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The Time Had Fully Come

The Time Had Fully Come. “Life & Ministry of the Messiah, Part 2” from “That the World May Know” series. Lessons in the Wilderness.

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The Time Had Fully Come

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  1. The Time Had Fully Come “Life & Ministry of the Messiah, Part 2” from “That the World May Know” series

  2. Lessons in the Wilderness • Deuteronomy 8 “2Remember the whole way by which hehas brought you these forty years through the desertso that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. 3 So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach youthat humankind cannot live by breadalone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.”

  3. Lessons in the Wilderness • Deuteronomy 8 “15…who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpentsand scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flowfrom a flint rock and” • God used the desert to take Israel from an undisciplined, unfaithful rabble into a powerful nation called to obey Him • The Essenes knew their history

  4. Lessons in the Wilderness • How did God use the desert to prepare Israel? • Genesis 12:1-9 • Exodus 2:15-22; 3:1 • I Samuel 23:19-25; 24:1-2

  5. Zin Valley in the Negev

  6. Single tree in the Negev Desert

  7. Midian

  8. Wilderness/Desert Of Ziph

  9. Desert of En-Gedi

  10. Lessons in the Wilderness • How did God use the desert to prepare Israel? • Genesis 12:1-9 (Negev) • Exodus 2:15-22; 3:1 (Midian) • I Samuel 23:19-25; 24:1-2 (Ziph/En-Gedi) • Discussion groups

  11. Lessons in the Wilderness • How did God use the desert to prepare Israel? • Genesis 12:1-9 • God calls Abram to leave his homeland • Promises blessings • Abraham travels down to the Negev

  12. Lessons in the Wilderness • How did God use the desert to prepare Israel? • Exodus 2:15-22; 3:1 • Moses fled to the desert, Sinai peninsula and Arabia • There he met his future wife and father-in-law • There he learned how to be a shepherd • It was there that God appeared to him in the burning bush • FYI – the Midianites were the descendants of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah (Gen 25:1-2)

  13. Lessons in the Wilderness • How did God use the desert to prepare Israel? • I Samuel 23:19-25; 24:1-2 • David hid from Saul in the strongholds of Horesh among the Ziphites • David also hid in the desert strongholds of En-Gedi • Just read David’s Psalms to see how much he trusted God, even in the worst of situations

  14. Lessons in the Wilderness • The 40 years in the wilderness show up again and again in the Biblical text as • Reminders of God’s faithful love (Psalms 105:38-45; 107:4-5) • Lessons Israel learned there (Jer 2:6; 7:22-24; Micah 6:3-5) • Jesus used lessons from the wilderness to counter Satan’s temptations when he quoted Deut 6:16 in Matt 4:7

  15. Lessons in the Wilderness • Israel was very familiar with the wilderness (we would call it desert) • The wilderness is next door to where most Israelites lived • The Negev is just 40 miles S of Jerusalem • The Judea Wilderness can be seen from Jerusalem just to the E and running 50 miles N to S

  16. Lessons in the Wilderness • Of course the wilderness is where the Israelites wandered for 40 years • The wilderness is where Jesus went and was tempted by Satan

  17. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Luke 1 “68Blessedbe the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to helpand has redeemedhis people. 69 Forhe has raised upa horn of salvationfor us in the house of his servant David,70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,...” • The words of Zechariah after the birth of John the Baptist

  18. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • God used the wilderness to show Israel that they had to depend on him • Israel learned what God wanted and learned to look to Him for everything they needed

  19. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why did John the Baptist go into the wilderness? • Matthew 3:1-6

  20. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Matthew 3 “1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wildernessof Judea proclaiming, 2 “Repent,for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken:“The voiceof one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

  21. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Matthew 3 “4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.5 Then people from Jerusalem,as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 6 and he was baptizing themin the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.”

  22. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Jesus was tempted in the wilderness • The same wilderness where Qumran was located • How did Jesus respond to Satan’s temptations? • The word of God • Deut 8:13 (…by bread alone…) • Deut 6:13 (…worship the Lord your God…) • Deut 6:16 (…do not test the Lord…)

  23. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why was Jesus’ temptation important? • I Corinthians 10:13 • Hebrews 2:14-18

  24. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why was Jesus’ temptation important? • I Corinthians 10 “13 No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others.And God is faithful: Hewill not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear,but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

  25. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why was Jesus’ temptation important? • Hebrews 2 “14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared intheir humanity,so that through death he could destroythe one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), 15 and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death

  26. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why was Jesus’ temptation important? • Hebrews 2 “16 For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. 17 Therefore he hadto be made like his brothers and sistersin every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonementfor the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”

  27. God Brings Redemption through the Wilderness • Why was Jesus’ temptation important? • I Corinthians 10:13 • Hebrews 2:14-18 • Discussion Groups

  28. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • Isaiah 55 “10The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.”

  29. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • God worked with/through many different people to prepare the way for His Son to come • He chose Abraham • He chose Jacob/Israel • He chose David • He exiled Israel, but then also brought them back • He even used the Essenes of Qumran

  30. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • How did God use the Essenes? • They provided a cultural context • They provided a theological context • Jesus’ message fell on fertile soil • Soil/minds that had been prepared to hear

  31. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • What were some of the ways the Essenes helped prepare the way? • Held their personal possessions in common (Acts 2:42-45) • Practiced a ceremonial meal that they associated with the Messiah (Matt 26:26-29) • Practiced ceremonial cleansings symbolizing repentance and forgiveness (John 3:22-23; Acts 2:36-41)

  32. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • What do the following 2 verses tell you about God’s timing and plans? • Galatians 4:4-5 • Romans 8:28

  33. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • Gal 4 “4 But when the appropriate timehad come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.” • Rom 8 “28 And we know that all things work togetherfor good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,”

  34. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • What do the following 2 verses tell you about God’s timing and plans? • Galatians 4:4-5 • Romans 8:28 • Discussion Groups

  35. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • What do these verses tells you about God’s timing in our lives?

  36. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • What can we learn from the Essenes? • They were committed • They set themselves apart • They studied God’s word • They practiced repentance, forgiveness and pure living • Are you willing to make the same level of commitment?

  37. A Community Set Apart to Fulfill God’s Plan • Psalm 33 “11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever; his plans abide throughout the ages.” • God has a plan – are we part of it? • God has a plan – are we supporting it?

  38. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • Isaiah 9 “2 The people walking in darkness see a bright light;light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness.” • Not only were their practices in some ways similar to those of early Christians, but also their beliefs and terminology

  39. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • Their beliefs and terminology similarities • Sons of light -- Light and darkness • Belial -- Poor in spirit • Melchizedek -- Son of God • Son of the Most High • Way of the Lord

  40. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • They interpreted prophecy as being fulfilled in their time • So did the early Christians • Matthew 3:1-3 (Isaiah 40:3) • Luke 4:14-21 (Isaiah 61:1-2a & 58:6) • Luke 18:31-33 (several, Is 50:6) • Acts 2:14-36 (Joel 2:28-32)

  41. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • Essenes traced the Messiah’s priesthood to Melchizedek, not Aaron • Luke 1:31-33 • Hebrews 7:1-22 • Discussion

  42. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • Not all Essene beliefs lined up with Christian beliefs • Believed in 2 Messiahs (a priest and a king in 2 separate people) • Their belief of a need to live separately/apart from the world

  43. Preparing Hearts and Mind to Receive the Messiah • Some have tried to associate John the Baptist with Qumran and the Essenes • There are many similarities • However there are also differences/omissions • Was never identified as an Essene • Can’t be historically placed at Qumran • Seemed to not be a member of a community • Preached publicly, did not live like a monk

  44. Called to Evangelize, Not to Separate • Mark 16 “14 Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.”

  45. Called to Evangelize, Not to Separate • While the Essenes tried to honor God, but their separatist method was the opposite of Christ’s • Christ taught His disciples “to go”, to associate with the lost, not avoid them • Matthew 28:19-20 & Mark 16:15-16 (Great commission) • Matthew 5:13-16 (salt and light)

  46. Called to Evangelize, Not to Separate • The New Testament record shows • Romans 1:8 (faith proclaimed…the world) • Colossians 1:3-6 (…bearing fruit and growing…) • I Thessalonians 1:6-8 (…from you…echoed forth…)

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