Babylonian Exile: Chapter Analysis

The impact of the Babylonian Exile occurred when Cyrus of Persia entered Babylon on October 30th, 539 B.C. Due to his entrance in Babylon, the Jewish captives were released to go home and rebuild their community and lives. The city that was being rebuilt by the Jews was nothing too spectacular and most of the returners were citizens of another nation. The nation tended to lack multiple national boundaries which resulted in making the social boundaries stronger. They acquired more of a sacrificed-centered religion, rather than one focusing on Christ. Shortly after, the Development of Rabbinic leadership, “fence around the law” was making its way into the religion we call Judaism. (p.211) The expectation of the Messiah was an awaited promise …show more content…
The chapter describes this with the story of John baptizing Jesus even though John was preventing Him. Jesus is presented as the “new wine” in this scenario. This was the identification of the “which the oil of the old covenant was merely a symbol (the Holy Spirit) visibly descends upon the chosen one, and the voice of God himself (as opposed to merely the voice of the prophet) announces in the words of the coronation psalm of David and his sons (Ps 2:7) that this is the one.” (p.214) Isaiah’s Prince of Peace came but not as expected. The Jews were not expecting what the “Prince of Peace” was coming to bring them. The was the “Miracle of God’s redemptive plan” this child coming being fully human but coming as a savior of the world. He was the hope that the Jews were longing for and needed, they just did not know to expect it in this way. Jesus, as described in the book, was now the ultimate mediator the “fulfillment of all covenantal actions that have come before, the man Christ Jesus is now the ‘one mediator between God and men.” (1Tim2:5) In John 3:16 we see that Christ had such love for us, sinners, that he took our place to become that ultimate