Bible Studies

Who Did Jesus The Messiah Die For Part 2

by Eyvonne Black
07/07/25
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Part 1 served as an introduction to this three-part series. Rather than revisiting it, I suggest listening to Part 1 for a clearer comprehension of Parts 2 and 3.

In Part 2, we will examine the prophetic writings and their fulfilment, while I pose a series of questions and provide answers using Scripture.

*I will mention the Prophets in the order presented in the Complete Jewish Bible.

Isaiah – To whom was he prophesying? In the 8th Century, roughly from about 742 BCE to 687, Isaiah prophesied to the Nation of Israel, a people who had turned away from God (Isaiah 1:2-31). In his sermon on Isaiah, Chuck Swindoll said, "The people of Judah turned their backs on God and alienated themselves from Him."

Isaiah 9:6-7 says in part, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; …. and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his Kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore…."

The fulfilment of that prophecy is recorded in Luke 1:32-33, which reads, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom, there will be no end." The prophecy and its fulfilment clearly indicate that Jesus' coming was directed towards the House of Jacob.

Jeremiah – It is stated in the English Standard Bible that 'Jeremiah was often called the weeping prophet, because of the persistent message of God's judgment over the nation of Judah.' He prophesied during a period of political and religious upheaval. Jeremiah 23:5-6 says, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as King and deal wisely, … In his days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely…." Here, Jeremiah speaks to the Jewish communities in the southern Kingdom of Judah.

The fulfilment of that prophecy is found in Matthew 1:1-21, which lists the genealogy and birth of Jesus. We have already established in Luke 1:32-33 that he will reign over the House of Jacob forever. The House of Jacob, as we know it, refers to the Nation of Israel.

Ezekiel - Ezekiel is said to have prophesied for 22 years during one of the most stressful periods for the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Judah, co.in.ciding with the Babylonian invasion. He was also among those who were exiled. I believe the Most High gave him the prophecy to console the Nation of Israel in exile as well as himself. Ezekiel 37:25 says, "They will live in the land I gave [to] my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and my servant David will be their prince forever." Jesus is a descendant of King David, and only He is regarded as the 'Prince of Peace' (Isaiah 9:6). The prophecy's fulfilment is found in Matthew 1:1-17, which presents the Davidic genealogy.

In Romans 1:3-6, the Apostle Paul reiterates that God's Son, Jesus the Messiah, is descended from King David, and there is Hope for all who put their Faith in Him.

Let's now look at Micah. I will reference only one Scripture, as it clearly identifies to whom he was prophesying. Micah is said to have directed his attention towards Judah, proclaiming God's Kingdom and warning them of His judgment on those who were not upholding the Mosaic Covenant. Nevertheless, he also preached the message of God's love for His people. Micah 5:2 says, "But you, O Bethlehem…, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." Micah's prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 2:5-6, where the chief priests and scribes quoted from Micah when King Herod questioned them about the Messiah's birthplace.

Zechariah – Zachariah was a Priest and the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah 9:9 records: "The Coming King of Zion. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; … he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, …." Zechariah was prophesying to the people of Judah after their return from exile in Babylon. The prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 21:6-7 and 11, where it says, "the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. And the crowds said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

Scriptural evidence from the prophecies and their fulfilment indicates that Jesus' primary mission was to restore the lost sheep of the House of Israel to their original covenant relationship with the Most High.

I shall now pose some questions and answer with biblical references

What was Jesus's status when he walked the earth?

In John 18:37, Jesus respectfully converses with Pilate about his status. Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born, and for this purpose, I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."

In Mark 15:12, Pilate again announced Jesus' status by asking the crowds, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews? Here is a direct acknowledgement of Jesus' status from the Roman Governor of Judah.

Jesus came to earth as 'King of the Jews', and that was undeniable. Nevertheless, his Kingdom was not an earthly rulership at that time. Daniel prophesied in Daniel 2:44 of a Kingdom that 'will never be brought to ruin, a Kingdom that will last forever.'

What scriptures demonstrate that Jesus's initial focus was solely on the Nation of Israel? 

When on Earth, Jesus stated that he came to save the lost. In Matthew 15:24, he only mentioned the "lost sheep of Israel." Let us examine those scriptures. As mentioned earlier, in the story of the Canaanite woman and her demon-possessed daughter, we can now look in depth at Matthew 15:22-24, 'The woman approached Jesus, pleading for his help: 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." No one can dispute this Scripture, and all trans. Translations and versions of the English, Hebrew and Interlinear Bibles confirm this response. 

However, Jesus was moved by this woman's great faith, and he decided to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28). Jesus's compassion did briefly extend to the Gentile community, particularly to those who placed their faith in him. The scriptures in Matthew 8:5-13 demonstrate that he was also emotionally touched by the faith of the Roman Centurion and performed a miracle for his servant,

What were Jesus' specific instructions to his disciples in his early ministry?

During his ministry, Jesus instructed his disciples to preach to the "lost sheep of the House of Israel." Their preaching was assigned only to the Nation of Israel, specifically those perceived as disconnected from God's Law. His instructions were crystal clear, as seen in Matthew 10:5-6: Jesus said, "...Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel."

The majority of the Jewish community rejected and denied Jesus, as indicated in John 5:43 and Acts 3:13-14. Nevertheless, he came to redeem them. Isaiah's prophecy is straightforward when considering his words in Isaiah 53:5-6; he states, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, … with his wounds, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah mentions, 'All we like sheep have gone astray.' Jesus said in Matthew 15:24, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." There is no private interpretation of these prophecies. Every prophecy must have a fulfilment, and every fulfilment must derive from a prophecy. And as we established earlier in 2 Peter 1:20-21, all prophecies originate from the Most High.

For that reason, we must recognise how crucial it is to acknowledge the significance of the Old Testament to fully understand and clarify the connection with the New Testament—the Old Testament 'is not done away with', as some may suggest. Indeed, I agree that we are no longer under the Mosaic Law. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Gentiles outlining the specific prohibitions of the Law that we must adhere to. A complete account is cited in Acts 15:19-29.

Jesus even confirmed the importance and validity of the prophetic writings in the Old Testament. In Luke 24:44, He said to His disciples after His resurrection, "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."

The final Scripture I would like to share in this segment of the series is Hebrews 11:6. It serves as encouragement that when you have faith and earnestly seek Jesus the Messiah and His truth, you will surely find it.

In Part 3, we will explore the prophetic writings found in the Book of Psalms and conclude this series, 'Who Did Jesus, the Messiah, Die For: The Nation of Israel or the Whole World?'

This is a.k.a. Blackie TheBerean – guided by passion, purpose, and truth.

References

Bible Verses ‘ESV’ and various other Christian versions and translations

Britannica - Biblical Literature in the Old Testament 

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Google Search – Powered by AI

Audio presentation: https://youtu.be/EyIlZ9OplOg?si=JoFoTZb7P4nNzT9l