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“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).
When the Lord Jesus first began His earthly ministry, He presented Himself as the Messiah—the rightful King of Israel. There were many signs that ought to have convinced the people that He was the Messiah, for He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophesies concerning Himself. In the Old Testament it was foretold where He would be born, how He would be born, when He would be born, and many other details about His life. More than this, He did many miracles that had never been done before, as proof of who He was.
Sadly, the nation of Israel did not recognize Him, and would admit only that He was a great prophet. There came a point when the Lord Jesus stopped presenting Himself as the rightful King, and told His followers that He must die, yet rise the third day. This too had been prophesied in the Old Testament, yet many of His followers were very upset, as they were looking for a glorious kingdom to be set up. But Israel could not have the kingdom in their sinful condition, and neither could we. The Lord Jesus needed to suffer and die so that our sins could be put away. Only in this way could there be real blessing for us.
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