Why Did Jesus Say John the Baptist Was Elijah the Prophet?

Why did Jesus say John the Baptist was Elijah the prophet that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and you can also email us with your question anytime at questions at core, Christianity.com up first. Today we have a good news story to share with you and this one comes from Europe and Italian student who was trapped in Spain during the coronavirus outbreak was recently driven 1500 km home for free by a young Spanish cabdriver. That's 900 miles yada Collado had been living in the Spanish city of Gilboa as part of the European language studies course when she and thousands of others were quarantined in Spain with no hope of getting home. Well, that's when cabdriver keep Arma take a step, then he drove her 1500 km back to her home in Venice and he did it all for free help yada posted.

I insisted on paying him, but he said I don't want to take advantage of you. I can see you're in a difficult situation. Don't even worry about the cost I let heartwarming yeah it is in your work, again wearing so many of the stories on a regular basis both here in the US and Europe of people just saying you know what I want to do the right thing and even if it's a at their own expense, even though you're making a sacrifice. Often there there just stepping up and that is just so beautiful. What Israel was good to our first question of the day. This one comes from Wesley who emailed us and he asks what is the best interpretation of all will know me in the Jeremiah 3134 prophecy about the new covenant hey Wesley, thank you for that question and I just want to open up to Jeremiah 31 to read this promise is given to us in the Old Testament Jeremiah 31 beginning in verse 31 behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke so I was there.

Husband declares the Lord, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts.

And I will be their God and they shall be my people, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. The Bible uses that word covenant and I think that the closest thing for us today. That gives us a sense of what a covenant is this the sort of marriage contract is binding contractual love in this new covenant is contrasted with the covenant that the people of God in the Old Testament broke the old covenant, God said they broke even though I was their husband and they were in this very special relationship with the Israelites committed idolatry, spiritual adultery. They broke the covenant. So God in his mercy here promises to do something new to restore the relationship to create a new covenant. He says in this covenant there is to be this great reversal there all get to know me they're going to follow me. That's what Jeremiah is getting at, and in one of the things that you see in the context of the book of Jeremiah as a whole is that what's being talked about here is indeed a great reversal. For example, back in chapter 8 verse 10 God said, therefore I will give their wives to others in their fields to conquerors because from the least to the greatest, everyone is greedy for unjust gain from the prophet to the priest everyone deals falsely for the very next chapter chapter 9 verse three as they bend their tongue like a bow falsehood and not truth has grown strong in their land, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord is supposed to passages right there right from the least to the greatest everyone.

It is really just don't know me. The Lord says or Jeremiah 4412. I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed in the land of Egypt. They shall fall by the sword and by famine, they shall be consumed from the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword by famine, and they shall become an oath or a curse and a taunt that is all being reversed here in this promise of Jeremiah 31. It seemed like in Jeremiah's day.

Jeremiah is looking around. He says it seems like no one is following the Lord, from the least to the greatest, the prophets, the priest everyone is just turn their backs on God and God says you know what I'm in a do. I'm good.

Bring my people back. I am going to create a new covenant in that covenant no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me in Jeremiah, the people are depicted as disobedient, from the least of the grace and this is it referring to every person, without exception, I think I'm in Jeremiah is himself a part of the picture here, but all different kinds of people. The rich, the poor prophet, the priest least to the greatest, the situation in his day was dire. He foresees the time of restoration and the amazing thing for us.

Wesley is were living in that day in the time of the new covenant, John said in first John chapter 2 verse 27 is he's writing to a Christian church, the anointing that you received from him abides in you and you have no need that anyone should teach you is alluding there that promise of the new covenant, but as his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie, just as it is taught you abide in him that is to say that under the new covenant now. The people of God as a whole were filled with the Holy Spirit. This is prophesied by Joel and Joel chapter 2 were Joel talked about it.

They were God was in a crowded Spirit on all flesh so what Jeremiah's is looking forward to is what you and I get to experience right now by faith in Jesus Christ. The filling of the Holy Spirit experiencing the grace having been taught by God, by the spirit.

It's really quite an awesome thing and it I think is a wonderful encouragement for us in the midst of the difficult days that were in right now because of the coronavirus and and everything that's happening to know, and we have this promise from God were filled with the Holy Spirit that should be a massive comfort. I think what you're saying Israel and this may get to the heart of what Wesley is asking is that it's available to everyone, not necessarily that all him to the present day will know Jesus but we all have that opportunity to know him. Yes, certainly at end. Specifically, you know, Jeremiah is talking about the new covenant people.

So he's not speaking about every single person on planet Earth.

You don't think thing with Joel. When Joel talks about God pouring out his Spirit on all flesh. Sometimes we use the word democratized available to everyone by faith in Jesus Christ. And that's one of the great blessings of the new covenant. What a great promise. This is core Christianity and we would love to hear your question you can call us anytime at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and eight are a we have a call from Angela people that wear crosses.

They got a close walk with God.

They don't do anything that correct that. For example, mothers that put their daughters down husbands or wives that put their spouses down you've got people hurting people just to make themselves feel better now with those people be saved. Are they going to enter heaven. Even though they didn't follow through with anything because there's no food there. I don't see any fruit. Thank you, Angela will know we are saved by the crosses we wear around our necks, but by the cross that Jesus wore for us. We have to be careful that we don't get superstitious about the faith, and I think there are a lot of people that are superstitious about the Christian faith.

And when Jesus turned over tables in the temple of Jerusalem in Matthew chapter 21 were told that he drove out those who bought and sold there in the temple.

People who were treating religion like a business and it wasn't just those who sold stuff that Jesus rebuked but the people who bought it when people assume that they can do some ritual to seal their salvation apart from having saving faith in Jesus Christ.

A lot of times I think you know today, people treat things like the sinners prayer in this way is kind of this ritual, you know, I said a prayer many years ago I asked Jesus into my heart and as you say, Angela.

You know they don't really even walk with the Lord or have any sense of the presence of God in their life. They just kind of sign their name on a card or something like that and that's what gives them assurances think they've gone through this special ritual thing. The special prayer we also have to be careful though that we aren't playing the judge of everyone salvation and even genuine believers in Jesus Christ do sinful things. Paul wrote to the Corinthians as a holy people, but the Corinthian church was full of all sorts of problems everything from sexual immorality to drunkenness to divisions and disputes. Alden write to them and say hey you guys probably are believers instead, he pointed them to Jesus and called them to live out the implications of the faith that they claimed to have now is there such a thing as a false faith or being deceived into thinking that your saved, when in reality you're not yes and I think James talks about that kind of faith right is visiting a fate that doesn't evidence itself in love is. That's probably not a true faith. Why because it's not real it's not that it's faith plus works that saves us is that genuine faith in Jesus Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit, God begins to work in us and produce fruit.

Because of our union with Jesus. Rather than focusing on inspecting the fruit in the lives of the people around us. Let's personally grow in humility and repentance so that we might graciously go to our brothers or sisters, whoever they may be art walking and in a way that's in line with the teachings of Scripture. What they profess to believe and encourage them and we have to speak the truth in love, and in a way that maybe you know it might be difficult for them to receive the loving thing to do for us. To be honest with each other about what it means to follow Jesus.

So we have to be careful. And as we think about these things. We speak the truth in love to others that were not being hypocritical when we judge them as Jesus said, but it's something that God calls us to us so Angela, I would say you know it breaks my heart. As a pastor and it's one of the things that so many people outside of the church .2 when they say I don't want to go to church. Look at all the hypocrites.

People who claim to follow Jesus, but their lives are a mess and they sit in all these ways there there hypocritical of the reality is all of us are sinners, but through our union with Jesus Christ.

God is working in us and we want to be patient with the people around us and recognize that God is he promises in his word is can it complete the work that he begins in each of us.

So if you see someone who's struggling falling come alongside of them.

Encourage them bring the word of the gospel, the word of God's grace. The call to faithfully following Jesus to them and I think that that's what we ought to do.

Angela and I hope that that encourages you and that the Lord blesses you, thank you for your question, and real. That's exactly why I don't have a Christian bumper sticker on my car because you're always speeding. I'm sure that only in a cutting people off.

I just I just want to fill our listeners about something really special that we have going on this month and this is something that will help you grow in your faith and you could also use in a small group or church setting.

When our churches start meeting once again and it's a Bible study on the book of Romans. Yeah, you know, especially right now reflecting on the difficulty that a lot of us are going through families, churches and businesses. Our entire nation were facing a hard time right now we need to know the confidence that we can have in Jesus Christ as his work for us on the cross and we want to answer the hard unsettling questions of our times for both skeptics and committed Christians want to give you answers that not only show you why the Christian faith is true, but also why it is good and beautiful. Your support alongside the worker team does to produce and air this broadcast is making a difference. A difference in helping others to live with hope, joy and confidence in. The difference is eternal so please consider sending a gift now to help us continue it as a thank you for a gift of $20 or more will send you our Nucor Christianity Bible study on Paul's letter to the Romans to make a donation and receive this study on the book of Romans, head over to core Christianity.com that's core Christianity.com me to say on behalf of the entire team here at core Christianity. Thank you for your support.

Thanks. The drill let's go to an email question that came in here at core Christianity and by the way our email address is questions at core, Christianity.com questions at core, Christianity.com.

This one comes from Kennedy. Kennedy says in Mark chapter 1 the Bible says I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way of voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord and make straight paths for him. Then he goes on to say, this was John the Baptist. My question is, how is Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist connected in the Transfiguration account in Matthew chapter 17 Jesus says that Elijah has already come and that the disciples did not recognize him. Also, when is the first mention of Elijah, and when does he prophesy about John the Baptist coming Kennedy great question. So Elijah was a prophet of the Old Testament who was calling out a remnant of God's people during a time of great crisis you can read his story in first Kings chapter 17 and following.

He prophesies against Ahab and the prophets of bail and the connection between Elijah and John the Baptist is that they both brought a message of judgment and called the people back to God.

They were both prophets. Now the prophecy that you referring to is in the very last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi the very end of the book actually in chapter 4, Malachi chapter 4 verses five and following says behold is God speaking.

I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes in he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children in the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with the decree of utter destruction. This is a call to repentance right was so characteristic of John's ministry out there in the wilderness calling people to repentance, saying that the kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus himself said John the Baptist was the last in line of the foot of Old Testament prophets pointing forward to the Messiah and his kingdom.

And that's exactly what John did and that's what made him like Elijah became to turn people back to God by pointing them to Jesus.

I want to be like John the Baptist you notice I great see you in the gospel of John and John chapter 3 were some of John the Baptist. Disciples go to him and they're kind of upset because people are starting to go to Jesus to be baptized by him. Now there's a little bit of competitive spirit there any John is John the Baptist.

He's supposed to be doing the baptisms and all of a sudden people are starting to go to Jesus and his disciples to be baptized ensued. John's disciples they John, you know, Rabbi. What gives everybody's going to Jesus and John responds to his disciples by saying you know I am not the bridegroom Jesus is the bridegroom I'm just a friend of the bridegroom and I am rejoicing because people are turning to Jesus.

He needs to increase me. I'm going to decrease. It isn't that I think what each of us should be able to say hey.

May our lives point others to Jesus Lord help me to decrease and may your light in your love shine brighter and brighter in me so that people might turn to you in faith that the John the Baptist did as a prophet. He pointed people to Jesus and really that's what Elijah and the Old Testament was doing to do his miracles through calling the people to repentance. He was pointing people forward to God's redemption in Jesus Christ.

This miracle worker who is calling the people back to God.

Will Jesus is the true Elijah. We might say, working miracles for the Lord and ultimately bringing us back to God through his sacrifice. So thank you so much for that question. Hope that's helpful for you, Kennedy Lake Erie drill. Let's go to a call that came in by the way, you can call us at 833 the core that's 833-843-2673 or you cannot record your question for us by going to core Christianity.com/radio look for the little microphone on the right-hand side of the page. There you can record your question for a drill right there on your laptop morning Missouri? Only 144,000 people will go to Anthony thank you so much for your question will it doesn't mean you're referring to Revelation chapter 7 and I don't think that text means that only 144,000 people are going to go to heaven. Think about the number 12 in the Bible you have the 12 tribes of Israel making up together.

The whole people of God under the old covenant. You have the 12 disciples. The picture of Jesus restoring Israel or the people in here you have the hundred and 44,000, 12,000�12 and John Darren in Revelation is given this picture of each of the 12 tribes of Israel gathered from the four corners of the earth. It's a symbol for all of God's people.

We have to be careful when you're reading that the book of Revelation.

In particular, the numbers in the book of Revelation that we understand them as these sort of symbols. Revelation chapter 5 or six I think makes this very very clear. Listen what it says there between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders. I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Seven is the number of perfection in the Bible, Jesus here is depicted is this Lamb whose been slain that standing picture of the resurrection.

But yes, seven horns that he's all powerful in the ancient world. The horn was a symbol of strength of the slain lamb with seven horns standing it's symbolic, it's showing us that Jesus is the all-powerful one.

Similarly, in Revelation chapter 7 where it talks about 144,000 isn't saying it out there is only to be hundred 44,000 people in heaven. This is referring to the people of God is a hold that for the perfect number now. I'll be honest, when I first read about the hundred and 44,000.

I was terrified. I thought if only that few people are going to make it. I better get to work. Distinguished myself. It is sort of like applying for college.

You know only if a few are going to be accepted, and so you want to do everything that you can to stand out entrance into heaven isn't like getting accepted into college, only the best applicants when no. It's by grace you know, think about what Jesus said in the parable of the banquet in Luke chapter 14 verses 15 to 24. Let me just read it when one of those who reclined the table with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God. But he said to him, a man once gave a great banquet and invited many at the time of the banquet he sent his servants to say to those who had been invited come for everything is now ready they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him I have bought a field, and I must go out and see to it. Please have me excused. Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them.

Please have me excused another set I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came and reported these things to his master and the master of the house became angry and said to his servant go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame and the servant said sir what you've commanded has been done and there's still more room in the master said to the servant go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled that such a beautiful picture.

The doors are open, God is calling people into his kingdom there is room through Jesus Christ for the broken for the lame for the blind. He invites you to come in to receive. Thank you lender for the question in a drill for your response. Last question before we go. Today, this one from Dan who went to our Instagram page and posted this in light of first Corinthians 6 verses nine through 11. Is it true that there really is no such thing as what's commonly referred to as a backslider. Hey Dan, thanks for that question know not if by backslider what you mean is a professing Christian falls into some grievous sins. Think about the church at Corinth divisions schism self-righteousness Christians suing each other in secular courts because they weren't mature enough to sit down and have a conversation.

There was a guy there who was apparently in an inappropriate relationship with his mother-in-law. Others struggling with sexual immorality people getting drunk at the Lord's day services also isn't in first Corinthians, and even confusion about the resurrection of everything from moral theological issues and yet Paul didn't say to the pagans living in Corinth, I write to you. He said to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Both their Lord and ours. So what is Paul talking about in first Corinthians 692 11 he sang look these people will not inherit the king of God.

Don't be deceived. This is just true and if somebody's a professing Christian and they hate God they hate God's law.

They don't know the Lord will yet they're having their deceived but Paul tells the Corinthians.

Such were some of you but you were washed, you were sanctified. Does that mean were knocking it sometimes struggle still maybe even go back to some of those things, not at all.

And that's what was happening in Corinth, yet Paul doesn't condemn them.

He points them to Jesus. When you're struggling with sin need to be pointed to Jesus and want to do here on this program is remind you where you are of the fact that the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse all of your sins and turn to him and trust.

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