Don Stewart :: Was Jesus the Prophet That Moses Predicted Would Come into the World?

Was Jesus the Prophet That Moses Predicted Would Come into the World?

What Everyone Needs to Know about Jesus – Question 38

A prophet is a spokesman for God, one who relates the message of God to the people. They were usually unpopular at the time they were giving the message. The Old Testament tells us of many prophets that God raised up. They include as Elijah, Jeremiah and Isaiah. The Old Testament, however, predicted that God would raise up one special Prophet who would be like Moses. The evidence is as follows.

The Old Testament Predicted a Special Prophet Would Appear

Moses wrote about a special prophet that was to come at some time in the future. This prophet would have characteristics that were similar to Moses. We read the following in the Book of Deuteronomy:

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet...‘I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will tell that prophet what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command him.’” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 NIV)

This coming prophet would have some similarities to Moses.

But at the time of Moses’ death this particular Prophet had not yet appeared. We read at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy the following words:

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face... (Deuteronomy 34:10 NIV)

The predicted prophet was still yet to come.

That Particular Prophet Never Appeared

Furthermore, the Old Testament does not record that this particular prophet ever appeared. At the time of Jesus’ coming, the people were still looking for “the Prophet.” The religious leaders asked John the Baptist if he was that “prophet.” We read of this in John’s gospel:

“What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered. (John 1:21 HCSB)

John said that he was not the coming prophet. He was not that man.

Jesus Was Recognized as the Prophet

When Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the scene, and started performing His miracles, He was recognized by many as the long-awaited Prophet who is to come into the world. We find the following response to Him as recorded in the Gospel of John:

When the people saw the sign He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” (John 6:14 HCSB)

The people realized the prediction of Moses of a coming Prophet had been fulfilled in Jesus. He was the long-awaited Prophet that Moses wrote of.

Jesus’ Testimony That He Was “the” Prophet

Jesus Himself testified that He was that prophet. Indeed, He was the One who spoke the words from God the Father. We read the following in John’s gospel:

Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” (John 7:16 NKJV)

Here we have the claim of Jesus that He was sent from God. Furthermore, His teaching was also that of God the Father. In other words, He was a spokesman for God, a Prophet.

Jesus also predicted the people would realize that He came from the Father. In John’s gospel, He made the following claim:

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.” (John 8:28 NRSV)

The realization of Jesus’ identity would occur.

In another place, we find Jesus saying the following about His own authority:

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50 NKJV)

The words of Jesus were the words of the Father. Jesus was God’s spokesman to the people, the Prophet.

Jesus again testified He was speaking the Father’s words. We read about this later in the Gospel of John when He said,

“Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.” (John 14:24 NRSV)

He indeed was the long-awaited Prophet.

The Testimony of His Disciples: Jesus Was the Prophet

After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, His disciples also made it clear that Jesus was that Prophet like unto Moses. Peter said the following to a crowd which had gathered:

Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you. And it will be that everyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people. (Acts 3:22, 23 HCSB)

Therefore, it is the united testimony of the New Testament that Jesus was the Prophet that Moses said would come.

Jesus Was Greater than Moses

One final point needs to be emphasized. Jesus Christ was greater than Moses. The Bible says that Jesus, God the Son, has been with the Father for all eternity. John wrote,

No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son—the One who is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him. (John 1:18 HCSB)

There is no real comparison between Jesus and Moses. Jesus has been face-to-face with God the Father for all eternity. Moses was merely a man while Jesus was the eternal God who became human.

Summary – Question 38
Was Jesus the Prophet That Moses Predicted Would Come into the World?

The Old Testament predicted that God would raise up a Prophet like Moses; the man who spoke with God face to face. This particular Prophet did not appear during the entire Old Testament era. In the first century A.D., the people were still waiting for Him.

John the Baptist confessed he was not that prophet. However, it is the united claim of the New Testament that Jesus Christ was “the Prophet” predicted in the Old Testament.

The people upon seeing Jesus’ miracles began to realize that He was indeed the predicted Prophet. Jesus Himself testified that He had come to the world to be the special spokesman for God the Father, the Prophet. There is no doubt whatsoever that He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament predictions.

Though the Prophet which would come was to be like Moses there is really no comparison of Jesus with Moses. Indeed, while Moses spoke face to face with the Lord here upon the earth, God the Son has been in that relationship for all eternity.

Thus, Jesus was greater than Moses for He was the one and only God who had eternally been face-to-face with God the Father.