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Book: Acts
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Acts 9:22 Jesus Is The Messiah
I. Paul's conversion to Christianity was quick and radical.
A. After he met the Lord he did a fast 180.
1. He had come to Damascus to imprison the Christians, he
left Damascus a radical Christian.
2. Immediately after he received the Holy Spirit and his
sight he went to the Jewish synagog and began to preach
that Jesus was the Son of God.
3. He confounded the Jews that lived in Damascus for he
proved that Jesus was the Messiah.
a. When he was in Thessolonica he alleged that the
Messiah must suffer and rise again from the
dead, and Jesus whom he preached to them was
the Messiah. Acts 17:3
b. When he was in Corinth he testified to the Jews
that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 18:5
c. When he came to Achaia we read that he helped
the brethren much for he testified to the Jews
publicly showing by the scriptures that Jesus
was the Messiah. Acts 18:28
d. When Paul came to Rome he testified to the Jews
and expounded to them of the Kingdom of God and
persuaded them concerning Jesus both out of the
law of Moses and from the prophets from morning
till evening. Acts 28:23
B. In His birth, life, death and resurrection Jesus fulfilled more
than 300 predictions concerning the Messiah found in the Old
Testament scriptures.
1. As Matthew gives us the story of Jesus he over and
again uses the phrase, that it might be fulfilled
referring to the Old Testament prophecies of the
Messiah.
2. Concerning His being born of a virgin he said,
MAT 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
MAT 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
3. Concerning their escape to Egypt he said of Joseph:
MAT 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night,
and departed into Egypt:
MAT 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Out of Egypt have I called my son.
4. Concerning the order of Herod to kill all the babies in
Bethlehem he said;
MAT 2:17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet,
saying,
MAT 2:18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and
great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not
be comforted, because they are not.
5. Concerning the move back to Nazareth he said,
MAT 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a
Nazarene.
6. When Jesus moved the headquarters of His ministry from
Nazareth to Capernaum he said,
MAT 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which
is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
MAT 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying,
MAT 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of
the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
MAT 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them
which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
7. Concerning Jesus healing all the sick that came to Him
he said,
MAT 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare [our]
sicknesses.
8. When the Pharisee's plotted to destroy Jesus Matthew
tells us that Jesus just removed Himself from that
place and great multitudes followed Him and He healed
them all,
MAT 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying,
MAT 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom
my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he
shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
MAT 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his
voice in the streets.
MAT 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not
quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
MAT 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
9. When Jesus began to speak in parables Matthew said,
MAT 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things
which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
10. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey Matthew
said,
MAT 21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophet, saying,
MAT 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
11. When Jesus was arrested in the garden and Peter drew
his sword and started to defend Him Matthew tells us,
MAT 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place:
for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
MAT 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall
presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
MAT 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it
must be?
12. When Jesus was crucified and the soldiers cast lot for
His robe Matthew said,
MAT 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They
parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they
cast lots.
C. Almost every major act in the life of Jesus was a fulfillment
of prophecy.
1. God had laid out such a clear picture in the prophecies
there could be no excuse for not recognizing the
Messiah.
2. You cannot say that it was just an accident, the odds
of this just happening are to great.
3. You might say that it was a plot, that Jesus studied
all of the prophecies and deliberately went about to
fulfill them.
a. In a sense you would be right. It is something
that He and the Father had plotted from the
foundation of the world.
b. But to say that He plotted it as a man here on
earth, would be difficult to prove.
1. Arranging to be born of a virgin.
2. Arranging the travel to Bethlehem that
he might He might be born there.
3. Arranging for Herod to order the
slaughter of the children.
4. The flight to Egypt.
5. The soldiers casting lots for His
vesture.
II. What these prophecies prove.
A. That Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
B. That God is outside of our time continuum.
1. It would be totally impossible for one inside to the
time continuum to make so many predictions that were
fulfilled with 100% accuracy.
2. Only the eternal God who has declared of Himself that
He knows the end from the beginning could have
authored these scriptures.
C. That the Bible is indeed inspired by God.
1. David said,
2SA 23:2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word [was] in my
tongue.
2. Jesus acknowledged that this was true,
MAR 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my
Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy
footstool.
3. Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament scriptures
were spoken by God.
MAT 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read
that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
MAT 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
4. Paul declared that the Holy Spirit was speaking through
the prophet Isaiah.
ACS 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after
that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit by
Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
5. Peter confirms the inspiration of the scriptures,
2PE 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2PE 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2PE 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were
with him in the holy mount.
2PE 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2PE 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation.
2PE 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
D. It proves that the death of Christ was not some fluke of
history.
1. It was a predetermined event to reveal to man the
greatness of God's love, even for the sinner.
2. God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins, to
provide a righteous basis for the forgiveness of our
sins.
III. With their own scriptures, Paul was able to prove that Jesus was the
Messiah.
A. This means that the acceptance or rejection of this fact is
something that is entirely up to you.
1. You choose to believe the facts or you choose not to
believe the facts.
2. This old argument of intellectual difficulties
dissolves, because if you study the facts you will be
convinced that the proof is there. Let's be honest,
a. You don't believe because you don't want to
believe.
b. You don't want to believe because are not
willing to give up the evil in your life.
c. Therefore the judgment of God upon you will be
entirely just, for God will and must judge sin.
d. And when He pronounces your sentence for your
sins, the voices will declare, "Holy and
righteous are Thy judgments O Lord."
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