SeamlessSampel

God’s chosen people have been waiting for the promised Messiah to come, and 400 years have passed since the time of the prophet Malachi. 

Using the Old Testament prophets, Matthew point-by-point lays out his case to show the Jews that Jesus fulfilled all of their prophecies.

A virgin and her fiancé have to travel to Bethlehem for a census, where they deliver a child. In order to escape death, they flee to Egypt, returning to Israel. 

Years later, after Christ is baptized, the Spirit leads Him into the wilderness for 40 days where Satan tests Him. He rebukes the Enemy by using Scripture and officially begins his ministry on earth. He invites 12 men along for the journey.

Jesus is a charismatic, likeable Teacher, and He fascinates people everywhere He goes. Proving He is the Son of God, He performs many miracles and teaches on what we are called to be as Christians.

But the more attention Christ got, the more enemies He made. Jesus was a threat to many religious groups and eventually they decided something had to be done to remove the threat.

After a night of prayer, Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot and soldiers take Jesus away to the high priest. Plenty of people tried to condemn Jesus, but in the end they were all false witnesses and none could provide what was needed to condemn Him according to the law. 

So they brought Him to the Roman governor. Knowing Jesus was being falsely accused, Pilate tries to satisfy the accusers by having Jesus beaten. 

But finally, against his better judgment, Pilate delivers Christ to his soldiers to be murdered. 

While they tortured and ridiculed Him, nailing His hands and feet to the cross, Jesus remained silent—except to ask for God’s mercy, not on Himself but on those who drove the nails (Luke 23:24).

Rejected by the sheep of Israel, the Messiah stretched out His arms in submission to His Father God, unwilling that any of them should perish in their sin.

“Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split,” (Matthew 27:51).

No longer does separation divide a Holy God from us because the Christ has come to bring us near. Jesus became the ultimate Lamb, sacrificed on Passover, covering us with the blood of reconciliation forever.