As Jesus walks further along the road to Emmaus with those two disciples, he turns to the pictures of himself in the prophets. I wonder if he may have drawn their attention to the references that draw word pictures in which Christ may be seen as … 

THE SOURCE OF LIFE GIVING WATER

   With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing, “Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the world what he has done. Oh, how mighty he is! Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” (Isaiah 12:3-6) 

Edersheim[1] writes: “The Messianic application of Isaiah 12:3 is sufficiently established by the ancient symbolic practice of pouring out the water on the Feast of Tabernacles.” 

When Jesus was present at this festival on one occasion, John tells us how he invited those present to come to him to have their spiritual thirst satisfied and of the discussion that followed.” 

   On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of water will flow out from within.”

   When the crowds heard this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided in their opinion about him. And some wanted him arrested, but no one touched him. (John 7:37-38) 

Christ may also be seen pictured in this invitation recorded by the prophet Isaiah. 

   “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?” (Isaiah 55:1-2a) 

This invitation is reflected in the invitation John heard in the vision given to him. 

   And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and Omega—the beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” (Revelation 21:5-7) 

A NEW BRANCH OF THE MONARCHY IN ISRAEL

The ‘Branch’ mentioned in the references below is Christ. Notice the name given to him. His name is Jehovah, signified in the OT as the name LORD, always printed in capital letters. He is God. Edersheim[2] writes: “On Jeremiah 23:5 & 6, the Targum[3] reads: ‘And I will raise up for David the Messiah the Just.’ This is one of the passages from which, according to Rabbinic views, one of the names of the Messiah is derived, namely: Jehovah our Righteousness. So in the Midrash on Psalm 21:1, Proverbs 19:21, and in that on Lamentations 1:16 … In Zechariah 3:8, the designation ‘Branch’ is expressly applied to King Messiah in the Targum. Indeed, this is one of he Messiah’s peculiar names.”[4] 

   “For the time is coming,” says the LORD,  “when I will place a righteous Branch on King David’s throne. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this is his name: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

    “The day will come,” says the LORD, “when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good I have promised them. At that time I will bring to the throne of David a righteous Branch and he will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And their motto will be ‘The LORD is our righteousness!’ ” For this is what the LORD says, “David will forever have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel.” (Jeremiah 33:14-17)

   Then the angel of the LORD spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘If you follow my ways and obey my requirements, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk in and out of my presence along with these others standing here. Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of the good things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD Almighty, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day. And on that day, says the LORD Almighty, each of you will invite your neighbor into your home to share your peace and prosperity.’ ”  (Zechariah 3:6-10) 

These promises regarding the coming of the ‘Branch’ to rule point us to Christ’s second coming to planet earth. He came the first time to offer himself as the ‘Lamb of God’ who takes away the sin of he world.’[5] He will return as ‘King of kings, and Lord of lords.’[6] For ... 

   … Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. This time he will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28) 

THE SERVANT OF THE LORD

   “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will reveal justice to the nations. He will be gentle—he will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to those who have been wronged.” (Isaiah 42:1) 

Edersheim[7] writes: “Isaiah 42:1 is applied in the Targum to the Messiah, as also in the Midrash on Psalm 2.” 

Matthew recognised Jesus as the person the verse is speaking about when he writes of him. 

   But Jesus knew what they were planning. He left that area and many people followed him. He healed the sick among them, but he warned them not to say who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my beloved, and I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” (Matthew 12:15-18) 

The following references in Isaiah are also understood by Jewish scholars to be speaking of Christ.

See, my servant will prosper. He will be highly exalted. Many were amazed when they saw him—beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been previously told about, they will understand what they had not heard about. (Isaiah 52:13-15)

    But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished  by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners. (Isaiah 53:10-12) 

Edersheim[8] writes … "Isaiah 52:13 is applied in the Targum expressly to the Messiah. On the words ‘he will be highly exalted,’ we read the targum comment … He shall be higher than Abraham, to whom applies Genesis 14:22, higher than Moses, of whom Numbers 11:12 is predicated, higher than the ministering angels, to whom Ezekiel 1:18 refers. In regard to Isaiah 53, verse 10 is applied in the targum on the passage, to the Kingdom of the Messiah."

Jesus spoke of himself as servant when he explained to his disciples that they too must become servants if they wanted to follow him. 

   “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must first be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and give my life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43b-45)

   And they began to argue among themselves as to who would be the greatest in the coming Kingdom. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men order their people around, and yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant.” (Luke 22:24-27) 

A ROCK TO BUILD UPON -- A STONE TO STUMBLE OVER

   Do not fear anything except the LORD Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap that entangles them. Many of them will stumble and fall, never to rise again. Many will be captured. (Isaiah 8:13-15)

   Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says, “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem. It is firm, a tested and precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never run away again.” (Isaiah 28:16) 

Edersheim:[9] “Isaiah 8:14 is also Messianically applied in the Talmud … Isaiah 28:16 the Targum apparently applies to the Messiah. At least, so Rashi (on the passage) understands it.” 

Paul also understands these words to be a reference to Christ as he explains what they mean for the people of Israel in particular but also for all who are slow to believe in him. 

   Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this: The Gentiles have been made right with God by faith, even though they were not seeking him. But the Jews, who tried sp hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that cause people to stumble, and a rock that causes them to fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.” (Romans 9:30-33) 

Peter also shows the same understanding as Paul when he encourages us to … 

    Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him.

   And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ. As the Scriptures express it, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem, a chosen cornerstone, and anyone who believes in him will never be disappointed.”

   Yes, he is very precious to you who believe. But for those who reject him, “The stone that was rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.”[10]

   And the Scriptures also say, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not listen to God’s word or obey it, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them.(1 Peter 2:4-8) 

PRIEST AND KING
Edersheim[11] notes that in the references below, “Zechariah 6:12 is universally admitted to be Messianic, in the Targum, the Jerusalem Talmud, and in the Midrashim.” 

   Then I received another message from the LORD: “… Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Tell him that the LORD Almighty says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. He will build the LORD’s Temple, and he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between the two.” (Zechariah 6:9, 11b-13) 

That harmony in Christ’s life and ministry is reflected in the New Testament references to him as both priest and king. 

   So even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:8-10) 

John was given this revelation of the coming defeat of the world’s secular and religious leaders as they “plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.”[12] 

   Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones. (Revelation 17:14)