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38 Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks”

with the holy spirit and with power.” And from this time on Yeshua gave himself to his public Mes-
sianic ministry as a “minister of the circumcision.”

The Messiah himself testified to this after his return to Galilee in the power of the spirit
where, according to Isaiah 9:1-2, the “Great Light” was to arise -- see also Matthew 3:12-16. On the
Sabbath day he went into the synagogue in Nazareth and read these remarkable words from the
Book of Isaiah: “The spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the
Gospel to the poor”; and then, having sat down, and the eyes of all being fastened intently upon him,
he said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:16-21). Therefore, Yeshua de-
clared himself to be the “Anointed” one -- the Messiah -- at that time.

John the Baptist was sent to “bear witness” of the Messiah, and “that he should be made
manifest to Israel” (John 1:6-7, 31). This special ministry of John was discharged by him at the time
of the Messiah’s baptism. Therefore, when Yeshua had been “anointed” with the holy spirit, and
had been “made manifest to Israel” by John’s witness, the words of the
prophecy “unto the Anointed one” were then completely fulfilled.
From the time of this remarkable event, down to the day of his death,
the Messiah was constantly before the people of Israel in his new Mes-
sianic role, and was continuously devoting himself to fulfilling his
Messianic service in doing good, speaking YEHOVAH’s words, heal-
ing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, cleansing the lepers, raising
the dead, and preaching the good news of the Kingdom of YEHOVAH
God!

As a matter of fact, even before he announced himself in the syna-
gogue in Nazareth as YEHOVAH God’s “Anointed One,” Yeshua
plainly said to the woman of Samaria “I that speak unto thee am He”
(John 4:25-26) when she spoke of “Messiah, Who is called Christ.”
Mosaic of the Messiah’s
Moreover, when the Samaritans came to see him after hearing the
baptism, found the Arian
woman’s report, he fully revealed himself so that they were con-
Baptistery in Ravenna.
strained to confess him, saying, “We have heard him ourselves, and
KNOW that this is indeed the Christ (the Anointed One), the Saviour
of the world” (verse 42).

The very purpose, as well as the outcome of John the Baptist’s public testimony to the Mes-
siah, is clearly revealed by the words of those who followed him after hearing that testimony. We
find mentioned that “One of the two who heard John speak and followed him (Yeshua) was An-
drew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother and saith unto him, We have found the
Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ” (John 1:40-41).

In these scriptures we find stated in both Hebrew and Greek, through the agency of the holy
spirit, the important fact that Yeshua was the Anointed One. The significance of this should not be
lost. That “this Jesus is the Christ” is the great point of apostolic testimony (Acts 17:3) -- and it is
the substance of “our faith,” for “whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (I
John 5:1, 4-5). It is also the rock (foundation) upon which he builds his church -- see Matthew 16:18
and 1 Corinthians 3:11.

The Berean Voice March-April 2003