Starting from the beginningAdam and Eve had complete freedom to live in friendship with GodOne trespass led to condemnation for all men (Rom. 5:18). God declares a plan to rescue us and make friends with us again.

What is Gods Plan?A unified plan for all of history a plan for the fullness of time, Gal. 4:45to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth (Eph. 1:10), to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:12).

The unfolding of Gods rescue planGod choses people declaring his responsibility for their destiny promises and predictions of a saviourExplicit: surveyed todaySymbolic: Wednesdayfulfillments of these promises

The rescue plan is ancient

9Remember the former things, those of long ago;I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is none like me.10I make known the end from the beginning,from ancient times, what is still to come.I say, My purpose will stand,and I will do all that I please.Isa. 46:910

The Saviour KingJacob prophesied The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.Gen 49:10 (BC 1850)

The Saviour King

Balaams prophecy"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Number 24:17 (BC 1450)

The Saviour Prophet Moses also prophesied: The LORD said to me (Moses) 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. Deu 18:18-19 (BC 1410)

The saviour the Son of DavidNathan utters Gods promise to King David11 'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you. 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. 2sam 7:11-16 (BC 1000)

The saviour Messiah present before creation - from Bethlehem-"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2 (BC 740)

Saviour God6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7 (BC 742)

Gods suffering servant:Isaiah 53:10-12 (690 BC)

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalms1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?.......16Dogs surround me,a pack of villains encircles me;they pierce my hands and my feet.17All my bones are on display;people stare and gloat over me.18They divide my clothes among themand cast lots for my garment.Psalm 22

The saviour the son of man

13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (553 BC)

The last OT Prophecy9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you,righteous and victorious,lowly and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10I will take away the chariots from Ephraimand the war-horses from Jerusalem,and the battle-bow will be broken.He will proclaim peace to the nations.His rule will extend from sea to seaand from the River to the ends of the earth.Zec 9:9-10 (500 BC)

The inter-testament periodDURATION: 400 years before christProphecy ceasedThe Jews under great political and economical pressuresThe Jews ideas about the anticipated Messiah

Military leaderFrom now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."Genesis 3:15

The rescue plan is ancient

9Remember the former things, those of long ago;I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is none like me.10I make known the end from the beginning,from ancient times, what is still to come.I say, My purpose will stand,and I will do all that I please.Isa. 46:910

The OT looks forward to the Messiah Before the Exile: a man in future who is:A king like David A military leader, a liberator A prophet from God Post-exile: A supernatural personAncientComes on a cloudsRules over everlasting KingdomSuffering servant

Peter recognize Jesus as the Messiah

29But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?Peter answered, You are the Messiah.

Mark 8:29

suffering messiah is inconceivable, said Peter31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Mark 8:31-33

The son of man38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Fathers glory with the holy angels. Mark 8:38Matthew 30Mark 16 timesLuke 26 timesJohn 14 times

Servant of the Lord

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

Jesus rejects son of David title35 ..Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:The Lord said to my Lord:Sit at my right handuntil I put your enemiesunder your feet.37David himself calls him Lord. How then can he be his son?Mark 12:35-37

The messiah Son of God61 Again the high priest asked him, Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?62I am, said Jesus. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

Mark 14:61-62

Jesus is the fulfilment of the OT promisesThen he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:4448

The uniqueness of Jesus MessiahFully God fully man Atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10)Gave his life as a ransom for many (mark 10:45)

Thus he freed us from sin and GuiltHe and the father are one John 10:30He forgives sin Mark 2:5He accepted worship John 20:28

Gods plan in actionPast: have been saved of the punishment of sinPresent: being saved from the power of sinFuture: will be saved of the very presence of sin

Promises of A Rescuer/ SaviourFor all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Cor. 1:20

To prepare people*Talking to his sons before his dealth*FOUR NAMES*Is a person that comes from heaven not from the earth: FIRST VISION 553BC*Chapters 9-14 God will send a *messiah who will be PRIEST AND KING.Much of what he said in 9-14 became true in the life and death of Jesus. This is why the *New Testament repeats so many verses from Zechariah chapters 9 to 14. It repeats more from those chapters than from most other books of the *Old Testament. It is probably true to say that you cannot understand Zechariah chapters 9 to 14 without the story of Jesus! *Popular jewish expectations shaped Jesus testing*They were fans of a person the hoped with allow them to realize personal and national objectives in this world. They were never true followers.To his fans the cross was a scandal.

*The work of Christ on earth, and especially his crucifixion and resurrection, is the climax of history; it is the great turning point at which God actually accomplished the salvation toward which history had been moving throughout the OT. The present era looks back on Christs completed work but also looks forward to the consummation of his work when Christ will come again and when there will appear new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells *End of jewish dream of their pessiah the way they expected*Jeusu afirms that all the old testament books pointed to himThe Jews were always on the look out for the messiahJesus death on the cross did not meet the popular messianic expectation of the Jews of this dayNo matter how many time did he talk to his disciples about how his life would end and his victorious resurrection they could not swallow it let alone remembering it.

*1 john 4:10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, Son, your sins are forgiven.John 20:28New International Version - UK (NIVUK)28Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God!*Gods plan is to save his people from their sinsand to bring his people fully and finally to himself (Matt. 1:21; 2 Tim. 2:10). Christians experience salvation in this life in both a past and present sense, and we anticipate salvation in a future sense. Christians have been saved from the penalty of our sins; we are currently being saved from the power of sin; and one day, when Gods plan of salvation is completed and we are with Christ, we shall be like him, and we shall be saved even from the very presence of sin. This is Gods plan of salvation. *