Jesus: God's Elect (Part 2)

"Behold, My Servant, Whom I uphold, Mine Elect in Whom My soul delighteth" (Isa 42:1)

SAINTS OF OLD WERE ELECTED TO MANIFEST GOD'S ELECT

When God said, “Behold, Mine Elect” He was pointing His finger at Jesus and declaring that all the hope of man would be upon Him and He would be victorious. “Look for Him, believe in Him, trust in Him, lay hold of Him, He is the covenant to the people. He is My Chosen One.” Prior to the incarnation of Christ God chose vessels through which He would prepare future generations for the recognition and reception of the His Elect. We must have this perspective to have an appropriate understanding of "election" in the kingdom of God.

All those chosen by God are chosen in view of Jesus. Men are chosen based upon God's eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus and their connectedness with Jesus Himself. Think about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David, Solomon, the prophets and priests. They were all chosen, NOT because they were superior to their contemporaries, but because of the role they would play in what God had purposed to do in Christ. God introduced us to these men so that they could introduce us to Jesus. For those who were looking for the Messiah, there would be a sort of familiarity with Him upon even their first encounter. God was preparing men to receive His Son. 

Matthew, therefore introduces Jesus to the world in these terms: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1). Anyone familiar with the Divine record has become intimately acquainted with both David and Abraham. God's choice of these men and the promises given to them were all in view of the Servant of God, Whom God would manifest in the fullness of time.  To Abraham it was said, "in thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen 22:18). To David it was said, "behold, a son shall be born to the, who shall be a man of rest...He shall build an house for My name; and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever" (1 Chr 22:9-10). Of course, Solomon was the immediate fulfillment of this word but no doubt, Jesus is the "body" of this "shadow."

Philip introduced Nathanael to Jesus in these terms: "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write" (Jn 1:45). God chose Moses and the prophets and Israel was very familiar with them. But Moses and the prophets were not the focus of God's choice. They were chosen to speak about the coming Messiah; the Chosen One of God. And so the people of God gave attention to the word of the prophets and the patriarchs and were then acquainted with the promise of a coming King who would rule over Israel as both king and priest; a Prophet who would tell them all things (Jn 4:25); a Savior who would take away their sins. Philip and Nathanael were both acquainted with God's election of Moses and the prophets and as a result they were looking for this One.

To the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus introduced Himself by beginning at Moses and all the prophets and expounding unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk 24:47). The gospel of Christ brings to light that all the Scriptures are really speaking about Jesus. This is what Jesus was doing with these two men. He was helping them make the connection with their knowledge of Moses and the prophets and Himself being the substance of those ministries. Paul testified that this too was his purpose in ministering the word of God.

"...according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest...by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." (Romans 16:25-26)

The mystery of God in Christ is made known by the opening up of the scriptures of the prophets. They testified of Christ both in their lives and in their words.

Time would fail us if we sought to numerate all of the prophecies of Jesus but the point here is that God's election of other men is not because of those other men...it is because of Christ. Men are not primarily chosen by God to save to His people but to shine the spotlight of revelation upon the Savior of all men. The saints of old were chosen of God to manifest the Chosen One of God. And, dear reader, if you have been chosen by God it is for this same purpose - not for your own glory but for the glory of God in Christ Jesus, His Elect.