PT-4 “Verses that Speak of The Expected One.”

 

EVENING SPIRITUA DIARY FOR 8/22/2026 11:07 PM

My Worship Time                             Focus:  PT-4 “Verses that Speak of The Expected One.”

I will continue looking at MacArthur’s commentary this morning.

“The rest of the prophets filled in other details concerning Jesus, the Expected One.  Micah predicted His birth in Bethlehem (5:2); Jeremiah, Herod’s slaughter of the innocent male babies (31:15; cf. Matt. 2:17-18); Hosea, the flight of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus into Egypt (11:1; cf. Matt. 2:15); Joel saw that through the coming of the Expected One the Spirit of God would be poured out (2:28-32; cf. Acts 2:16-18); Daniel predicted His death (9:26); Zechariah predicted the triumphal entry (9:9), the exact amount Judas would receive for betraying Jesus (11:12-13), the piercing of Jesus’ side (12:10), and the disciples’ forsaking of Him (13:7).

            “But despite the clear testimony of the Old Testament that Jesus was the Expected One—the testimony confirmed by Zacharias, Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel, the angels who announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds, John the Baptist, the Father and the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism, and Jesus astonishing, unprecedented teaching and power over disease, demons, and death—most did not believe in Him.  His widespread public teaching and visible, undeniable miracles were met with criticism, indifference, rejection, hatred, and finally murder.

            “Honest doubt, on the other hand, is not a bad starting point.  Even the noblest of saints, such as Abraham (Gen. 17:17), Sarah (Gen. 18:12), Moses (Ex. 3:10-15), Gideon (Judg. 6:13-23, 36-40), Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-14), and the apostles (Matt. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 28:17; Luke 12:28; 24:38; John 20:24-25) had their moments of doubt.  The capacity to doubt is an aspect of the rationality that is part of the image of God in man.  A healthy skepticism, being able to discern truth from error, is critically important.  For example, the Bible commends the noble-minded Bereans, who ‘received the word’ preached by Paul and Silas ‘with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these thins were so’ (Acts 17:11).

            “Even the greatest man who ever lived up to his time (Matt. 11:11), John the Baptist, struggled with doubt.  He had believed that Jesus was the Messiah.  He had witnessed the testimony to His identity by the Father and the Spirit when he baptized Jesus.  John had declared that Jesus was ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29), and testified concerning His identity to the Jewish leaders (vv. 26-27).  But despite his powerful witness to Jesus as the Messiah, doubts had arisen in John’s mind regarding His identity.  This passage gives the reasons for John’s doubt, and Jesus response to that doubt.”

8/22/2026 11:25 PM