Anniversary Lecture Series Overview
Course 1: Martin Luther | Course 2: Luthernism | Course 3: The Messiah
Course 4: The Book of Daniel | Course 5: How Christians Ritualize Death
Course 6: Putting the “M” Word Back into Christian Discipleship
Lecture Series Pdf Files | Lecture Series Video Files
Course 3 - The Messiah in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ
Taught by Ralph W. Klein, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor of the Old Testament emeritus, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
In four weekly sessions this course will look at the central messianic promises in the Old Testament and how they shaped Jewish expectations of God’s deliverance. The New Testament and Christianity find these promises fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Many of these promises are still to be fulfilled through the ministry of Christians or at the second coming of Jesus.
November 7th and 9th – The Promise to David and Beliefs about the King in the Old Testament
The Old Testament promise of a coming messiah builds on the promise to David that he and his descendants will occupy the throne in Jerusalem forever (2 Samuel 7//1 Chronicles 17). The Davidic king is the adopted child of God (Psalm 2), who is invited to sit at God’s right hand (Psalm 110). When disappointment grew about the behavior of the Davidic kings and especially when the last king fell in 586 B.C., the promise was redirected toward a future, ideal king—the Messiah. Christians believe Jesus is the fulfillment and radical reinterpretation of that promise.
The lecture Power Point presentation is available for downloading in pdf format.
Lecture 1: The Messiah in the Old Testament.
The video presentation Video Lecture #1 - The Messiah in the Old Testiment is available.
November 14th and 16th – Messianic Promises in Isaiah and Micah
In the book of the prophet Isaiah (late 8th century B.C.) there are ringing promises about this ideal, future king: Isa 9:2-7 (Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given) and Isa 11:1-16 (A shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse…the wolf will lie down with the lamb). In Isaiah’s contemporary prophet Micah, 5:2, there is a parallel prophecy (But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah). Matthew 2:5-6 announces the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy.
The lecture Power Point presentation is available for downloading in pdf format.
Lecture 2: The Messiah in Isaiah.
The video presentation Video Lecture #2 - The Messiah in Isaiah is available.
November 28th and 30th – The Messiah in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
The seventh century prophet Jeremiah announced the coming king in Jer 23:5-6 (The Lord is our righteousness) and modified that promise significantly in Jer 33:14-16 (Jerusalem will be called the Lord is our righteousness). The prophet Ezekiel in the early years of the sixth century also spoke of a coming king in Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-28 (My servant David shall be king; my dwelling place shall be with them forever).
The lecture Power Point presentation is available for downloading in pdf format.
Lecture 3: The Messiah in Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
The video presentation Video Lecture #3 - The Messiah in Jeremiah is available.
December 5th and 7th – Expectations of the Messiah In Non-Canonical Texts
In the nearly six hundred years between Ezekiel and the birth of Jesus there were numerous additions to these messianic promises in the Dead Sea Scrolls (two messiahs and a coming prophet, a messiah who heals and preaches good news to the poor), the apocryphal Psalms of Solomon (a military messiah), and in the apocryphal 4 Ezra 7:28-29 (the death of the messiah). Paul summed up the Christian message when he wrote: We preach a crucified messiah…the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:23-24).
The lecture Power Point presentation is available for downloading in pdf format.
Lecture 4: Expectation of the Messiah in Non-Canonical Texts.
The video presentation Video Lecture #4 - Expectations of the Messiah in Non-Canonical Texts is available.
Suggested reading:
“Aspects of Intertestamental Messianism”
“Christology and Incarnation: Fulfillment and Radical Reinterpretation of the Old Testament Prophets”
“Isaiah for Advent—An Exegetical-homiletical treatment of four passages from First Isaiah”
“Promise and Fulfillment”
| Monday Evenings (7:00 pm - 8:00 pm) | Wednesday Mornings (10:00 am - 11:00 am) |
| Monday Evenings (7:00 pm - 8:00 pm) | Wednesday Mornings (10:00 am - 11:00 am) |
