LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 14 MAY 2023 - MR HAROLD ALCORN
Matthew 26 verses 47 - 56
"But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" verses 54 and 55
The fulfilment of the scriptures is mentioned twice in these verses. The setting of the verses is that Jesus was about to be arrested. Peter used a sword to cut off the ear belonging to the servant of the high priest. Jesus told him to put away his sword for those who use the sword will die by the sword (verse 52). Jesus was thinking ahead to his own death and the scriptures he referred to were those written years before. Bible prophecy was being fulfilled. Jesus said he could call 12 legions of angels to stop his arrest (verse 53). In the Old Testament in one night an angel struck 185,000 soldiers dead (2 Kings 19 verse 35) Top priority was Jesus' death being carried out just as scripture foretold. Our Lord was baptised in the Jordan, then spent 40 days in the wilderness and started a preaching tour in his own home town Nazareth where he was brought up. Remember when Jesus was born in Bethlehem Herod ordered that all the children under 2 should be killed. So there were no-one there of his own age. People probably knew he was Mary and Joseph's son, scripture records "and the eyes of all them were fastened upon him." (Luke 4 verse 20) When Jesus read the scriptures he started by saying "today is the scriptures fulfilled in your eyes." (Luke 4 verse 21) The first message he brought was to his own people.
The accuracy of scriptures. God breathed into the minds of men to bring the scriptures together. The children of Israel went down into Egypt and God drew them out 430 years later. Paul refers to that in Galatians 3 verse 17. Exodus 12 verse 41 says "even the selfsame day all the hosts of the Lord went from the land of Egypt. God made sure it was the exact day. Think of Daniel and the great prophecies given to him. 70 weeks or 70 x 7 years = 490 years in total. "After threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off." (Daniel 9 verse 26) Chapter 9 verse 25 "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. " This prophecy was given to King Cyrus at that time. Scholars can work the days out and it brings you forward to Palm Sunday. In the last part of the prophecy 7 years are still to be fulfilled and they are known as "the days of Jacob's trouble. " In Revelation we see that split in two lasting 3 1/2 years each. God's prophecies always come to pass. We are living in a day when many reject God's prophecies The Lord's return is prophesied in scriptures. No day is given in scriptures. It has been prophesied that the whole world will know of Christ for themselves. It has been prophesied that the world will mock Christians - 2 Peter 3 verse 4. "Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. " The Lord's concept of time is different than that of ours. How then shall the scripture be fulfilled? The greatest day in history for man was the crucifixion of Christ Jesu but the battle was won in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested. What agony he suffered that night. To be the sin bearer for you and me. He sweat great drops of blood.
How then shall the scripures be fulfilled? Isaiah 53 "who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? " Verses 3 - 10. Our Lord suffered because of our transgression. "And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death" a direct reference to Joseph of Arimathea who took Jesus' body and buried it in his own grave. Psalm 22 verse 8 shows how people would mock and say he trusted in the Lord let him deliver himself. Psalm 34 tells us much about the crucifixion, that his bones would not be broken (verse 20). Peter got it right in Acts 2 verse 23. "Him being delivered by the determined counsel and forknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Peter was proving that God was in control. One day the Jews tried to stone Jesus but it had to be the shedding of blood to satisfy the divine justice of God. Jesus' death was planned by God. Jesus died on the cross and cried "it is finished". At that exact moment the High Priest was actually finished the last offering of the sacrifice of lambs in the temple. That was for all time and eternity, there was no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus cried with a loud voice the bible tells us at the end of his life. No man at the end of his life can cry with a loud voice. Jesus' cry was heard throughout all the land. It was predicted that he would cry "I thirst" and would be given vinegar to drink (Psalm 69 verse 21). In Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born it was prophesied he would be born (Isaiah 7 verse 14 and chapter 9 verse 6). Amos 9 verse 15 tells us the Jews will return to their own land never more to be pulled up. It was predicted that the desert in Israel would blossom and that is happening today (Isaiah 35 verses 1 and 2). In 1967 the 6 day war occured in Israel. Israel defeated 3 Arab armies, gained territory 4 times its original size and became the preeminent military power in the region. God was behind it all. No other country has suffered as much as Israel as. At just 0.2% of the worlds population the Jews are small (16 million of the 8 billion worldwide). They are the sixth country in the world to develop nuclear weapons. They are top for technology developments in the world. What particular event was the most prophesied in scripture? The first coming of Christ. God wants you to understand what took place at Calvary. His son was made a sacrifice for sin to satisfy divine justice. God is in control of all the events of the world. Jesus did die for you and I. His sacrificial death was to satisfy divine judgment. "Heaven and earth willl pass away but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24 verse 35). There is a heaven and a hell. Are you prepared for that? There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. The only way to be prepared - God made a promise in his word - it is through the work of the Saviour. You need to confess your sin and repent, look to Jesus tonight.
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