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The Persecuted Church

 

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He came as man to be a sacrifice for all

John introduced Jesus to Israel as The Lamb of God, referring to the Passover lamb. Jesus spoke of his death and resurrection numerous times.

The fact is, Jesus death is found in the Old Testament so those who endorse the Urantia book and other books like it, lie. The whole Old Testament with its sacrifices priesthood and tabernacle spoke of a future fulfillment (Heb.9:8-9)

Heb 10:8-10 previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

In other words he took away the first (explained in Heb.8:13) covenant that was temporary to establish a new covenant that would be eternal.

He did the Fathers will, because he was sent to earth by the Father. So we can “testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (I Jn. 4:14)

Jesus prayed just hours before, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matt 26:39)

Phil 2:6-8 Speaking of Jesus “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”This is why we are told “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2)

The primary reason Christ had to die to redeem us from sin, which means he had to become man.

Leviticus 17:11: For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.

Hebrews makes the same point,

Heb. 9:18 “not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.” Heb. 9:22: “And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.”

In other words blood that came from an animal’s death was necessary in the first covenant and blood resulting in death was necessary for the new covenant. The Old Testament principle was that the blood made atonement for the soul. The New Testament gives the same message --All things are cleansed with blood. In the Old Covenant it covered sin, in the New Covenant it forgives sin completely removing the penalty for it.

There are two key passages the Old Testament predicts the death of Jesus. Ps.22 and Isa.53. The sacrifice and resurrection of the Messiah are throughout the Old Testament.  Psalm 22, written by King David nearly 1,000 years before Christ, gives us a picture of our Lord hanging on the cross.

Psalm 22:1-21, which described a crucifixion in detail (stoning was the Jewish mode of execution, not crucifixion). Crucifixion was of the Romans

It describes how the people mocked Christ (Psalm 22:7-8; Mat 27:41-43), how they cast lots to divide up his clothes (Psalm 22:18; Mt 27:35), how his bones were out of joint (Psalm 22:14), how the wicked had surrounded him and pierced his hands and feet (Psalm 22:16) scars which Thomas insisted he must touch to believe (John 20:27).

Old Testament:

Ps 22:15-17 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; you have brought Me to the dust of death. “For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.”

New Testament: John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"

John 19:36-37 “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Why is this mentioned because of the Passover lamb that was given to Moses of whom Jesus fulfilled by his death (on Passover)

Zech. 12:10 "… they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.’

We can also concentrate on a few passages within Psalm 22 :

V.6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

(the word is here is tola, from a worm that they crushed to get the die color of red/scarlet for the royal garments). In Mt.27:28 they put a royal robe onto Jesus to mock him then they took the robe off Jesus (v.31) . But Jesus went to be crucified He was again robed; in His in royal blood.

Vv.7-8 “All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

"He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" This took place on the cross.V.14 ‘I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within Me.”

V.18 ‘They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

New Testament: Matthew 27:35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

Through Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12, we have detailed descriptions of what took place on the cross as hung there for the sins of mankind.

Isa 52:13-15 “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.” This sprinkling of the nations (referring to the tabernacle and cleansing) began with Saul who preached the gospel through Asia.

In Isaiah 53:10-11 we read: Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.’

Isaiah 53 is reiterating the animal sacrifices under the Mosaic Law. We find in the Book of Leviticus having the same words and figures of speech that there is no question what this means. In v.10 his soul an offering for sin. God gave his son as the final blood-sacrifice for sin, v.11 as a righteous servant - he shall bear their iniquities

Isa 53:9 “And they made His grave with the wicked-- but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.”

When a person died as a criminal, he was to be buried in a criminals grave. But Jesus was buried in a unused new tomb located in a private garden, (It was borrowed for a little while) owned by a rich man, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah.

Verse 10 we read how God was pleased to allow this Servant to suffer and die. For this is how he was going to make the

atonement for the people.

Isa 53:12 “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

New Testament: Mt. 27:38; Mark 15:27-28 “With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."

Luke 22:37 “And he was numbered with the transgressors'

Jesus made intercession for the transgressors by being the substitute lamb for their sins.

Daniel 9:24-27 "Seventy weeks ("Seventy 'sevens') are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah (anointed one) shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate."

Notice, to make an end of sins and then refers to Jerusalem and the Messiah, how is this done? By being cut off for others. The word cut off means from life karath- to cut, to cut off, to cut down, to cut off a body part, to cut out, to eliminate, to kill; to cut a covenant. As in Isa.53 :7-he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people.

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced…" (Zech. 12:10) It is Gods spirit that initiates grace for one to see who Jesus is. This passage speaks of a day when all of Israel (that went through the Tribulation) will realize He is their Messiah.

In the Gospel of John it expresses the deity of Jesus but also his mission. The death of Jesus is mentioned a number of times by prophecy, parabolicly and historically.

John 1:29 states: John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!

John introduced Jesus as the Passover lamb for Israel, and for the world. The death of Jesus is connected to the Passover sacrifice the paschal lamb. But it is not just his shedding of blood and dying that is effectual. The shedding of the blood of the Lamb had to be applied to the door by the head of the house for it to have any effect. There is the application of the blood, it is for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles who personally apply the blood by faith. Only they receive spiritual salvation. The way the blood is applied is by believing that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. With this act of faith in the gospel we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said of himself, he would be in the grave for 3 days John 2:19 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
(see Matt 12:40, Mark 8:31) speaking of his body John 6:51, He said the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.”

John 10:11 “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 11:51The “high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

John 12:24 “He is like the grain that must fall into the ground and die.

John 15:13 “He lays down His life for His friends.

John 12:32-33 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." This He said, signifying by what death He would die.”

John 18:14 “Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.” The High priest prophesied this even though he himself did not believe it.

Jesus also fulfills the kinsmen-redeemer, a redemption by a substitute (Lev. 25:47-49). Jesus died n the believer’s place as his substitute, He is then the kinsmen-redeemer.
Jesus is also fulfills the Old Testament type of the two goats of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-34). Every year on the Day of Atonement, two goats were brought before the High Priest. He would cast Lots to see which goat would live and which goat would die. The goat that was chosen to die would be slaughtered on the sacrificial altar.

The High Priest then took the blood of the first goat into the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle or the Temple and sprinkled it upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The High Priest would come out lay his hands upon the live goat confessing the sins of Israel (Jewish tradition says they tied a red ribbon on its head and would know their sins were forgiven if it turned white i.e. Isa.1:18). This goat was led into the wilderness, thus carrying Israel’s sins away.

Throughout the Bible atonement through blood (Lev. 17:11) is stressed. The two goats of the Day of Atonement are a picture of forgiveness through blood. No ones sins can be forgiven without the shedding of blood, “apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin” (Heb. 9:22). Not in Adam’s day not in Noah’s not in Abraham’s and not in Moses’

The atonement in the Old Testament was provided by animal blood, in the New Testament it was provided by the final blood-sacrifice for sin, the shedding of the blood of God who took on humanity and became the Lamb of God making this a permanent atonement for all

 

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