In his sermon 'Marks Of The Messiah,' James Lundquist explores the prophetic and scriptural affirmations of Jesus as the Messiah. He begins by noting the significance of prophetic passages, particularly Isaiah 53, which detail Jesus' death. Lundquist emphasizes the concept of spiritual blindness, explaining that recognition of Jesus' divine identity is a gift from God. He outlines various 'marks' of the Messiah revealed in Jesus' genealogy, birth, life, death, and resurrection, emphasizing prophetic fulfillment from the Old Testament. The sermon highlights Jesus' miracles as authenticating signs and discusses Jesus' resurrection as the ultimate mark of his messianic identity and the foundation of salvation. Lundquist urges both Christians and non-Christians to recognize and respond to these revelations of Jesus as the Messiah. The sermon concludes with a call to be assured of Jesus' role as Savior and to share this truth with others.

The way things work out at times should always amaze us and I love that. God just continues to give eyes and I pray for more eyes all the time to see how he works things. And some things are just like, yeah, but they're still amazing. Originally, I was going to have Riley read from John 3, Nicodemus. Now I'm only going to mention one verse out of John 3.

So I asked him to read Isaiah 53 and then he asked, can I back up in Isaiah 52? Sure. And then Taylor reads from 54. I mean it's just amazing. I can't make that.

I wasn't thinking of any of those verses from 52 or 54. So thank you guys. Thank you God for us getting that great wealth. I'll get to Isaiah 53 at the end of this message. The entire chapter is prophetic detail of Jesus' death and it needed read.

The whole thing read and I wasn't going to take the time here. So thank you for that. Let's pray again. Our God, again, thank you for everything that Riley just prayed for, thank you for all the readings. Thank you that it's from your word.

This isn't me standing before anybody, God trying to convince them out of just my vast knowledge or this or that that that you are the Christ you are the Messiah God you have given us so much what a grace what a grace so God thank you Jesus thank you Holy Spirit give power to your words, please especially your words give power to it. Amen In John 3 Nicodemus comes to Jesus says this Rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God. For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with them. Nicodemus was of the Pharisees, one of the ones that was willing to actually come and have a conversation, actually asking questions because he really wanted to know. And we know later on, because it seems like he was a Christian, that God was actually softening his heart to receive these words from Jesus and to be saved from it.

But he saw these signs, he saw these marks of the Messiah and he was like, wait a second, I know my Old Testament, I see what Jesus is doing, could He be? I know you're from God, but tell me more about this. The end of John, John 20, 30 and 31, John says this, and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. This is written that you may know that Jesus is your Christ and the only way truth in life and that by believing you will have eternal life. Here's your purpose, your purpose statement.

You would know God, you would repent, believe, and God would know you, save you for eternal life. The signs of the Messiah happen, we're going to go through many, and marked Jesus as the Messiah. Marked Jesus as the prophet, priest, and king, the anointed one set apart to be the Redeemer, our only Savior, only Savior from the wrath of God for the wages of our sin that we deserve. That's the Messiah. And Christians, let me go through this.

Let me start with this. This side of the cross, be honest, this side of the cross, it's easy to see, or much easier to see, Jesus in the Old Testament. Some verses aren't as easy to see as others, but it's much easier for us to see, especially the verses I'm going to use this morning, much easier for us to see Jesus in the Old Testament and think, how could these people in the gospels have not seen this? Especially the scribes and the Pharisees, they're supposed to know this inside and out. How could they not, they knew the signs and they knew the marks, how could they not see that it was Jesus?

Because God hadn't given them eyes to see. They were blind. Their ears were stopped just like any of us were. At one point we didn't believe. We really didn't.

We hadn't repented. We hadn't trusted. Our eyes were blind. Unless God had given us eyes to see and ears to hear and faith to believe, we also would deny that Jesus is the Christ. Ezekiel 37, we were dead dry bones.

Ezekiel 37, Ephesians 2, we were dead by nature, children of wrath, but we were saved by grace, a gift of faith to believe we are His workmanship in Christ Jesus. The only reason why we look at these and say, this is fantastic, this is gracious of God to give us. How beautiful it is from Genesis 3.15 all the way through. How beautiful is this? Because God gave you eyes to see.

That's why they didn't see it, but many did as we go through this. In the Old Testament, people estimate there's over 300 prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Children, those that especially may not be inclined to take notes, give you something to do to help pay attention. Just count the number of Bible references I mentioned today. Not going to be 300, it's going to be less than that.

There's already been three or four that I've mentioned. So you got a head start there. Just do that, pay attention and see as God stacks this up. Who is our Messiah? But 300, throw over 300, How gracious.

At the beginning of sin, God didn't owe us a single one. He didn't owe us a Savior. And then he promised in Genesis 3.15, the first promise to come, that we see clearly now, the first one to come, and then he kept piling on, piling on, piling on, giving them hope, giving them hope. Isaiah, they're in exile. Here's your hope, Here's your hope, here's your hope, here's your hope, here's your hope.

And he kept giving them hope. If you're looking at your outline, the title says, March to the Messiah. Alright, I've changed it. I gave Jason this early on in the week, he's getting ready to go. I've changed it, still marks the Messiah, colon, be assured Jesus is the Savior.

I have a twofold purpose for this. One, Christian, I've prayed for you this week, brethren. I prayed for you that at the end of this you would walk away more assured that Jesus is the Christ. Not that you're doubted, if you do have some doubts it would help, but even those of us, or you might not have any doubts, just you walk away more slowly. Yeah, Jesus is my Christ.

There is no other. For the non-Christian, I prayed for you as well. Those that have not repented and trusted in Christ alone for salvation and believe the gospel, pray that God would show you this Messiah. That this is right, that He would open your eyes and your ears and give you faith. Put that new spirit and that new heart within you that He is the only way, the truth, and the life.

And that this afternoon, we're sitting around eating, and we're talking about all kinds of stuff. The weather, the happenings, work, family stuff. You would ignore all that and tell someone Christ saved you today. And we'll be celebrating with you. None of you are too young to repent and believe.

None of you are too young to repent and believe. When I say none of you, I mean none of you. Too young to repent and believe. Some are too young to understand a single word I'm saying, but none of you are too young to repent and believe. So we're gonna look at the marks of the Messiah in the Incarnation, in Jesus' life, and in Jesus' death and resurrection.

So let's start off by looking at the marks of the Messiah, the Incarnation. Let's start by looking at the genealogy. In Isaiah 11.1, it says, there shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse." Who's Jesse? Jesse is the father of David. The Messiah will come from the line of David.

Not insignificant, it's a royal line. David was king, a type of Christ. And then in Matthew 1, starts out right there, the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David. God, in the way he has the Bible ordered, the very first verse of the New Testament, he tells you this is about Jesus Christ, the son of David. A significant title, the son of David.

So he walks through the genealogy, starting with Abraham, through Jesse, through David, several generations, to Jesus. So what have we done so far? Just follow this. It's not math, but follow this. It's estimated at the time of Jesus there were about 8 million Jews in that area of them, about 3 million men.

We've narrowed it down. But then you have the line of David, we're down to 10, 20, 000 people of the line of David. So we've narrowed it down to the possible people, possible people that could be the Messiah. Then we go to, I just want to go to Matthew 12, I'm going to look at Matthew 12, 22 and 23. Back on this son of David.

Then One was brought to him, to Jesus, who was demon possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him. So that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, could this be the son of David? Could this be the son of David? And you know, 14 times in the Gospels, either Christ has asked about, are you the son of David?

He's referred to by as the son of David. 14 times in the Gospel. Why? Because the people had been taught and knew the marks of the Messiah to be looking out for. And so they were specifically looking for the Son of David.

That is a specific title that we'll get to a little bit later to just hang on to that. But that is a specific title that has specific weight, great weight. Yeah, it's a mark on the Messiah, but it will have a great weight. We'll see it later on when we get to his death of the people knew what they were saying when they were asking, is this the Son of David? They knew they were asking, is this the Messiah?

They knew that. Where was Jesus born? Well, Matthew 2, Matthew 2 quotes Malachi 5. We see this throughout scripture where I might read the Old Testament and I might recognize or I might not recognize or I might wonder, hey, is this talking about the Messiah to come? And it happens often in the Old Testament where the writer, the gospel writer, Paul, others, will say, as it was written, as it was written, or to fulfill the prophecy, to fulfill what was said.

Matthew 2, verses 1 through 6. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. In the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and we have come to worship him." Then Herod the king heard this and he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he's gathering the religious leaders, chief priests and scribes, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So these chief priests and scribes said to him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet Micah, but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." In John 742 Many of the crowd, many from this crowd were asking, has not the scripture said that Christ comes from the seat of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was? Why do the people knew this? Because it's in the scriptures and they were taught it. And they were looking for these signs. So remember, we were out here, in here, in here, in here, line of David, now the town of Bethlehem.

A town of 500, 000 people, let's just take the men, half that, 250 to 500. Now we've really narrowed this down to who potentially could be the Messiah, where we would look for this Messiah. So now let's look at this Virgin, the Virgin birth, the Virgin conception and birth. In Matthew 1, Matthew 1 20 through 25, we're going to have a quote from Isaiah 7 in Matthew 20 or Matthew 1 verse 20. But while he thought about these things, that's Joseph thinking about these things, about he's just told that Mary's pregnant or he just found out, but while he thought about these things and what to do, behold an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph son of David, right, let's float right, lineage matters, Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take you marry your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth the Son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, by the Lord through the prophet, that's prophet Isaiah in chapter 7 saying, behold the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which is translated God with us. Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name Jesus. It's important, Joseph didn't even know his wife until after Jesus was born. So it's a virgin conception and birth. So now what have we done with this narrowing?

All the way down to born of a virgin. Never happened before, never happening again. Right, now we've narrowed down to this lineage. In Isaiah 9, 6, in Isaiah 9, 6 talking about the birth of Christ, of the Messiah, we're told, 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. This birth of the Messiah, of Jesus, demonstrates Jesus' divinity.

He is God. He is God. From the throne of David, Mighty God it says here. It doesn't say a mighty God, one of God, no, mighty God, everlasting Father, he wasn't created. Jesus is everlasting.

As he says in Revelation, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. All things were made through him, Nothing that was made, nothing that was made, that was made was everything that was made through him. Right? So the virgin birth demonstrates Jesus divinity, Emmanuel, God with us, mighty God, everlasting Father. He's fully God, fully man.

That cannot come from the product of a sinful husband and wife. Man and woman, that can't happen that way. What happens to product, right? We know what happens the product of husbands and wives. You get sinful children.

You don't get righteous God. You don't get the righteous God that can live the perfect life to die on the cross taking on the wrath of God and satisfying that wrath for your wages of sin. You can't get that through a husband and wife relationship. You only get that through the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary, having her conceive and birthing God. It's the only way that happens.

John 1, 1 and John 14, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. Verse 14, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. There are other marks, other other helps, other helps not necessarily marks but other helps that we have here.

As we saw in Luke, we have Simeon and Anna. These were people in the temple looking for signs. They were expecting the Messiah and they were looking for the Messiah. The shepherds are told by angels and come and worship, worship Jesus. The wise men come, follow the star of the guy, worship Jesus.

God says, I am God, there is no other, he will not share his glory with another. He worships Jesus, Jesus is worshiped throughout the gospels, he never stops them. Angels stop them all the time because they're not God. Of course I have no idea what Joseph and Mary's mindset is at this point. I have no idea.

They could have been the most confident praising God people on Earth that ever have been. Or, it could have been is this really Messiah hey that birth that could have been a tough birth could have been he's but I don't know look where we are we're in Bethlehem yes I get that part but look where we are doesn't sound like a place where a king would be. They probably have some baggage from what they've been taught wrongly about the Messiah. I don't know. But if they did have any doubts, if they did have any of these concerns, how gracious of God just to pile on all this.

The shepherds, Simeon and Anna, the wise men, talk about John the Baptist here. How kind of God to give that to them. This must have been great assurance for Joseph and Mary. So Christian, be assured. Be assured.

These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Sisters and brothers, Jesus is the Messiah. He is our Savior. The second mark, the mark of the Messiah, his life, his life really starting at his ministry that we see through most of the Gospels. The first thing we see is a forerunner.

We see this forerunner in Malachi 3.1 and 4.5 that's promised. Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And in 4.5, just the second verse before the end of the Old Testament, just giving them hope. I'm going to end this with hope. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

In Luke 1 17 an angel comes to Zechariah, John the Baptist's father, and says he will go before him, go before the Messiah, in the spirit and power of Elijah, pointing back to Malachi. And in John 1, 23, John the Baptist quotes Isaiah 40, verse three and says, I and the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord. So God, how gracious, all these marks, all these signs, he says I'm also going to send a forerunner to let everybody know, hey, here's what's about to happen people. Now's the time, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and then in his baptism the baptism of Jesus 11 Isaiah 11 verse 2 the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, rest upon the Messiah. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might.

Who's the Spirit of wisdom? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is going to rest upon the Messiah. And in Matthew 3 and in Luke 3, Jesus' baptism is recorded. And it says this verse 21 of chapter 3 when all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized and while he prayed the heaven was open and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said you are my beloved son and you I am well pleased." At a minimum, that was a mark that was assigned to John the Baptist.

I don't know who else heard, I don't know who else saw, But especially Luke recording this, who's doing his investigation and talking to people, who probably, I don't know if he was there or not, but he got it from somebody. Maybe from the disciples of John, maybe from others there. So at least John the Baptist saw and heard this. I like to think many others saw and heard this. They saw something happen come down.

They may have heard the voice, may have not. But at least it was there. These were what we call these authenticating signs that Jesus is the Messiah. This happens at His baptism. Then let's get to the authenticating marks of the Messiah, His miracles.

Let's talk about His miracles now. Let's get into that. Listen to this, authenticating marks of the Messiah. He changed water to wine. He fed 5, 000 with five loaves and two fish.

He fed 4, 000 with seven loaves and a few small fish. He walked on water. Jesus commanded the waves and the wind to be still and they obeyed him immediately. Nathaniel believes when Jesus tells him he saw him under the fig tree. I don't know what Nathaniel was doing, but whatever it was, Jesus saw him.

He recognized that Jesus has seen him. Not that Jesus saw him because Jesus looked over there. No, Jesus was nowhere near him. He's like, you are God. Jesus heals ten lepers.

Jesus heals one person with a withered hand. Jesus heals one person with a bleeding disorder. Jesus heals three mutes, that means three people that couldn't speak. When talking about taxes and money, Jesus commands Peter to fish and the first fish he catches, he finds the temple tax in the mouth of the fish. Jesus curses a fig tree and it dies the next day.

Twice, Jesus fills nets with fish to the point of breaking. One time he healed a person of dropsy, that swelling from fluid retention. Four times we see where he's knowing people's thoughts. Either he's answering their questions that they have in their mind and he answered them, they're like, oh, he knew what I was thinking. Or they were just thinking something and Jesus goes directly to the heart and they may or may not realize, hey Jesus knew this because he's knowing my thoughts, but four times.

One time in the Garden of Gethsemane, person's ear was cut off and Jesus restored it right there while he's being arrested. Seven times he heals people of demon possession, three times he raises people from the dead. Now these are all amazing and I'll get to why those are amazing here in a moment. I think those are especially amazing. Turn to Isaiah 35.

You see this? Now you're going, James, there's a few you haven't mentioned. I'm getting to those here. Turn to Isaiah 35. I just want you to see this.

Isaiah 35, 5, and 6, and I'm going to have you turn to Matthew 4 here in a moment. In Isaiah 35, 5, and 6, talking of the Messiah, who we know now is Jesus. Then the eyes of the blind shall be open, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing." The dumb is just an older word for what we would say mute now, someone that could not speak. So here it says, here's the march of the Messiah.

The blind will see, the lame will walk, the deaf will hear, the mute will speak. Everything I've mentioned at this point is none of those. None of those. The list that I mentioned before, it's just beyond these marks of promise God gave us. How gracious of God again.

Here's what I'm telling you to look for. But God, with his everlasting kindness, as was read from Isaiah 54, it's like, I'm gonna do more than that though. Do way more than that. There's way more healing, way more compassion to be had here. The effects of sin is so wide-ranging.

There's more I want to do. So he does that. Now on these specific items of the people we know that are called out specifically, there were five blind people that could now see. There was one lame and one paralytic that was made to walk. There was one deaf person made to hear.

There were four that couldn't speak and then could speak. And then we get to Matthew 4. And then we get to Matthew 4. In Matthew 4, We have verses 23 and 24. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of disease among the people.

Then his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments and those who were demon possessed, epileptics and paralytics, and he healed them. And then over in Matthew 8, 16 and 17, when evening had come, they brought to him, brought to Jesus, many who were demon possessed, and he cast out the spirits with a word. And he healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." Five times in the Gospels it says Jesus did this all day long and all who came to Him. All that I mentioned before that were just specific instances that we know that people hear could go into this person this person coming to him being healed but five times people just brought everybody to him and just all day long healing healing healing healing and healing must be hundreds must be thousands not all believed but how but those that did how even those that didn't, what kind of a witness is this? Alright, the blind man, who, I don't know who healed me, but I was blind and now I see.

And then later on Jesus comes to him and he knows who and he believes. As prophesied they were looking for these marks of the Messiah And it was piling up, piling up, piling up, piling up, hearing it all throughout Judea, all throughout Galilee, of what Jesus was doing. No wonder they were wondering, is this the Son of David? The problem was, they saw it, but their teachers, although had taught them these things, had taught them to expect something completely different and many were missing it. Many, many saw.

So Christian, Christian be assured. These are written, and you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." So let's look at this last mark of the Messiah, his death and resurrection. In Matthew 21, Matthew 21, Jesus enters Jerusalem. It's just so amazing this entry of Jerusalem before Passover, the week before he's crucified. And in verse 21 I'm going to read 4 through 11.

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying tell the daughter of Zion behold your king is coming to you. Loli and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." So prophesied. So disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them to go get this donkey. They brought the donkey and the colt laid their clothes on them and set him, set Jesus on them, and a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Then the multitudes who went out before and those who followed cried out saying, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved saying, who is this? So the Maltese said, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.

It's this great Maltese who says, Hosanna to the Son of David. Remember when I talked about earlier? They knew what they were saying. They knew they were proclaiming this is the Messiah. They knew they were proclaiming that.

But their baggage of horrible teaching took them away from that. And within a week, in a few days, they're saying, crucify Him. This is not the Messiah. Everything they had seen, everything they heard, everything their mouths testified to, they put aside and said, crucify him. We know this is the Christ.

In Zechariah 11, Zechariah 11 prophesies about Judas paying 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus to the point of even throwing it back. Judas, after he betrays Jesus, goes to the temple and throws it back in the temple, gives him back, throws back the 30 pieces. He's shameful of it and then goes and dies. That was prophesied in Zechariah. Jesus' trial, Jesus' trial, his beating, his mockery, it's all recorded in Matthew 26 and 27.

In Matthew 26 and 27 Almost exactly you you take Matthew 25 or 26 and 27 line it up the Isaiah 52 and 53 This is the Messiah This is the Messiah And you have Zechariah 13 saying strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Isaiah 50 verse 1, I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked out the beard." Right down to those details, I did not hide my face from shame and spitting. Those are details, prophetic details, not generic things of what will happen, but very specific. And it's Jesus, his death, Jesus' death. Deuteronomy 21, from Deuteronomy 21, Galatians 3, helps explain Deuteronomy 31 by quoting it, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.

For it is written, in Deuteronomy 21, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. 500 years, right? I've just been quoting people. Let me give you some timeframes of when this happened. 500 years before Christ, Zechariah, in Zechariah 12 says, they will look on me whom they pierce.

Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son. 500 years before Zechariah. 700 years before Christ, all of Isaiah 53, all of Isaiah 53, as Christians, when we read Isaiah 53, we go straight to the crucifixion, so detailed, so clear, in there we have the Messiah who is Jesus. He's rejected, we see this in Isaiah 53, he's rejected, he's tortured, he's taking punishment for his sin. He's a slaughtered lamb in Isaiah 53.

There's lots of animals sacrificed, bulls, goats, lambs, lots of sacrifices. It's called out as the slaughtered lamb Of all the sacrifices the lamb It's the lamb that's the type of Christ that he points to and in John the Baptist says in John 1, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. It's called out as that lamb that's to be slaughtered and then was slaughtered. And in 1st Corinthians Paul puts this together for us, 1st Corinthians 5, for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. All the way back to the first giving of the Passover, just before Israel was set free from Egypt The Passover the Passover lamb its blood put on the doorpost covered them and the death passed over.

Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Josephus estimates 250, 000 lambs are sacrificed in Jerusalem during Passover. 250, 000. The people knew the imagery. They knew what it meant when John the Baptist said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

They knew what that meant. And then 1, 000, turn to Psalm 22, and then 1, 000 years before Christ, David writes Psalm 22. Psalm 22 is just complete with references to the Messiah. I don't know, I didn't ask, I didn't search. Off the top of my head it may be the most, the chapter of Psalms with the most references to the Messiah and his death.

Psalm 22, look at verse 1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me and from the words of my groaning? Then verses 16 through 18, For dogs have surrounded me, the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." And then verse 31, They will come and declare his righteousness to a people who will be born that he has done this. When you look at this in context, when you look at these specific words, this he has done this can be said it is done Or we may say it as Christ said it it is finished Psalm 22 Goes through the crucifixion talks about this crucifixion this 1000 years before. Crucifixion isn't even invented yet.

You've got 800 years, 900 years, whatever it is before crucifixion is even invented. 700 years for Isaiah and these details, these details. But it walks through this, it gives us This glimpse of this crucifixion of this slaughtered lamb, this one being sacrificed for us, and says it is finished. There is one sacrifice once and for all that will complete all sacrifices. No more needed.

No more needed. Because the work to save you from the wrath of God has been done by Jesus who is the Messiah, who is the Christ. So he dies, he's buried, and he doesn't stay dead, does he? Rises from the dead. These marks of the Messiah, resurrection.

Of these other things, there's only one person in history. If you just stop there. But if we just stop there, that saves no one. If Christ is dead, we're still not saved because our sins haven't been paid for. They haven't at that point.

But he rose from the dead. Matthew 16 21, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day." In Matthew 12, the scribes and Pharisees want to see a sign. Show us a sign! Now, Matthew 12, we're not even halfway through Matthew, I don't, I didn't go to look to see what Jesus had done. Show us a sign!

What? What more do you need? What more do you need? So what does Jesus do? He doesn't show them a sign although He's going to go and heal all day.

He's going to do more healings. They're welcome to come see. They're welcome to be part of those gatherings. It says, for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus also tells him destroy this temple and I'll raise it again in three days.

So then we get to Matthew 28. 28 verses 1 and 2. Now after the Sabbath, this is after Christ been crucified in a tomb and here we are. Now after the Sabbath as the first day of the week began to dawn, that would be Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it.

Verse 5, but the angel answered, and said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who is crucified, but he is not here, for he is risen. As he said, come, come see the place where the Lord lay." And in verse 9, and as they went, as these women went to tell Jesus disciples, disciples behold Jesus met them saying rejoice so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him he's alive He conquered the enemies of sin and death. The promise, Genesis 3 15, all the way through these several writers, you can look through all the books of the Old Testament and get here some way shape or form it's all there. A couple years ago as I was going through my reading plan one of things I tried to intentionally do when I was reading the parts especially the Old Testament was, show me Christ, show me Christ, show me Christ. And I was amazed at the places I hadn't seen Christ before that God that God's like here's Christ here's Christ here's Christ it just made the reading so much sweeter even numbers even Leviticus it just made it so much sweeter all over the place here's Christ so brethren verse after verse God has been gracious to us giving us this great treasure These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name brothers and sisters Jesus is the Messiah our Savior.

So here's the ultimate question. What will you do with this? What are you going to do with this? This march of Jesus being the Messiah, Are you going to believe it or reject it? I'll get to the believers here last.

Are you going to believe it or reject it? If the answer is, listen carefully, if the answer is I don't know, I need to think about it more. And your only two choices are believe or reject, you're rejecting it. You're in a state of rejection. You're saying, I don't know, it's a big decision.

Yes, it's the biggest thing, It's the most important thing you could ever think about and decide. It's bigger than marriage It's bigger than where you'll work. It's bigger than where you'll move, where you'll live. All you say, all your sins forgiven You're saying I see you think about it more, you're rejecting it. That is rejection.

Back to Nicodemus 3 verse 2, he saw the signs and he truly wanted to know if Jesus was the Christ and how to be redeemed. There were signs. There were marks of the Messiah all over scripture. And there were scribes and Pharisees that wanted a sign to show them. He might be, I need another sign.

Well, you've got signs all around you. You've got brethren all around you filled with the Holy Spirit that have talked about the transforming power of the gospel in their lives. I'm here to tell you, there will be one more sign. There's going to be one more sign. And when that one happens, it's too late.

It's going to be one more from Christ himself. One more mark of the Messiah when that one happens. It's too late. Matthew 24, 36-39, Jesus says, But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also were the coming of the Son of Man be.

For as in days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving a marriage. Just life was continuing and Noah had been preaching the gospel, a hundred years or so preaching the gospel. Like ah not today not today not today not today not today not today I'm not gonna believe I'm not gonna repent not gonna repent, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away. So also will be the coming of the Son of Man. The next sign is Christ is going to come.

Life will continue like it is now. I don't know it might be harder here, might be easier here, I don't know, but life will continue. There'll be births, there'll be marriages, there'll be celebrating of some sort, there'll be sadnesses, there'll be trials. Not today, not today, not today. Someone warned me whenever, in some sermon, whenever.

Maybe... Then you have Revelation. Revelation 1, 7 and 8. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, as was prophesied and is not prophesied, it is told us in Acts 1, as Jesus ascended so he would return again. Behold he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so amen.

I am the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord who is and who was and who is to come. He is coming again, but He is coming much different than His first coming. And it will be too late. Revelation 19, verse 11. Now I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

He's coming to judge. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that No one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. That is Jesus, and in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

14, and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." Not the picture you might have of Christ your Redeemer. It's not the picture I have of Christ my Redeemer. That's the picture of Christ the righteous judge.

He'll be feared by any, by many, but not by all. Those that are Christians have nothing to fear that day. Nothing to fear. Hebrews 9 tells us, as it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment. Matthew 25 after the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus says, and these will go away into everlasting punishment, hell, but the righteous into eternal life.

You don't have to have this judgment for your sins on you. You don't have to pay the price. You don't have to have the eternal punishment on you. All you need to do is to be righteous. That's it.

Just need to be righteous. And you know you're not. You know you're not. You know you've sinned. I don't care how young you are.

You, the youngest one here didn't have close to the sins I have, but you have sinned. You disobeyed your mom dishonored your parents lied to your parents gave a little bit of a fit when asked to eat when told to eat your food or you couldn't go outside, stole a penny. Wrath of God, you're just piling up the wages that can never be paid on your own. Because God is holy and tells you to you must be holy you must be righteous Jesus as I've been saying Jesus came Jesus who is God came live the life we could have lived he lived the perfect life the marks of the Messiah are there piled and piled and piled and piled on that you would know he is the Christ. He's the one that lived righteously and died the death that he didn't deserve but we deserved.

But when he took on your sin he now deserved the wrath of God. He became our sin. That he knew no sin might become sin and might have his righteousness. He died the death that we deserve and then conquered sin and death by raising from the dead and for all who repent and trust in him alone for salvation will be saved. John 11, after raising Lazarus from the dead, says, I am the resurrection of life.

He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die and Jesus is not me these are G this is Jesus question at the end of that says right and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die Jesus says ask do you believe this you have to believe that you have to There's no other name given among men whereby you must be saved. Only the name of Christ. Only the works of Christ. Only the trust of Christ.

I don't care how young you are, you have sinned enough to deserve the wrath of God. And I don't care how smart you are, you've been trying for 2, 000 years, how smart you are, You cannot predict when that last sign comes and it's too late. You will not. You will not. Jesus doesn't know it.

Jesus is shielding himself from it and He's God. I don't know it. And I'm not living in fear of that day. If I'm alive when Christ returns again, I'm not living in fear of that day. If I die before Christ returns, I'm not in fear of that day.

I've dealt with fears in that. Every once in a while that pops up. But I'm not in fear of that day. Because I look at scripture and God's been so gracious and so kind. Give me all these marks to convince me because he's given me his grace, his spirit within me, he's given me the gift of faith as he's given all Christians.

Yes, this is my Christ. This is the Messiah. This is my Savior. And though I may die, I will live again. As I said at the beginning, that's you.

Repent now. And over the fellowship meal, don't hesitate to sell somebody. Children, if it's you, tell your parents, they will love hearing it. They will rejoice like you've never seen them ever rejoice at anything with you ever before in your life. It's not the reason to repent, to get their rejoicing and their approval.

No, it's just we rejoice because the angel in heaven rejoiced because it shows the effect of the gospel of the work of Christ. And we know you live. If you're an adult, husband, wife, tell your spouse, tell a friend. Don't get caught up in the talk that we'll have this afternoon. Tell somebody and then let's go get you baptized and proclaim before everybody that Jesus is your Christ.

Christian, Christian. Now this hit me a few weeks ago when Jason was reading one of the texts in Luke about God's healing people, Jesus who's got healing people all day. I walked away with that. Just great assurance. Look what Christ will do to give me assurance.

Look at the depths he'll go to show that he is the Christ. And since that week, whenever it was several weeks ago, I've been walking around, I walk around a lot, my children hear this a lot more from me now than maybe they ever have in my life. Just tell them, Let me tell you about what Christ did today. Let me tell you about how I went into this my workday or had some discomfort, sickness this week a little bit. I have no idea what it really was.

Had some other things going on. Let me tell you what God did and I wasn't even thinking this way. I didn't even pray or I cried out to God and let me tell you what He did. And God is showing me every single day, you are the Christ. Holy Spirit, you are holding us.

Holy Spirit, you are keeping us, you are sanctifying us, you are giving me so much joy, letting me see these things. Thank you, open my eyes more. And then on top of that I hear from you all at prayer meetings or Sundays or other times of what Christ said, yes, That's the power of God. So Christian, be assured. Jesus is the Messiah.

He is the Christ. He is the Savior. He is the Word made flesh. He is the Redeemer. He is the Almighty God.

He is the way, the truth, and the life, the good shepherd, the bread of life. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Oh God, thank you, how gracious of you, how kind of you, an everlasting kindness, everlasting mercy, grace for grace. Thank you. Thank you for the assurance that you give us and God please say Since you have not come and given that last sign that you're the Messiah, I trust you haven't because there are more to save.

More that you've written in that Lamb's Book of Life. We're people whose sin you have paid the price for. So God save. And please be gracious to us and let us see that in this place Please let us see that Thank you God. Amen