Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020922.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part VIII: The TRUTH Of Christ's Atonement By Prophecy Of His Death
(Psalm 22 with New Testament passages)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

The gospel we preach that we hold one must believe to receive God's gift of eternal life was that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures . . ." to cite from 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

However, a number of parties would deny that Jesus accomplished an atonement for sin, or handled the problem of broken fellowship between God and man. In fact, some would deny Jesus even died on the cross:

(1) When asked "What happened on the cross?" and "What happened on the third day?" John Dominic Crossan answered, "The program wasn't to go be assassinated. Jesus had been persuaded by someone, If you have a mission, why don't you go up to Jerusalem at the feast?'" (December 1994 issue of Life, p. 80)

(2) Karen Armstrong answered these questions in behalf of the Greek Orthodox theologians, saying " . . . the main purpose of Jesus was to bring God and man closer, but not necessarily to die in that atoning way we've developed in the West." (Ibid.)

(3) Seyyed Hossein Nasr answered these questions as a member of the Islamic faith, saying, "Islam does not accept that he was crucified, died, then was resurrected. Islam believes he was taken to heaven without dying, without suffering the pain of death." (Ibid.)

(4) Barbara Thiering, an interpreter of the Dead Sea Scrolls answered these questions with these remarks: "It was not a resurrection. He was put on the cross. Those within his own party, trying to help him commit suicide, gave him poison -- the sponge dipped in vinegar. He was unconscious but not dead. His side was pierced, blood came out. A dead body does not bleed, so his followers knew he was not dead. They put him in the cave. He lived until his seventies, and it was he -- Jesus acting behind Paul -- who led their party out of Judaism and to Rome. He married Mary Magdalen and had four children." (Ibid.)

Well, is there any TANGIBLE evidence that Jesus of Nazareth actually died on a cross, and did so as an atonement for our sins? We need to know as this affects what we believe for salvation from sin and its consequences in hell!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though WE teach Christ's crucifixion and death atone for our sins, some deny His death atones, or even that He was crucified! Is there any CREDIBLE evidence Jesus Christ died on the cross effectively to atone for our sins before a holy God?"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's exposition of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. The Twenty-Second Psalm reveals the VALIDITY of the claim that the Messiah, Jesus died to atone for our sins by way of the cross:
    1. Psalm 22 pictures death by crucifixion before it could have been done:
      1. The Hebrew text makes the introductory notes of Psalm 22 the first verse, cf. Rudolf Kittel, ed., Biblia Hebraica, p. 992.
      2. Thus, the Scripture claims king David is its author, and he lived around 1000 B. C., cf. The MacMillan Bible Atlas, p. 66.
      3. However, this psalm describes "a graphic description of one undergoing crucifixion" even though this "means of execution was not known until Roman times . . ." (McDowell, A Ready Defense, p. 252; Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, ftn. to Psalm 22:11-18).
    2. Then, Jesus saw Himself fulfilling Psalm 22 in His death as seen in His speaking both its opening and closing lines while on the cross!
      1. When Jesus on the cross cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" translated as, "My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?" (KJV), except for changing the Aramaic into Hebrew at "My God," Jesus cited Psalm 22:1 in our English Bible, Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, ftn. to Matthew 27:46.
      2. Then, His last words just before death which are "It is finished" (John 19:30) refer to the final line of Psalm 22:
        1. The last phrase of Psalm 22 is properly translated from the Hebrew as "He performed (it)," and describes how, in future generations, believers will worship Him, claiming God has delivered the innocent, righteous Messiah from death!
        2. Accordingly, so deeply involved was Jesus in anticipating the fulfillment of this future praise to God for His resurrection, He cried out at death, "It is finished," or "It is performed."
    3. Viewing Psalm 22 closely, we see how Jesus fulfilled its prophecy regarding His death to atone for our sins on the cross:
      1. In agony, Jesus called out to God lamenting His being forsaken by the Father as our sin-bearer under a divine curse, Psalm 22:1.
      2. Instead of being immediately delivered, He was horribly mistreated as a crucified Person, a form of execution unknown in David's era:
        1. He was mocked verbally and by way of gestures, Ps. 22:6-8 with Mtt. 27:43; Mark 25:29-32.
        2. He asked for God's help, recalling God had been His help from his human birth, Psalm 22:9-11.
        3. Jesus' enemies surrounded Him as animals closing in for the kill, and Psalm 22:12-18 describes His physical dehydration, bone dislocation, thirst and the piercing of His hands and feet. His enemies both divided his clothes and cast lots for clothing that cannot be thus divided to picture exactly the events of Jesus' crucifixion (cf. the Gospel records).
      3. On the cross, Jesus was heard by the Father (Ps. 22:19-21a,b), and the answer of His deliverance would come in future days.
      4. That answer is a complete reversal of Christ's distress on the cross as itemized in the Twenty-Second Psalm as follows:
        1. Instead of being isolated from His own, Jesus would yet declare the Father's name among them, Ps. 22:22 with Luke 24:36, 49.
        2. Jesus thus anticipated the future praise of these disciples of God in Psalm 22:22-26. (cf. Luke 24:41, 53)
        3. In the Messianic Kingdom, all the ends of the earth of believers will praise God for delivering Jesus from death, Ps. 22:27-28.
        4. In fact, future believers who die will do so in hope of their own resurrection after the pattern of Jesus' resurrection, Ps. 22:29.
        5. Jesus even anticipated generations of nations yet to be born would hear the Gospel of His death and resurrection, and praise God for delivering Him from death, Ps. 22:30-31! No wonder in triumph, Jesus cried out at death, "It is finished!" in looking forward to such praise from us who are believers TODAY!
Application: (1) If we have not yet done so, believe on Jesus for forgiveness of sins and gain eternal life in Him, John 3:16. (2) Then, enter into the PRAISE of God Who delivered Him from death by the resurrection so that WE who BELIEVE in Him will have PHYSICAL RESURRECTION bodies OURSELVES! (3) Spread the news of this to others so they can also be saved!

Lesson: Psalm 22 with the New Testament shows Jesus fulfilled God's plan to die by crucifixion as our Sin Bearer! His atonement is VALID!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 One of the most dramatic evidences I ever saw of the reality of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross was portrayed for me in a filmed true reenactment of a scene where New Tribes missionaries were giving the Gospel to a stone age tribal group in a Third World country.

Because the tribal people needed to be informed about the Bible's background material, the missionaries had spent many lessons telling them of the Old Testament and its sacrificial system and its use to anticipate a future atonement. This tribe practiced animal sacrifices, and thus knew well about the hope of finding peace with their Creator by sacrifices.

On the day, however, that the missionaries began to speak of the sacrifice of God's own son, Jesus, on the cross as the fulfilling atonement for sin, the missionary was addressing the people in a courtyard between two groups of tribal throngs. Suddenly, he began to be interrupted in his delivery as one after another of the tribal people shouted out their understanding of the lesson, and asserted their triumphant faith in God's sacrifice, Jesus, for their own salvation. Eventually, the whole crowd, full of shouts and rejoicing, crammed into the courtyard and hoisted the missionary above their heads and carried him about on their shoulders praising God for His salvation! The missionary man's wife was seen in the film, watching the whole event from the sidelines with tears of joy streaming down her face!



The Holy Spirit made the teaching of Psalm 22 and 1 Corinthians 15 very real to these dear tribal people just as we have seen the credibility of the New Testament's description of Christ's cross in its prophecy in Psalm 22. Jesus ACTUALLY died on the cross in OUR place and for OUR SIN, that by FAITH in HIM, we may escape hell and gain heaven by God's grace!