Lesson 9-Questions and Answers
- May 26
- 10 min read
Updated: Jun 11
Luke 1:5-24, 2 Samuel 7: 12-13, Zechariah 6:12-13, Isaiah 35:5-6, Zechariah 14:3-9, Exodus 32, Psalm 69:28, Psalm 20, Numbers 6:22-27
Simon and Andrew watched as their abba sorted the fish. Philip was there, also helping where he could. There was a huge catch this morning, and the nets were full. There was something in the wind. The other boys, too, were assisting their abba, and the entire community was buzzing about the huge haul of fish. Seagulls were dipping into the water and calling out along the lake shore. The day was already hot. A haul like this only happened once in a while.
Simon wanted to catch his father’s attention, but on such a day as this, it did not quite seem appropriate to ask permission to leave for school.
Suddenly, as if his Abba could feel the question, he looked up and winked at Simon. He yelled over the noise, “See you after school! And be sure to thank Yahweh for his provision today!”
Soon the boys all gathered at the synagogue, filling in the rabbi with details of the enormous catch of fish. He smiled at all of them, and suggested they return thanks to God before starting their lesson. They all spent time then, praising Yahweh, and thanking Him for his provision. When the prayer time was over, the rabbi focused the group.
“Simon, “ The Rabbi said. “I promised to tell you what I found out about Yeshua’s relatives, Zachariah and Elizabeth. Would you like to hear the news now?”
“Yes!” the boys all said at once.
“Well according to the rabbi in Nazareth, Mary the mother of Yeshua, is related to Zachariah’s wife, Elizabeth. Zachariah is a priest of Yahweh. The two women are cousins. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are descendants of Aaron. Both were righteous and upright followers of Yahweh! But they were childless. Just a short while before Mary became pregnant herself, something interesting happened. While Zechariah’s division was on duty in the temple, as was custom, the priests drew lots to see who would offer the incense that day on the golden altar in the Holy Place of the Temple. The lot fell on Zechariah! So he entered the holy place and began to pray, while others prayed outside.”
“ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense! When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words.”
“When Zechariah came out of the Holy Place, he could not speak. The people were puzzled and decided he must have seen a vision. After Zechariah’s term was up, the couple returned home. Elizabeth became pregnant, as the angel said. When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.”
“ On the eighth day they came to Jerusalem to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, ‘No! He is to be called John.’ So, they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He was still unable to speak. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, His name is John. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.”
“All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, 'What then is this child going to be?' For the Lord’s hand was with him.”
“It is reported that on that day, Zechariah prophesied over his son. This is what he said. ‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.’
“After the child was weaned, he was sent to a settlement out in the desert, to live with the Essenes and learn the scriptures. According to the rabbi, the people in Judea still talk about Zechariah, the priest, and his mysterious son, John. There was a local legend growing up around the story, although it seems to be forgotten now" (Luke 5:24).
The rabbi stopped talking, as the boys digested the news.
“Rabbi,” asked James. “What do you think? Could this man, John, really be the voice mentioned in the book of Malachi?”
“I do not know,” he replied. “But I must admit there are some compelling details here. We must wait, and pray, and see what Yahweh says about all of this. In the meantime, let’s begin our lesson. Today will be a bit different. As we close our study of The Promised One, I thought we would review a bit, and then I would give you time to ask me any questions you might have.
“First of all, what are the names of Messiah we have studied?”
The boys, then started yelling them out. The Seed of the Woman. The Promised One. The Suffering Servant. The Great Shepherd. The Son of David. The Holy One of Israel. The Holy Arm. The Redeemer. The Cloud Rider. The King of Kings. The Conquering King. A Priest. The Savior. A Prophet Greater than Moses. The Lord is Our Righteousness. The Son of Man. The Lord of the Heavenly Armies. The Rock that Crushes. The Warrior King. The Prince of Peace. The New Covenant. Immanuel. The Branch. A Rod from the Stem of Jesse. David’s Root. The Cornerstone. The Passover Lamb. The Guilt Offering. The Righteous Judge. Meshiach. The Anointed One. A Light to the Gentiles.The Everlasting One. The Son of God. The Stone.
“Well done!” laughed the rabbi. “And what will Messiah do?”
“He will come twice. Once as a Suffering Servant, and then as a Conquering King!” Philip yelled!
“He will choose to die for us, and take our sin upon himself. Through his shed blood, we will live forever. He will take our place. And through him we will be forgiven of our sins. He will redeem us!” added John.
“He will sit down at the right hand of God in heaven. When it is time, He will return to defeat the seed of the serpent, and set things right again. He will rule the nations from his throne in Zion. And his kingdom will have no end,” James declared.
“Very good. Very good.” murmured the Rabbi. “So, do you have questions for me?”
Andrew spoke up first. “Rabbi, in the new kingdom, will we have the same temple, or will there be a new one? If so, what will it be like?”
“Andrew this is an excellent question. We do know that up until three and a half years before Messiah returns to battle the Seed of the Serpent, as recorded in the book of Daniel, the daily sacrifice will be stopped by this evil ruler, and he will set up an abomination in the Holy of Holies. Therefore, there is a temple during the latter days.”
“Not only is Messiah seen as King, a Priest, a Redeemer and a Judge, he is also a builder! The prophet Ezekiel records many things about a future temple! The scriptures foretell in the writings of Samuel, ( 2 Samuel 7: 12-13) the portion called the Davidic Covenant, that the coming Messiah will not only establish a kingdom, but that he would build the house of the Lord. The prophet Zechariah stated, ‘ Behold there is a man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where He is, and He will build the temple of the Lord and it is He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.’ Messiah, will return to establish visible justice, restore worship on earth, and build the physical temple of the Lord in Jerusalem" (Zechariah 6:12-13).
“Boys, This has not yet happened. In that day, Ezekiel’s grand temple will be built. He actually records a written blueprint! From the temple will flow a river of life that brings healing to the nations. This section of scripture also introduces a man named, ‘The Prince.’ Some rabbis believe this will be a descendant of David, or even David himself. This ruler will be under Messiah, the King.”
"James, do you have a question?"
“Will Messiah do miracles while he is here on the earth? Like Elijah and Elisha? Like Moses?”
The Rabbi nodded his head. “Yes. There are many passages about the Messiah doing miracles. Small ones and large ones! First, the Messiah will be a healer. Listen to this section of Isaiah.”
"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert "(Isaiah 35:5-6).
"The Promised One will open blind eyes, heal the deaf and lame, and even the dumb will sing! This is how we will know Him! And just like Moses, when Messiah comes to rule and reign there will be streams in the desert! He will do wonders! If the Mashiach will be a prophet greater than Moses, he will do greater things than Moses did. If Elijah is to be the forerunner to Messiah, then The Promised One will be greater than Elijah or Elisha. Both of these prophets raised people from the dead. The Messiah will do that, too. Elisha and Elijah multiplied food, Elijah prayed and it rained. Elijah called down fire from heaven, Elisha prayed and the oil filled the empty jars. If Messiah is the Son of God, nothing will be able to stop Him. Will he part the sea? Absolutely. The scriptures are full of the mighty things He will do! Listen to one of my favorite verses from Zechariah.” The rabbi found the place he wanted on the scroll and started to read.
“Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations. As He fights on the day of battle, on that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, making a very large valley. Half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Then you (the remnant of Israel) shall flee through My mountain valley. For the mountain valley shall reach Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with Him," ( Zechariah 14:3-9).
James stated, “So first, Messiah the King, will fight against the nations, while the remaining remnant flees? He keeps them safe while the battle is going on! What a miracle! The Mount of Olives will be split in two? The glory and power of the Lord will be revealed! He will alter the geography of the earth!”
Philip jumped in and asked his question. “Since the Messiah will be bringing a new covenant to his people, as we studied, will the Law of Moses still be followed?
“That remains a mystery,” the rabbi answered. “The answer has not been revealed to us yet.”
“Rabbi,” asked Simon. “Will we be able to see this great battle that happens during the time of God’s wrath? The scriptures say that the seven years, it is actually God pouring out his wrath on the earth. Will we be part of the remnant? Will we be part of the Holy Ones who come with Mashiach into Jerusalem? Will we get to fight in the battle? Where will we be?”
“Ah, Simon. I wish I had the answer to that question. “Only God knows. We must be sure that our names are written in the Book of Life. It is mentioned in Exodus 32 by Moses, and in Psalm 69:28. We must follow the Torah, the entire Tanakh. We must “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” (Deut. 6:5). We must believe God will do all he says he will do. Believe and trust his words. Wait patiently for them to come true. And follow him with all our hearts. Desire to know his ways. Be pleasing to him. And watch for His coming! He is coming soon! And when the Promised One arrives, anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved! We will pass from death. Could we be part of the Holy Ones? Anything is possible with God!”
John was the last one with a question, which was more like a request. “Rabbi, will you pronounce a blessing, a prayer over us? Over all of us? You have taught us much. Please, now bless us.”
“I would be honored. Please, my young men. Stand to your feet. Let us speak to Almighty God.”
The rabbi’s voice began to recite Psalm 20. “ May the Lord answer you, when you are in distress. May the name of the God of Jacob, protect you. May he give you help from his sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. May he give you all the desires of your hearts, and make your plans succeed. We will shout for joy, when you are victorious! And we will lift our banners, in the name of our God!'
Then the rabbi, through tears, proclaimed the sacred blessing of Aaron, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22-27).
It was a holy moment. It was as if the room was filled with a holy peace, and an inexpressible joy. Something was different from that moment on. They could all feel it. Yahweh was there, with them, surrounding them with His love.
Discussion Questions: For Lesson Plans for this Lesson, CLICK HERE!
Which of the boys seemed to you to learn the most from the rabbi? Why?
What part of this lesson was your favorite? Why?
At this point in time, the Jews were not exactly sure how The Anointed One would bring salvation. What do we know now that they did not know then?
Which one of all the lessons was your favorite? Why?
What do you think might have happened next?
How does knowing all the names for Messiah help you understand the reading of the Old Testament scriptures?
The boys at the school revered the rabbi. Why do you think it is not really that way today with our pastors?
Going Further: 4 min
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