THAT PROPHET

Notice the questions that the leaders of Israel asked John the Baptist:

John 1:19-27: This was John's answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" John didn't refuse to answer. He told them clearly, "I'm not the Messiah." They asked him, "Well, are you, Elijah?" John answered, "No, I'm not." Then they asked, "Are you the prophet?" John replied, "No."

So they asked him, "Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John said, "I'm a voice crying out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord -  Yehovah straight,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

Some of those who had been sent were Pharisees.

They asked John, "Why do you baptize if you're not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?"

John answered them, "I baptize with water. Someone you don't know is standing among you. He's the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap."

John was pointing to the one who was prophesied to come as THAT PROPHET AND THE MESSIAH.

We know that after Jesus was baptized by John in the River Jordan he began a ministry that clearly showed that he was THAT PROPHET AND God’s anointed one, THE MESSIAH!

Notice Matthew 5: where Jesus is giving to Israel New Covenant instructions acting as THAT PROPHET that Moses said would come, a man like unto him:

Deuteronomy 18:15-18: Yehovah your God will send you A PROPHET, an Israelite like me. You must listen to him. This is what you asked Yehovah your God to give you on the day of the assembly at Mount Horeb. You said, "We never want to hear the voice of Yehovah our God or see this raging fire again. If we do, we'll die!" Yehovah told me, "What they've said is good. So I will send them a prophet, an Israelite like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. Whoever refuses to listen to the words THAT PROPHET speaks in my name will answer to me.

Notice:

Acts 3:22-23: For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A PROPHET shall the Lord -Yehovah your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every person, who will not hear THAT PROPHET, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Acts 7:37: This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A PROPHET shall the Lord - Yehovah your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear.

Now let’s return to Matthew chapter 5 and see the new covenant instructions – Torah, Jesus is giving to Israel to understand and obey.

Matthew 5:1-33: When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them:

"Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

blessed are those who mourn. They will be comforted.

Blessed are those who are gentle. They will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God's approval. They will be satisfied.

blessed are those who show mercy. They will be treated mercifully.

Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure. They will see God.

Blessed are those who make peace. They will be called God's children.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven! The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.

"You are salt for the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

"You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lampstand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. in the same way, let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.

"Don't ever think that I came to set aside Moses' Teachings or the Prophets. I didn't come to set them aside but to make them come true. I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from Moses' Teachings before everything has come true.

So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God's approval and does it more faithfully than the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Never murder. Whoever murders will answer for it in court.' But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in the lake of fire.

"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember there that another believer has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. First, go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift.

"Make peace quickly with your opponent while you are on the way to court with him. Otherwise, he will hand you over to the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison.

I can guarantee this truth: You will never get out until you pay every penny of your fine.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Never commit adultery.' But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.

"So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it thrown into the lake of fire.

And if your right-hand leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have all of it go into the lake of fire.

"It has also been said: 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a written notice.' But I can guarantee that any man who divorces his wife for any reason other than unfaithfulness makes her look as though she has committed adultery. Whoever marries a woman divorced in this way makes himself look as though he has committed adultery.

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Never break your oath, but give to the Lord - Yehovah what you swore in an oath to give him.' But I tell you don't swear an oath at all. Don't swear an oath by heaven, which is God's throne, or by the earth, which is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King. And don't swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to oppose an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn your other cheek to him as well. If someone wants to sue you in order to take your shirt, let him have your coat too. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don't turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I tell you this: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In this way, you show that you are children of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He lets rain fall on them whether they are just or unjust. If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that! Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that! That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Continue Matthew 6:1-34:

"Be careful not to do your good works in public in order to attract attention. If you do, your Father in heaven will not reward you. So when you give to the poor, don't announce it with trumpet fanfare. This is what hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets in order to be praised by people. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

“When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you. “When you pray, don’t ramble like heathens who think they’ll be heard if they talk a lot. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Give us our daily bread today. Forgive us as we forgive others. Don’t allow us to be tempted. Instead, rescue us from the evil one.

“If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures.

“When you fast, stop looking sad like hypocrites. They put on sad faces to make it obvious that they’re fasting. I can guarantee this truth: That will be their only reward. When you fast, wash your face and comb your hair. Then your fasting won’t be obvious. Instead, it will be obvious to your Father who is with you in private. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.

“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don’t destroy and thieves don’t break in and steal. Your heart will be where your treasure is.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!

“No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth. “So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes?  “Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying? “And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers. That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith? “Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them.

First, seek the kingship/kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. “So don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Continue Matthew 7:1-29:

"Stop judging so that you will not be judged." Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you. So why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer's eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to another believer, 'Let me take the piece of sawdust out of your eye,' when you have a beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First, remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer's eye.

"Don't give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and then tear you to pieces.

"Ask, and you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

"If your child asks you for bread, would any of you give him a stone? Or if your child asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? Even though you're evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

"Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is [the meaning of] Moses' Teachings and the Prophets.

"Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.

"Beware of false prophets. They come to you disguised as sheep, but in their hearts, they are vicious wolves. You will know them by what they produce."

People don't pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles, do they? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit. Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire. So you will know them by what they produce.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven - God, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants.

Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?'

Then I will tell them publicly, 'I've never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.'

"Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on the rock. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

"Everyone who hears what I say but doesn't obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster."

When Jesus finished this speech, the crowds were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their scribes, he taught them with authority. [The authority of THAT PROPHET that was prophesied to come – Deuteronomy 18:15]

Notice the following John 7:37-46: On the last and most important day of the festival [of Tabernacles – Booths], Jesus was standing [in the temple courtyard]. He said loudly:

"Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink. As Scripture says, 'Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.'"

Jesus said this about the Spirit, which his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified.

After some of the crowd heard Jesus say these words, they said, "This man is certainly THE PROPHET."

Other people said, "This man is THE MESSIAH."

Still, other people asked, "How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Doesn't Scripture say that the Messiah will come from the descendants of David and from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?"

So the people were divided because of Jesus.

Some of them wanted to arrest him, but they couldn't. When the temple guards returned, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, "Why didn't you bring Jesus?" The temple guards answered, "No human has ever spoken like this man."

An amazing testimony that Jesus was THAT PROPHET AND THE MESSIAH!

Proof Jesus gave to Israel that he was the Messiah

Matthew 8:3-4: And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said unto him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Why did Jesus tell the man healed of leprosy to show himself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony unto them [the priests]

The reason was to show them that he was the Messiah, for up until that time no one had ever been healed of leprosy, no one!

Now we know that Israel’s leaders and many of the people of Israel rejected the teachings of Jesus and thus rejected him as THAT PROPHET that was prophesied to come and the coming one that all the Old Testament saints looked for, THE MESSIAH.

However, many did believe that he was that Prophet and the Messiah but were afraid to say so for fear that the Pharisees would have them cast our of the synagogue. After the resurrection and as a result of the words that Peter spoke to Israel on the day of Pentecost many believed and were baptized and became new creations in the lord Messiah Jesus will to obey all the word their God Yehovah had given to Jesus to give to them.

At the time of their baptism, they were grafted into the true Israel of Yehovah. All those who rejected Jesus as their Messiah became branches that were broken off of the olive tree – Israel that Paul speaks about in Romans 11th chapter.

Now at this time in history all Jews and Gentiles who have walked into the waters of baptism dying to self in the process come out of the water as new creations in the lord Messiah Jesus, receiving the Spirit of the only true God Yehovah and the spirit of His son Jesus.

They also have been grafted into the true Israel of God. Also we know that as the result of their baptism have been placed as sons in the household of God.

We also know that those in the Messiah Jesus have been bought and paid for by his blood that he shed when he became a sin-offering sacrifice and as such are the slaves of Jesus who acting as the agent of God means we are the slaves of God.

So we die to self in order to live, we become slaves of God and sons of God at the same time and become brothers and sisters to the lord Messiah Jesus.

What an amazing result of God’s grace toward all those who are His!

Now we are to go forth doing the good works he has called us to do to bring glory to His name Yehovah.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul, having said that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works, goes on to say, “For we are His workmanship, created in the Messiah Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (v.10).

Why did God make of us a new creation in the Messiah?

So that we may be “created in the Messiah Jesus for good works”! Good works are what God created us for. And He foreordained “that we should walk in them” IN ORDER TO GLORIFY HIM. These works are produced by “His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20; Colossians 1:29).

Jesus our Lord “gave himself for us [as a sin-offering sacrifice], that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14, NKJV).