Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies - 240408

SPEAKER A Hello, I'm Blair Lemke. Welcome to Let God Speak. John's Gospel emphasises both the authority of the scriptures and the prophecies of the scriptures to reveal that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet despite John's evidence, many then and many today still do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Join us today as we discuss how Jesus accurately fulfilled prophecy and how our faith in Jesus is based on solid evidence. On our panel today, we have Lena Yoon and John Kosmeier. Welcome. SPEAKER B Thank you. SPEAKER C Thank you. SPEAKER A Let's begin with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for the opportunity to study your word today. We ask that you would lead us into truth in Jesus name. Amen. SPEAKER B Amen. SPEAKER A Well, John in the Bible wanted his readers to see Jesus as the Messiah. And when he went to record the miracles, Jesus miracles, he didn't include them all in his book. At the end of the book of John, he said, I suppose if we included all of Jesus miracles, they wouldn't even fit in all the books. All the books could not fit in. Right. And so he selected signs and wonders that highlighted Jesus unique character that confirmed Jesus identity as the Messiah. Lena, what did Jesus say about the miracles that he performed? SPEAKER C Okay, so we can find this answer in John, chapter 10, verse 38. Here he says, but if I do, though, you do not believe me, believe the works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him. So Jesus came to do the works that his Father sent him to do. So any works or the works that he did all testified of God. So basically he was from the Father. So he did nothing actually that he could just, you know, glorify himself. SPEAKER A But God, it's interesting that despite Jesus miracles that did testify that he was from the Father, most of the religious leaders didn't accept that they didn't believe that he was from the Father. John, why did Jesus not just come out and say that he was the Messiah? SPEAKER B Blair, if Jesus had come out up front, they could easily deny that because he didn't fit the stereotype of what the Messiah should be. But the signs that he did and the wonders that he did and the works that he did, they were powerful testimony that Jesus had come from God. And so Jesus instead pointed to his works and said, this is the evidence that he was the Messiah. SPEAKER A Interesting. And I notice in the Bible, apart from Jesus works testifying that he was the Messiah, John writes that Jesus did something else to direct the people's minds to his identity, to kind of confirm who he was, what was that Lena. SPEAKER C Yeah. Jesus used the authority of the scriptures to direct people's minds to Jesus's identity. So, you know, we call the scriptures during that time old testimony, of course, which testifies of the Father and also testify that he was the Messiah. So we're going to go to the Bible, John, chapter five, verses from 37 to 40. So here he says, and the Father himself, who sent me has testified of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. But you do not have his word abiding in you, because whom he sent him, you do not believe. You search the Scriptures for in them, you think you have eternal life. And these are they which testify over me, but you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. SPEAKER A Wow. And so I guess all of the scriptures pointed there as pointing forward to Christ, as identifying who he was. John, do we have specific examples in the Old Testament of events that do point forward to Christ? SPEAKER B Very much so. The children of Israel had wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. And just before they entered into Canaan, the bread and the water had been constantly supplied to them was cut off. And of course, they started a whinge. And here In Numbers, chapter 21, we have the story starting from verse five, where the people spoke against God and against Moses. And I'm reading from the new international version here. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food, no water in our souls loathes this worthless bread. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people. They bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came back to Moses and said, pray to God, we have sinned. Pray that the Lord will take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, you make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent, put it on a pole. So it was that if the serpent had bitten anyone, they looked at the bronze serpent. He lived. And in the book of John, we find here, Jesus picks up on this in John chapter 3 and verse 14. And he says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Here it was prophesied that Jesus, when he was lifted up, fulfilled that Old Testament prophecy. SPEAKER A And that really is a powerful image of that Jesus being the one that will heal us from those sting bites of sin. And he's really the only Solution that we have for life. Well, Jesus actually went further and he touched on a spiritually sensitive point for the religious leaders. Lena, what was that? SPEAKER C The Jews were Israelites at the time. They absolutely believe that Moses, you know, was the great prophet at that time. And so whatever actually Moses said they believed was from God. And we know also the books of the Moses were the bedrock of their faith. And now we're going to go to John, chapter 5, verses 45 to 47. Here it says Jesus actually referring to Moses, testifying that he was the Messiah. So let's go to John 5, 45. Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuse you, Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? And now this time we can actually also see that how actually Moses referring to Jesus that he was the Messiah. So we can find that in Deuteronomy. Let's go to Deuteronomy 18:15. So here it says, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear. SPEAKER B Hmm. SPEAKER A So John's very intentional here between showing and linking the Old Testament events and prophecies to the ministry of Jesus. Now I'm going to look at a couple of examples. Now as we go through and look at some of these specific examples, I'm going to read here from Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 3. God's word says this. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Of course, this passage is a very interesting passage from the book of Isaiah. How was this passage linked to Jesus ministry? SPEAKER B John, in John, chapter 1, verse 22 and 23. Here, John the Baptist was asked, are you Elijah, or who are you? And he said, they said unto him, who are you? That we may give us an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? And John the Baptist said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said. And so here John is picking up what you read in the Old Testament and we have it recorded here as evidence in the New Testament. SPEAKER A Wow. Let's look at another one here. I'm going to turn to Psalm chapter 69, and we're going to read verse nine here. The Bible says, for the zeal of thine health hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me. Now, this text is referring to King David's zeal or righteous jealousy perhaps for the holiness of the sanctuary. What event did this predict, Lena? SPEAKER C Yeah, at Jesus first Passover in Jerusalem, he encountered a very noisy market that was going and, you know, selling animals such as oxen, sheep and birds for the sacrifices. And out of his righteous indignation at the desecration of the holiness of the temple, he actually made a whip of cords and threw them out of the temple. And also, you know, poured out the money changers bags and also overturned the table and cleared the merchandise from the table and he. So that sort of thing was never seen before and incredibly. And so disciples actually remember this verse and apply to this event. So now we're going to go to the New Testament, John 2, verses 16 and 17. Here he says, and he said to those who sold doves, take these things away. Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise. Then his disciples remember that it was written in zeal for your house has eaten me up. SPEAKER A Wow. So again, this link between these Old Testament texts of scripture passages and Jesus ministry, it's very intentional what John is doing here. And of course I'm going to look at another example now. This time I'm going to read from the book of John, chapter 12 in the New Testament. And the Bible says here In John chapter 12, verses 13 through to 16, he took branches of palm trees, they went forth to meet him and they cried, hosanna. Blessed is the king of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written, fear not, daughter of Sion. Behold, thy king cometh sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at first, but when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things. Where in the Old Testament. This is a passage here describing Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Where in the Old Testament is this entry of Jesus into Jerusalem? SPEAKER B Foretold John there, right in the middle of the old testament, Psalm 118, you can always remember that's the centre of the Bible. And here in verse 26 it said, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. And then when you come across to Zechariah, chapter nine. And I love this verse, I think it's just wonderful that here in verse nine it says, rejoice greatly, O daughters of Zion. It was a very happy day when this happened. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, Behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a donkey. But it wasn't just a donkey. It was a cult of the foal of a donkey. So prophecy becomes very specific at times to give us the full detail of what happened. And that's exactly what Jesus did. SPEAKER A It's amazing to see these linkages all throughout the Bible. And there's another one, of course, where Jesus is predict, or the death of Jesus is predicted as being betrayed by a friend. Where do we see this, Lena? SPEAKER C Okay, we can see firstly in Psalms 41, verse 9. Here it says, even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread and has lifted up his heel against me. And you know, this is of course this the Psalm of David. And also we can see another, other verses in John as well. And here John actually describes that, you know, Jesus words at the Last Supper that he knew that his own disciple Judith was going to betray him. And obviously what Jesus said was that was actually fulfilment of the Scripture. So we are going to go to John chapter 13 and verse 18. Okay, I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but that the Scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. SPEAKER A All right, well, let's look at another one here. We're going to read in Numbers, chapter 9, verse 12. The Bible says they shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bones of it. According to all the ordinances of the Passover, they shall keep it. So the Scriptures here are speaking about the Passover service and gave specific details regarding the Passover and the eating of the Passover lamb. How was this linked to Jesus ministry? John. SPEAKER B When you turn to John chapter 19 and you come to verse 32, then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. And crucifixion was a method by which a person could be killed and not have a bone broken. And that is what had been prophesied in the Old Testament would be the method in which Jesus was crucified. So that in verse 36 it says, for these things were done, that the Scriptures should be fulfilled, not one of his bones shall be broken. Incredible. SPEAKER A Indeed, incredible. And I notice immediately after this verse, in verse 37 it says, and again Another Scripture saith, they shall look upon him whom they pierced. How was this foretold in the Old Testament, Lena? SPEAKER C Yeah, so basically Jesus wounds were foretold in the Bible. So we can see them in the book of Zechariah. So we're going to go to Zechariah 12, chapter 12, verse 10. Here it says, and I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication. Then they will look on me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn. And also Zechariah 13:6. And one will say to him, what are these wounds between your arms? Then he will answer, those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Again, the prediction was very precise. SPEAKER A It is really amazing to see all of these predictions and details foretold in Scripture and then played out in Jesus life. I want to look at another one here. The other Gospel writers also wrote about these linkages between the Old Testament, Matthew, Mark and Luke. And I want to turn to Luke chapter 24 now and look at an event shortly after Jesus death and resurrection. Luke records how two disciples were devastated and Jesus walks along with them after the crucifixion. We're going to read here in Luke, chapter 24, verses 13 to 16. The Bible says, and behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. So this is a very interesting story. What does Jesus then do, John, after this event? SPEAKER B He gives them a Bible study. And what a Bible study it was. And here he said, O foolish ones. And this is in Luke chapter 24, reading verses 25 and 27. O foolish ones. And slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have entered, suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and the prophets, he expounds to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And when they went back to Jerusalem and talked with the disciples, this is what they said in verse 32. And they said to one another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road? And while he opened the Old Testament scriptures to us? SPEAKER A That would have Been one of the most powerful Bible studies in all history. Jesus showing from the Old Testament, much like what we've been doing right now, these passages of scripture that pointed to himself to awaken the disciples and to cause them to have their hearts burning within them. Now, of course, Jesus did fulfil many hundreds of these Old Testament prophecies. What are the mathematical odds of Jesus fulfilling these events the way that we see in scripture? Lena, how do we, what, how do we put this together? What are odds of this happening? SPEAKER C Okay, so the odds are absolutely incomprehensible. For example, the professor Peter W. Stner, who was the chairman of the department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena City College, and also he was a chairman of the science division at Westmont College and he wrote a book called Science Speaks that, you know, the odds of One man fulfilling 48 of the prophecies would be a number with 157 zeros after it. And by comparison, and the number of atoms that make up the earth would be a number with 50 zeros after it. You think of it. So it's amazing. So in the Bible there's more than 48 prophecies, hundreds of them. So it actually tells us that it proves that, you know, the scripture was right and definitely, you know, Jesus was the Messiah. SPEAKER A I'm so thankful that God doesn't ask us to have blind faith to just follow him without any evidence or reason. There is so much solid evidence in the Bible to present its authority and reliability. I mean, these statistics are amazing. John, what does this tell us about the reliability of Scripture? SPEAKER B It tells us that we can believe it and that it's based on historical facts. We have the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and they made it abundantly clear that the prophecies about the Messiah were written before Jesus lived. And so the sceptics, they said, oh no, you know, this couldn't happen. But because Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies, we have the assurance of our faith that is based on solid evidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. SPEAKER A I find it really interesting that the sceptics do try to say, oh, they must have been written after, because this is further proving that the chances of one person fulfilling these things is just impossible. And so the only explanation is to try to say, well, maybe these things were written after Jesus was alive and put in there. But that discovery, as you point out rightly, John, shows us that this is not the case, that these scriptures were written well before Jesus time. And we can trust the Bible is authoritative and reliable. We're going to move on to our closing discussion points. Now, the scripture gives us assurance in as we've been discussing, we can base our solid foundation on God's word. But still, many in Jesus day did not accept Jesus as who he was. They had the same scriptures that we do, well, certainly the Old Testament scriptures, but they didn't believe. They chose not to believe. How do we explain this, John? SPEAKER B Oh, by the way, Blair, I have been to Israel and I have seen some of these Dead Sea Scrolls and I was in awe of them because you know, here's Isaiah 40 something feet long and it's amazing. But here in John chapter 8, reading verse 12 and 13, then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I'm the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness. We have the light of life. And then verse 13. But the Pharisees therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true. And coming down to verse 19, then they said to him, where is your father? Jesus answered, you know neither me nor my father. If you had known me, you would also have known the Father. And here their disregard for the truth led them deliberately to close their eyes and they became blind in their own hearts. And so despite all of the evidence that they had, they still rejected him. How sad. SPEAKER A It is sad. It's very sad. I want to direct us to a passage of scripture here in John chapter 8 and we'll read verse 23. John chapter 8, verse 23 says, and he said to them, ye are from beneath, I am from above, ye are of this world. I am not of this world. What does this mean, Lena? SPEAKER C Okay, this meant that, you know, however, you know, day appeared to be on the outside, but they were not spiritual in actual fact or not godly man on the inside. So actually they had this look, outlook, piety, but had this inward disbelief. So they had different religion altogether, you know, with manmade changed philosophies and traditions and rules, you know, they didn't follow God's principles. So you know, the sad part was that they were actually deceiving themselves. And the worst part is they actually led other people astray and led them into sin. SPEAKER A And you know, interestingly that the text goes on here and I'm going to read From John chapter 8, verse 30 because you're right, many of them chose not to believe. But surprisingly John chapter 30, John chapter 8, verse 30 says this. As he spoke these words, many believed on him. This is quite surprising that even though many chose not to believe, many did. What can we learn from this, Lena. SPEAKER C So we can learn from this that even, you know, things may look, you know, hopeless or, you know, many people actually do not believe and they are faithless around us, but still we know that the truth prevails even in a time of darkness. So, you know, even when you look at Jesus example and he we preach the gospel regardless of acceptance or rejection. So we should do the same, you know, despite the discouraging circumstances. So we need to stand firm in truth. So I'm going to read John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32. Here they 31 says, Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. SPEAKER A Well, that is a wonderful place to end our study today. Jesus was God's greatest gift to humanity and without such a gift the world would be doomed. The Old Testament scriptures precisely foretold the events in his life to prove he was the Messiah. No one has any excuse for not believing that Jesus is our Saviour. We can have total confidence in God's Word as the basis for our faith. We're glad that you joined us today on Let God Speak. Remember, all past programmes plus teachers notes are available on our website 3abnaustralia.org.au you can email us on [email protected]. Please join us again next time. God bless. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.