• Last week – Historical Accuracy; Scientific Accuracy; and Thematic Unity
• This week – Prophetic Accuracy; Survival Ability; Transforming Power
I. It is Prophetically Accurate
• It is risky to talk about prophecy and fulfillment because if man wrote it, and if the prophecies don’t come true is inaccurate, throw it out
• There are more than 1000 prophecies in scripture; more than 300 for Jesus alone over 1100 years, the last of which was given 400 years before he was born (for us, like when Mayflower came to America)
A. Details of the Cross
Matthew 27.45-46 (NLT)
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Psalm 22.1-2
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
B. David Prophesied about Crucifixion before it was Practiced
Matthew 27.35-37
35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Psalm 22.16-18
16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
18 They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing.
C. The Mocking of Jesus
Psalm 22.7-8 7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the LORD?
Then let the LORD save him!
If the LORD loves him so much,
let the LORD rescue him!”
Matthew 27.38-45 [3 Slides]
38 At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.
D. Study of Probability – in regard to Jesus the probability of one person fulfilling 8 prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power; 1 with 17 0’s = if you took this many silver dollar coins and needed to store them, it would take the entire state of TX 2’ deep to store them all; then if you marked one with red paint, mixed them up and sent someone from OK in a helicopter over the state, he would randomly find that particular coin;
One person fulfilling 16 = 1 in 10 to the 45th; One person fulfilling 48 = 1 in 10 to the 157th
IMPOSSIBLE – without God
But Jesus fulfilled almost all – some are yet to be fulfilled (Revelation; Next Coming)
2 Peter 1.20-21 – 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Matthew 26.56 – 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Revelation 22.6 – 6 Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.”
It takes more faith to believe the prophecies of the bible are coincidence than to believe God planned them. [Frank Turek – I don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist
II. It has Survived all Attacks
• Why was it attacked? Why aren’t other religions attacked?
• The Enemy wants to keep you from God so he attacks what will bring you near Him
• The bible has been the most despised, derided, denied, disputed, debated, outlawed, and destroyed book ever. (But is still the world’s best seller)
The Anvil of God's Word
Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I,
‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’
‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye,
‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’
“And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.” —Attributed to John Clifford
1 Peter 1.23-25
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” [cf. Isaiah 40.6-8]
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
Voltaire – 17th Century French writer and philosopher was thought to have been a genius, said, “Within 100 years the bible will be forgotten.”
Irony – after he died his home became the HQ for the French Bible Society
We have to ask, “What is going to be the final authority in my life? Is it the word or the world?”
Not weekly pep talk; warm fuzzy – live by it; life built on it; final authority
III. It has Transforming Ability
Romans 12.2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Experiment – give one year of your life FULLY to God and see if you are different
Attend worship services; HOME Group; Bible classes that explore various topics; Pray daily; read bible daily (15 minutes 5 in worship; 5 in prayer; 5 in word if that’s all you have time for do that much) – put into practice what you learn and you will have a guaranteed life change
Dream this passage for yourself – John 8.31-32
31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “YIts Transforming Ability.ou are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
True disciples hold on to Jesus’ teaching – not just church-goer a disciple
