Christ, the Fulfillment of Prophecy

Christ, the Fulfillment of Prophecy “CHRIST, THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY”
(Text: Luke 24:44) By Melvin J. Wise At Ephesus Apollos “mightily conyinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (Acts 18:28). My brethren, such is my task today. It shall not be my mission to prove the infallibility of the Old Testament Scriptures, for I take it that you accept them unreservedly; but my work shall be to show that Jesus perfectly fulfilled what was written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning him. Ineidently, however, such evidence within itself goes a long way in proving the infallibility of both the Old and New Testaments. That the development of Jewish thought centered around the coming of a Messiah is plain to any student of the Old Testament and other Jewish writings. The expectation of a Messiah was the hope of Israel. The Jews were a people who lived in the future. No nation ever cherished such a strong expectation of a good time coming, or clung more tenaciously, amid defeat and disaster, to the certainty of final triumph over all enemies and of entrance upon a state of perfect peace and happiness. While declaring God's wrath upon the people because of their sin and disobedience, the prophets looked beyond this Divine chastisement to the final era of blessedness, which would be ushered in when the nation returned to Jehovah. Then would come the Messiah—the Anointed—the Christ. Certainly the history of Israel culminates in Jesus Christ.

Jesus, himself, claimed to be the Christ (Mark 14:61-62; Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39). The apostles claimed Jesus to be the Christ in all of their preaching (Acts 2:22-24; Acts 3:14-15; Acts 8:35; Acts 17:2-3). The Jews knew their Scriptures. They knew, too, that their Scriptures promised a Messiah. If they could have produced one Scripture containing a prophecy concerning Jesus that had not been fulfilled, that would have been sufficient to set the claim of the apostles at naught. But no such Scripture has ever been produced, and for two thousand years the Jewish race has had to face the charge that they rejected the testimony of their own Scriptures and killed their Messiah and the world’s Redeemer. The first promise of a Messiah is found in the curse God pronounced upon the .serpent. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). In this we see the scheme of redemption involved—the eternal purpose of God. The serpent has deceived the woman, and both she and her husband have sinned. The serpent as the representative of evil and the powers of human sedition is cursed; while also upon the erring man and woman punishments are pronounced. It is a sad picture, for a dark and unknown future opens up before humanity. Labors and sorrows are to multiply and a deep-seated enmity between the posterity of the woman and the offspring of the serpent will exist. Yet in the midst of this gloom there is a ray of hope: the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head; a Redeemer shall be born of the woman. As the woman was the first to sin, yet she was to lead in man’s re-demption in that she was to give the world (of her seed) a Saviour. Satan was to bruise his heel; Satan tempted him in all points and finally nailed him to the cross; but the seed of the woman was to bruise the serpent’s head. Jesus bruised his head when he conquered death and the grave. John says: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

There is a fantastic theory prevalent today which teaches that there shall be a literal carnal warfare at the second advent of Christ between the hosts of righteousness and unrighteousness—the battle of Ar-mageddon—which will be fought in the Valley of Me- giddo in the land of Palestine. I cannot conceive of the children of God engaged in a carnal strife against evil. Jesus said: “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight” (John 18:36). An intelligent understanding of the Word of God will lead one into the conviction that the battle against Christ and Satan is going on all of the time in your Christian life and mine (Read Galatians 5:16-17). Every time that you overcome a temptation you have won a victory in the battle between right and wrong.

Thus we see that the Messianic hope was kindled when man first lost Paradise; it burned brightly in Moses; its lustre is evident in the Psalms; and in Isaiah it reaches its fullest and most unclouded splendor; and it shined less brightly in Ezekiel and his postexilic successors. The birth of Jesus was foretold by the prophets. He was to be born of a virgin. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im-manuel” (Isaiah 7:14). This prediction was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The angel announced to Joseph: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:21-23).

He was to be a descendant of Abraham. When God called Abram out of Ur, one of the blessings promised was “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Paul applies this to Christ. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). “And if ye. be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). “For verily he. took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16).

He was to be born of the tribe of Judah. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10). That is, the Shiloh (one sent) or the Messiah would come before Judah ceased to be a distinct and ruling tribe. In the history of Israel various tribes ceased or amalgamated with others; but the tribe of Judah continued on through the division of the kingdom, the exile, and Judah was the only remaining tribe during the days of Christ. As we trace the ancestry of our Lord in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, we find that both Joseph and Mary could establish their connection with Judah’s tribe. Paul said: “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah . . . (Hebrews 7:14).

Jesus was to be born of the house of David. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1). Paul says that this was fulfilled in Christ—“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus” (Acts 13:22-23). Even though the stem was to lie down, some of the roots were to remain, and out of these roots was to spring up this righteous branch. Even though the house of Jesse fell when Judah was carried into captivity, yet a remnant out of the royal family remained; and like, a stump of a tree that had fallen down, out of this remaining part of Jesse’s family the Shiloh came.

Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Micah foreannounced the place of his birth in these words: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). It was generally understood among the Jews that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem, for when Herod demanded of the chief priests and scribes where Christ should be born “they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my peopie Israel” (Matthew 2:5-6). Joseph and Mary lived hi Nazareth and not in Bethlehem, and how did it happen that the babe was born in Bethlehem? They were in Bethlehem at the decree of Augustus Caesar who de-manded that all the world should be enrolled. But why did Mary go along with her espoused husband? Surely she ought to have been excused under such cir-cumstances; and, too, Joseph could have enrolled for her. There were no automobiles or paved highways in those days, and why would an expectant mother under -take such a journey? Even though she might have known that the prophet had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, did she go on this trip for the specific purpose that her child might be born in Bethlehem on this particular occasion? I do not believe that she did, for there is evidence that she did not. When the babe was born it was wrapped in “swaddling clothes”—clothes made from bolt cloth, unrolled from the bolt. There were no garments made; hence no evidence of preparation cor the birth of her babe. When Joseph fled mto Egypt with the babe Jesus and his mother, this was a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1, for Matthew* says they were “there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Matthew 2:15). The principle events in the life of the. Messiah w^ere minutely and accurately foretold. A divinely appointed harbinger was to announce the Messiah’s coming and introduce his public ministry . “Behold, I wTill send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1). Without question John the Baptist was this “messenger” and Jesus was the “Lord” who should suddenly come to his temple. Malachi further prophesied: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mai. 4:5-6). This prophecy concerning the coming messenger, called “Elijah the prophet” is unmistakably applied by Jesus to John the Baptist. “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee” (Matthew 11:10). “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:10; Matthew 17:13). The mission of Elijah, as well as that of John the Baptist, was to call the nation back from shallowness to reality. Their stern denunciation of evil doers and their call to reformation are so strikingly similar as to suggest their exchange of names. The Messiah was to confirm his mission by the work-ing of miracles. Concerning this fact, Isaiah foretells: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing . . .” (Isaiah 35:5-6). Surely this prediction can find its fulfillment in none other than the Saviour’s personal ministry. He often made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, the lame to walk, and cast out demons from those possessed with such. He was to be a man or sorrows and acquainted with grief. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Certainly this finds its fulfillment in the life of our Lord. When Matthew offered to follow him, thinking it to be a discipleship of ease, Jesus said to him: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Luke says: “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). John says: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). When Jesus closed the sermon on the “Bread of Life” in the synagogue at Capernaum it is said “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). After Jesus was arrested by the mob from the Sanhedrin “Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled” (Matthew 26:56 b). The Messiah was to make a triumphal entry into Je-rusalem. About 518 B. C. Zechariah looked forward and foreannounced this incident in these words: “Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). On Sunday of the last week of our Lord’s ministry Jesus yields to a Messianic demonstration by making an open and public entry into Jerusalem. He imitates the nature of his reign and his kingdom by choosing to ride upon an ass, the symbol of peace, instead of a horse, the symbol of war. Jesus is in reality exactly what this occasion exemplified. He -was always humble and peaceful, coming to his people without boastful pretensions or royal displays; in fact, all of his life was one of humility, gentleness, and unostentation. In Matthew 21:4-5 this incident is quoted as an actual fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. The betrayal and trials of Jesus were minutely foretold by the prophets. Zechariah predicted his betrayal in these words: “. . . . So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter; a goodly price that I was priced at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord4’ (Zechariah 11:12-13). No Scripture was ever more literally fulfilled than this. “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:14-15). In Matthew 27:3-10 we have the account of Judas bringing the thirty pieces of silver and casting them down in the temple. As to the conduct of Jesus when on trial, Isaiah predicts: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isaiah 53:7-8). This finds its fulfillment in the trial of Christ as given by Matthew in Matthew 26. When on trial Jesus was to suffer great abuse. At this point Isaiah said: “I give my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). This was literally fulfilled at the trial of Jesus when he stood before the high priest. ‘Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands” (Matthew 26:67). If spitting in a person’s presence is such a mark of indignity; how much more to spit into his face. The crucifixion and burial were predicted by the prophets. His death was foretold by Isaiah. The prophet said: “. . . . he was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). During the personal ministry of Jesus he was often classed with publicans and sinners; his enemies said: “He hath a devil.” (John 10:20); but this prophecy had a specific fulfillment in the crucifixion—“And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors” (Mark 15:27-28).

Nails were to be driven through his hands and feet: “. . . they pierced my nands and my feet” (Psalms 22:16). When the other disciples told Thomas that Jesus had risen from the dead he said: “Except I shall see in his hands the. pidnt of the nails, and put mv finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them; then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:25-28). The Jewish method of putting criminals to death was by stoning them; the Roman method was by beheading the criminal; but in the crucifixion of Jesus they used a cross, the most brutal and horrible death ever known. But if he was condemned by the Jews how did it happen that he was not stoned: The prophet said “they pierced my hands and my feet” and that meant crucifixion. Jesus, himself, indicated that he would be crucified (John 3:14-15; John 12:32-33).

It was predicted that the soldiers would part his garments—“They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Psalms 22:18). This finds its fulfillment at the crucifixion of Jesus, for Matthew says: “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots” (Matthew 27:35). When the Roman soldiers came to the bodies of the two thieves on their crosses they broke their bones, but when they came to the cross of Jesus, seeing that he was already dead, they did not break his bones. This did not happen by chance, but in the providence of God it was a fulfillment of an ipcident which occurred as the Israelites were 'leaving out.of Egypt. In slaying the Passover Lamb they were not permitted to break its bones. Thus John says: “For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36). A remarkable prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus died. Isaiah said: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death . . (Isaiah 53:9). It is universally known that Jesus died as a malefactor, yet he was an innocent man. It was a case of the just dying for the unjust. Too, a careful student of his life knows that he was acquainted with poverty; born of peasant parents in a stable; when he was called upon to pay the temple tax he secured the money by performing a miracle; his disciples were of the poorest class; but the prophet said that he would be among the rich in his death. Did such really come to pass? Let Matthew tell us how it was accomplished. “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arima- thaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple; he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed” (Matthew 27:57-60). John adds: “And after this Joseph of Arimathsea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body' of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury” (John 19:38-40). Thus our Lord was given an expensive burial by two rich men. He was, therefore, buried with the wicked thieves that day, but in the tomb of the rich. The resurrection, ascension, and coronation ol Jesus wrere definitely predicted by the prophets of old. It was foretold that he would be raised from the dead—". . . On the third day he will raise us up . . . .” (Hosea 6:2). This was fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus, for on the third day after our Saviour’s burial, which was the first day of the week, early in the morning the women came to visit the tomb. “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified, lie is not here; for he is lisen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-6). The ascension of Jesus was also a subject of proph-ecy. David said: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men ...” (Psalms 68:18). In this there are several points as fulfilled by the ascension of Jesus. (1) “He ascended on high”—fulfilled in Acts 1:9 : “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight”; (2) “He led captivity captive.” Since he conquered death and the grave, wTiich held in captivity the whole race of man, he became the first-fruits of them that slept (1 Corinthians 15:20); thereby, he “led captivity captive”; (3) “Thou hast received gifts for mien”; Jesus received the Spirit without measure, and sent the Spirit down upon the apostles—“And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20. Read also Acts 2:1-4 and Hebrews 2:3-4).

The Coronation of Jesus was foretold by Daniel in these words: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14-15). Without question this finds its fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. After his victory over death he appeared to his apostles and said: “All power is given unto me m heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:13). Paul .said concerning the authority of Christ: “And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Colossians 1:18-19).
I
Conclusion
These facts of prophecy and history and their won-derful and perfect agreement can only lead us to one conclusion—into a conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The facts of prophecy cannot be suc-cessfully questioned. There lies the Old Testament; ’t is an open book; it is authentic; the men who wrote it were guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21); the prophecies quoted, from its pages can be read and verified. Truly they are infallible. The same thing can be said of the facts of history—the New Testament. It is genuine and credible. The perfect agreement of prophecy and history cannot be explained away. It cannot be successfully said that these prophecies con-cerning Christ were written after the events occurred. The Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language and translated into the Greek language at least 286 B. C. This Septuagint version is still regarded as authentic. Hence these prophecies were given at least 286 B. C.

These events in the life of Christ could not have happened to suit the demands of prophecy unguided by divine aid. How could finite men have made these events in the life of Jesus harmonize so wonderfully with these predictions ? Most of these prophecies were not understood when they were being fulfilled; nor are they understood now, only in the light of history and their fulfillment.

There is but one conclusion—the prophets were in-spired, and Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

There lies the evidence before you. The case is in your hands. You must render a verdict. What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is he? If he is the Son of God, then he is all that he claimed to be, and he claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Hence, you are lost without him. What is your decision? Will you accept his gospel and the salvation purchased for you and for me in his sacrificial death? Or will you reject his precious invitation and launch out into the darkness of a never ending eternity, without one ray of hope and without God?