The Resume of the King

And they responded by laying out for him 30 pieces of silver, which is the ultimate insult. This would be the price in the days of the Lord. This would be what you would pay for a servant who was disabled. This of course will become a prophetic connection with Jesus who is the good shepherd of the nation who cares for them and they will consider him as worthless as a handicap slave in the nation's leaders will say that June is well worth 30 pieces fulfillments like to ask you to think about something. How many Old Testament predictions. Would Jesus have to fulfill before you believe that he really is who he claims to be. What if there were 456 separate clues regarding a single person that were all fulfilled by that one man would that be convincing Jesus Christ is that person. He has fulfilled the prophecies of his first coming to prove that he is the Messiah, the true King here Stephen Devi with a lesson called the resume of the King funeral that every member of the late 1900s were dominated by the psychic predictions of one particular astrologer by the name of Jean Dixon Schieffer health center stage as someone to tell the future her horoscopes that she wrote were printed in newspapers around the country read by millions and millions of people every single morning. She became a sensation after supposedly predicting in the late 1950s that the president of the United States who won the 1960 election would be assassinated.

John F. Kennedy was assassinated and that predictions for catapulted her to fame. Nevermind that she predicted the John F. Kennedy would lose that election that Richard Nixon would when it nevermind better career.

Time and time again.

Her predictions were hit and miss whether it was her prediction of who the antichrist going to miss out on several occasions when the end of the world will take place affecting China was good about America in the 1990s world peace would sweep over the globe in the year 2000 I was there when 2000 occurred about you and world peace didn't sweep over the globe. She cannot a household name.

Horoscopes read by literally millions predictions followed carefully.

I don't later in life picture and a material to ship it back to writing a book on horoscopes for dogs. She even wrote that cats have ESP question is unity listening to what the expert is predicting for you at the world stimuli was gonna happen what your source who is the confidence of misguided of the little boy was riding home with his father.

His father later wrote about the conversation I read the article.

Is there heading out to the grocery stores little boys daddy. Do you believe in the Bermuda triangle that said love your asking me if I believe in a physical location, yes, but if you're asking me if I believe in this little place where ships and airplanes, sort of, you know, vanish in thin air. Now why I don't believe in the little boy said well I believe in you want to know why yes online because I sought on Scooby Doo that settles it. But what if somebody delivered a series of predictions about the coming Messiah, and yet a future messianic kingdom say 456 of them so many there are and is not hit or miss is now one out of three 9/10 when we start taking notice. By the way what is Jean Dixon claim to speak for God. What was the success rate of a true prophet of God in the Old Testament 100% 100% effective if you decided if you would back in the Old Testament that you are going to apply to be a prophet of God you had to make a prediction and it had come true, and if it didn't come true. They took you outside the city gate and stoned you to death that had a way of limiting the number of applications for the office. Well, if you combine all of the Old Testament predictions about the first coming of the Messiah, along with the second but his life, his crucifixion, his ministry, even as parabolic teaching style specific miracles things he say things you say what is dying on our you come up with hundreds and hundreds of predictions who the Messiah is what is say what is going to do you don't keep a secret, by delivering 456 clues God is essentially asking, is anybody away down there. What I want to do is in these next few weeks is just sort of pull away and today I want to rehearse these clues with you.

Not all 456 to relax just just a few of them as he delivers to his rather stunning specific predictions. Now you're older and the faith he made recognize some or all of them.

I want to be sensitive. The fact that we have new believers in our congregation newer to the exposition Scripture and the truth, especially the Old Testament, so let's just sort of like that a few of them talk about his virgin birth for about affecting my turn to Isaiah 7 sought to be underlined in your Bibles. It is already one of the stunning predictions for Isaiah says in chapter 7 and verse 14 therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign sign. We ultimately fulfill the coming of the Lord Christ. Therefore, here's the sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive virgins don't see it all back to Genesis 3 where God promises that it will be the seed of the woman to bring forth this head crushing Redeemer, the seed of the woman. A woman doesn't have seed this is a prophecy that grabs your attention, and that Isaiah picks up on any says of virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel that Pluto alone makes headlines it was given 700 years before this teenager betrothed to Joseph, gets the news from an angel that she is at that moment carrying God the son, and her first response by the weight of the Angels classic and is exactly what you would expect from a virgin. She said this. How can this be see that I am a virgin gospel record the conversation and the angel answered and the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the son of God.

Jesus is going to be miraculously conceived as the Holy Spirit overshadows her a with his divine power, which is by the way, crucial.

It isn't just interesting. It is adjustable that's unique to actually crucial for him to be virgin born. He needs to avoid the fallen sin nature of Adam passed down the simile from the male virgin birth allows Jesus as a human nature and a divine nature, but not a fallen nature because he'll be the unblemished Passover lamb. Finally am of God who will die first and second only point out his birthplace is one of those marvelous specific predictions that again should set off alarm bells Micah prophet predicted, but you owe Bethlehem, Africa who are too little of it is too insignificant to be among the clans of mere, last-place from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel is coming for is from of old, from ancient days. In other words, the birthplace of the future King of Israel will be this politically insignificant town of Bethlehem in the reference Africa side is a light metal information here.

It's important because it names the district names the region starlight today.

Referring to the County referring to wake County. It was important here with Mike and prophecy because there were more than one Bethlehem in that region 640 like you saying to some friends. Hey, what you say. This summer we meet in in London. Well, they may buy plane tickets and fighting problems you met London North Carolina on our halfway. This is Bethlehem in the County of Africa.

God wanted everybody to be clear and not confused as to which Bethlehem, it was and not end up in the wrong town not notice the expression the king's resume that informs us there at the latter end of the text that he is from old, from ancient days. That is just the throwaway line or universe that you course Monday, the day someone this is not a throwaway line in his residence. The expression is used in the Old Testament only for the eternally existent God. Micah is saying that the king of Israel will have been eternally preexistent deity.

As strange as it might have sounded to Micah's ears or to his first readers is essentially saying that the eternally preexistent God will be warranted in time in Israel in Bethlehem in the County of Africa the birthplace of King David now foretold to be the birthplace of the Messiah and that prediction is going to come true 740 years later, when the wise men of the Magi come to heritage. You know, perhaps asking where the king of the Jews been born. They eventually leave and Herod assembles all the chief priests met you two tells us in scribes of the people inquiring of them were the Christ was to be born in a totally Bethlehem and of the one located there in Judea so for so it is written by the prophet now. The amazing new courses that they did go check it out dated and you look. By the way, the word Bethlehem means house of bread. It was no coincidence that in the house of bread would be born, the bread of life. Wonderful play on words. Beyond that, it was no coincidence that the temple shepherds were the first to hear the announcement come to that stable little worship him were shepherds keeping watch over flocks destined for sacrifice in Jerusalem. 5 1/2 miles away. Jesus may very well been born surrounded by sacrificial lambs prediction related to his forerunner.

Jesus is going to have an announcer. Preceding him. Isaiah the prophet predicts that the forerunner will be a voice crying.

Here's what the voices crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Now John's Gospel. This is fulfilled by John the baptizer. He's the cousin of Jesus and he's he is assigned as the forerunner of Jesus, and early in his ministry as he's announcing the Lord the religious leaders I gather around and and and and the priest asks him who he is and he responds. I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord sounds as anybody away down the custom in these days for special roads or highways to either be built or existing roads to be repaired in preparation for the procession of the visiting dignitaries or team. They make straight the highway.

That is, they prepared the highway. John the baptizer is saying. Get ready to king is coming Eddie's meeting something a little deeper than fill in the potholes he say prepare the roadway to your heart to receive a take down the obstacles to receive your team was without Jesus begins his ministry is ministry of miracle specific miracles predicted by the prophets, even begins teaching ministry. Ultimately was primarily composed of parables that also predicted is also predicted by the prophets only take into his entrance into Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion he enters on a donkey and he more than likely know about this. This also is been predicted. Zechariah prophesies of that day, we refer to as Palm Sunday, holding your King is coming to you righteous and having salvation is he a humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. That is, this is a purebred donkey born of a female donkey not a mule, which then qualifies it to be on Royal mountains in the ancient near East rulers visiting other nations writing in the city they write on donkeys if they are bringing peace they write on stallions if they are bringing war and this is why they're told to celebrate wife because their king is coming and he's bringing peace between verse nine and verse 10, you actually have 2000 years intelligent because the prophets condensed the first and second ad thinking is the only one. Church age is taking place now. In fact, verse 10. Peace comes peace has yet to come. In the ancient near East. These rulers would come writing in announcing piece of this is exactly what Jesus does see can bring peace to then those who believe. Keep in mind Zechariah is not writing this prophecy in verse nine, the day after Palm Sunday. Knowing what is observed as a little kid waiting comment always predicting this 500 years before it happens is to be like some psychic 500 years ago announcing the president would be assassinated in 1960. Zechariah's prophecy is so strategic and so specific, John writes, is this is this is fulfilled, Jesus County undocking sat on combining the accounts of the Gospels.

John writes will hold your King is coming sitting on a donkey is called on 12 or 13, they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him all Jerusalem's crowd along the corridors and marked 11 ads and many spread their cloaks on the road.

Jesus is essentially announcing here comes your kitty did the Jewish people know what was going on. They connect the dots where they prepared to crown him absolutely were vector waving palm branches before the palm branch was a symbol of nationalistic hope in their belief that the Messiah would comment in his coming.

Bring victory over wrong still see the palm branches in the emblems that and symbols of Israel to this day were told by Mark they threw their cloaks down in front of the Lord as he wrote on that docket are not doing that could agonize soft padding for the donkey. I was symbolic that cloak their cloaks represented their personhood. There say you have the right to walk all over us. You have the right as king to rule over our lives. There prepared crown becomes clear through the leadership of those who are opposed to him, they would soon change their cry from crown him to crucify him. That change of heart by the way, can only be explained in such a soon change of events in terms of Satan's designs and at the same time, God's eternally preexistent plans to fulfill the atoning work for the redemption of sinners. Some Jesus came, nothing would would keep him back. The prophets also predicted the betrayal of Jesus affect Zechariah says, and they way out as my wages. 30 pieces of silver.

This was fulfilled in his day sort of a now but not yet because it will be ultimately fulfilled in Christ. We recognize that 30 pieces of silver. Don't you like it take you back to the context for just about what was happening here. Zechariah has provided service and ministry as a shepherd to Israel that he refers to me refers to a sheet of the flock of Israel. He comes to the point where he asks them if they would be willing to pay him for being there shepherd caring for them for protecting them for caring about them and they responded by weighing out for him 30 pieces of silver, which is the ultimate insult in his generation. This would be the pricing into the days of the Lord.

This would be what you would pay for a slave who had been gored. This would be for a household servant who was disabled, unable to do heavy labor nearly worthless for the household. This of course will become a prophetic connection with Jesus who is the good shepherd of the nation who cares for them and and they will consider him as worthless as a handicap slave in the nation's leaders will say that June is well worth to us 30 pieces of silver.

Betty 26 verse 15 Matthew records the religious leaders gave Judas 30 pieces of silver. This is a remarkable fulfillment and an incredibly specific, the good Shepherd is considered nothing more worthwhile to the sheep of Israel handicap were disabled slave.

That's not all of this prophecy. Go back to Zechariah the very next verse after Zechariah is given 30 pieces of silver in the Lord tells of this the Lord said to me, throw it to the potter.

So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord is the temple to or for the potter. Now watch what Matthew records for us as these leaders are scattered, Judas is filled with remorse.

He shows up to confess. Matthew 27 he says to them, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. They said so what was that a lot.

We got a tough throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed so they took counsel and bought with money the potter's field is anybody away down there.

What about the prophecies of his crucifixion more than we can recount David prophesied one of the songs dog surround me a pack of villains encircles me. They pierced my hands and my feet never happened to David. This is a prophetic song effect crucifixion would not enter the mind David with hands and feet being male because crucifixion is not going to be invented for another 500 years by the person affected by the Romans, the same Psalm of David. He writes prophetically.

Verse 18. They divide my close among them, and cast lots for my garments. In other words, in a split by closing and divided by the way, Jesus is is completely naked in his humiliation he is no clothing there going to divide all except for one piece that tunic that undergarment it seamless.

It was a special gift, perhaps from some a woman who followed and left his ministry and left him.

John tells us in chapter 19 exactly what happened is this is fulfilled with the soldiers a crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided into four parts. One part for each soldier but the tunic was seamless, woven, and one piece of a set of one another, let us cast lots for it to see whose it shall be because that's what that was not terrorism. This was John writes to fulfill the Scripture which says they divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things are numerous prophecies about the Messiah's resurrection. Jonah would be the signal three days and three nights of our Lord's resurrection and victory over death. Isaiah prophesies and he will swallow up on this mountain. Imagine brow of that mountain along that ridge where Jesus would be crucified. Hundreds of years later covering he's going to swallow up the covering this cast of all peoples swallow up the veil over the spread of all nations not just the Israelite nation, but all nations. What's this veil which is covering he will swallow up death forever. This is what Paul uses that as he takes this expression and applies it to the victory we have in Jesus Christ who is our eternal security in our redemption through his resurrection power.

Paul writes death is swallowed up in victory over death where now the idea why now is your victory is now where is your sting you cameras you can't keep us is nothing more is David prophesied the shadow shadow cannot hurt you. The show, which is the value of the victory over the penalties of sin, the victory over judgment and eternal life in God the son, the king's resume Old Testament prophecies informs us that he will swallow up this veil. These predictions beloved can be ignored and were heading into a season when they will be ignored all over again. They can be rejected but cannot be refuted, they cannot.

They have already. The sad reality is that if someone makes a prediction comes true. People are likely to believe that person the next time she makes a prediction. Jesus fulfilled 456 predictions about the Messiah and people still deny that he is who the Bible says he is. I hope today's sermon has helped bolster your faith in Jesus and help prepare your heart to celebrate the incarnation next week on Christmas you're listening to wisdom for the hearts with Stephen Davey we have a message from God's word each day and I hope you'll make this broadcast. A regular part of your routine.

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