Spong Vs Spong Part 3

What did Jesus say about the reliability of scripture? What was the attitude of the Bereans? Is pride a cause of apostasy?

Testimony of Jesus

When moderns deny the reliability of the Scriptures, they undermine the very basis of belief in Jesus, because it is those same Scriptures which testified in advance of Jesus. Jesus criticized religious who lacked belief in the Hebrew Scriptures testifying to Him.

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39)

Did Jesus uphold what was written in the prophets?

It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. (John 6:45 NIV)

Even though the Church is under a different covenant, the lessons of the Old Testament are still extremely valuable for Christians.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:11 NIV)

Many wish to set aside the Hebrew Scriptures as mere myth and untruths. Yet, Jesus defended the Scriptures vigorously. For example:

Scripture cannot be set aside (John 10:35 NIV). …the Scriptures cannot be altered (NLT). …the Scripture cannot be broken (NASB, KJV). Scripture doesn’t lie (MSG).

Prophecies of Jesus

It is well known among Christians that there are over 300 Old Testament prophecies specifically fulfilled by Jesus. The mathematical odds of an imposter fulfilling all of them is so incredibly large as to be impossible. Something on the order of 1 in 10 followed by hundreds of zeros.

Jesus had no control over most of these prophecies. Here are but a few: the time of His birth, the place of His birth, His mother being a virgin, His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, not a bone would be broken, His hands and feet pierced, and His clothes would be divided by lot.

So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (John 19:24 NASB; Psalm 22:18)

The Passover Lamb was a picture of Jesus and its bones were to remain unbroken. Jesus was frequently referred to as the Lamb of God.

These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” (John 19:36 NIV; Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20)

Using a parallelism of David, the Psalms predict a “holy one,” a Davidic Messiah, whose body would not be abandoned to the grave.

For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. (Psalm 16:10 NLT).

This Davidic Messiah suffers, dies and is raised.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?... But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” ... you lay me in the dust of death... they pierce my hands and my feet... They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment... (Psalm 22 NIV).

Though His life is an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days.

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10–11 NIV).

Resurrection to everlasting life or everlasting contempt was known in the Old Testament.

Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. (Daniel 12:2–3 NLT).

The disciples did not immediately understand how these scriptures referred to Jesus.

For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (John 20:19 NASB)

The prophecy of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is amazing in its detail, even including the amount of money used in the bribe, thirty pieces of silver.