Death, ascension, and kingdom prophecies

 

1)      There was once a man (in modern times) who believed Christianity is false; the gospel is a lie.

2)      After more than 700 hours of study on a single subject he became convinced Christianity is true.

3)      He was convinced to change his mind by the resurrection of Christ.

4)      There are 168 hours in a week; 700 hours is more than a month’s time.

5)      Imagine doing only one thing for more than a month:  24/7 we study one subject.

6)      This is the amount of time this man devoted to the resurrection and this was his final conclusion:

a)      The resurrection could be the greatest hoax ever carried in the world.

b)      If this is right, it is a wicked, vicious, and heartless prank.

c)      Option # 2 is that the resurrection is the most fantastic fact in history.

d)     This man finally concluded the evidence could only lead him to the second conclusion.

 

7)      Jesus’ resurrection is a fantastic historical fact, and it is that for many reasons.

8)      One reason is that it was prophesied (foretold) many years in advance.

9)      Tonight we want to look at this part of the Lord’s life from several angels:

10)  We begin with His death.

11)  We have previously studied some Old Testament prophecies about the Lord.

a)      We have studied how someone would come before Him (He was to have a forerunner).

b)      There are statements about what He would do in life.

c)      We find information about His ministry and the end of His life.

d)     Last week we studied some specific prophecies about His death.

 

12)  Now we come to something else.  Jesus would die, but He would not stay in the grave.

13)  Most are familiar with Acts 2.

a)      As this first gospel was sermon was preached, the speaker went back to the Old Testament.

b)      Old Testament prophecy was appealed to, and this prophecy involved the Lord’s death.

c)      In verses 25-27 Peter drew his listener’s attention back to David and what this man had written.

d)     Hundreds of years before David said this – verses 25-27 – READ

 

14)  Notice from verse 26 this expression:  my flesh shall dwell in hope.

15)  What hope is there when a person dies and their body is buried? 

16)  We have never seen a person come back from the dead.

17)  There can only be “hope” for the flesh if a body returns to life.  David believed this would happen.

18)  Then in verse 27 we have a reference to “Hades” (the place where man’s eternal spirit goes).

19)  We are told in Lk. 16 that this is a place where righteous people are “comforted.”

20)  If a person is being comforted and consoled, they would not want to leave.

21)  David said this person would leave.  Their “soul” would not stay in Hades.

22)  At the end of verse 27 he said the “Holy One” (Jesus) would “not see corruption.”

23)  That is, the body of Christ would not decay.

a)      If a dead person is not going to stay in Hades and the body will not decay, there is only one option:

b)      There has to be a resurrection.  This is the only way to prevent these two tings.

 

24)  David had in mind the Lord.  Jesus’ body would be in a tomb for a few days.

a)      He knew the Lord’s spirit would be separated from His body for a short time.

b)      In less than 72 hours, the body and spirit would be united and He would return from the dead.

 

25)  Peter was quoting from the Old Testament -- Ps. 16:8-10.

26)  “Thou will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you let your Holy one see corruption.”

27)  A similar prophecy is found in Ps. 30:3 and 41:10.

28)  Imagine someone predicting that a person will rise from the dead and it happens.

29)  Not only does it happen, it happens in an area where people do not want to believe it.

a)      Jews for the most part did not want to accept Jesus.

b)      These people were looking for any way they could to deny the resurrection.

c)      If Peter had used the Old Testament passages incorrectly, these people would have known that.

d)     Jews read, studied, and were experts in the area of religious law.

e)      We have no record of Jews every trying to debate the Old Testament passages Peter cited.

f)       What we do find in Acts is this:  thousands and thousands of Jews believed the preaching.

g)      Why would Jews leave the religion from Moses  if the prophecy and the fulfillment did not match?

 

30)  Some of the most skeptical people in the world—first century Jews, believed the resurrection.

31)  In light of this fact we must simply ask why.

32)  Why would they forsake a religion they and their ancestors had practiced for thousands of years?

33)  Why were they unable to stamp out the message of Christianity?

34)  A big part of the answer is the resurrection; Jesus was not only raised, He appeared to people..

35)  If Jesus had been raised and never showed up again, people might have been able to object.

36)  Jesus actually showed Himself to people – hundreds of people.

37)  Preachers were also able to point to Old Testament prophecy and say, “Look, it has been fulfilled.”

38)  After Jesus returned from the dead there was another thing to consider.  What would He do?

a)      Would the Lord stay on the earth or go somewhere else?

b)      God answered this question in both testaments.

c)      Back in Ps. 16—where we read about Jesus’ death—we read about a “right hand.”

d)     The writer also speaks about being “in the presence of Jehovah.”

e)      These statements may have had some application in David’s life; they also looked beyond that.

f)       Their ultimate fulfillment is found in the life of Christ.

g)      On the Day of Pentecost Peter spoke about this information as well (Acts 2:33).   

h)      He spoke of the Lord being “exalted” and at the Father’s “right hand.”

 

39)  Other New Testament writers speak about Jesus being at the “right hand” (Mk. 16:19).

40)  Ps. 68:18 refers to someone “ascending on high” and “leading captivity captive.”

41)  As with some other prophecies, this likely had some application before the first century.

a)      In the case of Ps. 68, there was likely a king or military warrior who did what the text says.

b)      A leader experienced a military triumph.

c)      The ultimate fulfillment of the thought is found in the life and ascension of Jesus.

d)     Paul said (Eph. 4:8) that Ps. 68:18 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

    

WE HAVE PREDICTIONS AND FULFILLMENTS OF JESUS BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND ASCENDING.  A RELATED POINT IS WHAT HE IS DOING NOW.

 

a)      When a person retires they are often asked, “What will you do now?”

b)      A similar question could have been put to the Lord.

c)      If He came back from the dead, what would He do?

d)     Would He continue to go around the land of Israel and teach?

e)      Would He go outside that country and teach?  What did He have planned?

 

2)      Jesus had plans to build a kingdom; He spoke of that throughout His ministry.

3)      He gave many kingdom parables to help people prepare for what was going to take place.

4)      All this talk about a kingdom was not make believe and fantasy.

a)      It was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

b)      Some verses in the Old Testament are well known; one of these passages is Isa. 9.

c)      This chapter is a prediction about Jesus and His coming.

d)     I want to read Isa. 9:6-7 – READ

e)      A similar prophecy is found in 2 Sam. 7:12-13.  Someone would head an everlasting kingdom.

 

5)      Imagine trying to make a prediction 700 years in advance about a ruler. This is what we are reading.

6)      We are less than a year from a Presidential election and we do not know what will happen.

a)      One day the front runner is way ahead of the pack; then she drops back to where everyone else is.

b)      People drop out, some get sick, there are scandals.  Predictions are dangerous things.

c)      Who wants to venture a guess about America’s president 700 years from now?

 

7)      We don’t know if the world will be here in seven centuries, let alone this country.

8)      A prophet of God made a prediction that is shocking, but it came true.

9)      We find the fulfillment in places like Lk. 1

a)      An angel came to Mary and greeted her (verse 28), but Mary was frightened.

b)      The angel said she was going to have a baby, but she would not get to name the child.

c)      The angel said God already had a name picked out (Jesus, verse 31).

d)     Then the angel said this:  verses 32-33 – READ

 

10)  This prediction is amazing.

11)  Who wants to go to a hospital, look at a baby and say, “You will be a senator.”

12)  No one with any sense makes those predictions because they are beyond our ability.

13)  An angel said, “He will be a ruler.”  Isaiah had made this same prediction 700 years earlier.

14)  Were the statements right or wrong?  They were right.

15)  Jesus is a king.  He is called the king of kings and the Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:15-16).

a)      Jesus is not a king on the earth.

b)      His kingship is revealed in places like Mt. 25:34 (it is a spiritual and everlasting reign).

c)      This earth is going to be burned up (2 Pet. 3); it is a place that is decaying.

d)     Jesus’ rule is far above our earth.

e)      Too, as noted earlier it was prophesied that He would ascend (leave the earth).

f)       He now rules over all.  He is above the earth in every sense.

 

16)  Another prediction in this regard is found in Ps. 110:1 – “sit on my right hand.”

17)  We referenced this earlier, but we did not deal with all the verse.

18)  In this passage we also find this statement:  “Sit on my right hand till your enemies are made a footstool.”

19)  This is an unusual statement, and it cannot be true for any man.  It is too grand of a promise.

20)  Heb. 1:13 refers to this same prophecy and says it also cannot apply to angels.

21)  Since it cannot refer to angels and it certainly cannot refer to men, to whom does it refer?

22)  Heb. 1:3 gives us the answer:  Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

23)  Peter appealed to Ps. 110 on the Day of Pentecost; I want to read his words.

24)  He specifically applied Ps. 110:1 to Jesus – Acts 2:34-36 – READ

 

25)  How could writers be so right about the predictions we have discussed?

26)  It is simply impossible if man were the sole force behind the Bible.

27)  Predictive prophecy leaves no doubt that a supernatural power formed the scriptures.

a)      People have seen the force of predictive prophecy and tried to offer objections.

b)      It has been said the Bible books were written later than Christians claim.

c)      These claims may sound good, but they are without merit.

d)     The Septuagint is a translation of the Old Testament into Greek.

 

28)  This Greek translation was done about 250 years before Christ.

29)  Even if we would agree that Isaiah was not 700 years before Christ, Isaiah is in the Septuagint.

30)  That means his predictions are at least 250 years old.

31)  We can say to the skeptic, “Let’s grant for the sake of argument predictions were not 700 years early.”

32)  “There is no doubt that they were given 250 years before Jesus came into the world.”

33)  If we shave off 500 years, the case we have is still air tight.

34)  How well can people predict what will happen more than 200 years in advance?

a)      This week I would encourage you to do something a little different in your Bible study.

b)      Go back and look at some of the predictions made back in the 1800’s.

c)      These are easily researched in a variety of places including the Internet.

d)     That little research will show you just how bad men are at predicting.

e)      Man can’t predict what will happen at the end of the week, let alone 200 years in advance.

 

35)  Jesus life was described in advance and what was foretold came true.

36)  Christians can have faith and trust in the word of God.