Would You have Followed?

Our Pastor preached a sermon recently on Zacharia's prophecy in Gospel of Luke. He also began to trace these prophecies throughout the OT. I couldn't help but be amazed at what these prophecies said about the coming Messiah.

I have to say I have been awfully critical of those who turned away from Christ after seeing Him perform so many miracles and proclaim who He said He was. How would it be possible to turn and not give your life to such a man (God)? Well, setting aside (as if that is possible) the obvious sovereignty of God and Him calling whom He wills, I think I might understand a little more.

In many of these prophecies throughout the Bible, the coming Messiah would be a King with a Kingdom, He would come in power, He would rescue us from our enemies, He would have authority to rule. The Jews were clearly looking for a deliverer from the Romans. Why? because so many of the prophecies that they had grown up with spoke of Him as such. When a child was born in a shed and raised as a carpenter with no money, it must have been a bit much to accept that He was their new "deliverer."

I am aware that there were many other prophecies about Christ that did line up and come true. My concern is that I may have been one of the ones who saw a man who claimed to be the Messiah and King, but was a little too poor, possibly too short, and didn't seem to be killing any of the Romans.

Would I have followed? Would I have believed? Would You?