The Bridge

This week, both my kids (ages 6 and 11) reacted negatively (and fairly strongly) to a Biblical truth (these were two separate instances).  This was very unusual.  They have both always been excited about the Bible and church and spiritual things I have taught them, in the past.

This got me to thinking about parenting.

Let's think about sending our children across a bridge as the analogy of their maturing process.  Point A is birth and point B is adulthood.  The piers are the values we parents impart.

I think most parents think that by sending their children to church and private school, and maybe even reading them Bible stories, they are putting the supports (values) in place, for a steady, secure life, for their children.  They believe that their children will get to the other side of that bridge safely.

But it doesn't quite work out that way.  I have been doing a lot of learning in the area of understanding my children's heart.  We as parents could be imparting values, but if it just goes in one ear and out the other, without sinking down into the heart of the child, that pier is not made of solid material.  It's going to be a shaky foundation.  It's not going to last.

You may not see the effects right away.  Most of the time, we see the effects when the child is about 3/4 of the way across the bridge, in the teen years.  All of a sudden, the child becomes a totally different (so-called) person.  But in fact, this is who they were all along, in their heart of hearts.  It just took the added stress of teenage-hood to shake the already unsteady foundation of their bridge.

And many times, by the time they reach adulthood, this is what we see...

How do you know if your values are reaching your child's heart?  How do you know if their bridge's piers are solid?  You test them--along the way.  You don't want until the teenage years to see what becomes of them.  Before that, you put some pressure on them, some tension on them (the piers/values).  What do I mean?  All of us will reveal our true character under pressure, the pressures of life.  Tension is a pulling action.  I try to pull out what's inside my kid's hearts by asking lots of questions, have a lot of dialog (not monologue--and I'm still working on that one).

Are your children free to show disagreement (in a respectful way)?  Are they free to ask why you believe what you believe?  Do you ever ask for their opinion on matters of values?  Do they have the freedom to speak their mind to you?

I showed each of my children from the Bible what the truth was (which was different from their own opinions).  We had open discussions about those beliefs.  I'm glad they were able to speak their minds, and I'm sure those issues will come up again.  I could tell they each didn't really find resolution in their own minds.  So, these are piers in their life that are not quite solid yet.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will open their eyes to God's truth in these areas.  (Eph. 1:17-19, Is. 54:13)

If you want to learn more about reaching the heart of your children, I highly recommend reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, and Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp.



P.S.  I'm thinking, as I'm writing this, that some of you may be thinking that children don't necessarily have to adopt the values of their parents to have a fine life.  In fact, I've read of parents that want their children to be such "free-thinkers" that they want them to question everything and they in turn expose them to everything and expect that they won't adopt their values.  They think that these "free-thinkers" have brought much needed change and toleration to our world.  So, let me clarify.  I am speaking to Christian parents, and I'm assuming your set of values are based on the Bible, which is the only absolute truth in this world.  If your values are not (now would be a good time to check that out), then I hope your children don't adopt them.

I found top bridge picture at Wikimedia Commons.  It is a picture taken by David Monniaux of the Rio-Antirio Bridge in Greece.  I thought it beautiful.  David Monniaux has no affiliation with this blog whatsoever.  The second picture is of part of I-35 that bridged the Mississippi river.  It is public domain.

Dispensations

I'm studying Ephesians right now and have come to verse 10.  In this verse we see the word dispensation.  What is a dispensation?  It is the Greek word is oikonomia.  It means the management of household affairs, or administration.  It's simply the rule of the house, the way things operate for this time.  It is used 4 times as dispensation (I Cor. 9:17, Eph. 1:10, 3:2, & Col. 1:25) and 3 times as stewardship (Luke 16:2-4).  Some translations will use the word stewardship rather than dispensation.  I use the NKJV, which is based on the Textus Receptus.  In Eph. 3:9 there appears a word for fellowship--koinonia.  But some translations are based on the Alexandrian text, which uses the word oikonomia in that verse instead  Just something to be aware of.  The NKJV reads, "fellowship of the mystery", the ESV reads, "plan of the mystery", and NASB reads, "dispensation of the mystery."

 

Heb. 1:1 – God works in different ways in different times. This does not mean that God tried one thing and it didn’t work so He tried something else. The reason for each of these periods is to lead man to the cross, until the final period where Christ will reign forever.

 

These dispensations help us understand the overall plan of scripture. They help us have a big picture perspective.  Understanding these dispensations particularly helps us understand how we are no longer under the law.

 

So, what are the different dispensations?  There are seven, here is a list.  I interpret them slightly differently than some.  You may ask, "who cares?"  Does this information really do us any good in our day-to-day life?  For one, I will use them to explain the Sheep and the Goats post.  And I see a very practical aspect applied to our parenting.  I will post about that soon.

 

1. Innocence (Gen. 1:28) – from creation to the fall. How long did it last? We don’t really know, but we do know it ended when they sinned. They were no longer innocent at that point.

 

2. Conscience/Moral Responsibility (Gen. 3:7) – from the fall onward. You now know good and evil, I will leave you to your conscience to choose between those. But man tends toward evil, so we get up to Gen. 6:5 and God says that ALL the purposes of man were evil continually.

 

3. Government (Gen. 8:15) – from the flood onward. After the flood there were consequences for evil. Man was still accountable to his conscience to choose between good and evil, but God added an incentive. He says that anyone that takes a human life will have his taken away. We see the value God is placing on human life here. If you can’t govern yourself, someone else will have to. See also Rom. 13.

 

4. Promise (Gen. 12:1) – from the call of Abram onward. This promise was not based on anything Abraham had done; it was unconditional. All Abraham had to do was believe. This promise is still available to us by faith, as well. So this dispensation, too, has not gone away. Gen. 12 & Gal. 3, 4. God is now teaching humans to trust in Him.

 

5. Law (Ex. 19:1) – from Mt. Sinai until Jesus (or specifically John the Baptist—Luke 16:16). Promise does not end and the Law did not bring justification. It brought a picture of the Savior. It brought many, many types and shadows to point us to the cross. You can study everything in the law, from the Sabbath, to the Feasts, to the elements of the Tabernacle, to the Dietary Laws, to the specific instructions to the priests on how to administer offerings, to the laws for declaring leprosy cleansed, and you will see Christ through and through. Beyond all the symbolism, the law was meant to frustrate man and show him he could never make it on his own, even with conscience and human government.

 

6. Church (Acts 2:1) – from Pentecost until the rapture. This is sometimes called the Age of Grace (I do not agree with this title) or the Dispensation of Faith (again, I don’t think this is entirely accurate), or the Dispensation of the Spirit. This is the mystery Paul is talking about, the secret that was hidden, not revealed in the OT, that Gentiles and Jews would be part of the same Body, and that the Spirit would indwell us. These were mind-blowing truths. This is one of the reasons Paul prayed for revelation for the people he was writing to. We need to pray this pray, too, that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to these profound truths.

 

· Do we still have moral responsibility (#2)? Yes, but now we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, to give us the power to choose right and wrong, and our human spirits have been recreated in the image of Christ—it wants to follow after Him.


· Do we still have human government (#3)? Yes, we do, but if we walk according to the Spirit, we don’t have to be afraid of the government. If they put us to death for righteousness sake, the Bible says we’re supposed to be happy.


· What about the law? Does it still stand? I Tim. 1:8-10 says that the law is not for the righteous—we have been made the righteousness of Christ—but for the lawless, the ungodly, the sinners. The law still stands to point people to Christ, to show them their need. The law still stands as a standard in our world, that if people would follow it, our world would be a better place to live in. The law does not justify us, but it sets the standard and grace gives us the power to live it.

 

7. Kingdom (Rev. 20:4) – from Armageddon onward. The visible rule of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth. We can see II Sam. 7:12-16, Is. 9:6-7, Luke 1:31-33, Rev. 3:21, and Matt. 25:31. He came once to die, the second to reign.

  

Now, the thread that is common throughout all these dispensations is grace. That is why I do not call the Church Age the Age of Grace. Every single age has been the age of grace. It was God’s grace that blocked Adam and Eve from the Tree of Life. He did not want them to live forever in their fallen state. It was grace that God had on Cain when He marked him and sent him away. It was grace that saved Noah and his family. Grace called Abram out of Ur. Grace redeemed Israel from their bondage to the Egyptians. Grace came and dwelt among us. Grace will rule on a literal throne forever and ever. The other side of this coin is faith. You can read about people of faith throughout all the past in Hebrews 11. Just like them, we are saved by grace, through faith, in whatever age we live.

The Odds

I promised at the beginning of my Christmas Prophecy series to answer a few questions. What are the odds that one man could fulfill all these prophecies? Is it likely that many other people in our world coincidentally fulfilled some of these prophecies also? Or could it be that Jesus organized this and made things in His life fit the Scriptures?

To answer those questions, I consulted The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell. This book is an amazing resource! If you have questions about the validity of the virgin birth, the reality of the resurrection, the historical reliability and accuracy of our Bible, and more, please check this book out. Our faith is not based merely on feelings, but facts.

McDowell deals with every possible question and criticism. He even brings up incongruities and contradictions, like if Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, why do they record his death? McDowell was an atheist, and in college was challenged to prove the Bible to be untrue. He did intense homework, including travel throughout Europe to access various documents, and became thoroughly convinced for himself and became a believer.

If you, too, have doubts about Jesus, God, and the Bible, I challenge you to prove them. Check out Josh McDowell's materials and also C. S. Lewis'. C. S. Lewis was also an atheist. He was highly intelligent--he taught at both Oxford and Cambridge universities. (Christianity doesn't defy rational thought, it is actually the most logical thing in this world.) But he became a believer, too. You can find out why in his books. My favorite is Mere Christianity.

I covered 24 different prophecies about Jesus in my Christmas Prophecy series. There are actually 61 listed in Josh McDowell's book. If you include types of Christ and all the symbolism of the Old Testament, there are many, many more. What are the odds that one man would fulfill 24 prophecies, or 61, or what about just 8?

Let's examine just eight prophecies. These eight, specifically, were totally beyond the human control of Jesus. He could not have possible planned them.

1. Place of birth - Bethlehem

2. Time of birth - for more explanation on this one, see the book. I did not specifically go into detail on this one in my series.

3. Manner of birth - by a virgin

4. Betrayal

5. Manner of death - crucifixion

6. People's reactions (mocking, spitting, staring, etc.)

7. Piercing

8. Burial

These could not have been engineered by the Christ.

Now, this list of eight prophecies is slightly different, and this is where the odds come in. Peter Stoner published a mathematical analysis for Science Speaks, and it was carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation members.

1. Place of birth - Bethlehem

2. Preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist--Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, fulfilled in Matthew 3:1-2) - I did not include this one in my series

3. Entering Jerusalem on a donkey

4. Betrayed and crucified

5. Sold for 30 pieces of silver

6. Money to be thrown into God's house & Money used to buy Potter's field

7. Silent before accusers

8. Crucified and with thieves

I am not a scientist or a mathematician, but I know the logic goes something like this. You look at each prophecy individually and figure the odds. Such as, what are the odds of a person being born in Bethlehem? I know Bethlehem has always been a small town, do you think there have been one million people born there over time? That would make the odds of being born in Bethlehem 1 in 1,000,000. What are the odds of someone being betrayed by a friend and the results are crucifixion? That one seems pretty slim. I know that Peter Stoner was even generous in his figuring of each individual item. Let's say 1 in 1,000 people in the world have been betrayed by a friend and crucified. How many people have been sold for 30 pieces of silver? Joseph was sold for 20. How many people are silent and don't even try to defend themselves in court, EVEN though they are innocent? That one seems incredibly slim, but again, shall we say 1 in 1,000? These aren't the real numbers, but that is to give you the idea of how Peter Stoner figured these. Then he takes all these and adds them together.

Doing all the calculations for each prophecy (remember, mine weren't the real calculations), Peter Stoner came up with this total. The odds that one man could fulfill all eight of these things is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That is a 1 with 17 zeros behind it. It looks like this--100,000,000,000,000,000. That is a really, really big number. That's not millions, or billions, or trillions. That's one hundred quadrillion!!! So the chances of one person fulfilling all eight of these prophecies is 1 in one hundred quadrillion!

That's hard to visualize, so let's think about it like this. Suppose that was your chance of winning a lottery prize. Say I told you all you had to do to win the prize money is pick out the red-marked silver dollar out of a group of unmarked silver dollars. Not too bad, you say? Well, the area of unmarked silver dollars for you to pull from is the state of Texas. And those unmarked silver dollars cover the ENTIRE surface of the state, AND are stacked two feet deep. I've just thrown the red-marked silver dollar in there somewhere, you have one chance to pull it out. Are you going to try Dallas, how about Houston, how about up in the panhandle, how about down near the Rio Grande? I hope now you can see how utterly impossible these odds are! And that is just for eight prophecies! Jesus fulfilled many, many more. (If you would like to dig into this further and see the probability of Jesus fulfilling 48 prophecies, you need to check out The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell, or even track down a copy of Science Speaks, by Peter Stoner.)

Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord of lords. He could not just merely be a man that taught some good moral lessons. You just can't leave it at that. If he taught some good moral lessons, but wasn't really God incarnate, then that says he was either a liar or a raving lunatic. Do you want to listen to the moral lessons a liar has to teach? That makes him a hypocrite. Same with lunacy. I don't know about you, but if I know someone is certifiably insane, I'm not going to trust their teachings. That leaves the only other alternative, that Jesus was in fact God, come in the flesh, the Bible is true, every Word, and I had better make sure I am right with the God of the universe. I have a choice to make. You have a choice to make.

"You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." --C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity

Christmas Prophecy 24

The Messiah would rise from the dead!

Prophecy -

Psalm 16:10

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 28:6

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mark 16:6

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

Luke 24:46

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.

Acts 2:32

This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Acts 13:26-33 (NLT)

“Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us! The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.

“When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.

“And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus.

Our faith means NOTHING without this all important detail. This is the gospel, that Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:1-4) He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred at once. (I Corinthians 15:5-6) But if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and our faith is empty. (I Corinthians 15:14) If Christ is not risen, your faith is in vain--devoid of truth, useless, and of no purpose, you are still in your sins!

This Christmas season I want you to see more than the birth of Christ, I want you to see His sacrifice, His substitutionary death for you, His payment for your sins. But none of this means anything if He didn't rise from the grave.

He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. (Ephesians 1:20 & Hebrews 8:1)

One day, He will come back for us. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18) One day, He will rule and reign on a literal throne, on the earth, and He will remain forever and ever. (Luke 1:31-33, Isaiah 9:6-7, Daniel 7:14)

This is good news! He will put an end to injustice, pain, suffering, misery, fear, worry, dread.

Won't you accept the gift? (Ephesians 2:8)

Most of the information in these posts has been from The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell. Check it out for much, much more detail. And check out my next post where I deal with the questions I brought up in the first post.

This is part of our Christmas Prophecy series. To read all the other entries, click on any of these:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 14

Christmas Prophecy 15

Christmas Prophecy 16

Christmas Prophecy 17

Christmas Prophecy 18

Christmas Prophecy 19

Christmas Prophecy 20

Christmas Prophecy 21

Christmas Prophecy 22

Christmas Prophecy 23

Christmas Prophecy 23

The Messiah would be laid in a rich man's tomb.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 53:9

And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 27:57-60

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

I don't really know why this detail is significant, but if it is in the Bible, it has to have meaning. Every detail, every name, every jot and tittle has significance, if it is in the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired over 40 men to write 66 books that we call our Bible. The Holy Spirit also oversaw the details of the councils that canonized the books that we have included in our Bible.

Did you know there were other books written? There was a Book of Enoch and a Book of Jasher (this one is referenced in Joshua 10:13 and II Samuel 1:18), there was a third epistle that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church that is "lost." Whatever books didn't get included was completely planned by the Holy Spirit. What we have, we have for a reason, and everything included in it, is there for a reason.

Perhaps Jesus was laid in a rich man's tomb because it had the giant stone as the door. This makes the resurrection miracle all the more awesome! Without that giant stone it would have been easier to say that the disciples just stole His body. But to move that big giant stone, while Romans soldiers were on guard?!? It just isn't plausible. But that reason is purely my own conjecture.

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. Here is a list of the previous entries:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 14

Christmas Prophecy 15

Christmas Prophecy 16

Christmas Prophecy 17

Christmas Prophecy 18

Christmas Prophecy 19

Christmas Prophecy 20

Christmas Prophecy 21

Christmas Prophecy 22

Christmas Prophecy 18

The Messiah was to have His garments divided and lots cast for them.

Prophecy -

Psalm 22:18

They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

Fulfillment -

John 19:23-24

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“ They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

The soldiers here are casting lots for the tunic. They divided the other pieces of clothing among themselves, but this tunic was special. It was woven and all one piece, it was seamless. It wasn't something you would divide, that would ruin it's worth.

Realize the shame here that Jesus endured for you and I. They stripped Him of His clothing, so that you and I would be clothed with His righteousness. (Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 51:14, Psalm 71:2, Psalm 71:15-16, and many, many more.)

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. To read part one and two, click here:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 14

Christmas Prophecy 15

Christmas Prophecy 16

Christmas Prophecy 17

Christmas Prophecy 17

The Messiah would be crucified with thieves.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 27:38

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

Mark 15:27-28

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. Here is a list of previous entries:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 14

Christmas Prophecy 15

Christmas Prophecy 16

Christmas Prophecy 15

The Messiah would be smitten and spit upon.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 50:6

I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

Micah 5:1

Now gather yourself in troops,
O daughter of troops;
He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 26:67

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands.

As with yesterday's post, you can read a full account of the beating Jesus endured in Matthew 26:57 - 27:56, Mark 14:53 - 15:41, Luke 22:63 - 23:49, and John 18:19 - 19:37.

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. Here is a list of previous entries:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 14

Christmas Prophecy 14

The Messiah would be wounded and bruised.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 27:26b

...and when he [Roman governor Pilate] had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

You can read a full account of the beating Jesus endured in Matthew 26:57 - 27:56, Mark 14:53 - 15:41, Luke 22:63 - 23:49, and John 18:19 - 19:37.

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. Here is a list of the previous entries:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 13

Christmas Prophecy 13

The Messiah would be silent before His accusers.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 27:12

And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

Why was Jesus silent? He was falsely accused, He had committed no crime. Even the so-called witnesses that were brought in couldn't get their stories about Him straight. So why didn't He defend Himself?

He couldn't. He was standing there in OUR place, and YOU AND I are guilty! We deserve death. But the good news is that He took the punishment on Himself, so that we don't have to. Will you accept what He has done for you?

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. Here is a list of previous entries:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 9

Christmas Prophecy 10

Christmas Prophecy 11

Christmas Prophecy 12

Christmas Prophecy 9

The Messiah would take away sickness.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 53:4

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 8:16-17

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”

Why the discrepancy between the verses? Isaiah says borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, but Matthew says bore our sicknesses. What's up? The Hebrew word choliy is the word used in Isaiah and is translated grief in our King James Bible. It literally means sickness and is translated that way 12 other times in the Old Testament. It is translated seven times as disease. So Isaiah did mean sickness in that passage. The word sorrows in Isaiah is the Hebrew word makob, and it means pain, whether physical or mental. So we could very well read Isaiah 53:4 as, "Surely He has borne our sickness and carried our pain." For Matthew to write it as sickness is entirely accurate.

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. To read part one and two, click here:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 7

Christmas Prophecy 8

Christmas Prophecy 7

The Messiah had to minister in Galilee.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 9:1-2

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.

Fulfillment -

Matthew 4:12-14

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum [a city in Galilee], which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet.

This is a continuation of our Christmas Prophecy series. To read part one and two, click here:
Christmas Prophecy 1
Christmas Prophecy 2
Christmas Prophecy 3
Christmas Prophecy 4

Christmas Prophecy 5

Christmas Prophecy 6

Christmas Prophecy 1

Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus (yes, I know He wasn't really born on December 25th and there is no where in the Bible that tells us to celebrate His birth, but I think any time we stop and focus on Him, God is pleased).

But was Jesus really the Son of God? Was He really the Messiah?

I've decided to do a countdown to Christmas and post, every day, one prophecy concerning Jesus and show the fulfillment. What are the odds that one man could fulfill all these prophecies? Could He have engineered it Himself, just made His life fit each prophecy? Or was it coincidence that He just happened to fit all these prophesies? Or what about the context of the prophecies themselves, are we taking them out of context and trying to make them fit the life of Jesus? Stay tuned and I will answer these questions throughout and at the end of the series.

The first prophecy I want to focus on is that the Messiah had to be born of a virgin.

Prophecy -

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. [Immanuel means God with us.]

You can also see Genesis 3:15. It refers to the seed of the woman. Women don't have seed, only men do. This also implies a virgin birth.

Fulfillment -

Luke 1:26-35

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18, 24, 25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together [referring to marital relations], she was found with child of the Holy Spirit...Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her [again, referring to marital relations] till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Your Testimony Part 2

This may seem like a really simple thing, but it came alive to me recently. If you recall, in Part 1, I explained how the devil wants to steal your testimony. Well, what better way to infuriate the devil, but with praise and thanksgiving to God.

This is what the devil originally wanted, was to be worshipped, to be higher than God. See Isaiah 14. He still wants your attention off of God. If he can't get you to outright worship him, he'll settle for distracting you, bringing you down, discouraging you, getting you to gripe and complain.

Praise and thanksgiving is a weapon and it brings our focus back to where it should be, on God, not on our problems, and not on ourselves. Praise removes pride from our life and it builds up our faith. Think of every possible thing, big and small, to praise and thank God for. After all, every good and perfect gift comes from Him. (James 1:17)

Philippians 4:4, 6-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Listen to this three-part series for more information.

Freedom Part 2

This is a continuation of related posts. You can read the first installment here, and the second here.

God wants you to be free--wholly, utterly, completely free.

God's laws bring you freedom. (Now before you think I'm contradicting my last post, read on.)

Think about it, if you obey the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" you will be free from diseases, heartache, strife, guilt, and more, for example.

Rules actually give us freedom. When you follow a budget and set rules for yourself with your spending, you are free to buy bigger ticket items, go on family vacations, relax in your retirement age, etc.

The problem is that we cannot, in our own power, keep God's law.

The law was given for a few different reasons, but one of those was to show us how utterly we can't keep it!

Romans 5:20a

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.

Now that's not to say that God's law is evil.

Romans 7:7,12

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!...The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Keeping the law will make your life more peaceful, as I mentioned previously, but it is not how we are saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

But as I said, we have no power to keep that law. The law shows us that we cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior. When we believe on Jesus, His Spirit actually indwells us and empowers us to overcome sin.

I Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

See also John 14:17, Romans 8:9, Romans 8:11, Ephesians 2:22, II Timothy 1:14, and James 4:5.

And we get a brand-new spirit. Our spirit is recreated, in the likeness of Christ

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

You are no longer a murdering, lying, adulterer. You are now clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

Isaiah 61:10

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.

You do, however, have a choice (the freedom) to live in your old ways. You can choose the abundant life God has for you, or not. You can choose peace and joy, or misery.

Jesus says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

You don't have to live that abundant life, if you so choose. You can choose to live in hell here on earth.

Read this parable of The Lost Son, from Luke 15.

¹¹ Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. ¹⁴ But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶ And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
²⁰ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
²⁸ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
³¹ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

Your sins are forgiven you (if you believe on Jesus Christ), God loves you. He wants you to come home, He wants you to choose the abundant life He has for you. You are not kicked out of His family. You may think that true freedom is doing whatever you please, but true freedom actually comes from submitting wholly to the Lordship of Christ.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I will explain next time the consequences of living a sinful life, and it's probably not what you may think.