The Prophet

For Moses truly said to the fathers, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
Acts 3:22,23*

Shortly before Moses died, he prophesied that another Prophet would come after him that would be on the magnitude of Moses himself. This meant the ability to do signs and wonders at the level that Moses was able to do them, not to mention leading the people of God. Even before “the Babe” was born in Bethlehem, Jewish sages recognized that Moses was referring to the Messiah.

Synagogue leaders would have taught this in the Sabbath services, so by the time Christ taught and performed His wonders the title “The Prophet” was generally acknowledged as a title for the Lord’s Anointed.

After Christ miraculously fed 5000 men with only five bread rolls and two sardines many remarked, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14). On another occasion Jesus stood up to the Pharisees and chief priests so that the crowd marveled and exclaimed, “'Truly this is the Prophet'. Others said, 'This is the Christ'" (John 7:40-41). Even King Herod’s advisors discussed who Jesus was. The king feared Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life, but some of his counselors speculated that. “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets” (Mark 6:15).

The verses at the beginning of this meditation come from Peter’s sermon in the temple after the healing of the lame man. Again, a major miracle was performed and still some people argued rather than coming to a conclusion of faith in the Messiah. Peter reminded them that these very people had seen the fulfillment of the Prophet coming, but they crucified Him instead of giving Him glory.

The bottom line is that some people repented and embraced the Savior while others rejected the Prophet and were utterly condemned, just like people today.

*see also Deuteronomy 18:15,18; Mark 6:15; John 6:14, 7:40