Messiah Preceded by a Messenger and a Worker of Miracles

4. The prophet Malachi tells us that the Messiah will be preceded by a messenger whose purpose is to prepare His way before the people. He also declares that He will come to the temple.

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Again, the New Testament writers record that Jesus was preceded by John the Baptist, the prophesied messenger sent to prepare the people to receive their Messiah.

John 1:15-23 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me…. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?...He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

There are, of course, many experiences related in the gospels of Jesus teaching at the temple.

5. Again, the New Testament writers recorded that Jesus did many signs and wonders that identified Him as the Messiah as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Scripture tells us that John the Baptist was eventually imprisoned for confronting Herod with his sin in marrying his brother’s wife.

Mark 6:17-18 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

During the time he was imprisoned he became discouraged and sent his followers to Jesus to get an affirmation that He was the promised Messiah. Jesus answered him giving reference to the prophecies of Isaiah.

Luke 7:19-22 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

The New Testament scripture is not the only historical record verifying the life of John the Baptist. The noted historian Josephus in his Jewish Antiquities made note of John’s execution by Herod.

“Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.”

Josephus also made note of the fact that Jesus was a “doer of wonderful works.”

“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.”