The single most important prophecy about the Messiah to the Jewish mind is Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Islam claims that Muhammad is 'that Prophet' mainly because Jews and Christians overlook these scriptures and fail to accurately associate them with Yeshua.
John 7:40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, "Of a truth this is 'THAT Prophet'. Others said, "This is the Messiah." But some said, Shall the Messiah come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That the Messiah cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Because this prophecy was uppermost in the minds of ALL Jews in Israel at that time, this question was raised by the common people. Remember that Andrew, Pehter and Yochannon were disciples of Yochannon haMatbil (John the Baptist). When they first encountered Yeshua, they were expecting him because of Yochannon haMatbil's preaching to 'prepare the way' and be ready for The Third Day (All flesh is grass).
John 1:40-41 One of the two which heard Yochannon speak, and followed him, was Andreij, Shimon Pehter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Shimon, and saith unto him, "We have found the Messiah."
The balance of Yeshua's words as recorded in the Gospel of John are concerned with what Yeshua said of himself in regard to Deut. 18:18-19.
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
We must compare this with the following:
John 3:11-18 " Verily, verily, I say unto thee,We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which was in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For YHWH so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For YHWH sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of YHWH."
In comparing these two passages of scripture we see that the same issue is addressed by both of them: THE PROPHET YHWH SENDS WHO IS LIKE MOSHEH IS TO BE BELIEVED. No other prophet arose who was the mediator of a covenant like Mosheh other than Yeshua. The connecting idea here is BELIEVE THE PROPHET YHWH SENDS who is like Mosheh.
Vs.12, " ... How will you believe if I tell you heavenly things." Vs.16, " ... that whosoever believes on him will have everlasting life." Vs.18, "...He who believes in him is not condemned (a direct reference to Deut.18:18-19); but he who does not believe is condemned already."
Andrew, Pehter, and Yochannon were not the only ones anticpating the coming of Messiah. We next encounter the Samaritan woman at the well.
John 4:19-26 The woman saith unto him, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Yerushalayim is the place where men ought to worship." Yeshua saith unto her, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Elohim is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The woman saith unto him, "I know that the Messiah cometh, when he is come, he will tell us all things." Yeshua saith unto her, "I that speak unto thee am he."
The issue is the same; the expectation of the coming Messiah, 'THAT Prophet' that Mosheh said would appear, to whom everyone would be made accountable for the word that 'THAT Prophet' would speak.'THAT Prophet' would speak the words he heard from YHWH and all who heard him would be held accountable for what they heard. Next we see the focus of Yeshua's ministry was to affirm that he was 'THAT Prophet' that Mosheh said was fore to come in Deuteronomy 18:15-18.
John 5:19-23 Then answered Yeshua and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.(Again, a direct reference to Deuteronomy 18:18-19)
Here we see the reason that Mosheh gave his prophecy about 'THAT Prophet'; Messiah: those who do not believe the one that the Father sends, do not believe the Father either. Continuing,
John 5:24-29 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of YHWH: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
The issue here is life in the Olam haBa, the 'world to come', the Millennial age of the reign of Messiah. This is what is at stake to all those who claim to believe him but reject his words, there is no life in the Kingdom Age. Paul wrote in 1st Tim. 6:3,"'If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Master the Messiah, and to the doctrine which is according to sabbath-keeping; ...."
He too, highlights the need to heed the words spoken by the Messiah, 'THAT Prophet', above all others in accordance with the prophecy given by Mosheh in Deut. 18:15-18. Back to
John 5:30-41 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself,my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men."
When Yeshua says the scriptures testify of himself, there is no more famous prophecy about Messiah in the Jewish mind than what Mosheh spoke in Deuteronomy 18:15-19! What prevented men from coming to Yeshua more than any single other reason, as it is to this day, is the fear of man. Those who are bound up in fear of man will not fear YHWH, which scripture tells us is 'the beginning of wisdom'. The Spirit of Wisdom is the Holy Spirit, which is also the Spirit of Truth. No fear of YHWH equals no Spirit of Truth! The heart of the matter then, is ultimately a hatred and rejection of the Father and the true Son and the Spirit of Truth which leads and guides into all truth. And that is precisely what Yeshua goes on to say:
John 5:42-47 "But I know you, that ye have not the love of Elohim in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from Elohim only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
Here we note that a correct understanding of Mosheh's words is in complete and yielded agreement with the words of Messsiah, as Mosheh had said in Deut. 18:18-19. Those who argue that the words of Mosheh are more relevant than the words of 'THAT Prophet' who would make a new covenant with Israel, even in the manner that Mosheh had made a covenant with Israel, believe neither Yeshua nor Mosheh. We now turn to John 6:27-29 where the testimony of Yeshua picks up the theme that HE is 'THAT Prophet' of which Mosheh wrote:
(Yeshua said,) " Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath the Father sealed." Then said they unto him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of Elohim?" Yeshua answered, and said unto them, "This is the work of Elohim, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
Because they doubted him even though they had all they needed to show them that he was 'THAT Prophet', they asked from him a sign, claiming that Mosheh had given them a sign by sending bread from heaven. An evil and adulteress generation seeketh after a sign .... Immediately, Yeshua returns back to the subject of Mosheh's words written in Deut. 18:15-18.
John 6:30-40 They said therefore unto him, "What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Then Yeshua said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of Elohim is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." Then said they unto him, "Rabbi, evermore give us this bread." And Yeshua said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
Time and time again we see Yeshua's testimony centered upon the same verses Mosheh wrote in Deut. 18:15-18. The balance of this chapter reiterates that Yeshua is the bread that comes down from heaven (vss.41-58) and that he was sent to earth by the Father (vs. 57) to fulfill what Mosheh prophesied about 'THAT Prophet'. Regarding the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood, Yeshua started to loose many disciples who could not fathom what he meant by what appeared to them to be cryptic, dark sayings. He addresses the remaining disciples in John 6:59-71. For our purpose we resort to
John 6:60-69 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" When Yeshua knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, "Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not." For Yeshua knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, "Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Yeshua unto the twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Then Shimon Pehter answered him, "Rabbi, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim."
Why were his words life? Because that is what was prophesied in Deut. 18:15-19 about 'THAT Prophet'. The kind of accountability intended in Mosheh's prophecy was a life and death issue; kingdom life in the world to come. When Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim for the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7, his fame preceded him, but hide himself he could not, because when he spoke, he spoke with the authority of one who had been sent by YHWH, not as one of the scribes.
John 7:15-18, And the Jews marvelled, saying, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" Yeshua answered them, and said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of YHWH, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."
Now let us look closely at what we are told is the conversation of the crowd in Yerushalayim, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when the true Messiah does appear.
John 7:25-31 Then said some of them of Yerushalayim, "Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Messiah? Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Messiah cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." Then Yeshua cried in the temple as he taught, saying, "Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me." Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him, and said, "When the Messiah cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?"
All who kept the feast days, which are one and the same with all those who were considered the failthful in Israel, were concerned with just who this man was. The scriptures they all wondered about were the very ones Mosheh wrote in Deut. 18:15-18. On the last day of the feast, Hoshannah Rabbah, all of these concerns came to a head, and Yeshua did not disappoint anyone who really wanted to know.
John 7:37-52 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Yeshua was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, "Of a truth this is 'THAT Prophet'." Others said, "This is the Messiah."
Notice how this was THE QUESTION that was on the minds of all Israel at that particular time.
(continuing.....) But some said, "Shall the Messiah come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That the Messiah cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, "Why have ye not brought him?" The officers answered, "Never man spake like this man." Then answered them the Pharisees, "Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the Torah are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to by night, being one of them,) "Doth our Torah judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" They answered and said unto him, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet."
Yeshua's authority was noticed by all snubbed by the religious establishment and all of those who feared them. Their rejection of the one whom they claimed to have been waiting fordid not come without severe conseqences however. This was all out spiritual confrontation. They next tried to trap him with the woman caught in adultery. After successfully handling that situation, the focus of the conflict immediately returns to who had sent Yeshua'
John 8:12-16, Then spake Yeshua again unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The Pharisees therefore said unto him, "Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true." Yeshua answered and said unto them, "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came,and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."
Because Yeshua always testifies that he is 'THAT Prophet' whom Mosheh prophesied would come, the religious leaders hated him and nowhere else is this more important that in the next several verses.
John 8:17-20 "It is also written in your Torah, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." Then said they unto him, "Where is thy Father?"
This they asked intending to heap ridicule upon him in an attempt to destroy his reputation in the eyes of man. They were aware of the circumstances of his birth, that rumours still circulated that his mother was with child before erusin with the implication that Yoseph was not his natural father. There are those today who still blaspheme that Miryam had a tryste with a Roman soldier.
(continued) Yeshua answered, "Ye neither know me,nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." These words spake Yeshua in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
If one is to truly believe Yeshua, then the only conclusion one could have about this confrontation in John 8, is that Yeshua was speaking by the Holy Spirit. He answered perfectly all of the attacks and verbal onslaught directed at him. All the accusations and traps of the religious hypocrites were motivated by EVIL SPIRITS. While this is a general truth elsewhere in the gospels there are things said by those who were not hostile to Yeshua that originate from either their human spirit or, rarely, the Holy Spirit. But here we are witnessing Immortal combat.
John 8:21-27 Then said Yeshua again unto them, "I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come." Then said the Jews, "Will he kill himself? because he saith, 'Whither I go, ye cannot come'." And he said unto them, "Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." Then said they unto him, "Who art thou?" And Yeshua saith unto them, "Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. (Heb. Bereshit; also 'from genesis') I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him." They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.