Jesus Foretold: Crucified With Thieves (MP 83)

How ironic, the three dark silhouettes,
Hanging grotesquely between earth and sky—
Ladened crosses dance macarbe pirouettes,
On which the veiled sun refuses to spy!
Suspended betwixt a thief and a thief,
The innocent Maker of men, pierced by men,
Whose calloused hearts, void of love or belief.
Hope in vain His death will His gospel end!
Call Golgotha the “Revenge Of The Clay”;
Men, being shaped like God, made to be pots!
Pity the Potter, who formed men that way—
The “whats” that He made want to be “whatnots”!
Earth groaned for Jesus in His agony,
That men numbered Him in such company!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Prophecy Made: Isaiah 53:12b—“…because he [Jesus of Nazareth] poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: Luke 23:32-33—“Twp other men, both criminals, were also led out with him [Jesus of Nazareth] to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull [Golgotha], there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right side and the other on his left.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Matthew 27:45, 51—“From the sixth hour [noon] until the ninth hour [3 p.m.] darkness came over all the land. … At that moment [when Jesus died] the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.”

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Crucified With Thieves”
It is not incredible to read that Jesus was crucified with thieves—after all, though falsely convicted, He was found guilty of heresy. Claiming to be the Messiah and the Son of God sent to Israel as prophesied in their Bible, they claimed He was making Himself equal with God; He was telling the truth, and I believe that most of the Sanhedrin had decided that He really was telling the truth, but they could not afford to let their inner feelings be known, lest their cushy jobs in the temple be done away with. When Pilate authorized His crucifixion, it is not surprising that other criminals were crucified with Him. What is incredible is that the prophet Isaiah prophesied 700 years before His birth that He would be “numbered among transgressors “ in His death. In the years before the birth of Jesus the promised Messiah was regarded with highest respect and anticipation, being regarded as a prophet like Moses, their greatest hero, and Israel’s deliverer. Isaiah’s prophesy that Israel’s Savior would be counted as a criminal is certain to have raised skepticism.

Being hung between two admitted thieves did not bother Jesus a bit. In fact He spent most of His ministry in the company of tax collectors, prostitutes, and what the Pharisees considered to be the “dregs” of society. Jesus was roundly criticized for it, too, for no Pharisee or religious leader would dare let his robe touch one of these “sinners”, lest it make him “unclean”. But Jesus answered the accusation that He fraternized with sinners by replying He did not come into the world to seek those that did not need a “physician” but those enslaved in sin. It was not a handicap to be crucified between two thieves but an opportunity. One of the robbers hurled insults at Jesus, saying if He was the Christ, He should save Himself and them with His supernatural power. The other defended Jesus, replying to his fellow criminal that the two of them deserved their punishment, but that Jesus was being punished unjustly. The most wonderful thing happened next. He turned to Jesus and asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom. Jesus answered,”This day you will be with me in Paradise.”

The fact that this convicted thief called for Jesus to remember him and was granted salvation should be enough to put an end to all those claims that a person must do some :good works” for the Lord—like baptism, church attendance, tithing, etc.—to be saved. A lost person is not required to “do” anything at all to be saved; he or she only has to believe in Jesus. Calling upon Jesus to save you, like the thief did, is enough for God in His mercy and grace to give you salvation. Since Jesus doesn’t walk around the earth today for you to ask Him personally, all you have to do is to ask Him in prayer from wherever you are; you can ask Him to save you mentally and mean it, and you will be saved.

Notice that nature responded to the humiliation and injustice those Jewish religious despots poured out on Jesus by various natural calamities in protest—the sun refused to shine for three hours, from 12:00 noon to 3 p.m.; and there was an earthquake that shook the earth, opened tombs of saved persons and restored them to life, and tore the huge and heavy curtain that hung in the temple guarding the Holiest Place from entry by any one but the chief priest (from top to bottom, signifying that God tore it from above, and that now anyone had access to God). How could the Sanhedrin not recognize the huge insult they hurled at their Creator?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in his name shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Roman 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Ascended Into Heaven (MP 82)

The risen Jesus remained forty days,
With and near His followers on the earth,
Preparing them for the kingdom’s new phase—
Teaching the whole world the gospel’s true worth!
From the Mount of Olives He ascended,
Rising, rising, rising into the air,
His first sojourn among men well-ended;
For His next coming, we all must prepare!
Now, from Gentiles, more Chosen must be drawn;
He rules ev’rything from the throne of God;
Israel’s acceptance of Jesus will dawn,
When He returns, Jerusalem to trod!
Jews and Gentiles both are Abraham’s seed—
Who believe in Jesus and are agreed!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Prophecy Made: Psalm 68:18—“When you [the risen Jesus] ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious—that you O Lord God might dwell there.”

Prophecy Fulfilled: Acts 1:9-12—“After he [the risen Jesus] said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white [angels] stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’ “ (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Ascended To Heaven”
God came to earth the First time as a man, Jesus of Nazareth, born normally (but of a virgin mother) as a baby. He was the oldest son of a Jewish family. Though born in Bethlehem, He was raised as Jewish boys of that time in the small town of Nazareth, becoming a carpenter like His foster father Joseph. He began His public ministry in Galilee at the age of 30 and was crucified at 33. He arose and stayed with His disciples 40 days in His spiritual body, like the body each of us, saved and unsaved, will receive when we are resurrected as He was. On the fortieth day after His resurrection He ascended back to heaven; He lives today, nearly 2000 years later, and will continue to live forever, as we will, He sits on the throne of God today, ruling all the affairs of the universe and of mankind. He will return to earth at an unknown future date; the next time He will come in power, destroying the enemies of Israel, and will reign on earth for 1000 years.

He accomplished the two conflicting goals of His First sojourn on earth, that of successfully planting the seeds of Christianity and of being sacrificed for the sins of men. He was resurrected back to life on the third day. His ascension to heaven marked the end of one phase of God’s Master Plan and the beginning of the next. Though God has not completed His plan for Israel, their rejection of Jesus as Messiah ended God’s initial work for them to lead the world into His kingdom of God, and they have been set aside temporarily while He calls out a nation of believers from among the Gentiles, which He has been doing since His ascension to heaven. God’s Second Coming will include His pouring out of grace on Jews in the land of Israel and scattered throughout the world, and corporate Israel will repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah, and then they will begin to follow His original Plan for them to be a light to the world. Israel will become evangelists to all the world, which was God’s intent when He first called Abraham 4000 years ago.

God is much larger and had bigger Plans than His chosen nation Israel ever imagined. He is God of both Jews and Gentiles, which includes every man, woman and child that was ever conceived in the wombs of the world. When God called Abram and told him that his seed would be more numerous than the stars, He was not limiting his descendants to those offspring that carried only Abram’s blood—God was including Gentiles, or non-Jews, who believe in Jesus Christ. Every Christian who ever lived is a “seed” of Abram exactly as every Jew or Arab descendant of him (However, the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abram born by Hagar, the maid, are not included in God’s promise, nor those of Esau.). God actually meant every “spiritual” descendant; He was not including Jews who died physically in non-belief of Jesus Christ as “seed” who would be “blessings to the world”.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Buried With The Rich

When Jesus died, the Sabbath day was near;
He needed a tomb, and needed it fast;
Most apostles had run, because of fear;
Mourners were few, their grief too fresh and vast!
A certain rich man loaned the Son his cave,
Joseph, who boldly revealed he believed,
Voting “not guilty”, Jesus’ life to save,
Asked Pilate let him the problem relieve!
Others believed, too, but unknown they kept,
In fear of losing their posts and power;
But not this Joseph, who publicly wept
O’er His dead body in man’s saddest hour!
Joseph glorified the Christ on that day,
Risking public scorn honor to God pay!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Prophecy Made: Isaiah 53:9—“He [Jesus Christ] was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: Mark 15:42-46—“It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council [the Sanhedrin], who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God [a believer in Jesus Christ], went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body, … he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body [from the cross], wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, saw where he was laid.”
(Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Buried With The Rich”
Jesus died on the cross at about three o’clock on Friday afternoon. This was a problem for Mary, His mother, Mary Magdalene, and John the apostle, who were among the very few mourners at the foot of the cross, for Friday was the sixth day of the Jewish week; the Sabbath day began at six o’clock p.m. No work of any sort could be done after six on Friday, for work was prohibited on the Sabbath. Jesus had to be buried quickly; the Roman soldiers had no responsibility to care for His body; besides, any Jew who touched a dead body became “unclean” and had to go through a purification ritual or he or she could not enter the temple area; furthermore, that Friday evening was to be the Passover meal for all Jews, and unclean persons could not partake. What were the pitifully few mourners to do?

Joseph of Arimathea, a rich and prominent member of the Sanhedrin Council, who was a believer in Jesus Christ and had voted “not guilty” when the verdict of His trial was taken, stepped up and proved His love for the Lord. He boldly went straight to Roman governor Pilate and asked permission to take charge of the precious body of the Savior, which he received. He bought the finest linen cloth in which Jesus was to be completely wrapped; went to Golgotha, took the body down from the cross, and laid Him in his own expensive tomb, a cave cut into the solid rock of the same small mountain. In doing all these things he exposed himself to public ridicule, persecution, possible loss of his prominent positions of leadership, and even the loss of his wealth. It took great courage for Joseph to do these great deeds for Christ, and it is a good example for all Christians to follow.

Others among leading Jews also believed, but most of them did not reveal their belief for fear of the punitive consequences that might follow. Nicodemus, a very rich Pharisee and Council member, helped Joseph bury the body of Jesus. Tradition (not the Bible) reports that he lost everything at the vicious hands of Judaistic leadership. After Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples, who were all Jewish to begin with, began to preach the gospel and Christianity began to grow rapidly, strict prohibitions were pressed against any Jew who accepted Christ; the synagogues expelled those known to believe in His name. The Church began as a movement within Judaism, like Pharisees, but it was quickly expelled from Judaism and severely forbidden. Instead of quenching belief in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, though, the persecution only succeeded in accelerating its growth.

The expression “waiting for the kingdom of God” has the spiritual meaning of a person who accepts Jesus Christ and is waiting for His Second Coming to the earth.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Silent, In Defense (MP 80)

The words of Jesus were chosen with care;
Two conflicting goals were His to achieve:
That the gospel spread to men ev’rywhere,
And that Israel’s leadership not believe!
Earth’s people He could not from death redeem,
Unless, though sinless, for all sin He died;
He was mute, when words might His life achieve,
Thus defeating the mission for which He plied!
Both goals He won—planting good gospel seed,
And dying in the atonement of sin;
Only God could accomplish such a deed,
His wisdom and love served the battle win!
One careless word or menial misdeed,
And He might live, but men die as decreed!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]

Prophecy Made: Isaiah 53:7—“He [Jesus of Nazareth] was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 26:59-63a—“The chief priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward that declared, ‘This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ Then the chief priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Silent, In Defense”
Here is found a larger proof within a smaller that Jesus of Nazareth was Israel’s promised Messiah: No mere man possessed the wisdom and love to remain silent in the face of obviously false testimony against him when on trial for his life. That He could remain silent, letting a spurious charge stand, when a few words from Him would have left the Sanhedrin nothing to present to the Roman governor substantiating the charge of sedition, proves that Jesus was determined to let Himself be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. If He were not God but just a man, surely He would have voiced the explanation that by “the temple of God” He was not referring to the magnificent structure in Jerusalem that was the heartthrob of Jewish life, but His own body, for it was commonly understood among His followers that a believer’s physical body is meant by the spiritual language “temple of God”. When Jesus said those words, He meant, “This body of mine can be killed, and in three days will be resurrected back to life.”

The Isaiah prophecy refers to the fact that when the Messiah is tried for His life by the Jewish court, He would remain silent like a lamb before slaughter, or a sheep before the shearer, He wrote those words 700 years before Jesus was born; how else could Isaiah have known it unless God revealed it to him?

The double goals facing the Messiah (Jesus Christ) during His lifetime, neither of which He could afford to let fail, were (1) to die after living a sinless life (which no other man or woman ever could do), so that His death would be a propitiation for the sins of the entire world; and (2) that He teach the gospel of salvation for any man or woman who believed in Him in such a propitious way that it would catch hold and grow to be preached in every part of the whole world; that it would not die out. Can you imagine the depth of wisdom that it required of Him and realize that no human being could claim such ability? Every move He made; every word He spoke, had to be chosen so as to be sure the leaders of the Jews hated Him and would crucify Him, yet the common Jews would believe in Him with enough faith to spread the gospel with zeal and perseverance, so that all people on earth would hear of Him and have a chance to be saved. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote biographies of His life, each describing the same, yet different, parts of His life without contradiction, Mankind’s most brilliant scholars cannot find evidence of sin, contradiction of a single Old Testament prophecy about Jesus, and must attest His ingenuity and skill in achieving the contradicting goals of His mission.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’. and believe in your heart that God raised him from the grave, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Unbelieved (MP 79)

Many Jews did not believe the words He spoke,
Despite His miracles before their eyes;
Jesus’ words could have removed Satan’s yoke,
But most loved darkness more than the Sonrise!
People are no different now than then,
But think themselves advanced compared to them;
They sneer at Christians who try souls to win,
As if they’re foolish for believing Him!
Don’t tell me that Jesus was not our God,
When prophets who lived centuries before
Knew so much detail of the life He trod—
They might well have lived behind the same door!
Of His life God showed each future event,
And it proves Jesus was the One He sent!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added]
Prophecy Made: Isaiah 53:1—“Who has believed our message and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: John 12:37-41—“Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they [the Jews in the temple] still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the words of Isaiah the prophet: (See Isaiah 53:1 quoted above for this scripture). For this reason they could not believe, because , as Isaiah says elsewhere: (See Isaiah 6:9-10 for this scripture). Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory [700 years before Jesus was born] and spoke about him.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Unbelieved”
Jesus was believed and accepted by many of the poor Jews, and even some of the priests and Pharisees among the leaders; however the latter remained secret believers, because they were fearful of being put out of their synagogues by the power structure. Israel as a corporate group refused to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah (or Christ). Afraid that a majority of the Jewish people would become followers of Jesus, who was teaching His disciples to obey the “Spirit” of the Law rather than the “letter”, which was how the leaders had perverted the Mosaic Law, the power structure rejected Jesus and His message.

Israel was chosen by God to be special, a nation of priests to the other nations of the world. God gave them the Law and promised that the Messiah, the Christ who was to come into the world as Jesus, would be born in the tribe of Judah and bring the good news of salvation first to Israel. The nation of Israel was deeply flawed, however, and God grew weary of their repeated disobedience, forays into idolatry, and failure to keep their pledged duties of the covenant between them. In the time of Isaiah, the prophet, which was 700 years before the birth of Jesus, God put a judgment on them which almost guaranteed their rejection of Jesus (See Isaiah 6:9-10, requoted in John 12:40). He calloused their spiritual insight, so that as a race of people they could not translate truths expressed in spiritual terminology into their literal meanings. Almost everything Jesus Christ spoke was in spiritual language, purposely, and they understood very little. Gentiles, men and women that are non-Jewish, were able to perceive the true meanings of the gospel more easily; hence, though Jesus spoke almost entirely to Jews, His disciples turned to the Gentiles to proclaim salvation by belief in Jesus. Today, most Christians are Gentiles, although a small percentage of the world’s Jews do believe Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, and are Christians. When Jesus Christ returns to earth the Second time, the Bible prophesies (Zechariah 12:10ff) the remaining Jews will accept Him en masse, because He will pour out a cleansing flow of “grace”. Grace is a spiritual term itself, which means the “unmerited favor” of God. It is not a visible substance but enables the recipient to please God. In the case of Israel at the Second Coming, it will remove the callousness of their hearts and enable them to understand the spiritual enigma that leads a person to accept Jesus By rejecting Jesus, the religious leaders of Israel committed the greatest sin that can be committed. So it is today; anyone who turns his or her back and refuses to accept Jesus as Lord will be condemned at the final Judgment Day; however, it is not final until physical death.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: The Gospel (MP 78)

The sweet gospel of Jesus Christ is this:
It’s good news for ev’ry person on earth,
For all have sinned and become of no worth;
Faith in Him brings eternal life and bliss!
Christ died for all the people’s sins; He paid
The debts that we owed, and we were redeemed;
We regained the lost hope for which we dreamed—
His death allowed us hell for heaven trade!
He was buried, but raised to life again,
He lives today and rules forevermore;
He is knocking on every heart’s door,
And its owner must open, or refrain!
The gospel is good news, the best ever;
Without it, we’d remain doomed forever!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added)
Prophecy Made: Isaiah 52:13—“See, my Servant [God, in the human body of Jesus of Nazareth] will act wisely; he will be raised [to the throne of God] and lifted up and highly exalted.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Made: Isaiah 53:12—“Therefore I [God] will give him [Jesus] a portion among the many [some of the souls of mankind], and he will divide the spoils with the numerous, because he poured out his life unto death [was crucified], and will be numbered among the transgressors [will take upon Himself guilt for the sins of the world]. For he bore the sins of many.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: 1 Corinthians 15:1-5—“Now, brothers, I [the apostle Paul] want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you accepted and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance, that Christ [Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth] died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve [apostles].” (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: The Gospel”
For Man, the gospel is the most important element in God’s Master Plan for the world. It was prepared by God before creation. His choice of the nation Israel and the immense effort He bestowed upon them was important and necessary, but all of that, which is described in the Old Testament of the Bible, was leading up to the coming to earth of Jesus of Nazareth and His announcement of the gospel to mankind. The New Testament of the Bible is an inspired, written account of the life of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel, and His presentation of the Gospel to men and women. The word :gospel” means “good news”, and there will never be another gift to the world whose message to mankind is better news. The gospel is God’s Plan by which the condemnation brought upon men and women by the sin of Adam and the sins of everyone that ever has, or ever will, live can be cancelled and eternal life in heaven put in its place.

No one is “saved” from condemnation and death, which means “eternal separation from God”, unless he or she believes in Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah, Christ the King and Lord of the whole universe; that is, the Jesus that was crucified for our sins is God Himself in the person of His Son. During the brief life each of us is allowed to live here on earth, what we decide to do about Jesus determines where each of us will live eternally after the coming Judgment Day. The affairs of earth will not exist forever—this earth will soon end. My life on it---and yours---also will soon end. After the earth ends, our bodies will be resurrected, and we will live forever and ever, either in heaven or hell. If we accept and believe in Jesus Christ, we will live in heaven; if not, we will live in hell.

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

What, in simple terms, does the gospel of Jesus Christ consist of?

1. The wages of sin is death defined as separation from God in this life and in the eternal life to come.

2. The First Man Adam sinned and all men and women have sinned, so every person has separated himself from God.

3. God loves all men and women, so He voluntarily came to earth as a man, a particular man, Jesus of Nazareth.

4. God represents all men and women exactly as Adam did; He was sinless Himself, though tempted as are all men; He volunteered to pay off the sin-debt of death for all men and women, and took upon Himself all the sins committed by every man and woman, atoning for and redeeming them.

5. Jesus/God was crucified, died, buried, and was raised back to life on the third day.

6. He ascended in return to heaven and was given all authority as King and Lord of the universe.

7. Jesus Christ lives and rules today and forever.

8. Any man or woman while living in flesh on earth who believes in Jesus as Lord is adopted into God’s family, sharing as co-heir in the riches of heaven, and lives with God forever; any who reject belief in Jesus are condemned to separation from God forever.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in himshill not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Despised And Rejected (MP 77)

What kind of God loves His creatures so much? He was despised and rejected when He came, Bringing men redemption from Satan’s clutch, Freely saving believers on His name! It was not rank-and-file who turned Him down; It was the shepherds, guarders of the flock; They made sure common folk were not around; When the Savior was shanghied* in the dock**! Jesus knew in advance He would be spurned, Yet He came for you, me, and all the rest, So in afterlife we would not be burned— If we believe in Him, we will be blest! He did all this, knowing He’d be maligned, To redeem those who are to Him inclined! *Shanghied = condemned unjustly **dock = on trial Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Isaiah 3:3—“He [Jesus] was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: Luke 23:18-23—“With one voice they [the mob of Jewish priests and Pharisees desiring Jesus killed] cried out, ‘Away with this man! Redeem Barabbas to us!’ (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ For the third time he spoke to them, ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.’ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.) Commentary On: “Despised And Rejected” The despicable mistreatment Jesus of Nazareth received at the hands of the Roman soldiers and the leading religious authorities of Israel, His chosen nation, probably hurt Him more than the physical pain He went through at the time of His trial and crucifixion. You must remember Jesus was not just a human carpenter from Nazareth, a man, but He was God Himself, the Creator of the universe and men; He had voluntarily come to earth motivated by love for the human race who had brought upon itself condemnation to death and hell because of the first man’s sin and the sins of every man and woman that ever lived; He had come to offer them the good news that salvation from the predicament they had gotten themselves into was available, simply by belief in Him. He had left His palatial heaven and His glory and the adoration of millions of angels; He had confined Himself into the limited frailty of the body of a man, and spent His 33 years preaching the good news, healing hundreds of handicapped Jews, and demonstrating the way God had wanted them to live from their beginning, and the priests and Pharisees had despised Him, refused to believe He was sent from God, and plotted to kill Him. Not only all this, they knew their own Scripture, that He had come at their own request (Deuteronomy 18:18 plus 340 revealing prophecies that were fulfilled perfectly by His actual life, including that they would reject Him); despite all this, they rejected Him and fraudulently had Him put to death! Even Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea and whose authorization the Jews must receive to employ the death penalty, believed Jesus was innocent. He did his best to convince the mob, which was composed of the highest and supposedly most holy Jews, that there was no evidence worthy of the death penalty against Jesus, but they refused to accept his verdict and persistently howled “Crucify him!”; they even illogically demanded that Pilate release Barabbas, a known murderer and insurrectionist, and to kill Jesus. Pilate lacked the personal virtue of upholding justice, instead caving in when threatened with Jewish complaints of his inability to keep peace in Judea to the emperor in Rome; by giving in, he demonstrated the typical reaction of a politician’s placing his own survival above the doing of what he knew to be right. The rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah by Israel, of course was known to God millenia in advance; by dulling their spiritual insight (See Isaiah 6:9-10) 700 years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, God actually aided the Jews to reject Him, for it would have been disastrous if they had accepted Him. Israel’s misinterpretation of scripture guaranteed their inability at that time to spread the gospel of salvation by grace to the whole world. So their rejection brought upon themselves destruction and anti-Semitism and a long delay in Israel’s eventual acceptance of Jesus Christ; God turned to the Gentiles with the good news of salvation and established the Church to accomplish what He had planned for Israel to accomplish. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the grave, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Suffers Indignities (MP 76)

Would Allah, or any god contrived by man, Submit to such indignities as those Jesus Christ endured to redeem the clan From condemnation Adam did impose? Before Jesus, the world had never seen Great love like His, that while He was hated so, He laid down His life, haters to redeem, That to death His own killers might not go! I can’t decide for you; neither will He; Jesus died for you and me, in our place; I love and choose the One who died for me, Not him who beheads those who will not give! My God planned to die, ere Time began; For me, and indignities to withstand! Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Isaiah 50:6—“I [Jesus] offered my back to those [Roman soldiers] who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 27:27-31—“Then the governor’s [Pontius Pilate] soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews,’ they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After hey had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothing on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.) Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Suffers Indignities” Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, had questioned Jesus and had decided He was not guilty of any crime worthy of the death penalty. He had already had him beaten, in a vain attempt to mollify the Pharisees and leading priests; he offered them Barabbas, a known killer, to be crucified, hoping they would choose Jesus to release. None of his attempts to release the Messiah was accepted by the cruel mob, and so Pilate gave in to their demands rather than to have a bad report sent to his superiors about his administration of Judea. He, too, was guilty of killing the innocent Savior, because he did not have the fortitude to judge according to truth. It is difficult to explain, much less excuse, the Roman soldiers for their behind-the-scenes treatment of Jesus. They must have known how their own governor felt; it seems they should have treated Him nicely, simply because Pilate thought it unjust to crucify him. But no, the beast that lurks within the breasts of all men had its way with the soldiers, also. This is a prophecy about the coming Messiah that should have been easier for the Jews to understand, because it has nothing about the Second Coming of Jesus within it. There were many Jews who did apply these prophecies to Jesus of Nazareth and believed Him to be the promised One sent from God, even some Pharisees; however, the higher the position in religious circles, the least likely the believer was to make his belief known, because to do so would bring the animosity of the Sanhedrin upon him. Much is made over the suffering Jesus went through in His day of cruelty and crucifixion. Preachers of Christianity describe His treatment in graphic detail, so that non-believers will feel more inclined to “come down the aisle” in acceptance; every such effort is justified, for it would be impossible for words to adequately portray the tortures inflicted upon Jesus, who, after all, was innocent of wrongdoing and voluntarily enduring the mistreatment to save His enemies from the fires of hell. Nevertheless, the physical and mental torment the Lamb of God underwent was “small potatoes” in comparison to the psychological price He paid in subjecting Himself to indignities undeserved and so far unbefitting to the Creator of the world with the very individuals He created adding insult to indignity on top of physical abuse. Any god created by Man would have refused to undergo what Jesus endured even though that god may have been guilty of gross mischief upon them. More than anything else that could be said in behalf of Jehovah as the one God of mankind, His uncomplaining unresisting voluntary compliance in the travesty of justice imposed upon Him by the most despicable dregs of humanity implicated in His crucifixion prove Him to be Lord of lords and God of gods! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the grave, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Miracles And Preaching (MP 75)

Isaiah wrote, “Your God will come; do not fear; His good news will save you from fires of hell; He will open blind eyes; the deaf will hear; The lame will walk, and lepers will get well!” John Baptist asked Jesus, “Are you that One, Who Isaiah promised Messiah would be?” Said Jesus, “Tell John the things I’ve done— Deaf ears are unstopped, and the once-blind see! The dead are raised; the gospel that sets free Preached to the poor! Tell him, blest is the man Who does not fall away because of me; I’m coming again to complete my Plan!”

Jesus first came meek and mild, and to die; Next in mighty power, as King on high!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Isaiah 35:4-6—“say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God [Jesus] will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 11:2-6—“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one [Messiah] who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.’ “ (Written in the 1st century A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Miracles And Preaching” In God’s Master Plan the Messiah (Christ) is to come to the earth twice. His first coming is to be as the man, Jesus of Nazareth; He is to be meek and gentle, preaching the gospel of the “good news” of salvation; acquiring disciples and followers to live as He lived; and performing miracles of healing; finally, to die on the cross as a man in atonement for the sin of Adam and all other sins. His Second Coming, which is at an unknown future date; He is to come as Christ, the King of the universe, in vengeance and with retribution for those who have persecuted Israel and Christians. In Isaiah 35:4-6 quoted above, the Coming One is prophesied to do things of both trips, mingling the mild and peaceful acts of the First Coming with the violent retributions of the Second. Many of the prophecies of the Messiah did the same; therefore. in the first century advent of Jesus the Jews expected Him to be powerful in battle and to lead them to freedom from the Romans. When He came merely preaching a gospel of love, healing all sorts of handicaps, and going meekly to the cross to be cruelly crucified, many, if not most, Jews refused to accept Him as being sent by God. John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus who fulfilled the prophesied role of Elijah (See Malachi 4:5), was one such confused Jew. After putting himself way out on a long limb (John 1:30) by proclaiming publicly that Jesus was the Messiah, now from Herod’s dungeon John heard of Jesus’ humble activities, and remembering the promises of Isaiah of His coming vengeance and retribution, John began to doubt that Jesus was the bona fide Messiah. Jesus replied to his doubting question by calling John’s attention to the milder things Isaiah had prophesied which He was doing. Then Jesus made a plea to John, that he not fall away on account of the things He was doing; however, Jesus did not clearly tell John that He was coming back to earth later and do the other things. Therefore, it was a plea from the Savior to His own cousin to have faith and trust, which every one of us must do to be saved. I’m sure that John did not fall away by losing his trust in Jesus as Messiah. These things occurred shortly before Herod beheaded John at the request of Salome, his wife’s sexy young daughter. Some of the prophecies of the coming Messiah in the Old testament included bits and pieces of things Christ the Lord would do in His 1000-year reign on earth. Such things here as water gushing forth in the desert are promised to take place on earth during that millenial reign. You see, God put a curse on the earth at the time of Adam’s sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Instead of being lush and fertile, the earth, especially in the Middle East, turned arid and became desert. Wild animals became vicious and a danger to man. But when Christ comes the Second time to rule, the curse will be lifted.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Begins Ministry In Galilee (MP 74)

In Galilee Christ began to incite, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near!”

People in death’s shadow saw a great light,

That, of condemnation, they need not fear!

Jesus will some day reign on David’s throne;

On His shoulders shall earth’s government rest;

As Mighty God, Prince of Peace, He’ll be known;

All the nations with justice shall be blessed!

His peace and righteousness last forever;

The zeal of God will accomplish this;

A Son is born, chains of sin to sever,

Bringing to people eternal life’s bliss!

Through Isaiah God revealed this future plan Of His comings to redeem fallen Man! Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Isaiah 9:1-7—“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he [God] humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee [formerly Zebulun and Naphtali] of the Gentiles, [which is] by the way of the sea [Mediterranean], along the Jordan [River]—‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light [God speaking to Isaiah]; on those living in the shadow of death a light has dawned, … For to us a child [Jesus] is born, to us a son [of God] is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he 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. He will reign on David’s throne, and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time and forever.’ The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Written in the 7th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 4:12-17—“When Jesus heard that John [the Baptist] had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee… From that time on Jesus began to preach [saying], ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ “ (Written in the 1st century A.D.) Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Begins Ministry in Galilee”

There is more prophecy in the scripture quoted from Isaiah than is fulfilled in the quote from Matthew. This is because I only wanted to establish the fact that Jesus began His ministry in Galilee. Jesus has made His First Coming, which is reported in the New Testament of the Bible. He did not complete everything that He is prophesied to do in His First Coming; His reign on the throne of David, His reign over the whole earth, the establishment of justice and righteousness, and many other prophecies will be fulfilled during His Second Coming, which is at an unknown future date. The fact that the promised Messiah is going to come twice was not understood by the Jews, and it is one of the major reasons why they would not accept Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah the first time. To the Jewish mind, the meek and mild Jesus that did not lead a rebellious army against the Roman Empire, winning Israel’s freedom, and confiscating the Israeli throne from the current King Herod; plus the Jesus who let himself be crucified, could not possibly have been God’s promised Messiah. However, this Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, for all that He did the First time was also prophesied in the Old Testament; the Jews simply did not grasp that God was revealing to them two trips to earth by Jesus Christ, and not just one trip.

Most of the things God promised in Isaiah’s quote above will be fulfilled during Christ’s Second Coming. He will sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem; He will rule all the nations for a thousand years of peace and righteousness on earth. They misunderstood the GREATEST thing Jesus came to do: To bring the light of the gospel of grace to a dark world under sentence of death and condemnation, through which whosoever will accept Jesus by faith the first time will have his or her sins forgiven, including the sin of Adam that rests on the head of everyone on earth who has not believed in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah sent from God. In God’s Master Plan the first coming of Jesus is the most important one, for it restored His fellowship with that portion of humanity that believes in Jesus.

If He had not come the Fist time, there would be no church, no born-again persons redeemed from the wages of sin, death, and no eternal life in heaven but for the angels God created that did not rebel against Him! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Born Of A Virgin (MP 73)

There was in Israel a one-time wonder, A baby was born of a virgin maid; But, wonder of wonders, all fall under— That Babe was God who in the manger laid! The decree of death on the human race, Caused by Adam, needed to be undone; God, or Jesus, came to earth through His grace, And died for sins, though sinless was the Son! In his time Man has had gods unnumbered; None but Jehovah has loved Man so much, His Son giv’n, that Man be unencumbered, And His righteousness, Man’s eternal crutch! To a world dark with sin, God gave it light; He gave up His Son to get rid of night! Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Isaiah 7:13-14—“Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now you house of Israel! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God, also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel [“God with us”].’ “ (Written in the 7th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18-25—“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together [that is, before sexual intercourse], she was found to be with child [pregnant] through the Holy Spirit[God]. Because Joseph her husband [betrothed] was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David [descendant of king David], do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is contained in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ ,,, When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave him a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Written in the 1st century A.D.) (Also, Luke 1:16-35) Commentary On: Jesus Foretold: Born Of A Virgin Jewish religious and cultural practices concerning marriage in the time of Jesus were very strict and vastly different from the U. S. in 2011 A.D. Mary was a 13 or 14 year-old virgin, which had to be verified by the priest. A couple who wished to marry were betrothed a year before the actual marriage, but betrothal was considerably closer to being married than is an engaged couple of today. To be separated required a divorce. If the bride does not retain her virginity for her husband-to-be, he can divorce her publicly, and the girl can, and usually was, stoned to death for adultery. Every Jewish girl in that time and many years before dreamed of being the mother of the Messiah promised by God to be born of Israel who would come and save them. There was a problem with their interpretation of “saving” Israel, however. It was a part of God’s Master Plan to come to earth as a man (Jesus) and save men and women from condemnation that had fallen upon them by the first man’s (Adam’s) sin, as well as the sins committed by each and every person that ever lived. That is, the Messiah was to be a Savior of people from their sins. The citizens of Israel, however, understood their “saving” or “salvation” differently: They thought the Messiah would be a conqueror, one who would overthrow the Roman rule, or whatever empire controlled them at the time He came. Nevertheless, I suppose Jewish girls always thought that the Messiah would have an ordinary man for a father; they probably didn’t consider that God’s Plan was that the girl would be a virgin and unmarried—that she would be impregnated by God Himself, so that the Son would not be guilty of Adam’s sin, as all other babies were. It had to be that way, or the Son would not be sinless, thus He would be ineligible to take upon Himself the sins of Mankind. When Mary was approached by the angel Gabriel, the enormity of the pressure brought upon the publicly unmarried mother of Messiah flooded upon her. He asked her if she would be willing to bear such a Son; she quickly agreed, and the world, all of us, owe her a huge debt of gratitude; without her willing cooperation, there would be no release from condemnation. Don’t forget Joseph; had he been unwilling to keep Mary as his wife while she had God’s own Son, she probably would have been stoned to death, together with her unborn Baby. There’s a technicality unresolved in the theology regarding the sinlessness of the baby Jesus. If we accept that His Father was God, the Holy Spirit, not Joseph the husband, that means that His half of Jesus’ blood was innocent of Adam’s sin; what about Mary’s half of Jesus’ blood? Wasn’t Mary guilty of Adam’s sin? We must answer, Yes. That is, unless Mary’s parents, Joachin and Ann, were also conceived outside of Adam’s bloodstream. It’s not in the Bible, I believe, but the Roman Catholic Church has a belief that Mary’s parents were miraculously declared sinless at the instant of Mary’s conception by God. That is just one of quite a few things we’re going to have to ask God about when we see Him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold:: The Precious Cornerstone (MP 73)

To Israel God the measured capstone sent, But, to them, a stumbling stone, rejected; Then God, turning away, to Gentiles went, A people from whom fruit He expected! Christ, the Kingdom’s cornerstone, did become— A sure foundation for people who trust; A stumbling block for people who turn from; Those He falls upon, He will surely crush! Still, Israel’s remnant shall accept the Stone, When Christ returns as the King of kings; They will reign with Him from the land they own, And share with Gentiles the heaven He brings! A precious cornerstone in Zion* God laid, And any who trust will not be dismayed! *Zion = Jerusalem Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Psalm 118:22-23—“The stone [Jesus/God] the builders {Israel] rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Written in the 10th century B.C.) Prophecy Made: Isaiah 28:16—“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone [Jesus] in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, for a sure foundation; the one [a believer] who trusts will never be dismayed.’ “ (Written in the 7th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 21:42-44—“Jesus said to them [Jews in the temple at Jerusalem/Zion], ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures [which they had read]: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people [the Gentiles] who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone [non-believer] will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls [Israel] will be crushed.’ “ (Written in the 1st century A.D.) Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: The Precious Cornerstone” The poem above describes God’s Plan for Israel, from His call to Abram in Genesis 12:1 in about the year 2000 B.C. through the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, ? B.C. to 32 A.D., up to this year of 2011, and on to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Included is a Biblical prophecy concerning whether Israel, or at least a remnant that is alive at the Second Coming, will accept Jesus, who was rejected by Israel at His First Coming. The prophecy that reveals Israel’s acceptance of Jesus as Christ and Lord is found in Zechariah 12:10-14. Until the Second Coming, whose date is not known, descendants of Israel are in the same position regarding salvation that Gentiles are—as individuals, they are eligible to be saved by believing in Jesus of Nazareth as Lord, which is identical to the position of all people. In the scripture from Matthew quoted above, Jesus reveals that by rejecting Him as Lord, the nation of Israel will be “crushed”, which is a mild description of how Jews have been dealt with since their rejection of Jesus. Each of us should be interested in how he or she stands in regard to receiving eternal life in heaven or spending it in hell. It is given in spiritual language by Jesus to the Pharisees, the highest religious leaders in Israel at the time Jesus lived; He explains to them that He is the “precious cornerstone” sent by God to Jerusalem to furnish them a “sure foundation” to stand upon, and thus be saved. He warns them that if they persist in not believing He is the promised One sent from God, going forward with their plot to kill Him, Israel will be crushed. Individuals who believed that Jesus was sent from God would be saved, and are resting on a “sure” foundation; men or women who do not believe that He is from God will be “broken to bits”—another way of saying they will be sent to hell when they die. This is exactly true today, for individual Jews or anyone else. The use of “cornerstone” to represent Jesus is one way of describing Him spiritually. The cornerstone of a building is the most important stone in it; if it is not measured precisely, the building itself is unsure. A traditional story (meaning not in the Bible) may be a precursor of the idea of a “cornerstone” as representative of Jesus. In Solomon’s time as king of Israel, the great temple of God was built in the 9th and 10th centuries B.C. Israel was at its height in power, wealth, and glory. The marble stones and cedar paneling that went into the temple came from Lebanon, a friendly country to the north. The stones were chiseled smooth and measured at the site they were found and sent down to Jerusalem precut and ready for use. The site of the temple was on Mount Zion, about 500 feet high. While the Jewish builders were laying the foundation, a certain stone arrived; its measurements were somewhat different from the others. After puzzling over the problem, they decided it must be meant for later use; they pushed it over the side and down the mountain. They rejected it. Later, they came to the place the cornerstone was to be laid but couldn’t find a stone with correct measurements. The Lebanese workers said they had sent it long ago. Sure enough, the rejected stone was the cornerstone. Exactly parallel to what happened with Jesus, and Isaiah may have known the story of the rejected stone in 700 B.C., but David could not have known the story when he wrote Psalm 118, for he died before the temple was begun. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Return To Heaven (MP 71)

Jesus came to earth as does any man, From His mother’s womb, a cuddly new-born; He returned after a shortened life-span, Like a space-probe, leaving earth reborn! No space suit or rocket ship was needed For the Creator to rise in glory; Heaven’s praises swelled, as earth receded; Angels told and retold His human story! No soldier’s return from war was received With greater joy, or excelled so with love, Than that of Jesus, who Man’s plight relieved, And redeemed earth to paradise above! The souls elected, who were there before, Thrilled now that faith would bring many more! Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Psalm 68:18—“When you [Jesus/God] ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even the rebellious—that you, O Lord God, might dwell there.” (Written in the 10th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: Acts 2:32:36—“ ‘God has raised this Jesus to life [Peter, preaching the first sermon on Pentecost], and we are all witnesses of this fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore let all Israel be advised of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ “ (In 32 A.D.) Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Return To Heaven” The chief apostle, Peter, preached the first sermon to Jews in Jerusalem a few days after the resurrected Jesus left the earth, ascending to heaven from the Mount of Olives in full view of a hundred or more disciples (See Acts 1:9-10).. Peter and all the disciples had just received the Holy Spirit promised to them by Jesus, and His coming to them in the upper room on the day of Pentecost had caused a great stir and attracted a huge crowd. Three thousand Jews accepted Jesus in response to this first sermon; all the apostles and disciples began preaching and witnessing to people, spreading the gospel of Jesus. No longer mild followers of Jesus Christ—the coming of the Spirit emboldened them, and they didn’t hesitate in speaking bold truths to the Jews, including the Sanhedrin, the very instigators of the death of Jesus. Jesus was crucified, died, and buried on Friday, 50 days before Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit (that is, 50 days before Peter preached the sermon partially quoted above). Jesus was resurrected early Sunday morning, the third day after His death on Friday. He was alive, in a completely healed, imperishable body; He looked the same as before He died, except for the healed scars of the nails and the spear which pierced Him. He was seen on that Sunday by His 120 disciples in the upper room. He was with them for 40 days before He ascended to heaven. He ascended by rising from the ground, with no aids of any sort; He rose steadily, getting smaller and smaller in their sight, until He disappeared. In several scriptures the Bible describes His arrival in heaven; His welcome by God the Father; His being given all authority over the universe; seated on the throne of God; where He continues until today and into the future. He will return to earth a Second time in power and might; rule the earth for a thousand years; call all who ever lived to resurrection; pass judgment upon each person, sending non-believers to hell and believers to heaven, each to live for everlasting life. That same Jesus will be the Judge for every person. Jesus of Nazareth, the 33-year-old man who was crucified by order of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s highest ruling council, was born as a baby of His mother Mary; the tomb in which His dead body was placed was empty after His resurrection on the third day; hence Jesus is the only man ever resurrected and lives forever; but all men and women will likewise be resurrected and live forever, in one of two places. David wrote, 1000 years before He was born, that He would ascend to heaven (quoted above). God revealed this glimpse of His life ahead of time, as God revealed hundreds of prophecies of the future. They are all in the Bible, making it the most extraordinary book ever written. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesys Foretold: Betrayed By His Friend (MP70)

Temple guards sent to Jesus arrest,

Time after time, by the chief priests, but failed;

Common people listened to Him with zest,

The guards, also entranced, could not assail!

The priests dared not in public Jesus take,

For fear the crowds would riot in His defense;

They needed His friend Jesus to forsake,

Who’d lead guards to His night-time residence!

They found Him; or rather, Judas found them;

He would lead them for thirty silver coins,

Betraying the Savior by kissing Him,

As if in vesper prayers he rejoins!

Never was betrayal more wicked done,

Than Judas the apostle, to the Son!

Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Psalm 41:9—“Even my [Jesus’] close friend whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Written in the 10th century B.C.)

Prophecy Fulfilled: John 13:18, 21––“I [Jesus speaking to His apostles] am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ “… “ After He said this, Jesus was troubled in Spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.’” (Written in 95 A.D.)

Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: “Betrayed By His Friend” Here we see God’s Master Plan, prepared before creation, at work—chosen as an apostle by Jesus Himself, having knowledge ahead of time that when the time came for Him to be arrested and a traitor was needed to guide the arresting party to the garden where Jesus spent the night before His crucifixion, the apostle Judas was the man. We see from this that Jesus knew He was to be arrested, given a false trial, and crucified; He intended to die from the beginning. His primary mission was to die as a sacrificial lamb which paid the sin-debt incurred by humanity. Judas was an instrument used by God in His ingenious redemption plan, without which the race was doomed. Although the Sanhedrin had sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus while He was teaching to large crowds in the temple, they were unable to bring themselves to confront Him for He spoke with such authority and assurance. He was becoming so popular with the common Jews that they feared to arrest Him in public for fear of inciting a riot. The Romans fiercely reacted to Jewish riots, which could result in a Roman governor’s losing his position. That same fear helped persuade Pontius Pilate to deliver Jesus to the riotous priests and Pharisees for crucifixion. With possibly one million Jews in the ordinarily small city of Jerusalem, the priests needed to take Jesus into custody quietly, try Him quickly in a “kangaroo” court in the night, and crucify Him without the knowledge of most of the people. Judas Iscariot was not held in high esteem by the other disciples. In writing the Gospel of John, the author made several disparaging remarks about him. However, no event described by the other gospel writers recounted anything that would seem to cast doubt on his sincerity. Many of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah are confusing by commingling prophecies about Christ’s first coming with His Second coming. This led a majority of Jews to expect that Jesus in His initial advent to be vastly different from the gentle lamb that He actually was. In His Second coming He will rule the world from the throne of David with an iron scepter, but He came to be crucified His First visit. A great many people believe that Judas was disappointed to find that He had first come to win the world by love and not by force.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Jesus Foretold: Hated Without A Cause (MP 69)

I feel their hatred without any cause; The haters outnumber hairs on my head; Their unmerciful slander has no pause; Plotting will not cease until I am dead! The wonders I do none other has done; They have seen the miracles, yet still hate; My Father is hated, for they hate His Son; The ambush is set; my haters in wait! They cause me stumble, and gather in glee; My attackers seek for me unaware; They pervert my words to discredit me, In order to trap me in dying’s glare! Israel’s leaders hated Jesus in dread; They rested not until He was dead! Scripture Quoted (NIV) [Brackets added] Prophecy Made: Psalm 35:15—“But when I stumbled [Jesus/God], they gathered in glee; attackers gathered when I was unaware…” (Written in the 10th century B.C.) Prophecy Made: Psalm 69:4—“Those who hate me [Jesus/God] without reason outnumber the hairs on my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me …” (Written in the 10th century B.C.) Prophecy Fulfilled: John 15:23-25—“ ‘He who hates me [Jesus/God speaking to His apostles] hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them [the Jews] what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in the Law: They have hated me without reason.’ “ (Written in 95 A.D.) Commentary On: “Jesus Foretold: Hated Without Reason” If any person was ever hated without reason, it was Jesus of Nazareth; we would be within the bounds of truth to add, “and so are Christians of today’s world”. Of course, we followers of Jesus Christ in the United States in 2011 A.D. are not likely to be crucified because the modern world hates us and our Lord Jesus Christ, but you have to look no further than this very sentence, the one you are reading, to find evidence of modern culture’s hatred of the name Jesus Christ. Notice that in my writing I would be considered “behind the times”, for I use “B.C.” and “A.D.” instead of the culturally correct “B.C.E.” and “C.E.”. I don’t use B.C. and A.D. because I don’t know better; I do it because I refuse to accept modern philosophy that despises Christianity. You see, B.C. stands for “before the birth of Christ”, and A/D. for “anno domini”, or “after Christ”. I don’t intend to change just because postmodernism, the dominant politically correct culture of today, has decided to elevate every religious sect to be equal to Christianity, which served us very well for two thousand years. Getting back to Jesus’ being hated by Jews, the common people didn’t hate Him; He healed many of various diseases and handicaps, even raising at least three from death and back to life; He never encountered a funeral He did not break up. In fact, the Sanhedrin council that ruled religious matters, was responsible for most of the hatred of Jesus and all of the plotting. As the popularity of Jesus grew, the council became more and more convinced that Jesus needed to die. In His trial before them they had no valid evidence that justified His execution, but many false witnesses were allowed to testify; however, their testimony all failed because of obvious inconsistencies and disagreements. Jesus was not convicted of any reasonable violation of religious or civil law. He was convicted by prejudice and hatred, as David prophesied a thousand years before He lived. The Sanhedrin had a difficult time convincing Pilate, the Roman governor who had to ratify any death sentences, that Jesus was guilty of any charge worthy of the death penalty. In fact Pilate thought Jesus was innocent; the leading Jews only succeeded because they threatened Pilate with political blackmail if he refused them. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Roman 10:9)