Page 75 - Biblical Theology Textbook - masters

Study Section 11: Redemption Fulfilled

11.1 Connect

The people of Israel received the promises that a Messiah would come and save His people
from their sin. So, the people waited. Generations came and died, but no Messiah! In fact,
there was no word from God for almost 400 years! They knew the Messiah would be born in
Bethlehem. They knew a virgin would conceive. In fact, if they paid attention to Daniel, the
prophet, they could have known the exact time of his coming. They looked for a man like
Elijah, who would be a voice in the wilderness announcing His arrival.

Somehow, they completely missed the Messiah’s coming. They were not looking for Him to arrive when
He did. They were too busy with life to pay attention or put the pieces together. But in the fullness of
time He came to redeem mankind from his sin.

He is coming a second time. He told us what the signs of His coming would be. We see those signs
fulfilled even today. Are you asleep as they were the first time He came? Or are you looking up for your
final redemption? Let’s see how redemption continues to unfold…

11.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to explain how God used John the Baptist as a part of His plan to
redeem mankind.

2. The student should be able to describe multiple events in the coming of Messiah that
progressively reveal His plan of redemption.

11.3 Jesus Christ brings Salvation – Redemption Fulfilled

John the Baptist is forerunner of the Messiah

Although his name implies that he baptized people (which he did),
John’s life on earth was more than just baptizing. John’s adult life was
characterized by devotion and surrender to Jesus Christ and His
kingdom. John’s voice was a "lone voice in the wilderness" (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the
coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Savior. He was the precursor for the
modern-day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ. He was a man filled
with faith and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others.

Most everyone, believer and non-believer alike, has heard of John the Baptist. He is one of the most
significant and well-known figures in the Bible. While John was known as "the Baptist," he was in fact
the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years earlier. John’s coming was foretold over
700 years previously by another prophet: "A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the
LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every

74