A MESSIANIC PRIEST-KING

AIM FOR CHANGE

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:

OBSERVE how Jesus' humility amid suffering fulfilled prophecies made about Him; TRUST that we will become all that God has ordained us to be, even if the road to destiny is difficult; and PRAY 

for strength to endure when things don't appear as God has promised. 

FOCAL VERSES Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 6:9-6; 

John 19:1-5      

KEEP IN MIND 

"And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands" (John 19:3). 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. The Messianic Priest-King Prophesied (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

2. The Messianic Priest-King Symbolized (Zechariah 6:9-14)

3. The Messianic Priest-King Realized (John 19:1-5)

IN FOCUS STORY

 We Will Follow Him

By Bishop G. T. Haywood

Jesus is the Lord of glory, 

He's the Prophet, Priest, and King. 

He's the beauteous Rose of Sharon

And His praises I will sing. 

He's the Lily of the Valley, 

He's the Comforter and Friend; 

He's the fairest of ten thousand

Him I will follow to the end. 

Though the world rejects my Savior, 

Him I will follow all the way. 

For with Him is light and gladness 

And He leads to realms of day

Where the flowers bloom forever

In the city bright and fair. 

There the glories of His Kingdom

We eternally shall share. 

Jesus is our Messiah, our Priest, and our King. Today's lesson confirms the prophecy of salvation and recalls the perecution the Savior faced. 

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

 

Pilate. Pilate was the sixth Roman procurator of Judea and Samaria. He held office for twelve years. By the end of the time, because of insensitivity to Jewish religious concerns and thirst for power, he was hated by both Jews and Samaritans. He was recalled by Tiberius and banished to Vienna, where he committed suicide. 

The Crowd. This is the Jewish crowd that decided Jesus was a blasphemer and worthy of death. A few days before, a similar crowd had followed Him through the streets praising Him as the coming Messiah. 

BACKGROUND

The Jewish people looked forward to a coming Messiah who would bring their nation back to its former glory. This was supported by prophecies from the Old Testament dating back to the book of Genesis. Many of these prophecies describe a coming righteous King who will rule justly and fairly. Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Zechariah 6:9-14 are two prophecies that describe the coming Messiah as a King who will right the wrongs of Israel and restore the nation to its former glory. This Messiah would come form the line of David, and He would not only be a King, but also a Priest. This was unprecedented. 

At first glance, Jesus did not fit the descriptions in any of these prophecies. He was lowly and rejected. He suffered humiliation through being flogged with thirty-nine lashes. Ultimately, He was led to death by crucifixion. The soldiers of Pilate captilized on this and mocked Jesus. They gave Him a crown of thorns and a purple robe. After they slapped Him in the face multiple times and spit on Him, they shouted, "Hail, King of the Jews!' as a bitter way to humiliate Him further. 

Although these were acts of humiliation and suffering, they also brought Him further to his destiny as Messiah. The coming Messiah was a King, but He was also described as a Branch, which symbolized lowliness and humility. He was also a Priest and a King and, through His death on the cross, he became a Priest for us by offering up His own body as the final and ultimate sacrifice. 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1.What condition was inherent in the promise of God to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 23:6)?

2. What term, referring to His relationship to David, do Jeremiah and Zechariah use for the Messiah (Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 6:12)?

3. What was the purpose of placing the crown on the head of Joshua, the high priest (Zechariah 6:11-13)?

4. What symbol is used by Zechariah to represent the Priest-King, and by the soldiers to mock the Priest-King (Zechariah 6:11, 14; John 19:2, 5)?

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. Today's text provides three images of the Messianic Priest-King.  Do they indicate at change or consistency in God's promise to David?

2. What was the significance of scourging Jesus if Pilate found "no fault in him" (John 19:1, 4)?

3. Zechariah was prophet to those who were returning from captivity to rebuild the temple. Why was the prophet instructed to explain that the coming Messiah would build the temple (Zechariah 6:12, 13)? What is the significance of the symbolic crowns being placed in the  temple as memorial (v. 14)? What do these crowns signify for us?

4. How do the lyrics to Bishop Haywood's song "We Will Follow Him" (In Focus) reveal the true nature of Jesus as our Messianic Priest-King? What does this mean for us as His followers?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

The popular understanding today is that the way of humility and suffering is the way of weakness. That is because humility stands in opposition to the world's way of dominating and forcing people to give us what we want and what is "rightfully ours." This is not the way to go about things if we believe and trust that God is fighting our battles and has our best interest in mind. 

1. As saints of God, are we expected to influence a change in this worldly perception? If so, how might we do that?

2. There are those in the church who feel that the way of humility and suffering is "old school" and out of touch with what is needed today. How do you respond to that perception?

3. What examples did Jesus give us of strength in the midst of humility? How can we exemplify those examples in our lives?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

1. What encouragement do you gain from today's text to take you through when the struggle is most demanding?

2. God's way is different than man's way. We must remember to choose the way of humility and pray for patience to see God's promises come to pass. Take time this week to make a list of the promises found in the Bible that are revealed in you life. 

(Except from the Apostolic Light Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc.)