Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

The Reappearance of Prophecy

Jesus, the Prophet

To the Hebrews of Bible times there was a difference between "a" prophet and "the" prophet.A prophet could refer to any one of a number of prophets sent by God, but the prophet could refer to only one, very special Prophet. That Prophet was He who would fulfill the prediction of Moses: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him....I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him" (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19). Peter made it perfectly clear that Jesus of Nazareth was both the Christ and the promised Prophet. Preaching to an amazed multitude that wit nessed the healing of the lame beggar, Peter specifically declared Deuteron omy 18:15, 19 to be fulfilled in Jesus (Acts 3:22-23). During His earthly ministry, the people and authorities wondered at Jesus' identity.The disciples reported to Him that people thought Him to be John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets (Mark 8:28), and Herod nerv ously received the same report from his spies (Mark 6:14-15; Luke 9:7-8). On one occasion, when Jesus stopped a funeral procession in Nain and raised a man from the dead, the multitude of people "began glorifying God, saying, 'A great prophet has arisen among us!' ...And this report concerning Him went out all over Judea, and in all the surrounding dis trict" (Luke 7:16-17).The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, "Sir, I per ceive that You are a prophet" (John 4:19).The blind man healed by Jesus said to the authorities, "He is a prophet" (John 9:17).When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, "the whole city was thrown into an uproar" and the cry went up, "Who is he?" (Matthew 21:10, TEV). The answer came back: "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee" (verse 11, NLT). The Temple authorities wanted to seize Him but "became afraid of the multitudes, because they held Him to be a prophet" (Matthew 21:46).The two disciples on the road to Emmaus told the stranger walk ing with them "about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people" (Luke 24:19). Clearly Jesus was received as a prophet, and He Himself seemed to have no problem being identified as such (Mark 6:4; Luke 4:23-27; 13:33). As a prophet, Jesus was to all outward appearances typical of what the people expected a Hebrew prophet to be, in terms of: • Calling. He was aware of divine direction and empowerment (Luke 3:21-22; 4:1, 18; John 5:19). 137 ■