Microsoft Word - HCB.docx -

Please enable JavaScript to view the full PDF

HE’S COMING BACK! Chapter One God says a lot about the future. Twenty-eight percent, or slightly more than one-fourth of the Bible, is prophetic. Astounding is that all the prophecies are one hundred percent accurate! No other world religion can claim this. Why should we care? If God is real and able to tell us what will happen in the future with one hundred percent accuracy, it would be in our best interest to listen and learn. If the Creator of the universe cares for us on an individual basis and left us with a "road map," so to speak, that's the most significant truth possible. God said about Himself, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done." (Isaiah 46:9-10) The Bible is the tool God has chosen to communicate His plan for us. The main message of the Bible is that God is restoring the world to His original design through Jesus Christ. The world is in a state of brokenness because humanity rejected God and His plan. Jesus entered a broken and hurting world to die on a cross and return to life three days later to restore mankind to God. The birth, death, resurrection, and soon return of Jesus are the central themes woven throughout scripture. The Bible is not the product of some bored, attention-seeking, misguided individuals. Instead, it is a collection of the words of God that He inspired individuals to record. When he knew his time on earth was ending, Peter, a disciple of Jesus, wanted to encourage other believers not to trust false teachers but only the inspired scriptures. He stated the following: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private origin, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them." (2 Peter 1:20-21) There have been many false prophets throughout history. Some have gained a level of notoriety. Nostradamus and Jean Dixon, to name a couple. Their "prophesies" were vague and anything but one hundred percent accurate. Jean Dixon predicted World War III would occur in 1954 – it didn't. She said Jacqueline Kennedy would never get married again – she married Aristotle Onassis the day after Dixon made her prediction! And she also claimed the Vietnam conflict would end in 1966 – it continued until 1975. Regarding Nostradamus. Most academic sources reject the notion that Nostradamus had any genuine supernatural prophetic abilities. Furthermore, the same academics argue that Nostradamus's predictions are characteristically vague. Meaning they could be applied to virtually anything and are useless for determining whether their author had any natural prophetic powers. When God chose a prophet, it was a serious deal. The rules were clear: "The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) Simply stated, if what the so-called "prophet" has foretold doesn't come to pass, it's not from God, and he is a false prophet. As I stated earlier, the prophecies in the Bible, both fulfilled and unfulfilled, are many. In the spirit of sticking to the central message, let's look at prophecies concerning Jesus. As God in the flesh, Jesus knew the prophetic scriptures about Himself better than anyone. Check out this encounter between Jesus and two of His disciples three days after His crucifixion. "Now behold, two of them (disciples) were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him. And He said to them, 'What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?' Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, 'Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have you not known the things which happened there in these days?' And He said to them, 'What things?' So they said to Him, 'The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, Him they did not see.' Then He said to them, 'Oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?' And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke 24:13-27) Chapter Two It’s helpful to understand the purpose of the Old and New Testaments to appreciate Bible prophecy. The totality of the Bible is God’s story. In the Old Testament, God forecasts what He will do in the future, who the Messiah will be, and what He will do. The New Testament is a record of the fulfillment of these promises and prophecies. The completion of the writing of the Old Testament was approximately 445 years before Jesus was born. Imagine the following headline: Ancient Scrolls Discovered in Seattle Several ancient scrolls have been unearthed in the University District. The scrolls are between 600 to 1000 years old, written before the discovery of America. The scrolls predict that a person would be born who is of the direct lineage of Benjamin Franklin. This person would be descended from a long line of prominent American figures, all of whom were known to be from Tacoma. The scrolls further reveal that the person would be born in King County, Seattle. Miraculously his mother would be a virgin. Upon hearing about the birth of this child, the record states that Washington’s Governor would attempt to have him murdered by issuing a proclamation ordering all male children under two years old in Seattle killed. The ancient scrolls also tell how the child’s father would be tipped off about the Governor’s proclamation and instructed to flee to Mexico and wait for word to bring his family back home. He would return sometime later, and the child would grow to become the leader of a religious revolution. This person would perform many miracles, amazing the people, and claim that he was the “Son of God” and the “King of the Jews.” As a result of his rising popularity, which threatened the Jewish leaders, they would devise a plan to execute him. He would be severely and unjustly beaten and then crucified. Three days later, he would come back to life, and several hundred people would see him. Now imagine this came true. Every single prediction about this person, written so many years before his birth, fulfilled to the letter. Yet, as impossible as this scenario sounds, it’s what we find regarding Jesus in the Old Testament. The Old Testament contains well over 300 prophecies about Jesus. Remember, the Old Testament was completed approximately 445 years before Jesus was born. Thus, the BC which stands for “Before Christ.” The “written between” dates refer to the period in which the prophecy was recorded. Let’s look at some of the Old Testament prophesies about Jesus. (Jesus would come from the lineage of Abraham – written between 900-700 BC) In the first book of the Old Testament, God made this promise to Abraham. “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great. And you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3) Shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter, one of the Apostles, addressed a crowd of people saying, “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. To you first, God, having raised His servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” (Acts 3:25-26) (Jesus would be born in Bethlehem – written between 737-696 BC) “But you Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2) Luke, another one of Jesus’ disciples, records the following. “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of Nazareth, into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to deliver and she brought forth a Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7) (Jesus would be born to a virgin – written between 740-700 BC) “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14) Again we look to Luke’s record of events for the fulfillment of this remarkable prophecy. “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.” (Luke 1:26-31) Chapter Three (Herod would try to have Jesus killed – written 609-587 BC) "A voice was heard in Ramah (Israel), lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more." (Jeremiah 31:15) Herod, king of Judea, who the Roman Emperor supported, issued a proclamation recorded by Matthew. "Then Herod, when he saw that the wise men deceived him, was exceedingly angry; and he gave orders to kill all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its districts, from two years old and under according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'A voice was heard in Ramah (Israel) lamentation, weeping, and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more.'" (Matthew 2:16-18) "An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, 'Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.' When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke through the prophet" (Matthew 2:13-15) (Jesus would perform miracles – written between 740-700 BC) "He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing." (Isaiah 35:4-6) John the Baptist believed Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, evidenced by his proclamation, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:19) However, after being imprisoned, John began to question this assertion. He knew Jesus was not well received as the coming Messiah by most Israelites and the leaders of Israel. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin, who were the Jewish rulers, strongly rejected Jesus. Amid these circumstances, it's understandable that John the Baptist would have some doubts. John sent the following message to Jesus, "And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him (Jesus), 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and tell John the things that you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended by Me.'" (Matthew 11:2-6) The New Testament records that the Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus. To the point that they had Him brought to the sitting governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from the year AD 26 to 36. He was the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and later ordered His crucifixion. There were several reasons why the Jewish rulers wanted Jesus dead. Here are the top three. 1. He claimed to be the Messiah. 2. He exposed them. 3. He made them afraid. He claimed to be the Messiah. Claiming He was the Messiah meant that His authority outweighed their authority. Jesus didn't keep it a secret that He was the Messiah. From the start of His ministry at the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, He delivered His first recorded teaching. Two verses of scripture. "So He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel (good news) to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He said, 'Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' So all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, 'Is this Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:18-22) By making the statement, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," the people fully understood He was claiming to be the Messiah. The Jewish people did expect a Messiah would come. However, they didn't expect Him to come from Nazareth, the son of Joseph the carpenter. They also didn't expect the Messiah would come as a suffering servant. They were watching and waiting for a Conquering King, like the one described by Isaiah. "For unto us a Child is born, unto us, a Son is given, And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His Government and peace, there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom." (Isaiah 9:6-7) Chapter Four He exposed them. Jesus freely associated with people whom the Pharisees considered trash. Mark records the reaction of the Pharisees. "Then He (Jesus) went out again by the sea, and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. As He passed by, He saw Levi (Matthew,) the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples, for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard it, He said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'" (Mark 2:13-17) People loved Jesus, and Jesus loved them. They listened to His teaching, watched as He performed miracles, and cheered Him on. The prideful, self-righteous Pharisees considered the ordinary people to be sinful and unclean. They appointed heavy precepts and insisted that the people should obey them, yet they lived as they pleased. The religious rulers were counterfeits, and nothing reveals a counterfeit like the presence of the genuine article. Read some of the harsh words Jesus had for them. "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you, cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men. But inside, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:25-28) He made them afraid. The Jewish leaders were afraid the impact Jesus was having on the people would trigger an uprising against Rome, resulting in a catastrophic backlash. "Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this man works many signs. If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.' Then from that day on, they plotted to put him to death." (John 11:45-48, 53) Crucifixion Before looking at Old Testament prophecies regarding the death of Jesus, let's learn about the practice of the Romans to execute criminals - crucifixion. Crucifixion was a method of capital punishment where the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang until death comes from exhaustion and asphyxiation. Before being hung to die, the accused would first be stripped naked, tied to a post or column, and whipped with a Roman flagrum. The flagrum was the most effective torture device of the day. The Romans would typically use the flagrum on criminals to punish them and quicken the process of death. It was a whip made from strands of leather rope. The ropes had many small pieces of metal; usually, iron or zinc, attached at different intervals. Each time the victim was struck with the whip, it would produce deep lacerations and eventually pull the skin off their body. Roman law would allow no more than 39 lashes because the intention was to deliver as much pain as possible without killing the man. Psalm 22 was written about 600 years before crucifixion was invented to execute criminals. It foretells in graphic detail how Jesus would die. Old Testament Prophecies "Poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd (old broken piece of pottery), And My tongue clings to the roof of my mouth; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." (Psalm 22:14-18) "He was wounded for our transgressions, and He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 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." (Isaiah 53:5-7) Chapter Five Jesus knew what His fate would be when He entered the city of Jerusalem a couple of days before the Passover, and He made it clear to His disciples. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And on the third day, He will rise again." (Mark 10:33-34) Timeline of the crucifixion of Jesus: Arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane "When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons." (John 18:1-3) Brought before the High Priests "Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year." (John 18:12-13) Note of interest: Annas and Caiaphas are the two High Priests mentioned during Jesus' ministry. Caiaphas was the high priest during the trial of Jesus. He was son-in-law to Annas, who had previously been the High Priest. Jesus was arrested and led to Annas first, then Caiaphas. Caiaphas charged Jesus with blasphemy and sent Him away to Pilate. After Jesus' death and resurrection, Caiaphas persecuted Jesus' disciples. The bones of Caiaphas were unearthed in Jerusalem in November of 1990. If they are, in fact, the bones of Caiaphas, they represent the first physical remains ever discovered of a person who is mentioned in Scripture. Sent to Pontius Pilate "Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, 'What accusation do you bring against this man?' They answered and said to him, 'If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.' Then Pilate said to them, 'You take Him and judge Him according to your law.' Therefore the Jews said to him, 'It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.' Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, 'Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?' Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? Your nation and chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done?' Jesus answered, 'My Kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.'" Pilate, therefore, said to Him, 'Are You a King then?' 'You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause, I was born, and for this, cause, I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth.' Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.' Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth? 'And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, 'I find no fault in Him at all. But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you, therefore, want me to release to you the King of the Jews?' Then they cried again, saying, 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' Now Barabbas was a robber. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again and said to them, 'Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.' Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, 'Behold the Man!' Therefore when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him! 'Pilate said to them, 'You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.' The Jews answered him, 'We have a law, and according to our law, He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God.' Therefore when Pilate heard that saying, he was more afraid and went again into the Praetorium and said to Jesus, 'Where are you from?' But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, 'Are You not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify you and the power to release you?' Jesus answered, 'You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.' From then on, Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, 'If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.' When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat. Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, 'Behold your King!' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar!' Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. (John 18:28-40 19:1-16) Chapter Six It’s essential to understand why nearly 2000 years ago, the Jewish people rejected Jesus as their Messiah and why many Jews continue to reject Him to this day. God chose to reveal Himself through the Nation of Israel, and for thousands of years, Israel remained the single nation that looked to God. The Jewish people believed that the Messiah, the prophet Moses spoke about, would deliver them from bondage and set up a kingdom where they would be the rulers. Two of Jesus’ disciples, James, and John, even asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom when He came into His glory (Mark 10:37). The people of Jerusalem also thought He would deliver them. They shouted praises to God for the mighty works they had seen Jesus do and called out, ‘Hosanna’ (save us) when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. (Matthew 21:9) They treated Him like a conquering king until He allowed Himself to be arrested, tried, and crucified on a cross. At that point, many stopped believing He was the promised Messiah, and they rejected Him. Now we come to the most important truth you will ever learn. The reason why Jesus of Nazareth allowed Himself to be killed. The central theme of the entire Bible, which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul wrote to the new believers in Corinth, “If Christ has not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also, those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished. If in this life we only have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” It was the loving act of God to send His Son into this world to take the sin of humankind upon Himself and die as a sacrifice for that sin. In the final hours before His arrest, Jesus spoke these words to His disciples. “Now, My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father save Me from this hour?’ But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said, ‘An angel has spoken to Him.’ Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now, the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.’ He said this to signify by what death He would die.” (John 27-33) The response from the people underscores the “type” of Messiah that they were waiting for. “The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law (Old Testament) that the Christ lives forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’” They were familiar enough with the prophecies about the coming Messiah to know He would be eternal, live forever. And here Jesus was telling them He was about to be crucified. In another place, while preparing His disciples for His imminent, albeit brief departure, He said, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Matthew 26:31-32) Jesus knew the plan. He knew His Father had no intentions of leaving Him in the tomb. After He went into the temple in Jerusalem, John records this exchange. “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changer’s money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’ So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show us since You do these things?’ (John 2:13-18) The people were asking Him basically what right He had to scold them, and since He claimed to be God’s Son, to prove it with a sign. “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:19-22) Chapter Seven Before we look at the resurrection, let’s understand why Jesus needed to die on our behalf. God’s plan of salvation is remarkable when you look at it. He desired to have us love Him of our own free will. To accomplish that, He would need to allow an environment where we choose to love Him or reject Him. Nobody wants to make people love them, including the Creator of the universe. From the beginning of time, God knew what His plan would be. He created a scenario where only He could get us out of the mess we made. Because God is perfect, holy, and just He cannot have a relationship with anything imperfect, unholy, or unjust. When God gave the Ten Commandments (The Law) to Moses, He knew it would be impossible for us to obey every part of it one hundred percent of the time, thereby creating a problem in need of solving. During Old Testament times, when the people of Israel were in bondage to Egypt, God instituted The Passover. “Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs, they shall eat it. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.” (Exodus 12:1-14) The lamb sacrificed on Passover foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who was Jesus. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward Him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29) Peter wrote. “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:17-21) The Passover pointed to the future Messiah, who was Jesus Christ. I should mention that Christ simply means “The Anointed One.” To comprehend what God did to provide a way for us to have a relationship with Him, we must learn what Scripture teaches us about the Triune Nature of God. Of all Christian beliefs, The Triune Nature of God is without a doubt one of the most difficult to comprehend. That and the concept of eternity; living without the constraints of time. It’s hard for our finite minds to comprehend anything infinite in nature. It seems the human mind can only process that which is finite and limited in scope. Scripture describes God as one in essence and three in person. It’s important to understand that Scripture does not teach that there are three Gods but that God is expressed in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although the following analogy doesn’t wholly explain the mystery of God being one yet in three persons, it does help. Light, Heat, and Air; each element is distinct, however unable to have one without the other. Interestingly the Bible speaks about these three elements in relation to God. “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) “For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29) “The wind (air) blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Chapter Eight Another helpful analogy is Ice, Water, and Steam. All three elements manifest themselves differently, but all are made of H20. H20 is one of a handful of substances on earth found in all three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Having God describe Himself as being One in three Persons suddenly doesn’t hurt the mind quite as much. Let’s look at a few scriptures about the Trinity. God is One “Hear O Israel, The Lord is One! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men.” (1 Timothy 2:5) “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!” (James 2:19) The plurality of God “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26) “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.” (Genesis 3:22) The Trinity of God Jesus Himself said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:18-19) Paul, writing to the believers in Rome, said this. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4) “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs – heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16) In his second letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul penned the following benediction. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14) “But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21) So having the understanding that God is one manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, brings to bear on our hearts and minds the most mind-blowing truth. God, Himself in the person of Jesus, came to earth and let Himself be beaten near death, let the ones He created mock Him and spit on Him and kill Him. Why? Why would He do it? Say you are God. You created the universe and all that’s contained within it. You desire to have a relationship with the people you made but don’t want to force them to love you. How would you show to the people of your creation that you love them and care about them? “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Read that again – it’s an incredible truth! I had this truth explained to me when I was a young man in the Airforce. My supervisor, who himself had recently learned how to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, explained it this way. He said, “Suppose you had a son. And your son hits and kills a pedestrian with his car. You’re present at his trial, where the judge finds him guilty and sentences him to death for his crime. (Harsh, I know, but you get the idea) You stand and tell the judge you love your son and would like to die in his place. As hard as it is to understand, that is precisely what God did in the person of Jesus Christ. He took the penalty for our sin and laid it squarely on the back of Jesus, the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! I realize how almost sci-fi it all sounds, but it’s the truth. Except for John, every one of Jesus’ disciples faced death for believing that Jesus was indeed who He claimed to be, the Son of God. Leaving us with only three options; they were liars, lunatics, or they were right. If they were lying and they knew they were lying, would they die for a lie? They indeed weren’t lunatics. We can determine that by the orderly thought it would take to record what transpired. The reality is that Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh, came to this earth (His creation) to suffer, die, and be resurrected to provide a way for us to have a personal relationship with Him. Chapter Nine The Resurrection Mohammed and Buddha, like all other founders of world religions, died and stayed dead. Jesus Christ came back to life. The Bible teaches us that it was the resurrection of Jesus that “proved” He was indeed the Son of God. Read what the apostle Paul writes in his salutation to the Roman believers. “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:1-4) The disciples realized the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was at the heart of the gospel (good news). Without the resurrection, Jesus’ ministry would have ended in defeat and disillusionment. Scripture teaches us that Jesus knew He had come to give His life as a sacrifice for our sin, and He would raise back to life three days later. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple (His body), and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22) Jesus also knew He had the power to raise Himself from the dead. “Therefore, My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may retake it. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to retake it.” (John 10:17-18) The apostle Paul, the most prolific evangelist in the history of the world, kept the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the central message of the good news. “Moreover brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first that which I also received; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, and that Cephas saw him, then by the twelve (apostles), After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to unlocking the entire message of the Bible. Because in His resurrection, He validated who He was and secured victory over the penalty of sin, which is separation from God and death. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25) In writing to the believers at Corinth, Paul addressed the false teaching that there was no resurrection from the dead. “Now, if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified that He raised Christ whom He did not raise – if the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ has not risen. And if Christ has not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (1 Corinthians 15:12-17) And herein lies the crux of the entire matter. “BUT now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep (died). For since by man came, death (the result of sin) by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22) It’s a radical truth! And hard for the human mind to wrap itself around. Before time began, the Creator of the universe set in motion an ingenious plan to demonstrate His infinite love for us. I know the information in this little booklet has been a lot to absorb. I mentioned earlier in chapter eight that my Airforce supervisor first introduced me to the gospel, and although it struck a chord with me, I didn’t jump on board the Jesus train right away. I’ve always been a “show me” kind of person, not believing what other people embrace as truth before I have a chance to check out the evidence myself. Albeit reluctantly, I accepted my supervisor’s invitation to go to his church called Calvary Chapel of the High Desert, a small nondenominational church in the Mojave Desert. On that Sunday, the pastor was teaching from the book of Revelation, and he said that Jesus was coming back. WAIT – WHAT? Chapter Ten Raised in the Catholic Church, I attended a Catholic school and went through Catechism. I don't remember hearing that Jesus was coming back. They may have taught us that I just don't recall it. I thought if Jesus is coming back, I should investigate. That started me on a path to determine whether the Bible is reliable, which led me to the study of prophecy and the study of the last days or end times. I continued to accompany my supervisor and his family on Sunday mornings to Calvary Chapel. During one service, the pastor asked if anyone would like to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He said something to the effect, "If you don't know He's real, give Him a chance to prove it to you." I did – and so did He. I realize that coming to life spiritually speaking is a unique experience for each person. For me, what immediately came to mind was it's all real! The next emotion was an incredible release of guilt. I felt and knew I was deeply loved by God no matter what I had done. Tears streamed down my face, and I didn't care. At that moment, no one else was there; it was just God and me. It was the most powerful, life-changing moment of my life. Almost 42 years have come and gone, and the personal relationship I share with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit has grown a thousandfold. It's time to look at some scriptures regarding Jesus coming back. Shortly before the arrest of Jesus, he taught His disciples, saying, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, also believe in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may also be." (John 14:1-3) After Jesus' resurrection but before He ascended to heaven, we have the following account from the book of Acts penned by the apostle Luke. "The former account I made oh Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them for forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, He said, 'John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, two men stood by them in white apparel and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:1-11) The apostle John was exiled to the Greek island of Patmos because of anti-Christian persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian. It was on Patmos that John received and recorded the book of Revelation. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.' Says the Lord, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Revelation 1:1-8) When a person looks at the abundance of evidence supporting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they find themselves having to decide. Do I continue to deny Him, or do I humble myself, admit I'm a sinner and accept what He has done on my behalf? That time for you is now. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) Paul writes to the Romans. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Remember when the prophet Isaiah talked about the coming Messiah? He said this. "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity (sin) of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) It's a heavy decision to make. Admitting you are a sinner in need of a savior is hard enough but add the possibility that God might want you to make some changes in your life. Knowing that He would like to be the Lord of your life, that's intense. For me, knowing God in a personal way has been the most rewarding aspect of my life. He cares deeply for you and the people you love. He wants the best for you. God the Father, the Creator of the universe, has provided a way to have a relationship with Him through accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and allowing His Holy Spirit to take up residence in your soul. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Jesus is coming back soon – will you be glad to see Him? Copyright 2021 by Michael Cadieux