Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. (Mark 10:32) Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: (Mark 10:32; Matthew 20:17; Luke 18:31)
How many of us would go to a place, knowing that when we get there, we would be physically tortured and then hung on a cross to die? That's exactly what Jesus did! Jesus knew from the beginning His purpose was to ...save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) But in order to do this most generous and loving thing, he would first have to suffer by the hands of those same people He came to save. “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. (Luke 18:31) “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Mark 10:33-34; Matthew 20:18-19; Luke 18:32-33)
Jesus didn't leave out any details. He knew exactly what was going to happen to Him. This alone should be enough proof to all of us that He is The Son of God! As He states, all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. What are some of these prophecies, prophesied up to a thousand years before He came to earth, but ALL fulfilled in Him alone?
- “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ... 'For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.' " (Zechariah 3:7-8)
- He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5)
- “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; (Zechariah 13:7)
- The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. (Isaiah 50:5-6)
There are so many more examples. (read "Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled by Jesus") Jesus alone fulfills over 300 prophecies in scripture! The odds that He could fulfill just 8 prophecies is 1 out of 100,000,000,000,000,000! Only God can know and reveal future events so accurately and precisely. But they [the disciples] understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:34) Unlike the disciples, we have the benefit of history and the New Testament to know that almost all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man were accomplished, but there is still more to be fulfilled.
The third day He did rise again, but "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) And why is He coming back? ...to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. (II Thessalonians 1:7-10)
Choose to believe in Christ Jesus today, even if like his disciples, we understand none of these things. ...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) Once we are saved, God fills us with His Holy Spirit,; ...as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” [Isaiah 64:4] But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:9-10)
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