One of the common errors of Evangelical Protestantism and
Fundamentalism is the belief that the Old Testament Jews were looking forward
to the Cross as we look backward to it. It is clear, though, from reading the
Bible in context that the Jews did not understand the suffering of their
Messiah and knew nothing about the Cross at all.
Luke
1:74 That he would grant unto us, that
we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
Luke 1:74 shows that there was an expectation that
Christ the Messiah would restore Israel and deliver it from Roman occupation.
This expectation persisted even after Christ’s resurrection as shown here in
Acts.
This shows how the Fundamentalist doctrine that in the
Old Testament the Jews were looking forward to the Cross is wrong. They did not
understand Isaiah 53. Their confusion persisted until an eleventh century rabbi
nicknamed Rashi developed the idea previously only mentioned by a few that
rather than being about a singular man the chapters in Isaiah about the Messiah
were actually about the suffering Jewish people as a group thereby totally
confusing the Jews with regard to Christ.
Jesus’ Jewish followers literally had no clue what He
was talking about when He referred to His impending agony on the Cross or
understood anything about His Resurrection.
Matthew
16:21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus
to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day. 22 Then
Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:
this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he
turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men.
Mark
9:9 And as they came down from the
mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had
seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10 And they kept that saying with themselves,
questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean…31 For he
taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the
hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall
rise the third day. 32
But
they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Luke
18:31 ¶ Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto
them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the
prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles,
and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the
third day he shall rise again. 34 And
they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them,
neither knew they the things which were spoken.
John
20:9 For as yet they knew not the
scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
The Jews, even Christ’s followers, were expecting Him to restore
Israel to its former glory. But He makes it clear that this information is not
for them, or us.
Deuteronomy
29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but
those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our
children for ever, that we may
do all the words of this law.
The Lord Jesus Christ showed how the prophecies of the Old
Testament connected to Him. In the following in Luke is one instance where He,
after His resurrection, expounded on these things.
Luke
24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools,
and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into his glory? 27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in
all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Our main issue in our heads in life is death. It is a great
concern from the perspective of someone possessing biological life. In life we
also have concerns about happiness, fulfillment, respect, even being free. But the
real main issue in eternity and in life, the one thing that hangs over our
heads, that colors everything else, is our sin. Our sin separates us from our
God. Jesus, God in the flesh or the Son of God, living as a man, dying on the
Cross for our sins, and being resurrected from death, has removed from us the
penalty of that sin, the power of that sin has over us, and one day we will be
delivered from even the presence of sin.
So, there are two things working in us today. We are saved from
the penalty of sin but that would not be enough. It would be an excuse for us
to do whatever we pleased to each other and against God because we had a, “get
out of jail free,” card, a reference to the board game Monopoly. But Christ has
also saved us from the power of sin over us so that we have no excuse for our
wicked deeds.
1Corinthians
10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Hebrews
12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth
so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the
race that is set before us,
For the prophet that Moses spoke of referenced in verse 22 see;
Deuteronomy
18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken…18 I will raise them up a Prophet
from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth;
and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19
And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I
will require it of him.
By comparing verse 23 here in Acts with Deuteronomy 18:19 we see
that the definition of require it of him
is to hold someone accountable as Genesis 9:5 shows us as well.
Genesis
9:5 And surely your blood of your lives
will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at
the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of
man.
For verse 25 see;
Genesis 12:3 And I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall
all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 28:14 And thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Also, notice how the definition of Jesus name is given as it means
Jehovah is salvation and how it links with verse 26.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins.
The authorities are not going to be happy with this impromptu
sermon by Peter.
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