The Real Messiah – May 8, 2022

“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.”
Acts 13:32,33

The Real Messiah

Menachem Mendel Schneerson served as the seventh and final Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. In 1991 he told his followers that he had done everything he could to bring the Messiah to this world.

Some followers believed that this message revealed Rebbe Schneerson as the Messiah. They sang in his presence, “Long live our Master, our teacher, and our Rabbi, King Messiah, forever and ever!” He did not tell them to stop singing.

Rebbe Schneerson died in 1994. Some of his disciples gathered at his grave, expecting him to rise from the dead and reveal himself as the Messiah. He has remained dead. True believers expect him to return soon to show himself to the world as the Messiah.

Almost 2,000 years ago the apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas spoke in the Jewish synagogue of Pisidian Antioch. They revealed a message about a certain rabbi named Jesus. Paul said, “God has brought the Savior Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:23).

Paul taught a Bible lesson in the synagogue. He demonstrated how the history of Israel pointed to the coming of Jesus. Even the death of Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophets read every Sabbath. Paul told them the good news that Jesus had risen from his grave. This astounding miracle revealed Jesus’ death as the fulfillment of God’s promise to punish one man for the sins of all.

Paul concluded, “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38,39).

Rebbe Schneerson. Dead. Buried. All other false messiahs—the same. Jesus Christ. Died. Buried. Rose again on the third day. The one true Messiah. We tell you the good news: What God promised he has fulfilled for us by raising up Jesus.

Prayer:
God of the prophets, make your message clear to the world so that all may know the good news that has come to all through Jesus Christ, our one and only Savior. Amen.