers to those questions, doubt may have begun to descend like a darkened storm cloud. Could John have been wrong in proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Therefore, the question, “Are You [Jesus] the Coming One, or do we look for another?” The truth is that twenty centuries removed, many are wrongfully still looking for another and foolishly disregarding Jesus as the Coming One!
The Old Testament prophet Zechariah had predicted the coming of the Lord by declaring in Zechariah chapter 14; “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming… For I [God] will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”
John the Baptist and many other students of Scripture were looking for a conquering Coming One. They had completely overlooked the truth of the Word of God that predicted that the Coming One was to suffer and die for the sins of the world. Isaiah reported this truth in Isaiah 53, by also predicting concerning the Messiah, the Coming One becoming as a lamb led to the slaughter, by his stating; “He [Jesus] is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely, He [Jesus] has borne our sickness and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.”
Something Else To Consider:
Human nature is to avoid dealing with the suffering of life even when warned in advance of that suffering. For example, we prefer to believe the more pleasant approach of a false pre-tribulation rapture though it is a misleading message of hopelessness of escaping the evil of an Antichrist. When the truth of the Word of God is neglected another message of deception must be created by unbelievers.
Was Jesus the conquering Coming One of Zechariah? Yes! But He was first to be the Lamb of God of Isaiah 53 first, who was slain for the sin of the world. Just because religious leadership of any generation say it is so does not make it truth, especially if it contradicts the Word of God. But who truly studies the Word of God in order to discern the truth from the false demonic doctrines of the last couple of generations? We must study for ourselves in order to discern the truth!
Isaiah 53.7 predicted perfectly in advance; “He [Jesus] was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth [in His defense]; He [Jesus] was led as a Lamb [a sacrificial lamb] to the slaughter [upon an old rugged cross as was predicted in advance in Psalm 22], and as a sheep before its shearers is [was] silent, so He [Jesus] opened not His mouth.” But when Jesus returns, He will be that conquering Coming One of Zechariah.
Something More To Consider:
John the Baptist knew of the many Old Testament prophecies pointing to the One who would come. God had announced the promise as early as Genesis 3.15, and again in Genesis 49.10, when God spoke through Jacob on his death bed, by stating; “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes…” The phrase, “…until Shiloh comes…”, is important!
Shiloh, meaning peace or peaceable, prophetically points to the person mentioned and declared as one with many titles and many authoritative positions, one of which is the Prince of Peace as found in Isaiah 9.6, as mentioned in an earlier lesson. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Of a government and a peace, Isaiah gladly acknowledged, “There will be no end…” These words should have left no need to look for another, both then and now! And yet, as also mentioned earlier, it is human nature to want to avoid the harsh reality of the truth when it speaks of suffering. Therefore, John the Baptist and many others since him have neglected to take into account Isaiah 53 and the suffering of Jesus as the Lamb of God.
It is there that Isaiah’s prophecy promises the Coming One to become an acceptable offering for all of mankind, for the sin of the whole world. The truth of His coming twice was not secretly hidden, it was simply overlooked by many including John the Baptist. The truth is that Jesus was and is the Coming One, both then and now. Therefore, we only deceive ourselves if we overlook the truth by foolishly looking for another.
A Few Final Words:
How near is the coming of this conquering Coming One? According to the signs of the times, Christ’s second coming is close! According to the end time signs given by Jesus in Matthew 24 and elsewhere, the time of the conquering Coming One is fast approaching.
Jesus, in His final remarks in our Scripture to consider acknowledged, “And blessed is he [or she] who is not offended because of Me.” And yet, Jesus predicted the end time response of many will be their becoming offended at their finally finding themselves in the midst of the tribulation, having not yet been raptured as wrongly taught by many end time false prophets.
In Matthew 24.10 Jesus declared, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” This being offended by one-time believers is because of verse 9, as Jesus also predicted; “Then they [those offended] will deliver you [enduring to the end true Christian] up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”
Jesus continued His end time warning in verse 11; “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness [iniquity] will abound, the love of many [one-time lovers of God] will grow cold. But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved.” Therefore, let us not be deceived by the many misinterpretations of Scripture and the many feel good bible contradicting messages of the many false prophets Jesus has warned us of in advance!
Spiritual leaders as well as leaders in training, recognize and acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as the soon Coming Conquering One! Are we among those wise enough and aware enough to also recognize and freely acknowledge Jesus as all that He claimed Himself to be? We must not be offended when end time events do not, I repeat, do not take place as falsely proclaimed by the majority of religious worldly leaders in the 21st century and most likely last generation!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for revealing Your plan of redemption in Your Word. Thank You that Jesus is still the Coming Conquering One. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 