The Ultimate Bible Teacher

Luke 24:25-53

  • Why be a Christian rather than follow some other religion?
  • Why believe the Bible when many people believe other “sacred” books?
  • Why trust Jesus when many people count on other guides?

  • The Bible proves Jesus is trustworthy.
  • Jesus proves the Bible is trustworthy.

Jesus opens Scriptures to us
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself… They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:27, 32)

Jesus opens us to Scriptures
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44, 45)

  • In opening Scriptures, Jesus opens our minds and warms our hearts.
  • Old Testament Scriptures point ahead to Jesus in many ways.
  • Knowing Jesus helps us make sense of the Old Testament.


Beginning with Moses

  • Serpent would strike Savior (Gen 3:15)
  • A ram died in place of Isaac (Gen 22:13)
  • Passover lamb died for firstborn (Ex 12)
  • Day of Atonement (Lev 16)
  • Serpent lifted up on a pole (Num 21)
  • The Lord said to Moses, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deut 18:18)


Prophets

  • The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. (Isaiah 7:14).
  • But you, Bethlehem … out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (Micah 5:2).
  • Out of Egypt I called my son (Hos. 11:1).
  • In the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles… The people walking in darkness have seen a great light (Isaiah 9:1-2).


Miracles

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:5)

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Mt. 11:3-5)


Palm Sunday

  • 800 years earlier: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord... With branches in hand, join in the festal procession.” (Psalm 118:26-27)
  • 500+ years earlier: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)


Betrayal and arrest

Judas: “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9)

All disciples fled: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (Zech. 13:7)

Back whipped, face punched, spit upon: “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6; 700 B.C.)


Crucifixion and Death
Psalm 22, 1000 BC:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“They have pierced my hands and my feet... They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”
“He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him.”
“My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.”

Not one of his bones will be broken. (Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20)
They will look on the one they have pierced.  (Zechariah 12:10)
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. (Isaiah 53:9)


Resurrection
You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. (Psalm 16)
The forsaken, pierced one will live and rejoice and bring far-off nations to the Lord. (Psalm 22)
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. (Isaiah 53)


Sabbath Signposts

  • Sabbath day: Every seventh day, people and animals must rest. This expressed creation rhythm and Exodus liberation.
  • Sabbath year: Every seventh year, the land must rest. No tilling or planting was allowed.
  • Jubilee: Every 7x7 years, a super-Sabbath year, Jubilee, was a time to free all slaves, cancel all debts, restore to each family their land, and get life back on track. This was a once-in-a lifetime Exodus for everybody.


Feasts

  • Passover: A lamb’s blood was poured out so that people would not perish. Jesus died the day Passover lambs are sacrificed.
  • Feast of Firstfruits: The first day of the week after the high Sabbath following Passover. Jesus arose on that day as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20)
  • Feast of Weeks (Pentecost): 7x7 days after Firstfruits, it was a day to celebrate fuller harvest. Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on this day, seven weeks after his resurrection.


Tabernacle/temple is where:

  • Heaven meets earth.
  • God comes near.
  • God’s glory shines.
  • Sacrifice covers sin.
  • God’s reign is celebrated.
  • All nations seek God.
  • Death is destroyed.


Three figures in prophecy

  • A king, the Messiah, Son of David, will defeat enemies and rule wisely and well.
  • Yahweh, the Lord himself, will come as ruler and shepherd of Israel.
  • A servant, humble and unimpressive, will suffer rejection, torture, and death for sins that others have committed.
Nobody imagined that the king, Yahweh, and the servant could be the same person.

 King and Yahweh
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: Yahweh Our Righteous Savior.” (Jeremiah 23:5-7)

Arm of Yahweh: ruling king, suffering servant
Yahweh will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God… Who has believed our message  and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed… He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering… He was pierced for our transgressions. (Isaiah 52-53)

New Adam, new creation 
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion … over all the earth. (Genesis 1:1, 26)
In the beginning was the Word. (John 1:1).
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. (1 Cor 15:49)

To all nations 
In you [Abram] all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)
I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)
Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations. (Luke 24:47)

Fulfilled: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44)

The key that unlocks
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:45-47)


Last modified: Thursday, July 20, 2023, 7:45 AM