That You May Believe - 9

THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE"
The Father's Testimony Through Scripture
Part Two

Jesus was rejected as a teacher. Prophecies related to this are Isa 53:1; 6:9,10, in which many would not receive the Messiah because of dull hearts. John made reference to these passages - Jn 12:37-41"He had worked a lot of miracles among the people, but they were still not willing to have faith in him. This happened so that what the prophet Isaiah had said would come true, "Lord, who has believed our message? And who has seen your mighty strength?" The people could not have faith in Jesus, because Isaiah had also said, "The Lord has blinded the eyes of the people, and he has made the people stubborn. He did this so that they could not see or understand, and so that they would not turn to the Lord and be healed." Isaiah said this, because he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him." The Jews' rejection of Jesus and His teachings thus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy

The King’s entrance is recorded in Zech 9:9 "Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout! Your king has won a victory, and he is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey; he comes on the colt of a donkey." Israel's king would come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. John records Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem - Jn 12: 12-16 "The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took palm branches and went out to greet him. They shouted, "Hooray! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the King of Israel!" Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say, "People of Jerusalem, don't be afraid! Your King is now coming, and he is riding on a donkey." At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory, they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would." Later, His disciples would understand how this fulfilled what was written of the Messiah
Reference to the crucifixion of the Messiah is made in Zech 12:10 "I, the LORD, will make the descendants of David and the people of Jerusalem feel deep sorrow and pray when they see the one they pierced with a spear. They will mourn and weep for him, as parents weep over the death of their only child or their first-born." Reference to his burial is found in Isa 53:9 "He wasn't dishonest or violent, but he was buried in a tomb of cruel and rich people." John describes the crucifixion in detail, and refers to Zechariah's prophecy in Jn 19:37 "and, "They will see the one in whose side they stuck a spear."" He also refers to Isaiah's prophecy regarding His burial in Jn 19:38-42 "Joseph from Arimathea was one of Jesus' disciples. He had kept it secret though, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders. But now he asked Pilate to let him have Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission, and Joseph took it down from the cross. Nicodemus also came with about seventy-five pounds of spices made from myrrh and aloes. This was the same Nicodemus who had visited Jesus one night. The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth, together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. In the place where Jesus had been nailed to a cross, there was a garden with a tomb that had never been used. The tomb was nearby, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus' body there."

The Father's testimony through Scripture was not limited to prophecies found in the writings of Moses and the Prophets. Let's briefly note how John also makes several references to prophecies in the Psalms. The zeal of Jesus is recorded in Psa 69:9 My love for your house burns in me like a fire, and when others insulted you, they insulted me as well." This is mentioned by John in regards to Jesus cleansing the temple - Jn 2:13-17 "Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins. Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, "Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace." The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire."" His betrayal by His familiar friend is recorded in Psa 41:9 "My most trusted friend has turned against me, though he ate at my table." This is mentioned by Jesus in regards to the betrayal by Judas - Jn 13:18 "I am not talking about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But what the Scriptures say must come true. And they say, "The man who ate with me has turned against me!"" Jesus being hated without cause is recorded in Psa 35:19 "Don't let my brutal enemies be glad because of me. They hate me for no reason. Don't let them wink behind my back.."; 69:4 "There are more people who hate me for no reason than there are hairs on my head. Many terrible enemies want to destroy me, God. Am I supposed to give back something I didn't steal?" Jesus explained that the Jews' rejection of Him fulfilled these passages - Jn 15:24-25 "I have done things that no one else has ever done. If they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and they still hate me and my Father too. That is why the Scriptures are true when they say, "People hated me for no reason."'

The parting of His garments is recorded in Psa 22:18 "They took my clothes and gambled for them." John explains this was fulfilled by the solders during the crucifixion - Jn 19:24 "The soldiers said to each other, "Let's not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it." This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, "They divided up my clothes and gambled for my garments." The soldiers then did what they had decided." The offering of gall and vinegar while on the cross is recorded in Psa 69:21 "Enemies poisoned my food, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar." 2. This was fulfilled by Jesus while on the cross - Jn 19:28-30 "Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, "I am thirsty!" A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. After Jesus drank the wine, he said, "Everything is done!" He bowed his head and died."

Through the writings of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, the Father was bearing testimony. Preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah. He was providing a way for them to be able to recognize the Messiah, proving that Jesus was everything that He claimed to be regarding the Messiah. We should not underestimate the force of such testimony from the Father. It has been estimated that over 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. The likelihood that anyone coincidentally or purposefully fulfilled all these prophecies is mathematically implausible. The apostles' depended heavily upon the testimony by the Father through Scriptures to convince people that Jesus was the Christ (cf. Ac 3:24; 17:2-3). Are we willing to accept the Father's testimony concerning His Son given through the Scriptures? Will we allow the Scriptures to produce faith in our hearts? Ro 10:17 "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ."