Chapter V (i) — Prophecies concerning Christ
Christianity is Christ Himself, Who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John xiv. 6). This cannot be said about any other religion. They are based on ceremonies and teachings, but Christianity is based on the living Christ Himself, Who is with us for ever. Christ gave His followers no word written by His own hand, for the reason that He Himself was always to be with them, nay, in them, and to carry on His work through them. No human prophet or apostle could dare to say, "I am with you even to the end of the world." God alone can say and do this. And we know that down to the present time He has been with His people, and through them has worked, is working, and will continue to work, "that God may be all in all."
I. Prophecies concerning Christ
1. The Lord Christ became man for the Salvation of the world over 1900 years ago, but before the creation of the world He existed from all eternity (John i. 1-10, viii. 58, xvii. 5), and His coming was foretold in different ages — and to different men. It is no mere chance as some critics think that all these prophecies were literally fulfilled in Christ. It is the work of that One Eternal Spirit, Who, in sundry times and in divers manners, foretold the coming of a Saviour, in order that they might prepare for Him. But "chance" is a word used to explain any phenomenon when we are ignorant of the causes which brought it into being; but in reality nothing happens in the world which has no cause. For example, the falling of a ripe fruit by itself is no mere chance. It was for months silently being prepared for a special object. When the fruit was ripe, the tree, which could not eat its own fruit, gave it up for the pleasure and enjoyment of others. So Jesus said, "These are the words which I spake unto you . . . that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me" (Luke xxiv. 44); and, in the fulness of time, He gave to the world the fruit of Salvation.
2. Before His incarnation the prophets made it known to the Hebrews that Christ was to come; and when the Jews had been dispersed among the nations of the world, they too spread the news of the coming of a Deliverer and those nations again told about the Coming One to their own peoples; so in many countries people were waiting for His coming. Then, after the ascension of Christ, the Christians, who were scattered, gave out the good news of His having come, and of that Salvation that had been made available through Him (Acts viii. 4); and through the labours and sacrifices of His servants, the news of His Salvation has reached to the farthest parts of the world.