Death predictions part 1

 

1)      Back in 1978 a man by the name of Ralph Blodgett decided to conduct an experiment.

2)      He bought a bunch of magazines that contained predictions for 1978.

3)      This man then carefully compiled a list of 250 specific predictions being made for 1978.

4)      Blodgett was not looking for predictions 5, 10, or 75 years in advance.

5)      He was looking for predictions to come true within just 12 months.

6)      As the year begin to pass, Blodgett kept close track of what the 250 predictions said.

7)      He finally had data from the 30 leading psychics in the world and he finally tabulated everything.

8)      He found that less than 3% of the predictions for 1978 could be counted as fulfilled.

9)      Stated another way, only 6 out of 250 predictions could be considered true.

10)  These 6, however, were so general they could have been easily filled by someone or something.

 

11)  Last week I said that human beings are often bad predictors.

12)  We make predictions and forecasts and we get them wrong.

a)      Yet, the Bible is full of predictions about Jesus, and each prediction is exactly right.

b)      Instead of making claims 12 months in advance, the claims are made hundreds of years early.

c)      Tonight we deal with some of the claims of how Jesus was to be treated in His life.

 

13)  As we look at this part of the study, let’s think back to the last time we saw a baby.

14)  It may have been a relative’s child, the child of a friend, or someone else.

15)  How would we like to predict what would happen to that child at the end of his or her life?

16)  How well would we do in predicting what will happen to the child in 20, 30, or 50 years?

a)      What if we were asked to make specific predictions in these areas:

b)      Will the child pass from this life in a natural way or will the child suffer a violent death?

c)      Will the child be on good terms with most people or on bad terms when death comes?

d)     Will the child have any especially close friends?  How will those friends treat him or her?

 

17)  We cannot answer these types of questions.  All these questions were answered with Jesus.

18)  It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would be rejected.

a)      Many times before the Lord's Supper we have heard Isa. 53 read.

b)      Do we know that in this chapter we have predictive prophecy?

c)      Listen to Isa. 53:3 – READ

d)     Jesus would be “despised.”  He would be “rejected.”

e)      This is a definite prophecy, and it is made 700 years in advance.

f)       How could that information possibly be guessed at and be right?

 

19)  Jesus came “to His own” and they did not receive Him (Jn. 1:11).

20)  Not only was Jesus despised and rejected, He was crucified.

21)  In Jn. 7:48 this question is asked:  did any of the rulers or Pharisee believe on the Lord?

22)  The implied answer was no; most everyone in the ruling class did despise the Son of God.

23)  In the psalms we have more messianic references (Ps. 35:19; 69:4).

a)      These verses say someone would be “hated without cause.”

b)      A person may be hated for a reason.

c)      It is also possible to hate a person for no reason.

d)     Both Ps. 35:19 and 69:4 find their fulfillment in Christ.

 

24)  When we look at the Gospels we find  there was no reason to hate the Lord.

a)      He healed people, and that was done without charge.

b)      He taught the people, but His teaching was not about insurrection and strife.
      He raised the dead and comforted those who were grieving.

c)      He cast out evil spirits and gave people control over their bodies once again.

d)     Jesus was hated without reason.

25)  In Jn. 15:24-25 John specifically refers to Old Testament verses saying Jesus was hated.

26)  John comes out and says Jesus was the fulfillment about someone being hated without cause.

 

27)  Jesus rejection and the hatred for Him is predicted in various ways in the Old Testament.

a)      It is also expressed as being a “stone the builders rejected” (Ps. 118:22).

b)      Jesus took this Old Testament prophecy and applied it to Himself (Lk. 20:17-19).

c)      Jesus said He was the predicted stone that was being rejected.

d)     Those who heard Him understood exactly what He was claiming.

e)      Listen to these three verses in Lk. 20 – READ.

f)       Jesus applied this Old Testament prophecy to Himself, and He was not the only one to do that.

 

28)  Peter made this point when he preached to some hostile Jews (Acts 4:11).

29)  Paul then made this same point in the Ephesian letter (2:20).

a)      Jesus was and is a building stone; He created what we call the church.

b)      How could a writer have known 700 years in advance:

c)      A person would be born, He would be rejected, but He would build something great?

d)     This person would be the very center piece of what was created?

e)      The prediction has multiple parts and it is right in every single way.

 

IF ALL THE PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE END OF JESUS LIFE WERE NEGATIVE AND THEY CAME TRUE, THAT WOULD BE IMPRESSIVE.  IN ADDITION TO SAYING THAT JESUS WOULD BE REJECTED, THERE ARE ALSO PREDICTIONS ABOUT A SMALL TRIUMPH.

 

a)      In Zech. 9:9 the prophet said a “king” would come.

b)      As noted in the previous passages, it was also predicted that this king (Jesus) would be  rejected.

c)      Jesus was not accepted, but there was a very brief recognition of Him.

d)     Zechariah said (9:9) He would “ride upon a colt.”  Jesus did that prior to His death.

e)      Last week we cited Ps. 8:2; small children would be complimenting the Lord.

f)       This also happened before the Lord died.

g)      The main predictions about the end of Jesus’ life were negative and that is exactly what we find.

h)      The few small things that were positive also came true in every way.

 

2)      Most of what is said about Jesus’ final days is about His being rejected.

3)      Back in Isa. 53:1 the writer asked “who would believe the report” about Jesus?

4)      Some would have a small amount of enthusiasm (Zech. 9:9), but most would not care.

5)      In Jn. 12:37-41 John said the prophecy in Isa. 53:1 was fulfilled in Jesus.

6)      Isaiah made numerous statements about someone and Jesus fulfilled them all.

7)      In one man prediction upon prediction was fulfilled to the minutest detail.

a)      As we look at the end of Jesus’ life, we find that He was betrayed.

b)      This is also an Old Testament prediction.

c)      In considering this thought I want to read from an Old Testament Psalm, Ps. 55:12-14.

d)     The writer speaks of someone being “reproached.”

e)      He then says if this had been done by an “enemy”  it would have been fairly easy to endure.

f)       The betrayer was a friend, and a very good friend – READ

 

8)      This passage very likely had had some application in the writer’s life.

9)      It also looked forward to the coming King mentioned in other parts of the Old Testament.

 

10)  Judas fulfilled this prophecy in every way.

11)  Judas was “one of the twelve” (Mt. 26:47).  He was especially close to the Lord.

12)  A day came to see Jesus with a big group of people and they had weapons (same verse).

13)  Judas came to the Lord and greeted him (verse 49 of Mt. 26).

14)  That was the sign for the enemies to seize Jesus and that is what they did (Mt. 26:50).

a)      Another Psalm (41:9) says a “familiar friend” would betray Him.

b)      The person would “eat bread with” would turn on Him.  This actually happened.

 

15)  If these prophecies are not impressive enough, consider Zech. 11:12.

a)      It is one thing to betray a person.  It is another to betray a person for money.

b)      Imagine if someone said to use that we would one day be betrayed for $5,000.

c)      A day comes and we are betrayed.  We are betrayed for $5,000—not a cent more or less.

d)     How could that possibly be known years in advance?

e)      How could that be known 2 years in advance let alone 700 years?

 

16)  In Zech. 11 we find a precise statement about a betrayal for money.

17)  We also find an exact amount:  30 pieces of silver.

18)  This is the very amount Judas was paid for the betrayal, Mt. 26:14-16.

19)  Getting the amount just right is amazing.

a)      How could the writer have guessed silver instead of gold?

b)      Why did he specify silver instead of something like exemption from taxes or property?

c)      Why specify 30 pieces instead of 50 or 32?

d)     How could the author be so exact when the future was so far away?

e)      Getting just this one prophecy right would have been next to impossible.

f)       Putting this with all the others builds an incredible case for accepting the Bible as a book from God.

 

20)  If we think Zech. 11:12 is impressive, let’s take the point to an even higher level.

21)  Are we familiar with Zehc. 11:13?

a)      The 30 pieces of silver are still being discussed, but a new detail is added.

b)      We are introduced to a “potter.”  A potter also had a part in the prophecy.

c)      Guess what?  500 years later the 30 pieces of silver show up in the Lord’s life.

d)     We also find the second element in the prophecy being fulfilled—there is a potter’s field.

e)      The thirty pieces of silver were used to buy a potter’s field (Mt. 27:6-10).

f)       Potters used clay; clay came from fields. 

g)      30 pieces of silver were used to buy a potter’s field.

h)      Why wasn’t gold chosen over silver?  Why were 30 pieces of silver used?

 

22)  In life we sometimes hear people say, “this just cannot be a coincidence.”

23)  After evidence mounts and mounts with things we eliminate the possibility of chance.

24)  Such is also the case when we begin to study the prophecies in the word of God.

25)  There is more about Jesus that we have not yet studied—much, much more.

26)  We have information on His accusers and trial as well as what happened in His death.

27)  There are predictions of a resurrection and an ascension plus more.

28)  Tonight we affirm that the Old Testament predicted Jesus would come and He did.

29)  It predicted He would be rejected and He was.

30)  It also predicted He would rule over all men, and He does.  Have we submitted to Him?