John the Baptist (Part II)

Don Chubb II continued with his message about John the Baptist and his important role in the Gospel.

Neither Satan or anyone else at the time (Jew nor Gentile) knew that Jesus Christ dying on the cross was God’s plan for Salvation for man. God kept the cross concealed for a purpose - so that it His plan would be fulfilled. If the enemy knew that Jesus dying on the cross would result in Him rising three days later in victory, he would not have worked in men of that day to send Christ to Calvary.

Looking at the prophecies, most Jews referenced and leaned into the prophesies of the Messiah - King:

• 1 Corinthians 2:1-8

• Psalm 2:6-9

• Isaiah 9:6-7

• Micah 5:2,4

But the other prophesies spoke of the Messiah - Suffering Servant:

• Psalm 22:1-8,14-16

• Isaiah 42:1-39

• Isaiah 49:1-13

• Isaiah 50:4-11

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12

People in Jesus’ time were not putting the Messiah King and Suffering Servant together, but that is who Jesus was. How does John the Baptist fall into all of this? John is the one who prepared the way for Jesus - prophesied fulfilled (Luke 1:17, Matthew 11:1-15). There was (and maybe even today still is) confusion as to whether John the Baptist was ACTUALLY Elijah. Moses and Elijah were on the Mount of Transfiguration; this proved that John the Baptist was NOT Elijah (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13). Peter, James, or John would have named John the Baptist (not Elijah) on the Mount, if they were the same person. Further, John, himself, denied being Elijah (John 1:19). However, Jesus treated the idea of John the Baptist and Elijah being the same person the same way he treated a parable. He never lied about it, but he allowed the truth to be concealed for the purpose of the cross (Matthew 11:13-14).

1 Corinthians 2:7-9 says: “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—”

This was all necessary for our victory and Salvation - brought through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross - where our sins were nailed. God needed the enemy to be totally blind to His plan for Jesus to save us. This was easy for Him to do since the enemy only knows selfishness and didn’t see selfless sacrifice as the weapon to defeat death and Hell.

Colossians 2:13-15 reminds us how much we NEED Jesus and His victory: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Hallelujah for the prophesies fulfilled and Jesus being our Victor and Salvation.