Genesis chapter 3, I taught this material a couple of months ago at a Wednesday night Bible study. I mentioned that at a Tuesday night Bible study in South Surrey, one of the dear brethren asked about Old Testament saints and what they understood concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. We often talk about the fact that He alone is the way of salvation, both in the New Covenant and in the Old Covenant, and we always impress or hopefully encourage us to consider that He is the alone Redeemer of God's elect. But what did the Old Testament believers know concerning the Lord Jesus Christ?

So, we're going to look at several lines of thought this evening. We're going to first start in Genesis chapter 3. So, I will read the chapter beginning in verse 1. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself. And he said, Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate. And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.

So the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Then to Adam he said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, Curse it as the ground for your sake, and toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field, and the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also, for Adam and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil.

And now lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore, the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove out the man, and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Amen.

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for this Sabbath day. We thank you for the supper that you provide to us. You are the householder.

You are the sovereign in this place. And we give praise to you that you refresh us weary pilgrims with this covenantal feast. We pray, God, that you would bless and encourage our hearts and strengthen us and cause our faith to grow even more so in that blessed one who came to live and to die and to rise again for his people. that One promised here in Genesis 3.15, that One promised throughout the Old Testament, that One who comes in the fullness of the times, born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law. How we praise You for so great a salvation.

How we thank You that we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. We thank You as well for that righteousness that You have clothed us with, Even as you did with Adam and Eve, you took this animal, you killed it before them, and you clothed them, you made a covering for them. In this we greatly rejoice, Most High God. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would guide us now, that He indeed would shine the light in our hearts, that we may appreciate and see the glory of Jesus Christ, specifically as revealed in the Old Testament.

We pray that you would forgive us for all of our sins and all of our transgressions. Watch over your saints here. Save sinners and be glorified in this place. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Introduction

Well, I believe this is a good question and one that does deserve an answer to see what the Old Testament saints knew concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. And our Confession of Faith, I think, has a most excellent section dealing with what's called covenant theology. And in chapter 7, in paragraph 3, they write, it says specifically, this covenant, speaking of the covenant of grace, is revealed in the Gospel. First of all, to Adam, in the promise of salvation, by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament.

So the first promise of the gospel is found here in Genesis chapter 3. You'll remember the scene, of course. God made man upright. He put him in a garden paradise.

A temple, really, where God would commune with His creatures, and instead of being obedient, instead of pursuing righteousness and doing what God commands, they rather rebel against Him. And as a result, they plunge themselves and their posterity into sin. So when the Lord God is aware of this, and the text reads that way, it doesn't actually mean that he's become aware. When he asks the questions, it's not for his benefit.

It rather is to expose Adam in his transgression. It's akin to seeing your child covered with chocolate, and you know that he has taken cookies out of the cookie jar. When you say to him, have you been into the cookie jar? You're not asking for your benefit, you're asking for His benefit.

This is your opportunity to come clean. This is your opportunity to renounce, to repent, and to, you know, deal with me in righteousness. So God comes and addresses Adam and Eve and the serpent. And in the first place, He addresses the serpent.

We find that in verses 14 to 15. So the Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And here's the specific promise.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. This is the first promise of the Redeemer, the first promise of the Deliverer. a promise that is alluded to in the New Testament Scriptures. It is foundational.

It is something that we ought to be well aware of. And I want to draw out four observations specifically here from Genesis 3.15, and then we'll move on to consider what Old Testament believers knew concerning Christ.

The Protoevangelium: Genesis 3:15

In the first place, this text tells us that

Redeemer Born of a Woman

the Redeemer would be a man born of a woman. and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed." In other words, the Deliverer, the Redeemer, the One to come to save His people from their sins would not be an angelic being. He would be a man born of a woman. This jives with what we find in Galatians 4. I just cited it in prayer.

In the fullness of the time, God sent forth His Son born of a woman and born under born of a woman and born under the law. And some have observed that the reference simply to the woman at least gives a hint or an indication of the virgin birth. He doesn't say, I'm between your seed and her seed. It's a her specifically.

That doesn't negate the reality that Joseph was used instrumentally in bringing up the Lord Jesus. But there is at least a shadow or a hint that the deliverer would be born of a woman, and this at least makes a hat tip towards the virgin birth.

Victory Through Suffering

A second observation is the Redeemer would accomplish victory through suffering. Notice at the end of verse 15, He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel. So when the Redeemer, who is a man, is born of a woman and comes into this world, we expect that He will know suffering. And the prophets everywhere testify concerning this.

Isaiah 53. He was a man of sorrows. He was acquainted with grief. He would accomplish victory through suffering.

As we move on, however, we ought to notice,

Victory Through Death

thirdly, that the Redeemer would accomplish victory through death. It's not just suffering that's in view in 315. But most likely, most probably, there is a reference to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, He shall bruise your head.

This is the soul-crushing seed of the woman who brings His foot to bear on the serpent's head and crushes Him. But notice, and you shall bruise His heel. Now, head and heel here is probably not just comparative. I used to believe that's what was in view.

When Christ comes and Christ suffers on the cross, He will indeed destroy the works of the devil. He will crush the head of the serpent. And in so doing, he will receive a wound. He will be hurt.

He will receive that pain. And it's comparatively smaller than what the serpent himself suffers. It's a heel wound rather than a head wound. But Michael Reitlnick, in his very excellent book called The Messianic Hope, indicates that what's in view with this heel being bruised is most likely a reference to the death of Christ.

You think about it. Where is a serpent most likely to bite you? Most likely, a serpent is not going to rise up and bite you in the neck. It is most appropriate to consider that a serpent would bite the heel of a particular individual.

Now, Reitlnick says that since in the context the tempter has taken the form of a serpent, it is likely that the tempter's blow would be equated with a serpent's bite. I think we can all agree that that's a legitimate implication. He says, and in the case of this animal, the Hebrew generally uses it to speak of a venomous and a lethal snake. Most likely, therefore, the text is speaking of two comparable death blows.

It's not comparative, but rather it is comparable. The future Redeemer will strike the head of the tempter and thereby kill it. And at the same time, the tempter will strike the heel of the Redeemer and kill Him. Now ultimately, the God of heaven and earth is sovereign.

It pleased the Lord to bruise Him, putting Him to grief. But the allusion here, or the reference here, is not just victory through suffering, but victory through death. And then we ought to appreciate,

Total and Decisive Victory

in the fourth place, that the Redeemer would indeed accomplish total victory. That's what's indicated here in the skull-crushing seed of the woman. The rest of the Bible evidences or manifests that this is indeed the case. Colossians 1, verse 13.

Just a few passages that indicate that what Jesus accomplishes at the cross is decisive. It's a total victory over the forces of darkness. Colossians 1.13, He has delivered us from the power of darkness. He has conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 2.15, having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Hebrews 2.14 Inasmuch, then, as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." And then 1 John chapter 3, one of those very specific declarative statements concerning the mission and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John 3 verse 7 says, Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil.

For the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. When does Jesus destroy the works of the devil? He destroys the works of the devil in his death.

He does it at the cross. He brings total victory to the people of God through His suffering and through His death and ultimately through His resurrection on the third day. So this being the first promise,

First Blood Atonement: Genesis 3:21

let's look secondly at the first instance of blood atonement. If you're not in Genesis 3, you can go back to Genesis chapter 3. We know in the book of Hebrews we're told that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. And the first instance of blood atonement is found here in Genesis chapter 3, very specifically at verse 21.

Also, for Adam and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them." A very intriguing study, Genesis chapter 3. I mean, probably you could spend the rest of your life each and every day meditating and contemplating on Genesis 3 and find new things each and every time. I mean, it really is a glorious chapter of Scripture in terms of its theological import. Remember that when Adam and Eve sin, they run from God.

They hide from God. They hide in the trees that the Lord God had made. I mean, it's really kind of sad to watch them at this particular juncture. I mean, they sin against a sovereign, omnipotent being, and they think they can run and hide from Him.

They make fig leaves to cover themselves. They are attempting what man always attempts apart from the grace of God, trying to deal with their own sin, trying to find self-atonement, trying to find escape, trying to find a hiding place, trying to cover through their own works or through their own efforts or through their own ideas, trying very feverishly to escape the ramifications of having sinned against a thrice holy God. They feel this keenly, and they try and undertake on their behalf. But when God comes to deal with them, we notice in verse 21, also for Adam and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them.

That means He killed an animal right before their eyes. That means He caused an animal to stop breathing, its heart to cease from beating. And then God took the skin from the animal and clothed them with it. John Gill says concerning this, but of creatures slain, not merely for this purpose, God brought a skin over them, nor for food, but for sacrifice, as a type of the woman's seed.

So you see, already God's promise, the skull-crushing seed of the woman, is going to come and deliver His people through suffering and death. And already on the heels of that, God is pointing them to that skull-crushing seed of the woman. Gil continues, whose heel was to be bruised, or who was to suffer death for the sins of men. And therefore, to keep up and direct the faith of our first parents to the slain Lamb of God from the foundation of the world, and of all believers in all ages, until the Messiah should come and die and become a sacrifice for sin, the sacrifices of slain beasts were appointed.

You see, this isn't just to cover them from the cold or the elements. This isn't just some symbolic ritual or rite. It typifies and points forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And we see, Genesis chapter 4, they pass this information on.

They taught their sons what it was to sacrifice. They taught Cain and Abel how they were to approach a holy God. In other words, you don't just wander into the presence of a holy God. You must come with sacrifice.

The same is true today, brethren. We don't just wander into this place like we wander into Walmart. We don't wander into this place like we wander into our own homes. This is the house of God Most High, and that God Most High is holy, holy, holy.

The whole earth is filled with His glory. That's why the Apostle Paul dictates and commands the conduct we are to have in the house of God Almighty. It's very intriguing in the instructions concerning the building of the tabernacle. God never tells Moses, in your own house Moses, have a couch here, have a chair here, have a bathroom here.

God does not regulate the personal private property of Moses, the prophet of God. But when it comes to the tabernacle, which will become the temple, which will ultimately point to the church, God does regulate, God does command, God gives very clear specifications on how we are to approach Him. Why? Because He's holy, He's righteous, He's glorious, He's majestic.

We don't wander into Him the way we wander into Walmart. We come before a holy God. They pass this information down, and notice in Genesis 4-4, Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering.

But he did not respect Cain in his offering, and Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." Let's just back up for a moment. Verse 1, now, Adam knew his wife, or Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord. Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And in the process of time, this is beautiful, it's actually at the end of days, Not at the end of all days, not the judgment day, but at the end of the days most likely of the week. You see, it was already early instituted based on God's creational ethics of Sabbathing that the people of God would then Sabbath likewise. At the end of days, the worshipers brought sacrifice to God. Sabbath isn't something made for Israel.

Sabbath was made for man, Genesis chapters 2 and 3, applied already here in Genesis chapter 4. It is given to Israel at Sinai, to be sure. It takes on the positive element of a Saturday observance, but it doesn't go away because of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ comes and restores it to its luster and to its beauty and its excellence.

In fact, in Hebrews 4 and 9 we're told, therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Certainly up in the future in terms of the eschaton, but right now. There are Sabbath rests every Lord's Day that serve to keep us pointed toward that eternal Sabbath rest that we have in Christ. Very intriguing that we see early worship here in Genesis 4.

At the end of days, they bring sacrifice. Abel brings blood. This is what we observe. As well, the Levitical sacrificial system.

The Levitical sacrificial system. What we find there is the same sort of thing. They bring blood. As Michael Morales says, the way to God where Israel's sins must be dealt with, expiated.

Only a cleansed humanity may belong to Yahweh. The way to God then is through a bloody knife and a burning altar. Well, that was instituted officially in the Levitical sacrificial system, but it's predated here. God Himself kills these animals, clothes Adam and Eve, and then Abel goes and offers blood to the Lord Most High.

So we have the first promise, Genesis 3.15. We have the first instance of blood atonement in Genesis 3.21.

Substitution: Genesis 22

And then thirdly, we have the emphasis on substitution. The emphasis on substitution in Genesis 22. You can turn there. Genesis 22, an emphasis on substitution.

Notice the particular scene. God tells Abraham to take his son, his only son, the son whom he loves, take him up and sacrifice him. I mean, the language is just so conspicuous. It points us so much to what the father does with his son, the son of his love, his only son, the one whom he favors, the one whom he adores or just rejoices at.

This is what Abraham is told to do. Intriguingly, he's to take him up on Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is the place where the temple would ultimately be built. 2 Chronicles informs us and tells us that. That's where the threshing floor of Arona is in 2 Samuel, where David offers sacrifice to God in order to stop the plagues upon Israel for David's having numbered the children of Israel.

So Moriah is just filled with biblical symbolism and typology. At any rate, Abraham is told to take Isaac up and to sacrifice him. Notice, specifically in verse 6. So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and the two of them went together.

But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father. And he said, Here I am, my son. Then he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Isaac knew what was going on, not in terms of the fact that he was going to be the sacrifice, but he knew what they were going to do.

They were going to sacrifice. And he rightly observes we've got fire, we've got all the implementation, but there is no lamb for a burnt offering. Note Abraham's response in verse 8. Then Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering.

So the two of them went together. It's a text you can hang your soul on right there. That's a text that affords great comfort to the people of God. That's a text that holds out to us the reality of Calvary.

I don't think there's any accident whatsoever in John 1, 29, when the Baptist lays eyes upon the Lord Christ and he says, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Nobody asks. What are you talking about? They may have a problem with the person he's identifying, but not with the concept.

Israel was taught that the Deliverer would be a man. The Deliverer would accomplish redemption through suffering and through death. The Deliverer would do so decisively. It would probably involve blood atonement and substitution and all those things that they had been tutored on in the Old Covenant Scriptures.

Now note again, Genesis 22, specifically at verse Let's go to verse 9. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. I'm pretty much convinced this is one of those passages we don't stop and read and ponder. This is heavy, right?

Imagine if this were you. Imagine if God said, take your son, your only son, the one whom you love, take him up to Moriah, tie him up on that wooden altar, and slay him. Now we're told at the outset that this is done because God is testing Abraham. But you've got to remember, Abraham didn't have Genesis 22-1.

He didn't know that God was testing him at this particular juncture. As far as Abraham knew, this was God's marching order for Abraham. And he's obedient, and he does it. So Abraham stretches out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

Verse 11, But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. So he said, Here I am. And he said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. And this is typological.

It points us forward to the cross. But in that particular instance, there was no angel to stay the hand of Yahweh. The Lord was pleased to bruise him, putting him to grief. Isaac here was able to get up off of that altar and go back down Mount Moriah with his father.

Not so our Lord Jesus Christ. This points us to him and it is conspicuous. But just to finish the observation concerning substitution, Abraham's already said, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering. Notice specifically in verses 13 and 14.

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering." Look at the language of substitution, instead of his son. Isn't that what happens when Christ is lifted up? It's instead of us.

He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He was made a curse, Paul says, in Galatians 3.13. This text points us to the reality that substitution is in God's plan in terms of the redemption of His people. I've already mentioned the Levitical system of sacrifice.

When the worshiper brought his animal to the priest at the tabernacle, He laid His hand upon it, He pushed upon it. Probably the idea of transference is there, not magically, but symbolically. We certainly know that substitution is present when we get to the Day of Atonement in Leviticus chapter 16. There were two goats on that day.

One for blood, that the high priest would take the blood into the Holy of Holies and he would sprinkle it upon the mercy seat. There was another goat. We refer to that goat as the scapegoat. And what the high priest would do with that one would be to lay his hands upon that goat and he would confess the sins of Israel.

He wouldn't confess the sins of the Hittites and the Hibbites and the Jebusites. It was a particular redemption. It was a limited atonement to be sure. And so that high priest would confess the sins of Israel, placing his hands upon that scapegoat, and then what would happen?

They would drive that goat out into the wilderness. What a beautiful picture of expiation. The removal of sin. This substitute bears our iniquity and he runs out into the wilderness.

It's a glorious concept. It's a wonderful thing that our Lord Jesus Christ fulfills. So we see the first promise in Genesis 3.15. Excuse me, the first instance of blood atonement in Genesis 3.21.

We see an emphasis on substitution in Genesis 22.

Covenantal Identification of the Messiah

And then, fourthly, the covenantal identification. Again, we're seeking to answer the question, what would the Old Testament believers believe concerning this one who was going to come from the woman? Well, the Messiah would come from Israel. The Messiah would come from Israel.

We learn that from the Abrahamic Covenant, don't we? It's not just a man, Genesis 3.15, but it's an Israelite man. Genesis 22, Galatians chapter 3 tells us that Christ is the seed of Abraham. So you see, the old covenant believer, even at this particular point, knew he would be a man, knew he would accomplish victory through suffering and death, knew that he would accomplish victory that would be decisive in nature, crushing the seed or the skull of the serpent himself.

It would be affected by blood atonement, it would be affected through substitutionary atonement, and it would come from the line of Israel, or He would come from the line of Israel. The Mosaic Covenant, or the Covenant, the Old Covenant, the Messiah would fulfill what Israel failed. You need to appreciate that reality, especially in Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus is going about obeying the Father, He is the Israel of God. He is doing what Israel failed to do.

Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea. They then wandered in the wilderness, instead of depending upon God and learning well the lesson that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. They sin against God, they grumble against God, they murmur against God. Well, Jesus passes through the waters of baptism.

He goes out in the wilderness, led there by the Holy Spirit, in a place of severe testing and temptation and trial. And He passes! He fulfills it! He does what He's supposed to do!

So he's not only going to come from Israel, he's going to obey what Israel failed to do, and then we get to the covenant with David, and we learn that from the nation of Israel, it would be focused upon the tribe of Judah, specifically the lineage of the family of David. See, brethren, it's not just some undefined reality. Well, we know there's a guy that's coming and he's going to deliver us. No, no, no.

There's a whole lot of information that an old covenant believer had. That's why in John chapter 8, the Lord Christ can say, Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and he was glad. My day, Christ says.

Do you understand that? Jesus says in John 5.39, you search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, but these are they which testify of Me. Genesis 3.15, blood atonement, substitution, nation of Israel, fulfillment of the covenant made with Israel. As well, the Davidic line, all of this information was available.

It was conspicuous. It wasn't undefined.

The Psalmists' Portrait of the Messiah

In the fifth place, we have the psalmist's portrait of who the Messiah would be. Now, we could literally spend a lot of time here, but just a few thoughts. Psalm 2 tells us He's the eternally begotten Son. He's the eternally begotten Son.

I will declare the decree, the Lord has said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel." They knew it would be God's son. This is what the text specifies.

The Lord God Almighty has said to me, you are my son. So, this reality is told us in the book of Psalms. Notice as well, He would be the crucified Savior. Psalm 22, it's a Psalm of the cross, brethren.

I mean, there's no more conspicuous teaching on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ than Psalm 22. It's just incredible. Notice in verse 16, 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. Of course the text of the psalm begins with, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This is specifically what our Lord Jesus cries from the cross at Calvary. So the psalmist sets forth Him as the eternally begotten Son, as the crucified Savior.

Notice, as the God-man in Psalm 45. Psalm 45, verses 6 and 7. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

This is quoted in Hebrews chapter 1 concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember a radio show many, many years ago. It was a band by the name of Dennis Prager. I've probably told you this before.

Dennis Prager is actually still out there, and he's still doing whatever he does, but he's a Jewish man. He had a radio program in Los Angeles, and one time he had three religious figures on. There was a Jewish rabbi, a Roman Catholic priest, and a Protestant. I know it sounds like the lead-up to a joke.

These Protestant rabbi and the priest and the pastor went into this radio show. And he asked these particular men about what is the bottom line that someone has to believe in order to be accepted in your faith. And it was quite an interesting discussion. Dr.

Bonson was the Protestant pastor, and he did an extraordinary job. I mean, it was just splendid, just fabulous. If you can find it, Isaac, find it and send it out to everybody because it's really good. See him writing up there.

He's going to search the archives and find it. That's good because it should be heard. But Bonson got most of the airtime. I think even Prager recognized that he had gold with Bonson.

But with reference to the Jewish man, he denied that the old covenant scriptures taught that Messiah would be divine. Bonson says, I realize that theologically you are not committed to the reality that Jesus is the Messiah. I realize that you reject the whole concept that Jesus is the Messiah. But from a literary standpoint, if we ask the text of Scripture, what does the text of Scripture describe concerning the Messiah?

You can't not escape the reality that it ascribes divinity to the Messiah. And this is one of those texts. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Now notice, therefore, God, your God, has anointed you. That's His humanity. The two natures in the one person, what we call the hypostatic union.

According to His deity, you, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. According to His humanity, therefore, God, your God, has anointed you. This is why Jesus, post-resurrection, talks to Mary and says, I go to your God and my God. It's truly a beautiful ascription.

Psalm 72 sets forth Messiah as a universal king. Yes, it's a song of Solomon, but it certainly points beyond Solomon. And then the king-priest of Psalm 110. Psalm 110.

You can turn there very specifically. Excuse me. Verse 1, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. You know, I believe, brethren, there's an allusion to Genesis 3.15 right there.

It's a text we cite often because the New Testament cites it often. The most quoted or alluded to text in all of the New Testament is Psalm 110, verse 1. Yahweh said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. What does that mean?

It means the skull-crushing seat of the woman is going to destroy the serpent himself. The whole concept of Christ reigning and lowering His foot and making His enemies His footstool has in the background the promise of Genesis 3.15. He will crush the head of the serpent. It's truly amazing and truly glorious and truly beautiful.

Notice in verse 4, the Lord is sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So it starts off with a statement concerning his kingdom. He always said to my Lord, sit at my right hand.

Doesn't that bespeak of his kingly office, Christ reigning at the right hand of the Father? And yet this king is also priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Brethren, the Old Testament saints didn't have some mystical, subjective, nebulous, foggy notion of what to expect. It was very concrete, it was very objective, and it was very solidified in the minds of the people of God, those who had believed.

And then

The Prophets' Description of the Messiah

in the sixth place, the prophets' description. What did the prophets say concerning this coming one? Well, in the first place, he would be, one, born of a virgin, Isaiah 7, 14, and he would be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5, verse 2. Bethlehem was a less than glorious place, right?

Bethlehem wasn't the capital, it wasn't the biggest and the best, but it is intriguing. That's where David hailed from as well, and so does David's greater son. I believe it's Bruce Waltke says that it's from a cradle in Bethlehem that the world is affected for good, both under the reign of David and under the reign of David's greater son. But we have one born of a virgin, and one born in Bethlehem.

Secondly, the one who is a child born and who is mighty God, Isaiah 9, 6. Most famous passage around December, to be sure, but it's certainly a passage that ought to thrill and encourage and strengthen our hearts. throughout the year. For unto us a child is born, 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." Just so you can see the nature of his kingdom, look at verse 7, of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end. upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." But back in verse 6, they were expecting a child to be born.

They were expecting a son to be given. I hear an echo in John 3.16 of this particular text as well. Unto us a Son is given. Isn't this the point of John 3.16?

God so loved the world that He did what? He gave His only begotten Son. You see how the Bible coalesces? It coheres.

There's an internal consistency. It testifies concerning the one Christ who is the one Savior for all sinners who God has chosen to be saved. It's a blessed unity, a consent of all the parts. It gives glory to God through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus.

But notice what we find. He is wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We recently went out and spoke to some Jehovah's Witnesses over there on Yale Road, and they always go to this. Well, He's mighty God, but He's not almighty God.

Okay, so you've got two gods. You're plural, pluralist. You're polytheist. Oh, no, no, no, no.

I don't know how you can avoid the implication. If you have an almighty God and a mighty God, you are a polytheist. You believe in at least a bi-theistic system. But just look at what this text says.

I love what Owen comments concerning this. He's a child born, a son given, and he's mighty God. Owen says that the same person should be the mighty God, and a child born is neither conceivable or possible, nor can be true, but by the union of the divine and human natures in the same person. You see, that's a beautiful expression of what's called the hypostatic union.

In the third place, Isaiah the prophet sets forth Christ as the suffering servant. Isaiah 52 and 53, the fourth servant song of Isaiah the prophet. Now, the servant, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ. If there's any doubt whatsoever, take Philip as a wonderful exemplar of biblical hermeneutics.

In Acts 8, The Ethiopian eunuch is reading Isaiah the prophet, chapter 53. And he asks Philip, of whom does the prophet speak? Is he speaking about himself? Is he speaking about Israel?

And what does the text say? And Philip, from this passage, preached Jesus to him. So Isaiah 53 is a wonderful statement concerning substitutionary atonement, blood atonement, the reality that the Lord God Most High sent His Son into this world, sinners, to save. Note the language of substitution, specifically in verses 4 to 6.

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Note verse 10. Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has put him to grief.

When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." And then verse 12 at the end. And he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressions." Isaiah 53 doesn't come in a vacuum.

It's not the only piece of data they ever received. They had Genesis 3.15, they had Genesis chapter 22, they had Genesis chapter 22 with reference to the Abrahamic, Genesis 17 rather, and 15N. 22, with reference to the Abrahamic covenant. They had the Old Testament scriptures that informed their faith so that they were looking specifically to this one described in the Psalms, described in the prophets. He would be, according to the prophet Jeremiah, 23, 5 and 6, the Lord our righteousness.

I quite like this particular title of our Lord. Jeremiah 23, verse 5, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness. A king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely.

Now this is his name by which he will be called the Lord our righteousness. Isn't that a most beautiful term of endearment for the saint to address his Savior with? He is the Lord our righteousness. By virtue of his finished work on our behalf, we have a righteousness that avails with God Almighty.

The prophet Daniel tells us that he would be the one who ascends, or rather he comes to the Ancient of Days and receives a kingdom. The prophet Daniel in Daniel 9, 24-27 tells us he would be the Messiah who would be cut off to accomplish redemption. And then the branch of Zechariah chapter 6, that branch that would build the temple, the very house of God. Zechariah 6, 12, Behold, the man whose name is the branch, from his place he shall branch out, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.

Yes, he shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne. So he shall be a priest on his throne, and the council of peace shall be between them both. He builds the temple of the Lord.

So you see, just with these few references, we don't have to spend a lot of time on this, but you see what they saw? You see what they believed in? You see what they had? They didn't have some sort of nebulous concept of a possible Redeemer to come.

It was clearly defined, and it fed the faith of the faithful at the time that the prophets would come and write.

New Testament Confirmation

When we come to the New Testament, we see them everywhere affirming those Old Testament inscriptions to our Lord Jesus. You have the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Let's just look specifically at the Lord Christ's affirmation. Notice in Luke 24.

Two passages that get a lot of play in our pulpit and in our confession study as well they should. Luke 24, specifically verses 25 to 27. Then Jesus said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Notice that.

Their failure to recognize what was going on brought upon them the indictment of being foolish. The data was there. The material was available. The Old Testament was written.

It was written to be understood. He says, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? Jesus says the Old Testament Scriptures in and of themselves are sufficient to inform someone that the Christ ought to suffer and enter into His glory.

And then in verse 27, beginning at Moses, that's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things, what? Concerning Himself. Now, I nag you often with reference to the Old Testament.

Don't neglect it. Please don't neglect your Old Testaments. Please do not not read your Old Testament. Be in the Scriptures, brethren, because they testify of Christ.

Notice in 44, then he said to them, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. It's the threefold division of the Hebrew canon. They don't call it the Old Testament. Remember, they don't receive the New Testament.

They call it the Tanakh, the Torah, the Navaim and the Ketuvim, the TNK. That's the threefold division in the Hebrew canon, and this is precisely how Christ addresses it. These things were written in the Law of Moses, Torah, the Prophets, Nevi'im, and the Psalms, the Ketuvim. The Psalms are in that body called the Writings.

So the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. Notice in verse 45, and he opened their understanding. that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.

Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. And of course, we could turn to the preaching of Philip. I already alluded to that in Acts 8.35. The preaching of Peter in Acts 10.43.

We really should at least look at that one quickly. 10.43, Peter preaching to the household of Cornelius. He makes this statement concerning the blessed Lord. Verse 43, to him, all the prophets witnessed that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. They not only had the concept that he would be a man born of a woman, not only had the concept that he would accomplish victory through suffering and death, not only had the concept that his victory would be total and decisive, not only had the concept of blood atonement and substitutionary atonement, not only had the concept from the Psalms and the Prophets, but they also knew that faith in him was the way of salvation.

It was faith in Christ that meant salvation. It was faith in the Messiah. How were Old Testament believers saved? It was through faith, brethren.

They weren't saved by virtue of the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant said, do this and live. The New Covenant says, Christ has done this, believe and live, right? It was not in virtue of or by virtue of obedience to the old covenant, but rather it was what Christ accomplished that had retrospective benefit for those old covenant saints.

And then just one final passage. We could scurry the letters of the Apostle Paul to see these, or scurry, I don't know, survey these themes and see him totally flesh out. that the Old Testament spoke of Christ. There's a wonderful testimony in Acts 28.20. We'll begin reading in verse 17.

This is Paul. He's been arrested, and he's in Rome, and some Jews want to hear what he has to say. 2817, and it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them, men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who when they had examined me, wanted to let me go because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, remember I said this morning that the first primary persecutor of the Church of Jesus Christ were the Jews?

That's what he's saying. The Romans wanted to let me go. Early on in Christianity, Rome looked at Christianity as a subset of Judaism. They didn't mess with Judaism, they wouldn't mess with the subset.

Later on, as Christianity emerges as something that's obviously not a subset of Judaism and becomes a perceived threat to the empire, well then the empire turns up the heat of persecution against the Christians. But the first persecution was on believing Israel. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason, therefore, I have called for you to see you and speak with you.

Why? Because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." It's the hope of Israel. It's always been this way. We've always looked forward to this Genesis 3.15 man.

We've always looked forward to blood atonement. We've always looked forward to substitution. We've always known that the Lord God would provide. We've always known that He would be eternally begotten of the Father, that He would be this King-Priest, that He would be this mighty God, that He would be this Prince of Peace.

We've always known that He would be the Temple-Builder. We've known these things. He is indeed the hope of Israel. And what Paul says to these Jews is beautiful.

It's not him that's messed up with reference to the interpretation of the Old Testament. It's them. They have rejected the messianic reading. They have rejected the Messiah Himself.

They have bought into the idea that it would be carnal, that it would be earthly, that Jesus or the Messiah would come and subjugate the Roman government and make it wonderful for Jews in the first century. No, it was a spiritual reign, a spiritual kingdom, a gracious influence of the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit. It was the hope of Israel that brought Paul to this particular place, and it's the hope of Israel that brings us to the table tonight. This one, told in Genesis 3.15.

This one, fleshed out throughout the Old Covenant Scriptures, come to realization and fulfillment in the New Covenant Scriptures. It's because of what Christ has done that we take and that we eat.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ. We see He is the One in whom all the Scriptures cohere. He is the One.

As the universe consists, so does the Bible itself. He is the scope, and we praise You for Him, and we praise You for the redemption that we have in Him. And we would pray tonight that as we eat this bread and as we drink this cup, we would proclaim His death. We would remember with great joy His resurrection. and that our hearts would be warmed at the thought of His coming again in glory.

We thank you, our Father, for so great a salvation, and we pray that you would continue with us as a church, cause us to use these means that you have provided. It's a blessed thing that you have done for us, and I pray that we would obey you in this ordinance, and we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 2; 3; 3:15; 3:21; 4:4; 15; 17; 22; 22:6; 22:8; 22:9; 22:13-14
• Leviticus 16
• 2 Samuel 24
• 2 Chronicles 3:1
• Psalm 2; 22; 22:16; 45:6-7; 72; 110:1; 110:4
• Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 52; 53; 53:4-6; 53:10; 53:12
• Jeremiah 23:5-6
• Daniel 9:24-27
• Micah 5:2
• Zechariah 6:12
• Matthew 4:1-11
• John 1:29; 3:16; 5:39; 8:56
• Luke 24:25-27; 24:44-47
• Acts 8:30-35; 10:43; 28:17-20
• Galatians 3:13; 3:16; 4:4
• Colossians 1:13; 2:15
• Hebrews 1; 2:14; 4:9; 9:22
• 1 John 3:7-8