The Early Church’s Message

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and filled all the believers who were present in the Upper Room. The group then went to the temple courts where Peter stood up with the Eleven. He raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say” (Acts 2:14). He declared that what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy regarding the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days. Then he said, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:22-24).

After he made several references to the patriarch David’s statements about Messiah, Peter concluded with this pointed application, “’Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:36-41).

This passage is a very important one because it sets forth what the early church’s message was and what people needed to do to be saved and become part of the church. Let’s go back and look at the points that Peter made to them. First of all, there was the call to repent. People needed to repent of their sins and for their part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While they had been part of the conspiracy of the Jewish leadership to have him crucified, Scripture makes it clear that his death on the cross was all part of God’s plan of salvation. Our sins, the New Testament states, were part of the reason that Jesus died on the cross (see 1 John 4:10). Since everyone has sinned, everyone needs to repent.

Secondly, through his address he affirmed who Jesus was—the Christ or Messiah and what he did—die on the cross. He also emphasized the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. These things were all part of what his followers believed and they shared their faith to others in witness. Christians believe this and much more about the person of Jesus Christ. We are saved by believing in our hearts and confessing with our mouths (see Romans 10:9-10).

Thirdly, Peter called upon them to be baptized. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Messiah, had begun his ministry by challenging the people of Israel to repent of their sins and be baptized (see Mark 1:4). To this message the Church would add faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Baptism is the outward sign of what has spiritually occurred in our hearts. We also identify with him and with all others who have accepted him as Saviour and Lord. This is the bottom line, so to speak, of what you need to do in order to be saved and join the church. Repent of sins, believe the Gospel, and be baptized. Have you done this?

Musings about the Messiah

The many promises and prophecies in Hebrew Scriptures led devout Jews to anticipate a coming of Messiah. Simeon and Anna, two elderly persons described in Luke 2, represent many others who also shared this hope. The Scriptures also foretold the appearance of a forerunner before the revelation of the Messiah. The emergence of John the Baptist was seen as the fulfillment of this prophecy: "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (Matthew 3:1-3).

Some people living then thought that John the Baptist was the Messiah but he pointed them to Jesus Christ and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me’" (John 1:29-30). Later when John was in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus and asked him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”(Matthew 11:2-3). Apparently, John was experiencing some doubt about who Jesus was and just wanted to make sure that Jesus really was the Messiah. This is not all that uncommon--who among has not had occasional questions about Jesus Christ.

Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah. As proof, believers point to various Scriptures that indicate the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies in Christ. Some of these are general enough in nature that a good number of others could claim (and many have) to be Messiah. For instance, Messiah was to come through the house and line of David. Critics would characterize certain other prophecies as being self-fulfilled by Jesus. As a knowledgeable Jew, he was familiar with passages such as Zechariah 9:9--the prophecy about Messiah entering Jerusalem by riding on a donkey. Even if you accept the miracles of Jesus as authentic (and not the made-up preaching of the Early Church)--there were a number of other individuals in the Bible that were able to do miraculous signs (Moses, Elijah, etc.) and they obviously were not the Messiah.

The Jewish problem with Jesus as Messiah boils down to two major points. First, if Jesus were the Messiah, what happened to the Kingdom. Since no kingdom materialized then he must not have been the Messiah. By the way, his own disciples were also looking for a kingdom right up and until his ascension (See Acts 1). Secondly, Jewish theological beliefs about the holiness of God prohibit the Messiah from being both God and man. However, the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7 indicates that the child to be born would be called, "Mighty God and Everlasting Father."

So how can we know that Jesus truly was the Messiah? 1) Overwhelming evidence is provided through the abundance of Scriptures and prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus. 2) A proper understanding of his first appearance and what was accomplished, along with the present spiritual nature of the Kingdom, indicates that he is the Messiah. When he comes again, a literal Kingdom will be realized. 3) Jesus said that he was the Messiah (see John 4:26 and Mark 14:61-62). 4) His resurrection from the dead proves his uniqueness but ultimately it comes down to a matter of faith. When you believe, you are given confirmation through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Why is this important? Because God promised a Messiah and he has kept his word. Even more basic, why was a Messiah necessary? Because the sinful condition of the world required a Saviour. When Jesus comes again in power and glory, he will usher in the Kingdom. You can experience that peace and prosperity (spiritual blessings) now through faith.

Why Bethlehem?

Why did God choose Bethlehem to be the birthplace of Messiah? Most people answer by saying that because of the prophecy Messiah would be born there (see Matthew 2:4-6). This leads us to ask, "Why did God say that through the prophet Micah?" (5:2) One of the answers to this question is that Bethlehem was the "Town of David." This raises yet another question that I will attempt to answer below, "Why David?"

The Lord sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a King to replace Saul (see 1 Samuel 16:1-3). God indicated that he had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be the next king of Israel. "When Samuel saw Eliab and thought, 'Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.'But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart'” (1 Samuel 16:6-7). Then Jesse called his other sons to pass before Samuel, but he said, "'The LORD has not chosen these. So he asked Jesse, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse answered. 'He is tending the sheep.' Samuel said, 'Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.'So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.'So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah" (1 Samuel 16:11-13).

This passage provides some insight into why God chose David. It was not because he was the youngest and had handsome features! The fact that he was a shepherd might have had something to do with it (see Micah 5:4-5). When the Lord first told Samuel that he was going to have him anoint a new king, this is what he had Samuel say to Saul, "'But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command'" (1 Samuel 13:14). God chose David because of his heart. We can see the heart of David in his fight with Goliath; also in his Psalms, and in his desire to build the Temple. While David had a great heart--it was not a perfect one. But that's what Christmas is all about--the birth of a Savior (see Acts 13:22 and Luke 2:10-11).

Lastly, Bethlehem means "House of Bread." Surrounding the town are many grain fields (see Ruth 1). It is of no surprise then that the One who would be the "Bread of Life" was born there (see John 6:35-51).