By James J. Fire
The WORD Incarnate was made flesh and sent to this fallen world; He came to His own (Israel) for a very specific purpose, for the time was fulfilled that He should appear to His kinsmen. And what was this purpose? What was His mission?
The MISSION Of the MESSIAH –
MATTHEW 10:5-7
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
When sought after by a Gentile woman, a Canaanite, to heal her daughter, the LORD replied to her:
MATTHEW 15:24
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The prophet Isaiah has been long known as the Messianic prophet and for good reason; a vast quantity of his writing, particularly from chapter 40 and on, deals with the Messiah. The Gospel of Matthew employs the Scriptures from this particular prophet most readily, as observed here, regarding the Mission of the Messiah:
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By James Fire
JESUS, THE WAY OF SALVATION!
One day, the Man from Galilee came to the river bank of Jordan where John was baptizing and I can well imagine that when their eyes met, John must have smiled with recognition of two sorts. Firstly, he recognized his cousin, for Jesus and John were just that. Secondly, he recognized by divine revelation that Jesus was far more than merely that!
The Baptist stepped forward, wading in the streams of Jordan, pointing his finger and shouting, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world!” JOHN 1:29b.That term “lamb of God” would be familiar to the Jewish nation for they were accustomed to offering up lambs in sacrifice for their personal sins at the Temple, an institution God established through Moses, and was carried on some forty years after the crucifixion of Jesus (before it was destroyed by the Roman army led by General Titus in 70 AD). However, this was a lamb with a difference! This was the very Lamb of God!
Such was prophesied by ISAIAH which we just read,
ISAIAH 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isaiah says much about the Messiah and His mission –
ISAIAH 53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5)But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6)All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
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