Testimony of Jesus by George W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 23, 1912

Testimony of Jesus

By George W. Reaser

IV—Fulfilled Prophecy the Mightiest Evidence that Jesus Is the True Messiah

Jesus' Proof of His Own Messiahship

TRUTH of equal importance, to the children of men, with the existence of God, is the Messiahship of Christ.

If Jesus is the true Messiah, He must have some incontrovertible proof of it. What proof of His Messiahship does He offer?

Let us dwell for a few moments upon some of the miraculous events associated with the birth of Christ, for therein do we find proof positive of His Messiahship.

Mary's Protection

From the foundation of the world, motherhood in wedlock has been covered with a halo of glory, and out of wedlock with a mantle of shame. What wise provision was made in the councils of heaven, to cover Mary, the mother of Jesus, with a halo of eternal glory, instead of a mantle of perpetual shame, and at the same time give us ample ground for intelligent faith in the supernatural conception of Christ, or in the fact that the Son of God literally became "the Seed of the woman," "the Son of Man"? While we may say that if Mary had been guilty she would not have dared declare herself innocent, in the presence of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:31-34), yet this reason alone is not sufficient. God would not expect us to accept her evidence, if it stood alone.

I must confess that while I desire to believe in the miraculous conception of the Saviour, yet if Mary's testimony alone were all the evidence that we have upon which to base faith in His supernatural birth, I could not believe in her as a pure, truthful woman; nor do I believe that God would hold me guilty for disbelief in her solitary testimony to her conception, for it was wholly unique in the entire history of the world. What a tremendous temptation for Mary, if guilty, to cover her shame by telling the story of a miracle! If by her story she could convince Joseph of her innocence, he would take her to be his wife, and thus cover her shame, and avert the dreadful calamity of her being stoned to death.

With the infatuation of love to modify cool, deliberate judgment, of all other persons in the world, Joseph, to whom Mary was espoused, would have been the least inclined to doubt her statement. But evidently he did not accept her explanation (and it is beyond belief that she did not make full explanation to him); for when he discovered her condition, he decided not "to make her a public example" of impurity, and thereby cause her to be stoned to death, according to a law in Israel (Deut. 22:21), but, in charity, determined to conceal her evident guilt by putting her away privately. It required a special visitation of an angel to corroborate Mary's account and thus convince Joseph of her spotless purity. Matt. 1:18-25. If Joseph could not believe her statement until convinced by a special messenger from glory, God would not expect me to believe in the supernatural birth of Jesus into the world upon the statement of a Jewish maiden, who, if guilty of shame, would naturally have a desire to create the story of a miracle to cover her guilt. Wherein, then, do we have all-sufficient ground for faith in the fact that the Creator, the Lord of Glory, the Son of God, was united with humanity in His birth, so that He might take this essential preliminary step in becoming the Saviour of men?

Be assured, reader, that there was nothing overlooked in the divine plan. God gave me all the basis for faith that I could possibly require. He paved the way for Mary to stand shameless not only before the angel and before her espoused husband in making her candid profession of purity, but likewise before the universe; and not only shameless, but, in her humility, covered with a spotless robe of perpetual glory.

How did divine wisdom, in advance, undermine skepticism and cause Christianity to triumph gloriously? The answer is simple; namely, by the "testimony of Jesus," the "sure word of prophecy." Jesus Himself, speaking through the prophet some 740 years before the event was fulfilled, had said, "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isa. 7:14.

His Birthplace Foretold

How marvelous the fulfilment of the prophecy which specified the birthplace of the Messiah! More than 700 years before His birth into our human family, Jesus, by the spirit of prophecy, spoke God's word through the prophet Micah, saying, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, tho thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. When the exact time came for the fulfilment of these sure words of prophecy, Joseph and Mary were called from their home in Nazareth of Galilee to Bethlehem, by the world ruler, Cæsar Augustus, and there Jesus was born. Luke 2:1-7. Who can but be overwhelmed with wonder and awe at the foreknowledge of God, and the accuracy of the prophetic foresight, which could penetrate the future for seven centuries, and know that altho Joseph and Mary would be residing at Nazareth, yet just at the opportune time for the birth of Jesus to take place at Bethlehem, they would be called there to be enrolled for taxation, by a ruler who knew not God!

The wisdom of God laid the plan of salvation so carefully, so accurately, in advance, that no truth is better established than the Messiahship of Christ.

No Design of Men

There was absolutely no concerted plan on the part of any set of men whereby they designed to fulfil a single detail of prophecy relating to Christ's birth, or any other God-given prophecy. But in open opposition to the divine purpose, King Herod arrayed his civil power against the fulfilment of prophecy, in his wicked decree consigning all the children in Bethlehem and round about, to cruel slaughter. The Lord has said that He will make the wrath of man praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He will restrain; and thus it proved that the wrath of Herod, hurled against the innocents at Bethlehem, literally fulfilled two very definite specifications of prophecy. Jer. 31:15-17; Matt. 2:12-18. A parallel of this is found in the agreement of Herod and Pilate concerning the crucifixion of Jesus. While trying to defeat God's purpose, they fulfilled prophecy, but were not conscious of it. Ps. 2:2, 3; Acts 4:23-28; 13:27-35. The testimony for Jesus, as well as the testimony of Jesus, is the spirit of prophecy.

(This article of the series concluded next week)