PRAYER: Blessed Heavenly Father, in an era filled with many religions and in a culture which frequently produces self-proclaimed messiahs, enable us, O Lord, to see Your Son Jesus as the One long-promised by the Old Testament prophets. Heavenly Father, move us to recognize Jesus and enable us to love Him, move us to serve Him, and fill our hearts with the excitement of soon seeing Him in Paradise where we shall be with Him forever and ever. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
Anyone reading the Bible, especially the book of Acts, is often impressed. Sometimes people are even shocked by the record of what happened in the early church. One thing that absolutely amazes people is the power and the effectiveness of sermons preached by the apostles. For example, in the book of Acts, chapter 2, we read how after the Apostle Peter preached the Pentecost sermon, “There were added,” the Bible says, “about three thousand souls.”
Imagine today 3,000 souls being added to one church! This would make a lead story on every television network. This great increase in the early church was not a result of religious entertainment. This great growth of the church was not the result of organizational skills. Rather, these early preachers were proclaiming Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. This Jesus, proclaimed by the apostles, was the long-promised Messiah. The apostles were tightly focused on this Messianic message. In his book “The Word of the Lord Grows,” Biblical scholar Martin Franzman quotes Martin Luther who said: “The apostles were crammed with Scripture.”
The minds of these missionary men were not merely filled with religious words. Preachers of divine power did not make vague expressions of spirituality as we often hear today. See what the Apostle Peter proclaimed in his Pentecost sermon. This is recorded in Acts, chapter 2. Peter said: “[Jesus] was delivered up by the pre-determined plan and the foreknowledge of God.”
Not only did the Apostle Paul point out how our sins caused Jesus to be crucified, but Peter emphasized this all took place by the “predetermined plan” and the foreknowledge of our Lord. Later in his sermon Peter again says, “These things God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer. And this,” Peter said, “has now been fulfilled” (Acts 3:18).
Oh, it was not only the events of Jesus directly that were prophesied, but also events in the lives of those around Him. For example, as soon as Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles met to select a replacement for Judas, the man who had betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide. Now the Bible says Peter explained to a group of 120 people that what happened to Jesus, including His betrayal by Judas, was because “the Scripture had to be fulfilled.” These events were “foretold” by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:16). “His office” the psalmist said of Judas “let another man take” (Acts 1:20).
Oh, indeed, as Peter pointed out, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus did not just happen in a haphazard way. These crucial events were all part of a “predetermined plan” of our heavenly Father.
We may find this information absolutely fascinating; how the birth, life, and death of Jesus were foretold — and how exactly what was foretold, later took place. However, if we find these facts fascinating we need to remember our own lives are also wrapped up in a type of prophecy. You see, when this life is finished and we all appear before the judgment seat of God, these events dealing with your involvement and my involvement on Judgment Day will not be haphazard or happenstance. Your presence before God on that great day of judgment is also part of the “predetermined plan” of our heavenly Father. The Bible says on that final day all people will be raised from the dead. In the Gospel of John, chapter 5, we read Jesus’ words: “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice.”
So especially during this Lenten season when we recall the bloody suffering, the innocent death, and the victorious resurrection of Jesus, we need to know “prophecy” is something to neither speculate on or remain indifferent to. And, prophecy deals also with your future. Prophecy is the foundation of faith. Prophecy of Jesus’ inevitable suffering, death, and resurrection gives historical credibility to the Lenten season, not as a mere tradition, but as an historical event with Jesus on center stage of all history. Here is the God man whom you and I put to death through our sins and who was raised again on the third day, all according to the predetermined plan of our gracious Lord.
On the morning of May 10, 2000, the St. Louis Post Dispatch published a headline: “Millions Pin Hopes on the Big Game.” This was a front-page story on the lottery. Under the picture showing a long line of people gathered outside a liquor and lottery store, it read, “Wire services reported that people from Illinois and those coming over state lines were buying approximately $1.1 million worth of Big Game lottery tickets every hour.” That’s right — $1.1 million worth of lottery tickets every hour! This jackpot, the biggest in history at that time, climbed to $350 million. This was exciting news for millions. This is also precisely why the Post Dispatch carried the story on the front page.
But then come the realities of life which place even large lottery jackpots firmly into perspective. You see, the night before this multi-million dollar lottery story was published, my family received a phone call from a friend named Lisa. Thirty-one year old Lisa informed us she had just learned she had nine malignant tumors in her brain.
Now, while millions were thinking winning the huge $350 million dollar Illinois jackpot would be their greatest joy and greatest hope, obviously, Lisa, suffering from terminal cancer had no interest whatsoever in this jackpot. Instead, Lisa was thinking about life and about death and whether she would be around to raise her three little children even if she had to do it as a poor person.
This true story of Lisa, who died last Fall, is a solemn reminder once again why it is so important to realize Jesus and all His blessings, especially during Lent, that His promise of life after death, are not part of a long shot lottery. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were not a “chance” or “accident.” These events all took place according to the “predetermined plan of God.” In the same way, your resurrection and my resurrection will also surely take place according to the “predetermined plan” of our gracious heavenly Father. Therefore, if you or a member of your family should happen to be diagnosed with terminal cancer or come upon some other tragedy, your hope, your salvation, and their salvation, is not like the long shot of the lottery. Your hope is based on the Jesus who was foretold by the prophets. Jesus who was nailed to the cross for your sins was raised again for your justification. With the solid Biblical promise you can sing with the hymn writer, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, on Christ the solid rock I stand.”
Oh, friends, so important are these Biblical teachings, that Jesus was and continues to be the long promised Messiah that Christians have always responded to with the great joy of music. In a hymn which can be traced back to the 12th century, the hymn writer writes: “This is He whom heaven-taught singers sang of old with one accord; whom the Scriptures of the prophets promised in their faithful word.” (TLH 98, verse 4).
Another great festive hymn, traceable to the 17th century, also affirms that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah. The hymn writer writes: “In His temple now behold Him, see the long expected Lord; ancient prophets had foretold Him; God has now fulfilled His word” (TLH 139, verse 1).
Especially at Christmastime, Christians around the world rejoice in the great hymns about Jesus, the long promised Messiah. In his hymn “Let The Earth Now Praise The Lord,” Heinrich Held in 1659 wrote: “What the fathers most desired, what the prophets’ heart inspired, what they long for many a year, stands fulfilled in glory here” (TLH 91, verse 2).
So, one of the great joys of the Christian faith is to not only talk about the prophecies of Christ and the fulfillment, but to actually read these prophecies in the Bible. There are too many to discuss on this program. However, here are a few. For example: Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah the prophet said that Jesus would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). In Matthew 1, this prophecy is fulfilled. In chapter 11 of this book, the prophet Hosea talks about the baby Jesus’ return from Egypt. This prophecy also is fulfilled in Matthew, chapter 2:15. The prophet Zechariah foretells Jesus dwelling in Nazareth (Zechariah 6:12). And this fulfillment of this Old Testament prophecy is found in Matthew 2:23 also. And Jesus’ person and mission foretold in Isaiah 42:1 is fulfilled in Matthew, chapter 12. Of course, we could go on and on. There are many more striking prophecies and fulfillments. What a joy this brings to the heart of a believer in Jesus.
Now remember how last year as the new millennium was ushered in, millions gathered to celebrate in churches and synagogues, mosques and temples. Well, in Florissant, Missouri, for example, 150 Buddhists gathered “asking the blessing of being in the right place, surrounded by good people.” Christians, however, east of St. Louis, did not speak of such vague hope of being in the right place at the right time. Instead, focusing his message on the Christ who is the long prophesied Messiah, focusing on Jesus who was sent to “save His people from their sins,” the Christian pastor emphasized that Jesus’ followers are reminded that God gives them a “clean page every day of their lives.” This means also for you that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses you from all your sin. This is not a vague promise, but a concrete reality.
Now, once again let’s note; this Bible-based pastor was not basing his message of hope on his imagination or upon sanctified and pious thoughts. Instead, he was speaking about the event which Isaiah the prophet foretold 700 years before Jesus was born. Of the coming of Jesus, Isaiah said: “Surely our grief He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He {Jesus} was pierced through for our transgressions. [Jesus] was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed from our sin” (Isaiah 53:4-6).
O Lord, we pray, especially during these six weeks of Lent, these weeks prior to the great joy of Easter. In Your mercy, enable us to rejoice that Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, were not a “happenstance” event in history. Instead, by Thy Spirit, enable us through Your gift of faith to see Jesus, and all He has done for us, was clearly foretold centuries before our blessed Savior was born.
And thus O Lord, also enable us to realize that all those who turn to God in sincere repentance will be cleansed by Christ’s blood and covered by His perfect righteousness. Thereby enable us to stand before You on the Day of Judgment with a clear conscience. Then finally, be welcomed into Your glorious presence of heaven.
O Lord, in this Lenten season let us rejoice in the prophecies and fulfillment of Christ in the past. Finally, O Lord, let us look forward with great awe to those prophecies of the future in which all who turn to Jesus will be saved from their sins forever and ever. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for March 18, 2000
ANNOUNCER: In today’s message Dr. Schulz, you stated Christians over the centuries have rejoiced in word and song, that Jesus was just not another prophet who appeared in history “one among many.” Rather, Jesus was the long-promised Messiah of God. And He is the One of whom the prophets have spoken for centuries.
SCHULZ: Well, this a key point, Mark. This is also what the apostles were always preaching about and telling others about. They were talking about Jesus they knew-and the Jesus they had walked with, the Jesus they saw crucified on the cross, the Jesus they laid in the grave and the same Jesus they saw after He was raised again from the dead. And because of His teaching and because of the miracles He performed, these apostles knew beyond question that this Jesus was indeed the long-promised Messiah.
ANNOUNCER: You are saying this gave them great strength and courage to go out and proclaim this message.
SCHULZ: It surely did. And we need to always remember the first Christians suffered horribly. They suffered incredible persecution, torture, and even death. One thing that kept them going amidst these terrible persecutions and even death was the absolute conviction that Jesus was and is, even today, God. He not only died on the cross, but He rose again and He is coming again to judge the world. This is not some “fly-by-night” prophet. This is Jesus, long foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
ANNOUNCER: Now, some years ago, Dr. Schulz, there was a lot of excitement concerning the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls? How might that be related to what we are talking about today?
SCHULZ: Well, I’m glad you brought that up. Let me give a little background for our listeners. Back in 1948, about 50 years ago, a shepherd boy in Palestine was herding his flock. One day, in order to pass time, he was throwing stones into caves. He threw a stone into one of the caves and it sounded like it broke something. When the shepherd boy went into the cave, he found the stone had indeed hit some clay containers. It was soon discovered these clay pots contained manuscripts of ancient writings done long before Jesus was born. And, of course, newspapers around the world carried this exciting story. Plus, Christians were especially interested to see whether there was any importance for them in these ancient scrolls.
ANNOUNCER: And, was there?
SCHULZ: Well, there was, and what is so absolutely fascinating about these manuscripts from the clay pots is that these Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments from every book of the Old Testament, except the Book of Esther. But even more exciting is that the one book that remained most intact was the book of Isaiah. Of course, this is the one book we frequently quote from on this program because this book of Isaiah talks about the coming of Jesus Christ and how He would suffer for our sins and save us from eternal death. Again, remember, Isaiah wrote these things hundreds of years before Jesus was even born.
ANNOUNCER: Dr. Schulz, what is the bottom line?
SCHULZ: Well, I can excitedly tell you the bottom line is that Jesus, as the Bible says, is the key part of God’s “predetermined plan” in history. Jesus was not just another religious leader who arrived on the scene throughout history. Instead, this Jesus, is the long promised Messiah. He was sent by God to rescue all that hear His call today. And this is the same Jesus who also spoke prophecy about your future. Jesus said that you who hear this word today will be present at the day of judgement. And those who love and believe in Jesus will be welcomed into His presence, to live with Him forever and ever. This is the bottom line.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. This brings us to the end of our broadcast for another week. Thank you, listeners and readers, for making this a part of your day.