Why Jesus Part 3 - Easter 2015 Series

Why Jesus Part 3

Scriptures: Isaiah 52:13-14; Isaiah 53; Matthew 16:26; Revelation 3:20

Introduction

Last week I shared with you the prophecies pertaining to the Messiah’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the prophecies pertaining to His betrayal. I then took you to the New Testament Scriptures showing you how Jesus fulfilled each and every one of those prophecies. When I closed out my message on last week, I asked each of you to go home and chew on the thought of what would your response would be to a UPS man who came to your doorstep and asked for identification before allowing you to have your package that you ordered or was shipped to you. I asked you to consider the fact that you had shown him not one, but eight different pieces of evidence that you were who you said you were. I asked that you consider that once you proved it he still refused to give you the package because “he” needed more proof. He does not have the authority to make you prove anything, but he held your package hostage because he could. I asked you to chew on what you would do. Would you allow him to walk away with “your” package or would you forcibly take it from him? Did you think about it this week? Did you chew on it for a little while?

To date I have shared with you eight different prophecies pertaining to the true Messiah that only Jesus fulfilled. No man has come close to fulfilling any of them as Jesus did. Jesus has to be the Messiah? How do I know it can only be him? There have been only two men created without an earthly father – Adam and Jesus! There has only been one man who did not have the DNA of an earthly father but was born of a virgin – Jesus the Christ! Jesus the Messiah! If there is a man who is to be considered the Messiah, he would have to be born of a virgin and to date, not one of the prophets, leaders, or founders of other religions can make that claim. If they were not born of a virgin they could not be the Messiah! So considering this fact, I asked you last week to chew on what God’s response is to us when He has identified Jesus as His Son, as the one and only way into heaven with eight separate pieces of evidence and we still do not believe? Why would He feel any different than how we would feel if the UPS driver refuses to accept our evidence? God is done proving who Jesus was and is! God has done His part, now it is really our choice as to what we choose to believe.

This morning we will continue with the prophecies. Since we are celebrating Easter, you know that Jesus rose from the dead. So based on your understanding of this, I will focus primarily on the prophecies versus their fulfillment. Please turn with me to Isaiah chapter fifty-three. In Isaiah chapter fifty-three we are given an overview of the Messiah’s life and death. After Isaiah, I will read a few other Scriptures to you from the Old Testament that speaks of the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

I. Isaiah’s Summary of Jesus Life

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground. He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence. Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring. He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied. By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53) (Four Gospels)